Determination of indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by gas chromatography–electron capture detector

An effective method for determination of indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has been validated using gas chromatography (GC) equipped with electron capture detector (ECD). The GC–ECD method was validated by determining the linear range (working range) for determination of the compounds, minimum detectable quantities (MDQ), the precision and accuracy of the method for the analysis of the compounds. MDQ obtained for the compounds ranges from 0.0005 to 0.002 ng. Indeed the method was found to be more sensitive as the number of chlorine atoms attached to the biphenyl increases. The precision and accuracy of the GC method validated ranges from 2.4% to 14.5% and −7.0% to 14.6% respectively. Coefficient of variation associated with the repeatability of the retention times and corresponding peak areas was found to be 0.0001–0.0007 for the retention times and 0.0014–0.059 for the peak areas. Percentage recoveries for the compounds were in the range of 95.7–101.0%. The validated method was then applied to determine levels of indicator PCBs in sediments sampled from eleven sampling points along the Lake Bosuntwi in Ghana and the highest PCB load of 19.17 ng g⁻¹ was recorded at Pipie No. 2. PCB 52 and PCB 101 were found to be the most ubiquitous indicator PCBs in the study area, both with 90.91% occurrence.     

反硝化除磷污泥的厌氧释磷与缺氧吸磷特性研究

为研究厌氧释磷过程中的影响因素,以连续流A 2N双污泥中试污泥为样品,考察了碳源种类、碳源浓度、pH值以及温度对反硝化除磷污泥厌氧释磷的影响。结果表明:乙酸为碳源时释磷效果最佳,其次是葡萄糖,甲醇为碳源时释磷效果较差。MLSS为1 200 mg/L左右时,投加200 mg/L的COD即可保证充分释磷。pH值为6.3~8.8,对厌氧释磷效果影响不大,适当提高pH值有利于提高释磷速率。温度为20~30℃,释磷效果较好。另外,实验同时研究了反硝化除磷污泥分别利用不同电子受体(硝氮、氧气)的吸磷特性。以硝氮为电子受体的反硝化吸磷过程中,前15min的反硝化吸磷脱氮速率最高,吸磷速率与反硝化速率分别为11.5、10.4 mgN/gVSS·h;以氧气为电子受体的好氧吸磷过程中,前15 min的好氧吸磷速率最高,达到20.4 mgP/gVSS·h,大约为反硝化吸磷的2倍。     

15MV医用电子直线加速器感生放射性影响分析

对于电子能量大于10MeV的医用电子直线加速器,每次开机治疗完成后会产生感生放射性,可能对机房工作人员及附近公众产生辐射危害。本文对某医院15MV电子直线加速器运行后感生放射性进行量化,并由此估算可能对周围人员造成的辐射剂量。通过探讨,希望在对加速器产生的感生放射性影响评价时有参考意义。     

Release of silver nanoparticles from outdoor facades

In this study we investigate the release of metallic silver nanoparticles (Ag-NP) from paints used for outdoor applications. A facade panel mounted on a model house was exposed to ambient weather conditions over a period of one year. The runoff volume of individual rain events was determined and the silver and titanium concentrations of 36 out of 65 runoff events were measured. Selected samples were prepared for electron microscopic analysis. A strong leaching of the Ag-NP was observed during the initial runoff events with a maximum concentration of 145 μ Ag/l. After a period of one year, more than 30% of the Ag-NP were released to the environment. Particles were mostly <15 nm and are released as composite colloids attached to the organic binders of the paint. Microscopic results indicate that the Ag-NP are likely transformed to considerably less toxic forms such as Ag₂S.     

Ambient monitoring of asbestos in selected Italian living areas

This paper presents the results of an intensive monitoring activity of the particulate, fall-out and soil of selected living areas in Italy with the aim to detect the asbestos concentration in air and subsequent risk of exposure for the population in ambient living environments, and to assess the nature of the other mineral phases composing the particulate matrix. Some areas were sorted out because of the presence of asbestos containing materials on site whereas others were used as blank spots in the attempt to detect the background environmental concentration of asbestos in air. Because the concentration of asbestos in ambient environments is presumably very low, and it is well known that conventional low–medium flow sampling systems with filters of small diameter (25 mm) may collect only a very small fraction of particulate over a short period, for the first time here, an intense monitoring activity was conducted with a high flow sampling system. The high flow system requires the use of large cellulose filters with the advantage that, increasing the amount of collected dust, the probability to collect asbestos fibers increases. Both the protocol of monitoring and analysis are novel and prompted by the need to increase the sensitivity towards the small number of expected fibers. With this goal, the collection of fall-out samples (the particulate falling into a collector filled with distilled water during the monitoring shift) and soil samples was also accomplished. The analytical protocol of the matrix particulate included preliminary X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), optical microscopy and quantitative electron microscopy (SEM and TEM). Correlations with climatic trends and PM10 concentration data were also attempted.The surprising outcome of this work is that, despite the nature of the investigated site, the amount of dispersed asbestos fibers is very low and invariably lower than the theoretical method detection limits of the SEM and TEM techniques for identification and counting of asbestos fibers. The results are compared to the literature data worldwide and an updated model for asbestos fibers dispersion in ambient environments is proposed.     

Differences in volatile methyl siloxane (VMS) profiles in biogas from landfills and anaerobic digesters and energetics of VMS transformations

The objectives of this study were to compare the types and levels of volatile methyl siloxanes (VMS) present in biogas generated in the anaerobic digesters and landfills, evaluate the energetics of siloxane transformations under anaerobic conditions, compare the conditions in anaerobic digesters and municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills which result in differences in siloxane compositions. Biogas samples were collected at the South District Wastewater Treatment Plant and South Dade Landfill in Miami, Florida. In the digester gas, D4 and D5 comprised the bulk of total siloxanes (62% and 27%, respectively) whereas in the landfill gas, the bulk of siloxanes were trimethylsilanol (TMSOH) (58%) followed by D4 (17%). Presence of high levels of TMSOH in the landfill gas indicates that methane utilization may be a possible reaction mechanism for TMSOH formation. The free energy change for transformation of D5 and D4 to TMSOH either by hydrogen or methane utilization are thermodynamically favorable. Either hydrogen or methane should be present at relatively high concentrations for TMSOH formation which explains the high levels present in the landfill gas. The high bond energy and bond distance of the Si–O bond, in view of the atomic sizes of Si and O atoms, indicate that Si atoms can provide a barrier, making it difficult to break the Si–O bonds especially for molecules with specific geometric configurations such as D4 and D5 where oxygen atoms are positioned inside the frame formed by the large Si atoms which are surrounded by the methyl groups.     

电子束脱硫技术及其进展

介绍电子束脱硫原理以及在四川成都热电厂应用情况。由于采用干法工艺,流程简单、占地面积小,适用于厂区狭小的电厂安装脱硫装置。     

Distinct roles of pH and organic ligands in the dissolution of goethite by cysteine

Electron shuttles such cysteine play an important role in Fe cycle and its availability in soils,while the roles of pH and organic ligands in this process are poorly understood.Herein,the reductive dissolution process of goethite by cysteine were explored in the presence of organic ligands.Our results showed that cysteine exhibited a strong reactivity towards goethite-a typical iron minerals in paddy soils with a rate constant ranging from 0.01 to0.1 hr-1.However,a large portion of Fe(Ⅱ) appeare...     

Sulfide-driven nitrous oxide recovery during the mixotrophic denitrification process

We propose a novel sulfide-driven process to recover N₂O during the traditional denitrification process. The optimum initial sulfide concentration was 120 mg/L, and the N₂O percentage in the gaseous products (N₂O+N₂) was up to 82.9%. Moreover, sulfide involved in denitrification processes could substitute for organic carbon as an electron donor, e.g., 1 g sulfide was equivalent to 0.5-2 g COD when sulfide was oxidized to sulfur and sulfate. The accumulation of N₂O was mainly due to the inhibiting effect of sulfide on nitrous oxide reductase (N₂OR), which was induced by the supply insufficiency of electrons from cytochrome c (cyt c) to N₂OR. When the initial sulfide concentration was 120 mg/L, the N₂OR activity was only 36.8% of its original level. According to the results of cyclic voltammetry, circular dichroism spectra and fluorescence spectra, significant changes in the conformations and protein structures of cyt c were caused by sulfide, and cyt c completely lost its electron transport capacity. This study provides a new concept for N₂O recovery driven by sulfide in the denitrification process. In addition, the findings regarding the mechanism of the inhibition of N₂OR activity have important implications both for reducing emissions of N₂O and recovering N₂O in the sulfide-driven denitrification process.     

核辐射技术在环境污染治理中的应用

以γ射线或电子束为基本手段的核辐射技术，在环境污染治理中的应用日益广泛，除了其优良的消毒性能外，还可用于废气、废水、固体废物以及环境难降解有毒有机物的处理，该文阐述了电子束辐照烟气脱硫、辐照处理工业废水、辐射降解，难降解有机污染物等方面的研究应用，以及利用气溶胶强化电子束脱硫硝和对石油进行辐射脱硫的设想，并展望了这类技术的应用前景。