Adsorption of surfactants on microbiologies

Adsorption isotherms of 5 priority surfactants on microbiologies were obtained. The sources and the conditions of microbiologies were little influenced on the adsorption, except in endogenous state. The employed surfactants were ready to adsorb in the order of AE>APE>LAS>AES>AOS.     

Environmental management of pesticidal POPs in China: past, present and future

China, the largest developing country in the world, has been undergoing rapid economic growth in the past two decades. Synchronously, large quantities of persistent organic chlorinated pesticides have been used in agriculture and non-agriculture areas. Accompanying with incomplete management framework, the improper use and disposal of pesticides have caused serious pollution problems. In this study, we discussed: (1) ten persistent organochlorine pesticides in terms of historical production, consumption and number of manufacturers, import and export; (2) the current management framework of pesticidal persistent organic pollutants (POPs) with respect to legal system and government administrative system; (3) the existing problems in the management of pesticidal POPs; and proposed recommendations for countermeasures. Based on the available information, it can be concluded that records on the historical production and consumption quantities of pesticidal POPs are incomplete which makes a difficulty in the management. Although China has come a long way in developing a modern legal system, the current system is still considered weak and inefficient; and many challenges are ahead. The government administrative system has also been reformed and improved, but over-lapping jurisdictions still exist and are ineffective in managing pesticidal POPs program. To address these existing problems in pesticidal POPs management, it was suggested that more investigations should be conducted to collect information on pollution sources of pesticidal POPs, to evaluate their environmental risks, to identify new alternative chemicals and to complete management framework of pesticidal POPs in China. Furthermore, the public should be encouraged to participate in managing hazardous pesticidal POPs in China, and international cooperation and communication should be established and strengthened imperatively as well.     

Body color change and serum steroid hormone levels throughout the process of sex change in the adult wrasse, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudolabrus sieboldi</Emphasis>

Gonadal sex steroid hormones are the principal factors that directly control the gonadal and morphological alterations during sex change in hermaphrodite fish; however, the physiological mechanism of action by which these hormones govern body coloration is poorly understood. The protogynous wrasse Pseudolabrus sieboldi is a good model for understanding the physiological mechanisms of gonadal and body color change during sex change in hermaphrodite fish. To obtain information on the relationship between sex steroids and body color change during the process of gonadal sex change, we analyzed body color, gonadal histology, and serum levels of sex steroids. Body color was analyzed using a quantitative analytical method based on the hue value. Compared to other body parts of the fish, the anal fin changed color the most, becoming increasingly redder in association with gonadal changes that converted ovaries to testes. Levels of serum 11-ketotestosterone (11KT) increased as the gonadal sex change proceeded, whereas no significant change was observed in estradiol-17β (E2) levels. Moreover, we found a significant correlation between the hue value of the anal fin and serum 11KT levels, but not E2 levels. These results suggest that androgen, but not estrogen, plays a principle role in the changes in both gonadal morphology and body color in the transformation from female to male in this species. To our knowledge, this is the first quantitative demonstration of the relationship between body color and serum steroid levels during sex change in fish.     

Strategy for separation and treatment of disaster waste: a manual for earthquake and tsunami disaster waste management in Japan

Shortly after the March 11th earthquake and tsunami in eastern Japan, a Task Team for Disaster Waste Management and Reconstruction was established within the Japan Society of Material Cycles and Waste Management (JSMCWM). One of the major tasks undertaken by the team was to create a manual entitled, Strategies for Separation and Treatment of Disaster Waste. In this paper, this JSMCWM manual is introduced, followed by a review of existing guidelines for disaster waste management in various countries. We identify useful guidelines created by international agencies, national and local governments. The JSMCWM manual adds our new experiences, especially characterized by a huge scale of disaster and tsunami information, to the existing knowledge with an emphasis on separation and subsequent treatment options. It should be desirable to share our knowledge and experiences, not only domestically but also with other countries in the world, especially regions that could be affected by large earthquake and tsunami events.     

Development of a method to predict crash risk using trend analysis of driver behavior changes over time

Objective: This study aimed at identifying and predicting in advance the point in time with a high risk of a virtual accident before a virtual accident actually occurs using the change of behavioral measures and subjective rating on drowsiness over time and the trend analysis of each behavioral measure.

Methods: Behavioral measures such as neck bending angle and tracking error in steering maneuvering during the simulated driving task were recorded under the low arousal condition of all participants who stayed up all night without sleeping. The trend analysis of each evaluation measure was conducted using a single regression model where time and each measure of drowsiness corresponded to an independent variable and a dependent variable, respectively. Applying the trend analysis technique to the experimental data, we proposed a method to predict in advance the point in time with a high risk of a virtual accident (in a real-world driving environment, this corresponds to a crash) before the point in time when the participant would have encountered a crucial accident if he or she continued driving a vehicle (we call this the point in time of a virtual accident).

Results: On the basis of applying the proposed trend analysis method to behavioral measures, we found that the proposed approach could predict in advance the point in time with a high risk of a virtual accident before the point in time of a virtual accident.

Conclusion: The proposed method is a promising technique for predicting in advance the time zone with potentially high risk (probability) of being involved in an accident due to drowsy driving and for warning drivers of such a drowsy and risky state.     

Door-to-door measurement of household waste arisings in selected towns in Malaysia

To establish the per capita household waste arisings, door-to-door measurement of discharged waste was carried out. Survey was done in four 2-week phases over a period of 13 months. A questionnaire survey was also carried out to obtain data on household size and other household characteristics as well as the extent of reduce and recycle activities. The results showed that there is a big variance among households on waste arisings, and that household size is an important socio-economic factor in determining per capita waste generation.     

Eco-friendly recovery process of lithium from reduction roasting residue powder based on hydrothermal extraction

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - To cater to the increasing demand for secondary lithium-ion batteries, the recovery of valuable metal species in spent batteries is increasingly...