Use of ATP Readings to Predict a Successful Hygiene Intervention in the Workplace to Reduce the Spread of Viruses on Fomites

The purpose of this study was to validate the use of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for evaluating hygiene intervention effectiveness in reducing viral dissemination in an office environment. The bacterial virus MS-2 was used to evaluate two scenarios, one where the hand of an individual was contaminated and another where a fomite was contaminated. MS-2 was selected as a model because its shape and size are similar to many human pathogenic viruses. Two separate experiments were conducted, one in which the entrance door push plate was inoculated and the other in which the hand of one selected employee was inoculated. In both scenarios, 54 selected surfaces in the office were tested to assess the dissemination of the virus within the office. Associated surface contamination was also measured employing an ATP meter. More than half of the tested hands and surfaces in the office were contaminated with MS-2 within 4 h. Next, an intervention was conducted, and each scenario was repeated. Half of the participating employees were provided hand sanitizer, facial tissues, and disinfecting wipes, and were instructed in their use. A significant (p < 0.05) reduction was observed in the number of surfaces contaminated with virus. This reduction in viral spread was evident from the results of both viral culture and the surface ATP measurements, although there was no direct correlation between ATP measurements with respect to viral concentration. Although ATP does not measure viruses, these results demonstrate that ATP measurements could be useful for evaluating the effectiveness of hygiene interventions aimed at preventing viral spread in the workplace.     

Use of Preservative Agents and Antibiotics for Increased Poliovirus Survival on Positively Charged Filters

Environmental surveillance of poliovirus (PV) and other non-enveloped viruses can help identify silent circulation and is necessary to certify eradication. The bag-mediated filtration system is an efficient method to filter large volumes of environmental waters at field sites for monitoring the presence of viruses. As filters may require long transit times to off-site laboratories for processing, viral inactivation or overgrowth of bacteria and fungi can interfere with virus detection and quantification (Miki and Jacquet in Aquatic Microb Ecol 51(2):195–208, 2008). To evaluate virus survival over time on ViroCap^? filters, the filters were seeded with PV type 1 (PV1) and/or MS2 and then dosed with preservatives or antibiotics prior to storage and elution. These filters were stored at various temperatures and time periods, and then eluted for PV1 and MS2 recovery quantification. Filters dosed with the preservative combination of 2% sodium benzoate and 0.2% calcium propionate had increased virus survival over time when stored at 25 °C, compared to samples stored at 25 °C with no preservatives. While elution within 24 h of filtration is recommended, if storage or shipping is required then this preservative mixture can help preserve sample integrity. Addition of an antibiotic cocktail containing cephapirin, gentamicin, and Proclin^? 300 increased recovery after storage at 4 and 25 °C, when compared to storage with no antibiotics. The antibiotic cocktail can aid sample preservation if access to appropriate antibiotics storage is available and sample cold chain is unreliable. This study demonstrated that the use of preservatives or antibiotics is a simple, cost-effective method to improve virus detection from ViroCap cartridge filters over time.     

氯灭活地下水源中3种优势真菌的效能与机制

地下水源中真菌大量繁殖会产生嗅味,引发毒性反应以及产生大量肉眼可见的絮状物,严重影响供水水质.以地下水源中3种优势真菌木霉属、青霉属、枝孢属为研究对象,以氯为消毒剂,通过研究真菌孢子胞内物质泄漏,胞外三磷酸腺苷(ATP),脱氧核糖核酸(DNA)和蛋白质增加及孢子形态变化,探明了氯灭活3种真菌孢子的效能与机制.结果表明,氯灭活真菌孢子符合一级动力学,满足Chick模型,3种真菌的耐氯性为:木霉属青霉属枝孢属,真菌孢子尺寸越大,亲水性越强,灭活效果越好.氯灭活后,胞内物质泄漏,胞外特征物质(ATP、DNA、蛋白质)显著增加;氯对细胞表面破坏严重,灭活后真菌孢子凹陷,表面褶皱.综上所述,氯首先作用于孢子表面,降低孢子的可培养性,进一步作用使细胞的通透性屏障受损,导致胞内特征物质释放,以致孢子死亡.     

镧-铅复合污染下AM真菌对玉米生长和镧、铅吸收的影响

采用温室盆栽试验的方法,模拟不同程度的镧-铅复合污染土壤(50、200、800 mg·kg~(-1)),研究接种丛枝菌根(arbuscular mycorrhizal,AM)、真菌Claroideoglomus etunicatum(CE)和Rhizophagus intraradices(RI)对玉米(Zea mays L.)菌根侵染率、生物量、矿质营养元素吸收、C∶N∶P生态化学计量比、稀土镧(La)和重金属铅(Pb)吸收、转运的影响,旨在为稀土-重金属复合污染土壤的治理和修复提供科学依据.结果表明,AM真菌CE和RI均与玉米建立了共生关系,平均菌根侵染率为26.7%~95.8%;随着La-Pb复合污染含量的增加,玉米植株菌根侵染率、地上部和根部生物量以及N、P、K、Ca、Mg这5种矿质营养元素含量显著降低,而玉米植株C∶P和N∶P以及地上部和根部La、Pb含量显著增加.接种2种AM真菌使玉米植株生物量显著提高了17.8%~158.9%,地上部和根部P含量显著提高了24.5%~153.8%,降低了C∶P和N∶P,符合生长速率假设.在3种程度La-Pb复合污染含量土壤上,AM真菌使玉米植株根部Pb含量显著增加了51.3%~67.7%,地上部Pb含量显著降低了16.0%~67.7%,Pb从玉米根部向地上部的转运率降低了31.5%~54.7%;同时,接种AM真菌显著增加了轻度LaPb复合污染土壤上玉米植株的La含量,在中度La-Pb复合污染土壤上却显著减少了玉米地上部的La含量,增加了玉米根部的La含量,抑制了La从根部向地上部的转运,重度La-Pb复合污染土壤上均没有显著影响.试验结果初步证明,AM真菌具有促进稀土-重金属复合污染土壤植物修复的潜力,对于稀土-重金属复合污染土壤生态系统的植被恢复具有潜在应用价值.     

黄土丘陵区坡面水蚀对降雨和下垫面微观格局的响应

黄土高原严重的土壤侵蚀是降雨和复杂脆弱的下垫面共同作用的结果.以微型小区尺度上(1.2 m×1.2 m;2 m×1.2m)模拟降雨技术为基本研究手段,定量刻画了降雨量和降雨强度等基本降雨特征值对定西安家沟自然坡面上荒草、沙棘中位、沙棘下位、沙棘上位、结皮裸地和裸地等不同植株微观格局及其处理下的水蚀过程的影响.主要取得以下结果:①雨强和雨量对水蚀的发生均能产生显著影响,但以雨强的影响力更大;②前期土壤含水量与产流时间显著负相关,而与径流量和侵蚀量显著正相关.前期含水量相同时,不同植株微景观格局对产流时间发挥了关键作用;③不同植株及其微观格局遏制地表径流的能力迥异.在50～60 mm.h-1的大雨强作用下,有沙棘覆盖的小区径流系数仅为5%～8%,荒草地为25%,结皮裸地为45%,而裸地则高达63%;④有沙棘覆盖的小区中,沙棘在小区中所处的具体位置对于水土流失效应又极为重要,以沙棘下位的水土保持效果最好.     

MUCT工艺全程硝化和短程硝化模式下反硝化除磷研究

采用MUCT工艺处理低C/N比实际生活污水,研究在全程硝化及短程硝化模式下系统的反硝化除磷性能.MUCT反应器在常温下运行180 d,结果表明,采用低DO和短水力停留时间(HRT)实现了短程硝化,亚硝酸盐积累率达到70%以上.系统表现出较好的反硝化除磷性能,短程硝化期间磷的去除率和反硝化除磷率分别为90%和91%,全程硝化期间磷的去除率和反硝化除磷率分别为60%和88%.虽然短程硝化模式下磷的去除效果明显优于全程硝化模式,但荧光原位杂交(FISH)试验结果表明,2种模式下污泥中PAOs占总菌群的比例基本相同,平均为37%.COD去除效果稳定,试验期间出水COD均低于50 mg.L-1.不同硝化模式下污泥的批次试验表明:短程硝化期间,以NO2--N作为电子受体为主的反硝化除磷菌占总聚磷菌的比例和全程硝化期间以NO3--N作为电子受体为主的反硝化除磷菌的比例相比没有明显变化,平均为38%;与全程硝化时期相比,短程硝化阶段对有限碳源的利用率更高,磷的去除效果更好.短程硝化模式下的反硝化除磷更有利于低碳源污水的处理.