Comparison of homologous and heterologous formats in nanocolloidal gold-based immunoassays for parathion residue determination

The effectiveness of homologous and heterologous formats in a nanocolloidal gold-based immunoassay for pesticide residue determination was investigated. Parathion, one of the most toxic organophosphorus pesticides, was used as the target analyte. One-step homologous and heterologous test strips based on a nanocolloidal gold-labeled monoclonal antibody were developed for the rapid detection of parathion residues. The results showed that the heterologous format was more effective than the homologous format, being more sensitive, more specific to parathion and more tolerant of matrix interferences. The best competitive hapten was found to have a moderate heterology and the opposite electronic distribution to the immunizing hapten. The detection limits for parathion using the preferred heterologous strip were 1 μg/L in water samples and 5 μg/kg in soil and food samples.     

Biological degradation and microbial function effect of norfloxacin in a soil under different conditions

This paper investigated the degradation kinetics of norfloxacin in a soil, and its effects on soil respiration and nitrogen transformation under different conditions. Compared to the sterile control, the degradation rates of norfloxacin in the non-sterile soil were greatly enhanced, suggesting that microorganisms played a major role in the degradation. Accelerated degradation for norfloxacin in the soil was observed with decreasing concentrations (30 mg/kg to 5 mg/kg) with its half-life decreasing from 62 days to 31 days. Amending swine manure into the soil and increasing the soil moisture level enhanced the biological degradation of norfloxacin. No obvious inhibition of norfloxacin on soil respiration was observed in the soil, while only slight effect on nitrogen transformation was found. The results suggested that norfloxacin at the reported environmental concentrations (<100 mg/kg) would have little effect on microbial activity and functions in the soils.     

Persistence of repeated triadimefon application and its impact on soil microbial functional diversity

The effects of repeated applications of the fungicide triadimefon in agricultural soil on the microbial functional diversity of the soil and on the persistence of the fungicide in the soil were investigated under laboratory conditions. The degradation half-lives of triadimefon at the recommended dosage, simulated by a first-order kinetic model, were 23.90, 22.95, and 21.52 days for the first, second, and third applications, respectively. Throughout this study, no significant inhibition of the Shannon-Wiener index (H') was observed. However, the Simpson index (1/D) and the McIntosh index (U) were obviously reduced (p ≤ 0.05) during the initial 3 days after the first triadimefon application and thereafter, gradually recovered to or exceeded the level of the control soil. A similar trend in variation but with a faster recovery in the 1/D and U was observed after the second and third triadimefon applications, respectively. Taken together, the above results indicate that the repeated application of triadimefon enhanced the degradation rate of the fungicide and the recovery rate of the soil microbial functional diversity. It is concluded that repeated triadimefon applications in soil have a transient or temporary inhibitory effect on soil microbial communities.     

VOC amounts in ambient areas of a high-technology science park in Taiwan: their reciprocal correlations and impact on inhabitants

Introduction  

This study presents bihourly, seasonal, and yearly concentration changes in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the inlet and effluent water of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of a high-technology science park (HTIP) in Taiwan, with the VOC amounts at different sites correlated geologically.     

Effect of factors on decolorization of azo dye methyl orange by oxone/natural sunlight in aqueous solution

Purpose  

The oxone process for azo dye decolorization has drawbacks such as difficulties with reuse, risks of secondary pollution, and high costs associated with UV irradiation. This study aims to explore the use of oxone for decolorization in the absence of catalyst and under natural sunlight conditions (i.e., oxone/natural sunlight system) and evaluate the impacts of operating parameters (reagent dosage, initial methyl orange (MO) concentration, and initial pH) and coexisting substances (humic acid, NO₃⁻, metal ions) on the system’s decolorization efficiency.     

Harvesting of Chlorella sp. using hollow fiber ultrafiltration

Introduction

The suitability of the application of ultrafiltration (UF) to harvest Chlorella sp. from the culture medium was examined. We investigated the effects of two improved UF system, forward air?Cwater flushing and backwash with permeate, on the concentration process.

Materials and methods

Backwash with permeate was selected as an optimization of the improved UF system, which was more effective for permeate flux recovery. Moreover, the hollow fiber UF system by adding periodical backwash with permeate was examined for Chlorella sp. harvesting.

Results and discussion

It was found that Chlorella sp. could be concentrated with high recovery in a lab-scale experiment. An overall algal biomass recovery of above 90% was achieved when the volume concentration factor was 10. For an original biomass of 1.3?±?0.05?g/L, 1?min backwash followed by 20?min forward concentrating was more effective, which resulted in a recovery of 94% and a high average flux of 30.3?L/m²/h. In addition, the algal recovery was highly correlated to the volume concentration factor and the initial biomass. A high concentration factor or a high initial biomass resulted in a low biomass recovery.     

Environmental lead pollution threatens the children living in the Pearl River Delta region, China

Introduction and purpose

The objective of this study is to determine children??s blood lead levels and identify sources of lead exposure. Childhood lead exposure constitutes a major pediatric health problem today in China. A blood lead screening survey program for children in the age group of 2?C12?years residing in Pearl River Delta region, south of China, was carried out from Dec 2007 to Jan 2008.

Methods

Blood lead levels and lead isotope ratios of a total of 761 participants were assessed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. Measurements of urban environmental samples for source identification of children lead exposure were also performed.

Results and conclusions

The geometric mean value of the children??s blood lead levels was 57.05???g/L, and 9.6% of them were higher than 100???g/L. The blood lead levels were still much higher than those in developed countries. Based on the data of environmental lead source inventories, lead isotopic tracing revealed that there is about 6.7% past used gasoline Pb embedded in Shenzhen residential dust and about 15.6% in Guangzhou dust, respectively.     

Heterogeneous photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange in schwertmannite/oxalate suspension under UV irradiation

Introduction

Schwertmannite was synthesized through an oxidation of FeSO₄ by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans LX5 cell suspension at an initial pH?2.5 and 28°C for 3?days and characterized using X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope. The schwertmannite photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) by oxalate was investigated at different initial pH values, concentrations of schwertmannite, oxalate, and MO.

Results

The results demonstrated that photodegradation of MO in the presence of schwertmannite or oxalate alone was very weak. However, the removal of MO was significantly enhanced when schwertmannite and oxalate coexisted in the reaction system. Low pH (4 or less) was beneficial to the degradation of MO. The optimal doses of schwertmannite and oxalate were 0.2?g?L^?1 and 2?mM, respectively. Hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and Fe(II), the intermediate products, were also examined during the reaction to explore their correlation with the degradation of MO.

Conclusion

A possible mechanism for the photocatalytic decomposition of MO in the study was proposed. The formation of Fe(III)-oxalate complexes on the surface of schwertmannite was a precursor of H₂O₂ and Fe(II) production, further leading to the yield of ·OH responsible for the decomposition of MO.     

改性多壁碳纳米管对水中Cd~（2＋）的去除

为了增加多壁碳纳米管（multiwall carbon nanotubers,MWNTs）对水中Cd2＋的吸附量,使用混酸对多壁碳纳米管进行氧化处理,采用红外光谱进行结果表征,并探讨了吸附时间、pH值和MWNTs的使用量、Cd2＋的浓度及干扰离子对镉离子吸附的影响。结果表明,吸附时间为1.5 h、pH为5.3、吸附效果最佳,随MWNTs量的增加Cd2＋去除量增加,共存的阳离子会降低对Cd2＋的吸附效果,对Cd2＋的吸附符合Longmuir吸附定律。研究同时表明,pH小于2时Cd2＋能容易从碳纳米管上解吸。初步探讨了Cd2＋吸附机制。     

Determination of partition and diffusion coefficients of formaldehyde in selected building materials and impact of relative humidity

The partition and effective diffusion coefficients of formaldehyde were measured for three materials (conventional gypsum wallboard, "green" gypsum wallboard, and "green" carpet) under three relative humidity (RH) conditions (20%, 50%, and 70% RH). The "green" materials contained recycled materials and were friendly to environment. A dynamic dual-chamber test method was used. Results showed that a higher relative humidity led to a larger effective diffusion coefficient for two kinds of wallboards and carpet. The carpet was also found to be very permeable resulting in an effective diffusion coefficient at the same order of magnitude with the formaldehyde diffusion coefficient in air. The partition coefficient (K(ma)) of formaldehyde in conventional wallboard was 1.52 times larger at 50% RH than at 20% RH, whereas it decreased slightly from 50% to 70% RH, presumably due to the combined effects of water solubility of formaldehyde and micro-pore blocking by condensed moisture at the high RH level. The partition coefficient of formaldehyde increased slightly with the increase of relative humidity in "green" wallboard and "green" carpet. At the same relative humidity level, the "green" wallboard had larger partition coefficient and effective diffusion coefficient than the conventional wallboard, presumably due to the micro-pore structure differences between the two materials. The data generated could be used to assess the sorption effects of formaldehyde on building materials and to evaluate its impact on the formaldehyde concentration in buildings.