Immediate prenatal diagnosis of Zellweger syndrome by direct measurement of very long chain fatty acids in chorionic villus cells

We report a gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method which allows the very long chain fatty acids content of trophoblastic tissue to be directly measured in samples collected by biopsy between 8 and 11 weeks of gestation. This method has been successfully applied to the detection of fetal Zellweger syndrome in two pregnant women who had previously delivered affected infants. In one of them, increased concentrations of C26:0 (0.254 versus 0.108±0.035 μ/mg proteins) and C24:0 (1.32 versus 0.815±0.325 μ/mg proteins) in trophoblast indicated that the fetus had Zellweger syndrome, a diagnosis confirmed by pathological findings after abortion. In the second case, the pregnancy was allowed to proceed, on the basis of normal concentrations of very long chain fatty acids in trophoblastic tissue, and its outcome was actually a healthy newborn.     

City hazardous gas monitoring network

In our today's societies, many dangerous chemicals are produced and transported. Due to the vast use of chemicals, more chemical accidents are taking place with huge losses. In this study a city hazardous gas monitoring network was designed to detect the dispersion of toxic and combustible gases in the primary stages. The network could cover hazardous chemical facilities, important hazardous chemical routes, warehouses and special locations which may be the targets of terrorist attacks. The network is consisted of several local networks and a central control panel complex. Each local network has a local control panel in the center and many detectors and sounders around it at distances less than 3000 m that communicate with the local control panels wirelessly. In each location there are two types of gas detectors, toxic and combustible, and a sounder which are equipped with a wireless, radio frequency modem allowing the units to communicate readings and other information on a real-time basis with a remotely located local control panel. High sensitive Photo Ionization Detectors, PIDs, are used to provide fast and low-level on-site screening for chemicals contamination. Combustible gas detectors are the second choice to sense the combustible gas and verify the readings of PIDs in this regard. The central panel consists of several connected control panels work uniquely helping a computer set and the appropriate software and communicate with local control panels via telephone lines. All of the network components are shown on the monitor of central panel with special symbols by geographical information system program. The system is fully addressable so that the high level detection of a detector produces a blinking color double-circle around its symbol in GIS plan. In case of high level gas detection, a team of experts who are fully equipped with different portable detectors depart to the site to test the field to identify the chemicals. All readings of detectors are saved in a data bank and then analyzed to find any chemicals spills and leakages. The network was simulated by a special program so that the components of local networks and the central panel are shown in separate windows. By clicking on one detector on environmental window the formerly designed responses will be activated in central panel window.     

Systems thinking in a gas explosion accident – lessons learned from Taiwan

On July 31, 2014, at around 23:57, several huge explosions occurred that lasted for 2 h in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. As a result of a gas leak from a ruptured underground pipeline, the catastrophic incident destroyed more than 6 km of roads, killed 32 people, injured 321 people, and damaged 3259 buildings. Pipeline explosions have been reported as a repeatedly occurring problem, indicating that (1) complex systems are difficult to manage and control, and (2) humans are unable to effectively learn from experiences of accidents. Initial analyses results reveal that root causes of this incident were a combination of a series of complex chain reactions, which eventually led to propylene leakage and explosion. This is a systematic problem, which can hardly be investigated or analyzed by traditional research approaches. Based on the investigation reports and “systems thinking” method, this study develops causal loop diagrams for the Kaohsiung gas explosion to explore the root causes of the disaster. The research results indicate that (1) this pipeline explosion incident was the result of the chain reactions and was the output of a complex system; (2) the mental model of “production first” and “experience gap” were the root causes of the disaster; and (3) to achieve a higher safety standard, continuous education to improve the mental model of “safety first and safety over production” are essential. The findings of this study may contribute toward the improvement of the standard operating procedure for disaster management and preventing similar incidents in the future.     

高效液相色谱-电感耦合等离子体质谱法测水中不同形态砷

采用高效液相色谱(HPLC)分离水中两种常见的砷形态As(III)、As(V),电感耦合等离子体质谱系统进行检测鉴定,利用C8色谱柱,探讨了甲醇含量、磷酸二氢钾浓度、四丁基氢氧化铵浓度、p H等测试条件,由此建立了水中砷形态的分析方法。结果表明,以1.5 mmol/L磷酸二氢钾、2 mmol/L四丁基氢氧化铵(TBAOH)、5%甲醇作为流动相,调节流动相为p H 5.5,流速为1.4 m L/min,上述两种不同形态的砷可在5.5 min内得以有效分离,As(III)、As(V)检出限分别为0.001、0.01μg/L,定量下限分别为0.005、0.03μg/L。该方法实现了对水中常见的不同形态砷(As(III)、As(V))的同时分析,具有灵敏度高、选择性好、检测速度快的特点,在水质分析领域具有重要意义与应用价值。     

固相萃取-气相色谱法测定水中硝基苯类有机污染物的方法研究

建立了固相萃取、毛细柱气相色谱-电子捕获检测器定量分析水中硝基苯类化合物的分析方法。通过对固相萃取柱的选择、固相萃取条件(样品溶液的pH值、上样速度、上样体积、洗脱液选择及配比)的优化,得出了最佳实验条件。穿透体积可达1.5L,回收率在80%~105%,最小检出浓度在0.00037~0.072μg/L之间,均大大低于GB13194-91的规定。相对标准偏差在0.7%~5.3%之间。该方法准确、简单,重现性好、回收率高,污染小。     

微波-亚临界水萃取底泥中两种多氯联苯的研究

微波亚临界水萃取模拟土样中的2,3-二氯联苯和3,3′-二氯联苯,用气相色谱进行分析。与亚临界水萃取方法相比,该法缩短了萃取时间,分析物的萃取回收率有所提高。对微波亚临界水的萃取条件进行优化,确定了最佳萃取条件为时间20min、温度区段为210℃～225℃。方法对长江镇江段内江的底泥中的多氯联苯进行分析,测定结果与索氏提取-GC分析结果吻合,且不受底泥中腐殖质等有机物影响。     

中型污水处理厂中药物和个人护理品的分布与去除

为了解15种药物及个人护理用品(PPCPs)在中小型污水处理厂中的分布及其去除效果,采用液相色谱-串联质谱(LC-MS/MS)技术对3座A2/O工艺的污水处理厂水样进行分析研究。结果显示,除普萘洛尔、吉非罗平和吲哚美辛在3座中小型污水处理厂各个工艺单元中均未被检出外,其余12种目标化合物的检出频率在90%~100%之间。进水水样中PPCPs的平均检出浓度为2 285.4 ng/L,其中咖啡因(CF)的平均检出浓度最高为973.3 ng/L,酮洛芬(KP)的平均检出浓度次之为844.7 ng/L,两者之和占进水水样中PPCPs平均含量的79.5%,表明污水处理厂的主要污染物为CF和KP。3座污水处理厂对CF的去除效果最为显著,平均去除率为95.3%,对15种PPCPs总去除效率在39.3%~82.8%之间。     

高效液相色谱-串联质谱法同时检测地表水中13种药物及个人护理品

采用高效液相色谱-串联质谱(HPLC-MS/MS)检测,建立了地表水中13种药物及个人护理品的测定方法。水样用盐酸与氢氧化钠溶液调pH值至7.0左右,过固相萃取小柱进行富集,用14 mL甲醇洗脱。以C18柱为分离柱,0.01%甲酸的甲醇-0.01%甲酸水溶液为流动相,目标物在10 min内分离,在0.50~250 μg/L范围内,13种化合物峰面积与内标物质峰面积之比与质量浓度的线性关系良好(>0.99),检出限在0.05~0.5 ng/L范围内。基质加标实验结果表明,13种化合物在水中的回收率分别在56.2%~123.2%之间(加标水平5 ng/mL)和58.0%~107.8%(加标水平50 ng/mL),相对标准偏差在1.60%~19.9%(n=6)之间。应用该方法测定了从2条纳污河流采集的10份水样,结果表明,除美托诺尔和普洛萘尔未被检出外,其余11药物的检出频率在30%~100%之间。在13种目标物质中,咖啡因的检测浓度最高达287.5 ng/L,舒必利次之,为277.5 ng/L。本方法快速、准确,适用于地表水中PPCPs类的快速测定。     

氢氧化钠吸收液-离子色谱法测固定污染源废气中的氯气

建立了氢氧化钠吸收液-离子色谱测定固定污染源废气中氯气的方法。研究采样和分析条件,采用50 mL冲击式吸收瓶,以氢氧化钠为吸收液,利用硫代硫酸钠将样品中的次氯酸完全转化为氯离子,过滤后用离子色谱进行分析。可在采样时选择0.3 μm石英滤膜消除颗粒物干扰,在氢氧化钠吸收液前串联硫酸吸收液消除氯化氢干扰。测试结果显示:氯离子曲线线性关系良好,相关系数为0.999 0;方法检出限为0.02 mg/m³,测定下限为0.08 mg/m³;空白加标的相对标准偏差为0.82%~1.4%,加标回收率为98.0%~107%;实际样品基体加标的相对标准偏差为1.8%~2.7%,加标回收率为98.0%~104%。测试结果表明该方法具有较高的精密度和正确度。     

固相萃取-UPLC-MS/MS法测定环境水体中多种抗生素

采用固相萃取-超高效液相色谱串联质谱法测定环境水样中25种磺胺类和喹诺酮类抗生素,通过优化试验条件,使方法在2.00μg/L～200μg/L范围内线性良好,方法检出限为1.01ng/L～2.85ng/L,7次测定结果的RSD为2.3%～8.0%。将该方法用于自来水和地表水测定,结果均为未检出,高、低质量浓度水平的加标回收率为61.2%～102%。