Destruction of Aspergillus versicolor,Penicillium chrysogenum,Stachybotrys chartarum,and Cladosporium cladosporioides spores using chemical oxidation treatment process

The survival of aqueous suspensions of Penicillium chrysogenum, Stachybotrys chartarum, Aspergillus versicolor, and Cladosporium cladosporioides spores was evaluated using various combinations of hydrogen peroxide and Fe²⁺ as catalyst. Spore concentrations of 10⁶–10⁷ colony forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL) were suspended in water and treated with initial hydrogen peroxide and iron concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 10 percent and 100 to 200 ppm, respectively. After four hours of reaction time, samples were plated on agar plates, and the viable fraction of spores was determined by the number of colonies formed. Hydrogen peroxide concentrations above 50,000 ppm resulted in greater than 6‐log₁₀ reduction of viable spores for both catalyzed and noncatalyzed reactions. Iron had a strong catalytic effect when added to solutions with hydrogen peroxide concentration above 5,000 ppm and resulted in two to three orders of magnitude greater reduction compared to hydrogen peroxide alone. Additional samples taken after 24 hours of reaction time showed that the effect of the addition of 100 and 200 ppm of Fe²⁺ catalyst was mostly kinetic, and noncatalyzed hydrogen peroxide had sporicidal effects similar to catalyzed hydrogen peroxide. This study identified initial reagent concentrations of hydrogen peroxide and Fe²⁺ that accomplish a 6‐log₁₀ reduction of viable mold spores within reaction times of 4 and 24 hours. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Efficient search procedures for extreme pollutant values

Extreme pollutant values are of great interest in water quality monitoring because of their frequent toxicological significance. The principal barrier to the detection of these values, however, is the cost of extensive and comprehensive monitoring. This paper demonstrates an efficient method to determine the maximum sample measurement from a finite set of sequential samples without explicitly testing them all. It is assumed that the process of sample measurement is distinct from collection and has higher costs. It is further assumed that the measurements have high positive autocorrelation.A methodology is presented based on a common industrial testing procedure referred to as composite sampling—the physical pooling or compositing of a set of sequential samples before measurement. A method known as primary first order compositing (PFOC) was found to be superior to the traditional technique of random sampling, particularly if small composite sizes are utilized.The authors are, respectively, operations research analyst, Vancouver, B. C.; Associate Professor and Chairman, Policy Analysis Division, Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration, University of British Columbia; and Associate Professor, Management Science Division, Faculty of Commerce, U.B.C.     

Scale,context, and decision making in agricultural adaptation to climate variability and change

This work presents a framework for viewing agricultural adaptation, emphasizing the multiple spatial and temporal scales on which individuals and institutions process information on changes in their environment. The framework is offered as a means to gain perspective on the role of climate variability and change in agricultural adaptation, and developed for a case study of Australian agriculture. To study adaptation issues at the scale of individual farms we developed a simple modelling framework. The model highlights the decision making element of adaptation in light of uncertainty, and underscores the importance of decision information related to climate variability. Model results show that the assumption of perfect information for farmers systematically overpredicts adaptive performance. The results also suggest that farmers who make tactical planting decisions on the basis of historical climate information are outperformed by those who use even moderately successful seasonal forecast information. Analysis at continental scales highlights the prominent role of the decline in economic operating conditions on Australian agriculture. Examples from segments of the agricultural industry in Australia are given to illustrate the importance of appropriate scale attribution in adapting to environmental changes. In particular, adaptations oriented toward short time scale changes in the farming environment (droughts, market fluctuations) can be limited in their efficacy by constraints imposed by broad changes in the soil/water base and economic environment occuring over longer time scales. The case study also makes the point that adaptation must be defined in reference to some goal, which is ultimately a social and political exercise. Overall, this study highlights the importance of allowing more complexity (limited information, risk aversion, cross-scale interactions, mis-attribution of cause and effect, background context, identification of goals) in representing adaptation processes in climate change studies.     

Estimating the economic burden from illnesses associated with recreational coastal water pollution--a case study in Orange County, California

A cost-of-illness framework was applied to health and income data to quantify the health burden from illnesses associated with exposure to polluted recreational marine waters. Using data on illness severity due to exposure to polluted coastal water and estimates of mean annual salaries and medical costs (adjusted to 2001 values) for residents of Orange County, California, we estimated that the economic burden per gastrointestinal illness (GI) amounts to 36.58 dollars, the burden per acute respiratory disease is 76.76 dollars, the burden per ear ailment is 37.86 dollars, and the burden per eye ailment is 27.31 dollars. These costs can become a substantial public health burden when millions of exposures per year to polluted coastal waters result in hundreds of thousands of illnesses. For example, exposures to polluted waters at Orange County's Newport and Huntington Beaches were estimated to generate an average of 36,778 GI episodes per year. At this GI illness rate, one can also expect that approximately 38,000 more illness episodes occurred per year of other types, including respiratory, eye, and ear infections. The combination of excess illnesses associated with coastal water pollution resulted in a cumulative public health burden of 3.3 million dollars per year for these two beaches. This paper introduces a public health cost variable that can be applied in cost-benefit analyses when evaluating pollution abatement strategies.     

贵阳市城区PM10和PM2.5水溶性离子特征分析

分别于2013年10月和2014年2月、5月、7月在贵阳市城区3个环境空气质量监测国控点位（南明区市监测站、云岩区黔灵公园马鞍山和观山湖区贵阳一中）进行PM₁₀、PM_2.5样品采集,并对10种水溶性离子（SO₄^2-、NO₂^-、NO₃^-、NH₄⁺、Cl^-、F^-、Na⁺、K⁺、Mg²⁺、Ca²⁺）的含量进行了分析。结果表明,研究时段内,贵阳市3个点位PM₁₀、PM_2.5平均质量浓度分别为（64.8±25.5）、（46.6±21.2）μg/m³。其中,云岩区黔灵公园马鞍山点位的颗粒物浓度最低,南明区市监测站点位最高。3个点位PM_2.5平均浓度与PM₁₀平均浓度的比值为0.719,表明贵阳市城区PM₁₀中,PM_2.5占主导地位。水溶性离子分析显示,SO₄^2-、NO₂^-、NO₃^-、NH₄⁺、Cl^-、F^-、Na⁺、K⁺主要分布在PM_2.5中,Mg²⁺、Ca²⁺主要分布在PM₁₀中。3个点位PM₁₀和PM_2.5中的水溶性离子均表现为SO₄^2-、NH₄⁺、Ca²⁺浓度较大,F^-、NO₂^-较小,表明3个点位的污染源总体相同,且水溶性离子占PM₁₀、PM_2.5含量的比例达33.6%~48.1%。贵阳市城区大气中的SO₂转化率在5月、7月、10月较高,2月最低,主要是由于5月、7月、10月的高温、高湿、强辐射环境条件促进了SO₂向SO₄^2-的转化。阴阳离子平衡分析表明,贵阳市城区PM₁₀、PM_2.5呈现出偏碱性的特征。水溶性离子主成分分析表明,贵阳市城区PM₁₀中的水溶性离子主要来源于城市扬尘、生物质燃烧尘、煤烟尘、建筑尘以及二次粒子,PM_2.5中水溶性离子的来源与PM₁₀较为相似。     

典型喀斯特表层岩溶带地下水化学特征——以贵州清镇王家寨喀斯特小流域为例

以喀斯特小流域为研究尺度,对清镇市王家寨退耕还林（草）示范区内的9个表层岩溶泉进行了一个水文年的系统监测,并借助SPSS统计软件开展了泉点的聚类分析研究,旨在从常规水化学角度为流域退化生态环境的恢复与重建提供科学依据。从结果来看,虽然所有泉点的水化学类型均为HCO3-Ca型,但是根据K＋、Na＋、Ca2＋、Mg2＋、F-、Cl-、NO3-、HCO3-、SO42-等指标的具体差异,还是可以将9个泉点分为3组：（1）位于流域上游分水岭处的S8、S9泉点,由于远离居民集聚区,受到人类活动的影响程度弱,泉水中EC和各主要离子的质量浓度均很低,[Ca2＋]＊与[HCO3-]的关系说明泉水流经地区的岩石类型主要为白云岩;（2）位于流域中部的S2、S3、S4、S5、S6和S7泉点,靠近居民点,受到人类活动的影响程度明显增强,泉水中EC和各主要离子的质量浓度也相应增大,[Ca2＋]＊与[HCO3-]具有与第一组泉水完全不同的特征,表明此组泉水流经地区的岩石类型为白云质灰岩;（3）位于流域下游的S1泉点,处于村寨下游,受到人类活动的影响最大,泉水中EC和各主要离子的质量浓度也很高,[Ca2＋]＊与[HCO3-]的关系与第二组泉点相似,但是[SO42-]和[F-]远高于前2组泉点,这可能是由于在泉水的运移路径上有富含石膏和氟的岩石存在。     

Mechanisms of lead, copper, and zinc retention by phosphate rock

The solid-liquid interface reaction between phosphate rock (PR) and metals (Pb, Cu, and Zn) was studied. Phosphate rock has the highest affinity for Pb, followed by Cu and Zn, with sorption capacities of 138, 114, and 83.2 mmol/kg PR, respectively. In the Pb-Cu-Zn ternary system, competitive metal sorption occurred with sorption capacity reduction of 15.2%, 48.3%, and 75.6% for Pb, Cu, and Zn, respectively compared to the mono-metal systems. A fractional factorial design showed the interfering effect in the order of Pb>Cu>Zn. Desorption of Cu and Zn was sensitive to pH change, increasing with pH decline, whereas Pb desorption was decreased with a strongly acidic TCLP extracting solution (pH = 2.93). The greatest stability of Pb retention by PR can be attributed to the formation of insoluble fluoropyromorphite [Pb(10)(PO(4))(6)F(2)], which was primarily responsible for Pb immobilization (up to 78.3%), with less contribution from the surface adsorption or complexation (21.7%), compared to 74.5% for Cu and 95.7% for Zn. Solution pH reduction during metal retention and flow calorimetry analysis both supported the hypothesis of retention of Pb, Cu, and Zn by surface adsorption or complexation. Flow calorimetry indicated that Pb and Cu adsorption onto PR was exothermic, while Zn sorption was endothermic. Our research demonstrated that PR can effectively remove Pb from solutions, even in the presence of other heavy metals (e.g. Cu, Zn).     

Assessing Landscape Condition Relative to Water Resources in the Western United States: A Strategic Approach

The Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) is proposing an ambitious agenda to assess the status of streams and estuaries in a 12-State area of the western United States by the end of 2003. Additionally, EMAP is proposing to access landscape conditions as they relate to stream and estuary conditions across the west. The goal of this landscape project is to develop a landscape model that can be used to identify the relative risks of streams and estuaries to potential declines due to watershed-scale, landscape conditions across the west. To do so, requires an understanding of quantitative relationships between landscape composition and pattern metrics and parameters of stream and estuary conditions. This paper describes a strategic approach for evaluating the degree to which landscape composition and pattern influence stream and estuary condition, and the development and implementation of a spatially-distributed, landscape analysis approach.     

Is there a role for fetal interventions in gastroschisis management? – An updated comprehensive review

We conducted a comprehensive evidence-based review on the epidemiology and current standard of care of gastroschisis management as well as the pathophysiology, rationale and feasibility of fetal therapy as a viable alternative. Gastroschisis is a periumbilical abdominal wall defect characterized by abdominal viscera herniation in utero. It affects 4 in 10 000 live births, but the prevalence has steadily increased in recent years. Gastroschisis is typically diagnosed on routine second-trimester ultrasound. The overall prognosis is favorable, but complex gastroschisis, which accounts for about 10% to 15% of cases, is associated with a higher mortality, significant disease burden and higher healthcare costs due to long- and short-term complications. The current standard of care has yet to be established but generally involves continued fetal surveillance and multidisciplinary perinatal care. Postnatal surgical repair is achieved with primary closure, staged silo closure or sutureless repair. Experimental animal studies have demonstrated the feasibility of in utero closure, antiinflammatory therapy and prenatal regenerative therapy. However, reports of early preterm delivery and amnioinfusion trials have failed to show any benefit in humans. Further experimental studies and human trials are necessary to demonstrate the potential benefit of fetal therapy in gastroschisis.     

Copper, zinc and cadmium in marine cage fish farm sediments: an extensive survey

The diet of cage-farmed Atlantic salmon contains a range of trace metals, some of which have toxic properties, e.g. zinc, copper and cadmium. A survey of metal concentrations (ICP-MS analysis) in surface sediments of ca. 70 stations was carried out in both May and December 2000 around a Scottish fish farm. Additionally, at 13 stations on 2 orthogonal transects centered on the farm, sediments were analysed at 1cm intervals to 8 cm depth. Maximum concentrations in surface sediments were 921, 805 and 3.5 microg g(-1) for Zn, Cu and Cd, respectively, and were found at stations near the fish farm. The calculated losses from the farm (feed input minus fish output) were 87.0%, 4.3% and 14.0% of the background-corrected inventories for Zn, Cu and Cd, respectively, indicating that for Cu and Cd at least, the feed is not the only source.