Method for Evaluating Germicidal Ultraviolet Inactivation of Biocontaminated Surfaces

Safety issues related to work-site conditions often deal with potential worker exposure to infectious airborne microorganisms due to their dissemination in indoor air and contamination of surfaces. Germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) radiation is used in health-care settings and other occupational environments for microbial inactivation. In this study, a new methodology for determining the efficiency of GUV microbial inactivation of surfaces was developed and evaluated. The method utilizes identical chambers in which test microorganisms are irradiated on agar surfaces at different humidity and irradiation intensity levels. The effects of GUV intensity and exposure time on microbial inactivation were examined for Micrococcus luteus and Serratia marcescens. It was found that at low humidity levels (20–25%) both organisms can be inactivated with at least 95% efficiency if the GUV intensity exceeds 50 μW/cm² for at least 3-5 min (corresponding to a dose of ~ 10 mJ/cm²). The radiation dose needed for effective inactivation of S. marcescens, as measured by a UV meter near the microbial sample, was found not to be affected by the humidity level, whereas that of M. luteus increased at higher humidities. The findings of this study can be used to determine sufficient GUV inactivation doses for occupational environments with various microbial contaminations.     

An enhanced compost temperature sampling framework: Case study of a covered aerated static pile

Spatial and temporal temperature variations exist in a compost pile. This study demonstrates that systematic temperature sampling of a compost pile, as is widely done, tends to underestimate these variations, which in turn may lead to false conclusions about the sanitary condition of the final product. To address these variations, a proper scheme of temperature sampling needs to be used. A comparison of the results from 21 temperature data loggers randomly introduced into a compost pile with those from 20 systematically introduced data loggers showed that the mean, maximum and minimum temperatures in both methods were very similar in their magnitudes. Overall, greater temperature variation was captured using the random method. In addition, 95% of the probes introduced systematically had attained thermophilic sanitation conditions (?55 °C for three consecutive days), as compared to 76% from the group that were randomly introduced. Furthermore, it was found that, from a statistical standpoint, readings from at least 47 randomly introduced temperature loggers are necessary to capture the observed temperature variation. Lastly, the turning of the compost pile was found to increase the chance that any random particle would be exposed to the temperature ?55 °C for three consecutive days. One turning was done during the study, and it increased the probability from 76% to nearly 85%. Using the Markov chain model it was calculated that if five turnings had been implemented on the evaluated technology, the likelihood that every particle would experience the required time–temperature condition would be 98%.     

Inactivation of bacteria by sun light in a solar reactor with Immobilised TiO2

The photocatalytical inactivation of bacteria (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis,...) in the flow‐through plate solar reactor by sunlight was investigated. The low stability of bacteria in the reactor was attributed to bacteria sensitivity to mixing and/or gas bubbling. Sunlight inactivation proceeds with sufficient rate even under cloudy conditions.     

Virus transport in physically and geochemically heterogeneous subsurface porous media

A two-dimensional model for virus transport in physically and geochemically heterogeneous subsurface porous media is presented. The model involves solution of the advection-dispersion equation, which additionally considers virus inactivation in the solution, as well as virus removal at the solid matrix surface due to attachment (deposition), release, and inactivation. Two surface inactivation models for the fate of attached inactive viruses and their subsequent role on virus attachment and release were considered. Geochemical heterogeneity, portrayed as patches of positively charged metal oxyhydroxide coatings on collector grain surfaces, and physical heterogeneity, portrayed as spatial variability of hydraulic conductivity, were incorporated in the model. Both layered and randomly (log-normally) distributed physical and geochemical heterogeneities were considered. The upstream weighted multiple cell balance method was employed to numerically solve the governing equations of groundwater flow and virus transport. Model predictions show that the presence of subsurface layered geochemical and physical heterogeneity results in preferential flow paths and thus significantly affect virus mobility. Random distributions of physical and geochemical heterogeneity have also notable influence on the virus transport behavior. While the solution inactivation rate was found to significantly influence the virus transport behavior, surface inactivation under realistic field conditions has probably a negligible influence on the overall virus transport. It was further demonstrated that large virus release rates result in extended periods of virus breakthrough over significant distances downstream from the injection sites. This behavior suggests that simpler models that account for virus adsorption through a retardation factor may yield a misleading assessment of virus transport in "hydrogeologically sensitive" subsurface environments.     

城市污泥厌氧消化和脱水工艺对肠道病原菌的杀灭效应

运用最大或然数(MPN)培养法和定量PCR(qPCR)技术对不同城市污水处理厂污泥厌氧消化处理和脱水处理前后,污泥中埃希氏大肠杆菌(E.coli)、沙门氏菌(Salmonellaspp.)和志贺氏菌(Shigellaspp.)含量的变化进行了研究.MPN检测结果表明,污泥中大肠杆菌、沙门氏菌和志贺氏菌数量经厌氧消化处理后明显下降,平均下降2～5个数量级,但qPCR检测结果显示,种病原菌平均下降1～2个数量级.脱水处理3后,污泥中的肠道病原菌含量基本没有变化,没有发生脱水后再生长现象.大肠杆菌、沙门氏菌和志贺氏菌含量分别在104～107、104～105和103～105MPN·g-1(以污泥干重计)之间.MPN和qPCR检测结果之间的差异性显示厌氧消化会造成肠道病原菌的有活性但不可培养状态(VBNC),同时也提示应用传统的培养检测方法检测病原菌含量和评定污泥排放的生物安全性时需慎重.     

LPG储罐的失效原因分析

简要介绍了LPG储罐的各种失效形式及其特征,分析了导致储罐失效的主要原因,用事故树分析方法进行整理归纳,并针对各种失效形式分别提出防治措施.     

不同改良条件下硫酸铝对滇池污染底泥磷的钝化效果

采用铝酸钠和石灰为pH缓冲剂,并用粘土矿物对硫酸铝进行改良,研究不同硫酸铝剂量下对滇池污染底泥磷钝化的效果.结果表明,钝化剂对底泥磷的钝化效果具有时效性.以质量比Al∶铝酸钠=1∶3加入pH缓冲剂且铝剂量为4.95g·m-2时,只能对底泥中磷起到短期的钝化作用,39d后底泥中磷即大量释放.以质量比Al∶氢氧化钙=1∶4加入pH缓冲剂且铝剂量为19.8g·m-2时,142d内能稳定地保持对DIP、TPT的良好钝化作用,对DIP、TP释放的抑制率分别为88.9%和86 2%.加入适量的粘土矿物改良硫酸铝后可增强其钝化效果,硫酸铝的剂量为4.95g·m-2时,以质量比Al∶粘土矿物=1∶0.5改良硫酸铝,142d内对DIP、TP抑制率分别为61.1%和86.9%所有实验钝化剂方案在30d时Al3 浓度均小于0.05mg·L-1,不会对水生生物造成毒害.     

火灾环境中LPG储罐失效的研究

分别从实验和数值模拟研究两个方面对火灾环境中LPG储罐的失效进行探讨,简要介绍了近年来国内外研究现状和研究成果.从储罐内部和外部环境两个方面的因素,对火灾环境中LPG储罐失效的原因进行了简单分析.提出了今后的研究发展方向.     

鼠伤寒沙门氏菌的紫外灭活及光复活抑制的研究

研究了鼠伤寒沙门氏菌的紫外失活动力学、在日光灯下的光复活现象以及氯对其光复活的抑制。结果表明,鼠伤寒沙门氏菌的紫外失活动力学曲线分为滞后区、一级动力学区、拖尾区三阶段,在PBS中的一级动力学失活速率常数为0.9041 cm2/mJ。而紫外灭活后的鼠伤寒沙门氏菌在日光灯下存在光复活。当紫外剂量为10 mJ/cm2时,鼠伤寒沙门氏菌在日光灯下照射3 h内发生明显的光复活,浓度从8.6×103CFU/mL增加到4.1×106 CFU/mL;但是在紫外消毒后,投加1 mg/L的氯可以有效抑制该细菌的光复活,投加2 mg/L的氯可以在10 min内全部灭活。因此,紫外-氯联合消毒能够有效的抑制鼠伤寒沙门氏菌细菌光复活,使其得到高效灭活。     

Inactivation, reactivation and regrowth of indigenous bacteria in reclaimed water after chlorine disinfection of a municipal wastewater treatment plant

Disinfection of reclaimed water prior to reuse is important to prevent the transmission of pathogens. Chlorine is a widely utilized disinfectant and as such is a leading contender for disinfection of reclaimed water. To understand the risks of chlorination resulting from the potential selection of pathogenic bacteria, the inactivation, reactivation and regrowth rates of indigenous bacteria were investigated in reclaimed water after chlorine disinfection. Inactivation of total coliforms, Enterococcus and Salmonella showed linear correlations, with constants of 0.1384, 0.1624 and 0.057 L/(mg·min) and R² of 0.7617, 0.8316 and 0.845, respectively. However, inactivation of total viable cells by measurement of metabolic activity typically showed a linear correlation at lower chlorine dose (0-22 (mg·min)/L), and a trailing region with chlorine dose increasing from 22 to 69 (mg·min)/L. Reactivation and regrowth of bacteria were most likely to occur after exposure to lower chlorine doses, and extents of reactivation decreased gradually with increasing chlorine dose. In contrast to total coliforms and Enterococcus, Salmonella had a high level of regrowth and reactivation, and still had 2% regrowth even after chlorination of 69 (mg·min)/L and 24 hr storage. The bacterial compositions were also significantly altered by chlorination and storage of reclaimed water, and the ratio of Salmonella was significantly increased from 0.001% to 0.045% after chlorination of 69 (mg·min)/L and 24 hr storage. These trends indicated that chlorination contributes to the selection of chlorine-resistant pathogenic bacteria, and regrowth of pathogenic bacteria after chlorination in reclaimed water with a long retention time could threaten public health security during wastewater reuse.