Study of the evolution of aerosol emissions from coal-fired power plants due to coagulation, condensation, and gravtitational settling and health impact

This paper studies the scavenging efficiencies of aerosol emissions from coal-fired power plants under different removal mechanisms (coagulation, heterogeneous nucleation and gravitational settling) as a function of time. It also analyses the ‘health impact’ of the aerosol before and after the above dynamic mechanisms by comparing the respirable dust fractions. The well-known equations of evolution are applied to an average PSD that represents the exhaust particulate emissions from coal-fired power plants (i.e. Aboño power plant in Asturias that belongs to Hidrocantábrico Group, S.A.). From this study it is inferred that respirable dust is scavenged with the greatest difficulty and when compared with the initial volume of respirable dust, roughly 20% remains after 18 h of gravitational settling. Therefore, gravitational settling is the main removal mechanism of respirable dust compared to condensation and coagulation.     

垃圾填埋场微生物气溶胶粒径分布研究

为了了解垃圾填埋场微生物气溶胶粒径分布规律,在北京市某垃圾卫生填埋场填埋区、渗滤液处理区、生活区分别选定监测点,利用安德森六级微生物采样器,对填埋场空气微生物进行了系统的定点取样、测定和分析。研究结果表明,空气细菌粒径分布均为第Ⅰ级(>8.2 μm)最高,填埋区空气细菌粒径呈偏态分布,渗滤液处理区、生活区分别在第Ⅳ级和第Ⅲ级出现第2个峰值。携带细菌的可吸入微粒在渗滤液处理区比例最大。空气真菌与放线菌均在第Ⅳ级分布最高,携带真菌和放线菌的可吸入粒子的比例显著大于细菌(P<0.05)。填埋区不同作业时段空气微生物粒径在各级分布比例基本一致。填埋区细菌气溶胶中值直径为5.7 μm,渗滤液处理区为3.7 μm,生活区为5.3 μm,显著大于真菌气溶胶和放线菌气溶胶的中值直径(P<0.05)。     

Recovery of a marker strain of Salmonella typhimurium in litter and aerosols from isolation rooms containing infected chickens

Abstract

Screening of poultry flocks for foodborne pathogen Salmonella contamination is critical for Salmonella control in preharvest stages of poultry production. In this study, two sampling methods (litter and air filter) were compared for detection of S. typhimurium from experimentally infected chicks some of which had received either a probiotic competitive exclusion culture or transfer of cecal contents from salmonellae‐free adult birds. At 4, 9, and 11 days after inoculation, S. typhimurium samples were enumerated by selective plating. For both types of sampling, the control birds yielded the greatest levels of environmental contamination followed by the samples from the probiotic inoculated birds with the birds receiving the cecal transfer culture having the lowest levels of contamination. Although the two sampling methods responded in a similar fashion, detection sensitivity needs to be increased for air filter sampling.     

PM10冲击采样器切割头设计参数对切割粒径的影响

本文从颗粒在气流中的受力情况分析入手 ,得到冲击采样器中喷嘴喷出后颗粒的运动轨迹方程以及运动轨迹与采样器切割头设计参数的关系式。分析了PM10空气采样器的切割原理 ,并利用数值计算研究颗粒在不同的流量、喷嘴尺寸及喷嘴与冲击板的距离下的运动轨迹 ,从而得到切割头设计参数对切割粒径的影响     

A study on emission of phthalate esters from plastic materials using a passive flux sampler

Phthalate esters are used as plasticizer in many plastics, and several studies have shown their toxicity. Phthalate esters are gradually emitted over time, and so it is conceivable that they pose a significant health risk. This study aims to investigate the temperature dependence of the emissions of various phthalate esters and to estimate the health risks of these emissions at various temperatures. A passive-type sampler was developed to measure the flux of phthalate esters from the surface of plastic materials. With this sampler, we examined three widely used plastic materials: synthetic leather, wallpaper and vinyl flooring. The observed maximum emissions of diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, and diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) from these materials at 20°C were 0.89, 0.77, and 14 μg m⁻² h⁻¹, respectively. Emissions at 80°C were 2.8, 4.5×10², and 1.5×10³ μg m⁻² h⁻¹, respectively. The results showed this temperature dependence is determined primarily by the type of phthalate ester and less so by the type of material. The estimation from the results of temperature dependence indicated the concentration of DEHP in a vehicle left out in the sunshine during the day can exceed the recommended levels of Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.     

Dicarboxylic acid concentration trends and sampling artifacts

Dicarboxylic acids associated with airborne particulate matter were measured during a summer period in Philadelphia that included multiple air pollution episodes. Samples were collected for two 10 h periods each day using a high-volume sampler with two quartz fiber filters in series, and analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) with diazomethane derivatization. Among the dicarboxylic acids investigated, phthalic acid and adipic acid exhibited the greatest diurnal variations and the strongest linear relationship with maximum daily ozone concentration. Dicarboxylic acids and ozone concentration exhibited a poor linear relationship with organic to elemental carbon ratio. All species investigated were affected by significant sampling artifact errors at low concentrations, but sampling errors were negligible at high concentrations observed during ozone episodes.     

Field monitoring of volatile organic compounds using passive air samplers in an industrial city in Japan

Highly portable, sensitive, and selective passive air samplers were used to investigate ambient volatile organic compound (VOC) levels at multiple sampling sites in an industrial city, Fuji, Japan. We determined the spatial distributions of 27 species of VOCs in three campaigns: Mar (cold season), May (warm season), and Nov (mild season) of 2004. In all campaigns, toluene (geometric mean concentration, 14.0microg/m3) was the most abundant VOC, followed by acetaldehyde (4.76microg/m3), and formaldehyde (2.58microg/m3). The spatial distributions for certain VOCs showed characteristic patterns: high concentrations of benzene and formaldehyde were typically found along major roads, whereas high concentrations of toluene and tetrachloroethylene (PCE) were usually found near factories. The spatial distribution of PCE observed was extremely consistent with the diffusion pattern calculated from Pollutant Release and Transfer Register data and meteorological data, indicated that passive air samplers are useful for determining the sources and distributions of ambient VOCs.     

2种铀矿井下常用口罩对气溶胶粒子的过滤特性研究

为探究铀矿井下常用的2种口罩对气溶胶粒子的过滤特性,在我国南方某铀矿山,利用APS3321型空气动力学粒径谱仪对井下工作人员常用纱布口罩和KN95型口罩的过滤特性进行了研究.井下气溶胶监测数据显示,该铀矿井下典型作业场所PM10的质量浓度介于0.069～ 9.800 mg/m3,个数浓度介于173.918 ～2 561.600个/cm3;PM2.5的质量浓度介于0.039～0.479 mg/m3之间,个数浓度介于173.100～2 556.382个/cm3之间.口罩过滤特性试验结果表明:1)KN95型口罩和纱布口罩对PM10的平均过滤效率分别为95％和76％,对PM2.5的平均过滤效率分别为93％和61％,可见KN95型口罩过滤效率明显高于纱布口罩;2)在0.5～3.5 μm粒径范围内,2种口罩对颗粒物的过滤效率均随粒径增大而增大,在3.5～ 10μm粒径范围内,2种口罩对不同粒径颗粒物的过滤效率均接近100％;3)无论从质量浓度还是个数浓度来看,经口罩过滤后的气溶胶粒子大多数分布在2.5μm粒径范围内,表明PM2.5是主要的气溶胶污染物.     

Mapping of tritium emissions using absorption vapour samplers

Püspökszilágy Radioactive Waste Treatment and Disposal Facility (RWTDF) is a typical near-surface engineered repository designated to store low- and intermediate-level wastes from various institutes, research facilities and hospitals in Hungary. Two automatic combined ¹⁴C–tritium sampling units installed at the facility sample the air 2 m above surface. The one installed near the vaults detects tritium (T) activities two orders of magnitude higher than the far reference sampling unit. To localize the T emissions, 19 small absorption vapour samplers filled with silica gel were settled onto the ground surface. After the saturation of the silica gel, the water was recovered and its T concentration was measured with a low-background liquid scintillation counter. The absorption vapour samplers are cheap, simple and easy-to-use. We present the samplers and the T distribution map constructed from the data, which helps to localize the T emission.     

Primary and secondary organic aerosol in an urban/industrial site: Sources, health implications and the role of plastic enriched waste burning

PM10 samples were collected from an urban/industrial site nearby Athens, where uncontrolled burning activities occur. PAHs, monocarboxylic, dicarboxylic, hydroxycarboxylic and aromatic acids, tracers from BVOC oxidation, biomass burning tracers and bisphenol A were determined. PAH, monocarboxylic acids, biomass burning tracers and bisphenol A were increased during autumn/winter, while BSOA tracers, dicarboxylic- and hydroxycarboxylic acids during summer. Regarding aromatic acids, different sources and formation mechanisms were indicated as benzoic, phthalic and trimellitic acids were peaked during summer whereas p-toluic, isophthalic and terephthalic were more abundant during autumn/winter. The Benzo[a]pyrene-equivalent carcinogenic power, carcinogenic and mutagenic activities were calculated showing significant (p < 0.05) increases during the colder months. Palmitic, succinic and malic acids were the most abundant monocarboxylic, dicarboxylic and hydrocarboxylic acids during the entire sampling period. Isoprene oxidation was the most significant contributor to BSOA as the isoprene-SOA compounds were two times more abundant than the pinene-SOA (13.4 ± 12.3 and 6.1 ± 2.9 ng/m³, respectively). Ozone has significant impact on the formation of many studied compounds showing significant correlations with: isoprene-SOA (r = 0.77), hydrocarboxylic acids (r = 0.69), pinene-SOA (r = 0.63),dicarboxylic acids (r = 0.58), and the sum of phthalic, benzoic and trimellitic acids (r = 0.44). PCA demonstrated five factors that could explain sources including plastic enriched waste burning (30.8%), oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids (23.0%), vehicle missions and cooking (9.2%), biomass burning (7.7%) and oxidation of VOCs (5.8%). The results highlight the significant contribution of plastic waste uncontrolled burning to the overall air quality degradation.