Bioaccessibility of metals in soils and dusts contaminated by marine antifouling paint particles

Fragments of antifouling paint and environmental geosolids have been sampled from the island of Malta and analysed for total and bioaccessible metals. Total concentrations of Ba, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sn and Zn were two to three orders of magnitude higher in spent antifouling composites relative to respective values in background soils and road dusts. Paint fragments were visible in geosolids taken from the immediate vicinity of boat maintenance facilities and mass balance calculations, based on Ba as a paint tracer, suggested that the most contaminated soils, road dusts and boatyard dusts contained about 1%, 7% and 9%, respectively, of antifouling particles. Human bioaccessibilities of metals were evaluated in selected samples using a physiologically based extraction technique. Accessibilities of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in the most contaminated solids were sufficient to be cause for concern for individuals working in the boat repair industry and to the wider, local community.     

Anaerobic Digestion of Agricultural Solid Residues

Abstract

Agricultural residues can be converted to methane-rich gas mixture. Anaerobic biomethane production is an effective process for conversion of a broad variety of agricultural residues to methane to substitute natural gas and medium calorific value gases. Methane generating bacteria (methanogens) and other microbes that help digest dying plants in anaerobic conditions. Agricultural solid residues (ASR) represent a potential energy resource if they can be properly and biologically converted to methane.     

初始pH值对泔脚发酵产氢余物甲烷化的强化研究

以城市生活垃圾厌氧消化污泥为接种物,考察了初始pH值为5、6、7和8时对泔脚发酵产氢余物中温（36℃）批式厌氧消化的影响。结果表明,当初始pH值低于7时,随着初始pH值的增大,产氢余物的产甲烷能力也随之增大;而当初始pH值高于7时,体系的产沼能力却受到了极大的抑制。结合Gompertz模型拟合结果,初始pH值为7为泔脚发酵产氢余物沼气化的最佳初始pH值,其沼气化的延迟时间λ、产甲烷率、生物气中甲烷的最高体积含量分别为： 4.02 d,379.28 mL/g VS,82.2％。厌氧消化结束后,除初始pH值为5的以外,厌氧消化余物的pH值在 6.8～6.9之间,这为沼气中甲烷的高体积含量（高于常规厌氧消化的最高甲烷体积含量75%）提供了证据。     

Assessing washing methods for reduction of pesticide residues in Capia pepper with LC-MS/MS

Abstract

The effects of washing treatments on removal rates of some pesticides residues (acetamiprid, chlorpyrifos and formetanate hydrochloride) on pepper were investigated. Method verification was conducted through spiking pepper samples at 0.1, 1.0 and 10.0 × MRL. QuEChERS method produced average recovery of 104.91% with relative standard deviation (RSD) of 13.41%. LOQ values of acetamiprid, chlorpyrifos and formetanate hydrochloride were estimated as 2, 10 and 5?µg/kg, respectively. Capia peppers grown in open fields were sprayed three times with pesticides. Peppers were harvested after 1st, 2nd and 3rd day of the treatments. Then the peppers were subjected to tap water, acetic acid and citric acid washing and ultrasonic cleaning treatments (for 2 and 5?min). Based on three different harvest times and two different washing durations, processing factors (PFs) and reduction rates were calculated for each washing treatment. The residues gradually decreased during washing treatments with increasing process duration. Similarly, a gradual reduction was noted with the progress of harvest times. This in turn corresponded to an increase in PF. Ultrasonic cleaning and citric acid (9%) washing were more effective than the others. Non-systemic pesticides (chlorpyrifos) were more readily removed than the systemic ones (acetamiprid). Similarly, highly soluble pesticides exhibited higher reduction.     

Persistence of herbicide fenoxaprop ethyl and its acid metabolite in soil and wheat crop under Indian tropical conditions

The persistence of fenoxaprop ethyl {Ethyl (RS)-2-[4-(6-chloro-1,3-benzoxazol-2-yloxy) phenoxy] propionate} herbicide and its active metabolite fenoxaprop acid was investigated in soil and wheat crop. Fenoxaprop acid was prepared by alkaline hydrolysis of fenoxaprop ethyl. A HPLC method was developed in which fenoxaprop ethyl herbicide and its acid metabolite showed sharp single peak at 6.44 and 2.61 min respectively. The sensitivity of the method for ester and acid was 2 and 1 ng respectively with limit of detection of 0.1 and 0.05 μg mL^?1. The recovery of fenoxaprop ethyl and fenoxaprop acid from soil, wheat straw and grain ranged between 73.8–80.2%. In a field experiment fenoxaprop ethyl (Puma super® 10 EC) when applied to wheat crop at the rate of 120 g and 240 g a.i. ha^-1 as post emergence spray, fenoxaprop ethyl converted to fenoxaprop acid. Residues of fenoxaprop ethyl and acid dissipated in soil with a half-life of 0.5 and 7.3 days, respectively. At harvest no detectable residues of fenoxaprop ethyl or acid were observed in soil, wheat grain and straw samples.     

Detection and occurrence of pentachlorophenol residues in chicken liver and fat

Abstract

A method for the detection of pentachlorophenol (PCP) residues in chicken liver and fat is presented. A detection limit of 0.002 mg/kg was achieved. Recoveries from liver and fat were in the range 82–88% and 95–97%, respectively.

Low level residues of PCP were found in all 1072 liver and 723 fat samples. These levels were <0.010 mg/kg in 92.7% of the fat and 75.6% of the livers. Only 0.75% of the liver samples had PCP levels>0.1 mg/kg. None of the more toxic impurities of PCP were detected in the chicken tissues.     

Determination of sulfosulfuron residues in soil under wheat crop by a novel and cost-effective method and evaluation of its carryover effect

A novel and cost-effective method of sulfosulfuron extraction has been developed using distilled water as an extraction solvent. Using this method, the environmental fate of sulfosulfuron was investigated in soil under wheat crop. Studies were conducted under natural field conditions in randomized block design and herbicide (75% water dispersible granules (WG)) was applied after 24 days of sowing. The rates of applications were 25 and 50 g of active ingredient (a.i.) per hectare. Soil samples were collected at predetermined intervals and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The minimum detection limit was found to be 0.001 μ g g^{? 1}. The dissipation of sulfosulfuron followed first-order rate kinetics and dissipated with a half-life of 5.4–6.3 days. After harvest, field soil was used for conducting a pot experiment with bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) as test plants to study the carry over effect of sulfosulfuron. No phytotoxicity was observed to bottle gourd in pot experiment with harvest soil.     

Determination of 28 pesticides applied on two tomato cultivars with a different surface/weight ratio of the berries,using a multiresidue GC-MS/MS method

The behavior of 28 pesticides on two tomato cultivars with a different surface/weight (S/W) ratio of the berries (S/W, Birikino vs. Tombola) was studied, in order to provide appropriate indications about their persistence on crops reaching the pre-harvest interval (PHI). Quantitative analysis was performed using a GC MS/MS method. Birikino cv. (BIR) was a “cherry type tomato” with a double S/W ratio compared with Tombola cv. (TOM). The results showed a different pesticide behavior. Azoxystrobin, Boscalid, Bupirimate, Difenoconazole, Etofenprox, Iprodione, Mepanipyrim, Myclobutanil, Tebuconazole, Zoxamide, Metalaxyl M, Pyrimethanil, Tetraconazole, Benalaxyl, Cyprodinil, Fenamidone, Famoxadone and Fludioxonil immediately after treatments showed residues on BIR higher than TOM, and this behavior is consistent with its greater exposed surface. BIR showed higher decay rates of these pesticides during the whole trial, nevertheless residue averages remained higher than TOM reaching the time of harvest. Residues at the PHI were all below their Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs), but data indicated that they could exceed their legal limits especially if the above-mentioned active ingredients were employed more than once per crop cycle on cherry type tomatoes. As regards to Chlorpyrifos, Chlorpyrifos methyl, Triadimenol, Pyridaben and Tebufenpyrad, no different residual behavior related to S/W ratio of the cultivars was observed. Even in this case, residues at the PHI were all below MRLs. As for Cyfluthrin, Deltamethrin, Lambda cyhalothrin, Etoxazole and Cyproconazole, residues were lower than the limit of quantitation (LOQ) of the analytical method just after the treatment, according to their low doses of employment.     

有机负荷对醋糟厌氧消化系统启动的影响

本研究通过醋糟的中温产甲烷潜力测试实验,考察了有机负荷对醋糟厌氧消化反应器启动的影响.并通过对不同有机负荷条件下的甲烷产量、液相组分的对比分析,结合热重、X射线衍射和红外光谱学方法进行差异表征,结果发现:1较低的有机负荷有利于缓解醋糟中有机物水解酸化过程中VFAs的积累和pH的下降,保证产甲烷过程的稳定进行.当接种物与基质VS比为1∶1[即有机负荷(以VS计)为1.78 g·(L·d)~(-1),pH=7.60]时的累积甲烷产量最高,达2 249.7 m L.随着有机负荷的提高,VFAs的累积浓度随之升高,使产甲烷过程受到不同程度的抑制并相继终止,且在接种物与基质VS比为1∶4时[即有机负荷为7.12 g·(L·d)~(-1),pH=5.52]实现了乙酸和乳酸的同步发酵(分别可达到8 000 mg·L~(-1)和2 650 mg·L~(-1)).2醋糟中木质纤维素类物质为短程有序的微晶结构或非晶结构,与富含纤维素类晶体结构物质的玉米秸秆等相比,其VS的降解率更高.醋糟中的木质素、纤维素、半纤维素的降解率随着有机负荷的降低而逐渐升高.     

药用虎杖剩余物的化学组成与热解特性

为了探索药用虎杖加工剩余物资源的合理化利用途径,以药用虎杖的秸秆、根和药渣为研究对象,利用热重分析法(TGA)研究了三者的热解特性及其动力学规律,利用Py-GC-MS技术研究了秸秆、根和药渣在快速裂解条件下的产物分布及热裂解机理。结果表明：虎杖秸秆、根和药渣的热解过程主要分为干燥、主失重和炭化3个阶段;采用Coats-Redfern法对三者的热解动力学进行了分析,获得了虎杖秸秆、根和药渣的热解动力学机理函数,热解动力学机理分别为三维扩散Jander机理、2级化学反应机理和二维扩散Valensi机理,其热解活化能分别为113.87、64.49和28.16 kJ·mol-1。快速热裂解产物表明,中药加工剩余物在热裂解制备乙酸、糠醛及酚类化合物等精细化学品方面具有一定的开发前景。