Chemical dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from dielectric oils

We studied the chemical dechlorination of the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in some dielectric oils via nucleophilic substitution of the chloro atoms by polyethylene alkoxide. The influence of temperature, ultrasounds, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and base type was investigated. Our findings show that dechlorination of PCBs by chemical treatment is effective at moderate temperature (90–100°C) and is strongly dependent on the nature of matrix oil. Stirring affects the process yield by influencing the homogeneity of the oil/glycol two-phase system. Ultrasounds can improve the process efficiency by making operating conditions less severe. Selected article from the 6th European Meeting on Environmental Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro organized by Prof. Dr. Branimir Jovancicevic ().     

Examination of dioxin fluxes recorded in dated aquatic-sediment cores in the Kanto region of Japan using multivariate data analysis

Past dioxin (coplanar polychlorinated biphenyl (Co-PCB), 2,3,7,8-substituted polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD) and 2,3,7,8-substituted polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDF)) fluxes recorded in dated aquatic-sediment cores were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA). The data set consisted of samples from four cores collected from the Kanto region of Japan. Time trends and spatial differences in the dioxin flux were examined, and the potential relationship to emission sources was investigated. Twenty-five compounds and 58 core slices, corresponding to the later half of the 20th century, were subjected to the analysis. The PCA of both log-transformed and maximum-value-standardized data successfully divided the dioxin compounds into a small number of groups, and three similar clusters of Co-PCBs, PCDDs and penta- to hepta-CDFs were identified. PCB formulations used in the past are judged to have been responsible for the major part of the Co-PCB flux recorded in the sediment cores. However, the relationship to emission sources needs further investigation. It is suggested that most 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDDs and PCDFs are different from Co-PCBs in their emission sources or movements in the environment. The subcore clusters obtained from the PCA of log-transformed data show that the cores from different sampling areas exhibited distinct dioxin fluxes and compositions. Common time trends among the cores were more effectively summarized by the PCA of maximum-value-standardized data focusing on relative time trends. PC scores show that recently the flux of each dioxin compound in the four cores has been generally declining after having reached a peak.     

Decreased blood level of β2-microglobulin in the employees of a factory which produced polychlorinated biphenyls

Under the project of evaluating the health status of the employees of CHEMKO factory (East Slovakia) which produced PCBs between 1955 and 1985, the level of β₂-microglobulin (β₂-m) was measured in the serum of 242 subjects from CHEMKO (Group A) and two control groups from much less polluted areas: 1. 277 females from a small mountainous village (Group B), 2. 179 adults from the area of a large city of Ko ice (Group C). The level of thymidine kinase (TK) was measured in the groups A and B only. In addition, age-matched groups of 155 women each from all areas were evaluated. In both the whole group and the age-matched group from CHEMKO the level of β₂-m was significantly lower (P<0.001) than that in the respective control groups, while no difference was found in the level of TK. In conclusion, it is suggested that the decrease of β₂-m in CHEMKO employees might be related to the immunotoxic effects of organochlorines.     

养殖鳜鱼体内典型有机氯化合物的检测与人体健康风险评估初探

利用GC-ECD检测了江苏省吴江市某养殖塘内的一批鳜鱼体内有机氯农药（OCPs）和多氯联苯（PCBs）等典型有机氯化合物（OCs）的含量水平,并对其人体健康风险进行了初步评估.结果表明,养殖鳜鱼体内滴滴涕（DDTs）、六六六（HCHs）、六氯苯（HCB）和PCBs的含量范围分别为1.3～4.57、0.13～1.24、0...     

利用蚀刻废液生产碱式氯化铜过程中二英类污染物的去除

针对蚀刻废液及其回收后生产的碱式氯化铜产品中二英(PCDD/Fs)和二英类多氯联苯(dl-PCBs)进行了分析研究,并比较了采用去除工艺前后两类污染物含量水平的变化特征.利用高分辨气相色谱/高分辨质谱对样品中PCDD/Fs和dl-PCBs进行分析,结果表明,氯化铜废液中PCDD/Fs和dl-PCBs的平均总浓度分别为264、139 pg·mL-1,而铜氨液中浓度分别为0.09、0.50 pg·mL-1;碱式氯化铜产品中浓度分别为106 pg·g-1(2.79 pg WHO-TEQ2005·g-1)和27.8 pg·g-1(0.69 pg WHO-TEQ2005·g-1);而经过吸附和过滤等去除工艺后,产品中PCDD/Fs和dl-PCBs的TEQ浓度水平分别降低至0.10—0.25 pg WHO-TEQ2005·g-1和0.05—0.72 pg WHO-TEQ2005·g-1,满足欧盟对于矿物源性饲料添加剂中PCDD/Fs和dl-PCBs的限量标准要求.研究表明该工艺能够有效去除利用蚀刻废液生产碱式氯化铜过程中的二英类污染物.     

Changes in polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) levels in cooked food

Food surveys for levels of toxic chemicals frequently report the levels on an uncooked basis. It is known that cooking may in some conditions decrease the amount of dioxins and related chemicals in food. Surveys of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) levels in food to date show data from uncooked food only. In this article, it was shown that broiling, with fat dripped from the foods reported here, ground beef, ground lamb, catfish, trout, and salmon, reduces the amount of PBDEs in these foods. This suggests that calculations of food intake need to take into consideration levels in the cooked food rather than in the uncooked food.     

Project tocoen. The fate of selected organic pollutants in the environment—iv. soil,earthworms and vegetation 1988

The samples of soils, earthworms and vegetation (needles, lichens, mosses) were collected for the realization of Project TOCOEN (Toxic Organic Compounds in the ENvironment). The samples were collected from three TOCOEN model areas in Czechoslovakia—one city and two rural areas. The samples were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), chlorinated pesticides (C1‐PEST) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).     

Determination of persistent organic pollutants by gas chromatography/laser multiphoton ionization/time-of-flight mass spectrometry

An authentic mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls was measured using a short wide-bore capillary column for the group separation of major components present in an actual sample of Kanechlor. The limits of detection were improved by ca. 2 fold in comparison with those obtained using a conventional capillary column, since the retention time was reduced and the amount of analytes introduced into the mass spectrometer per unit time could be increased. On the other hand, surface-water and sediment samples containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were collected from the river located in the vicinity of a waste water treatment plant. Even acenaphthylene, a minor component of the mixture could be measured for the sediment sample, and the concentrations were determined for several heavy PAHs. As demonstrated, a technique involving laser multiphoton ionization/time-of-flight mass spectrometry was useful as a sensitive and selective analytical tool for the trace analysis of persistent organic pollutants in an environmental sample.     

Effects of two different intercropping systems on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonization and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) dissipation北大核心CSCD

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are typical organic contaminants in the environment. It is indicated that plants and soil microorganisms have a positive synergistic effect on the remediation of PCB-contaminated soil. To investigate the effect of intercropping on arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal colonization and PCB remediation, a pot-cultivation experiment with two intercropping treatments, corn (Zea mays L.) / ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and corn/alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), and a corn monoculture was conducted in a greenhouse. All treatments were inoculated with Funneliformis mosseae M47V. Plant biomass, root mycorrhizal colonization rate, concentration of PCBs and their homologs in soil, 16S rDNA gene abundance, and community composition measured by Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (T-RFLP) were determined after harvesting the plants. Intercropping significantly increased the root mycorrhizal colonization rate and plant biomass of corn (P < 0.05), as well as the available N content of the soil. A significant difference of the bacterial community composition was found among different treatments (P < 0.05). Compared with corn monoculture, corn/alfalfa intercropping significantly increased soil bacteria abundance (P < 0.05). The dissipation rates of total PCBs, as well as that of penta-chloro biphenyls were significantly increased in the intercropping treatments, when compared to the corn monoculture treatment. Moreover, corn/ryegrass intercropping has a significantly positive effect on the dissipation of tri-chloro biphenyls. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis indicated that the PCBs homologues composition were significantly correlated with the relative abundance of 128 bp and 148 bp T-RFs. Corn intercropping with ryegrass or alfalfa has a positive effect on root mycorrhizal colonization rate and plant biomass of corn. Inoculation of AM fungi in intercropping treatments significantly improved the efficiency of PCB remediation by promoting bacterial abundance and shifting the bacterial community composition. In conclusion, intercropping combined with AM fungi have positive synergistic effects on the remediation of PCB-contaminated soils. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Degradation and mineralization of 2-chloro-, 3-chloro- and 4-chlorobiphenyl by a newly characterized natural bacterial strain isolated from an electrical transformer fluid-contaminated soil

A bacterium classified as Achromobacter xylosoxidans strain IR08 by phenotypic typing coupled with 16S rRNA gene analysis was isolated from a soil contaminated with electrical transformer ?uid for over sixty years using Aroclor 1221 as an enrichment substrate. The substrate utilization profiles revealed that IR08 could grow on all three monochlorobiphenyls (CBs), 2,4'- and 4,4'-dichlorobiphenyl as well as 2-chlorobenzoate (2-CBA), 3-CBA, 4-CBA, and 2,3-dichlorobenzoate. Unusually, growth was poorly sustaine...