Comparison of oil composition changes due to biodegradation and physical weathering in different oils

The well-characterized Alberta Sweet Mixed Blend oil and several other oils which are commonly transported in Canada were physically weathered and then incubated with a defined microbial inoculum. The purpose was to produce quantitative data on oil components and component groups which are more susceptible or resistant to biodegradation, and to determine how oils rank in relation to each other in terms of biodegradation potential. The biodegraded oils were characterized by quantitative determination of changes in important hydrocarbon groups including the total petroleum hydrocarbons, total saturates and aromatics, and also by quantitation of more than 100 individual target aliphatic, aromatic and biomarker components. The study reveals a pattern of distinct oil composition changes due to biodegradation, which is significantly different from the pattern due to physical or short-term weathering. It is important to be able to distinguish between these two forms of loss, so that loss due to weathering is not interpreted as loss due to biodegradation in the laboratory or in the field. Based on these findings, the oil composition changes due to biodegradation can be readily differentiated from those due to physical weathering. To rank the tested oils with respect to biodegradability, losses in total petroleum hydrocarbons and aromatics were used to calculate biodegradation potential indices, employing equations proposed by Environment Canada and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The different methods produced very similar biodegradation trends, confirming that patterns of oil biodegradability do exist.     

Modulation of antennal scanning in the honeybee by sucrose stimuli, serotonin, and octopamine: behavior and electrophysiology

The objective of this publication is to present a new dynamic aerobic biodegradation test method simulating a river. A laboratory cascade test system and standardized batch shake flask tests were used for biodegradation studies with the non-volatile and non-sorbing model compounds 2,4-dinitrophenol, naphthalene-1-sulphonic acid and sulphanilic acid. To be closer to the often very low concentrations of substances in the environment the concentrations of the compounds used were standard test concentrations and lower. 14C labelled compounds were measured at 50 micrograms/l, capillary electrophoresis at 5000 micrograms/l and the removal of dissolved organic carbon at 50000 micrograms/l. The test results obtained confirmed the known ultimate biodegradability of the test compounds and showed that biodegradation degrees, rates and degradation durations depended on the test systems, the concentrations of test compounds and the inocula. The river model is a suitable simulation test for natural dynamic surface waters which can be used to perform biodegradability studies at low test concentrations if adequate analytical tools, preferably radioactive-labelled substances, are available.     

Extracellular nuclease produced by a marine bacterium. I. Extracellular deoxyribonuclease formation by a marine Vibrio sp

Deoxyribonuclease (DNase) activity was found in the culture fluids of numerous marine bacteria isolated from seawater. Among these ogranisms, marine bacterium, Vibrio sp., strain No. 2, showed the highest deoxyribonucleic acid-hydrolyzing activity. This organism requires salts of seawater for both growth and extracellular DNase formation. The DNase activity could not be detected in the synthetic seawater culture liquid lacking magnesium ion, and DNase activity decreased in a calcium-deficient medium. The optimum temperature for the growth of this organism was between 15 and 25 degrees C. The formation of extracellular DNase was the greatest at 20 degrees C and less activity was found at 10 and 30 degrees C.     

海水中原油生物的降解

研究了自行分离的两株原油降解菌SY1和SY2的降解特性.结果表明,在不加任何营养盐下,菌株SY1和SY2的原油降解率分别达到41.3%和42.6%,实际海水的盐含量、温度、pH值和氧溶解量能够满足菌株降解原油的需求,并且具有较宽的底物利用范围.建立了菌株SY1和SY2降解原油的动力学模型,该模型基本符合Michealis-Menten方程.     

Membrane filter procedure for enumeration of Vibrio parahaemolyticus

A membrane filtration procedure has been developed for the enumeration of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in marine waters. Background microbial growth on the primary medium was decreased through the use of sodium cholate and copper sulfate, high pH, 3% NaCl, and an elevated incubation temperature. A series of in situ tests was employed to obviate the picking of colonies for identification; thereby, the enumeration of V. parahaemolyticus was accomplished within 30 h. Confirmation of typical colonies approached 95%. Relative to immediate plating on brain heart infusion agar spread plates, the recovery of V. parahaemolyticus cells suspended in phosphate-buffered saline or in seawater held for 24 h at 4 to 6 degrees C was about 90%. Assay variability did not exceed that expected by chance. Recoveries of V. parahaemolyticus from coastal and estuarine surface waters exceeded those obtainable by other methods examined.     

Biodegradability of Surfactants under Aerobic, Anoxic, and Anaerobic Conditions

The biodegradability of two surfactants, Triton X-100 and Rhamnolipid, was tested under aerobic, nitrate reducing, sulfate reducing, and anaerobic conditions in a respirometer. The results indicated that from a biodegradation standpoint, Rhamnolipid is superior to Triton X-100 since it is biodegradable under all conditions, whereas the Triton X-100 is partially biodegradable under aerobic conditions and nonbiodegradable under anaerobic, nitrate reducing, and sulfate reducing conditions.     

Body composition development of adolescent white females: the Penn State Young Women''s Health Study

m-Enterococcus agar (m-Ent) has been generally considered the reference medium for faecal streptococci in bathing waters. However, it shows several shortcomings, and therefore it is important to test newly developed media that can guarantee more precise results. In this sense, the recently described oxolinic acid--esculin--azide agar medium (OAA) and m-enterococcus agar (m-Ent) were comparatively evaluated for the detection of faecal streptococci from seawater and fresh water. The OAA medium showed a significantly higher relative recovery percentage and specificity for both types of water than m-Ent. A similar spectrum of species was recorded from both media, Enterococcus faecium being predominant in fresh water and Enterococcus faecalis, in seawater. The superior performance of the OAA medium in both types of bathing waters, added to the fact that it does not require the use of complementary confirmative tests, makes this medium an excellent candidate to be employed for monitoring programmes.     

The causes and prevention of cancer: the role of environment

The idea that synthetic chemicals such as DDT are major contributors to human cancer has been inspired, in part, by Rachel Carson's passionate book, Silent Spring. This chapter discusses evidence showing why this is not true. We also review research on the causes of cancer, and show why much cancer is preventable. Epidemiological evidence indicates several factors likely to have a major effect on reducing rates of cancer: reduction of smoking, increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, and control of infections. Other factors are avoidance of intense sun exposure, increases in physical activity, and reduction of alcohol consumption and possibly red meat. Already, risks of many forms of cancer can be reduced and the potential for further reductions is great. If lung cancer (which is primarily due to smoking) is excluded, cancer death rates are decreasing in the United States for all other cancers combined. Pollution appears to account for less than 1% of human cancer; yet public concern and resource allocation for chemical pollution are very high, in good part because of the use of animal cancer tests in cancer risk assessment. Animal cancer tests, which are done at the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), are being misinterpreted to mean that low doses of synthetic chemicals and industrial pollutants are relevant to human cancer. About half of the chemicals tested, whether synthetic or natural, are carcinogenic to rodents at these high doses. A plausible explanation for the high frequency of positive results is that testing at the MTD frequently can cause chronic cell killing and consequent cell replacement, a risk factor for cancer that can be limited to high doses. Ignoring this greatly exaggerates risks. Scientists must determine mechanisms of carcinogenesis for each substance and revise acceptable dose levels as understanding advances. The vast bulk of chemicals ingested by humans is natural. For example, 99.99% of the pesticides we eat are naturally present in plants to ward off insects and other predators. Half of these natural pesticides tested at the MTD are rodent carcinogens. Reducing exposure to the 0.01% that are synthetic will not reduce cancer rates. On the contrary, although fruits and vegetables contain a wide variety of naturally-occurring chemicals that are rodent carcinogens, inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables doubles the human cancer risk for most types of cancer. Making them more expensive by reducing synthetic pesticide use will increase cancer. Humans also ingest large numbers of natural chemicals from cooking food. Over a thousand chemicals have been reported in roasted coffee: more than half of those tested (19/28) are rodent carcinogens. There are more rodent carcinogens in a single cup of coffee than potentially carcinogenic pesticide residues in the average American diet in a year, and there are still a thousand chemicals left to test in roasted coffee. This does not mean that coffee is dangerous but rather that animal cancer tests and worst-case risk assessment, build in enormous safety factors and should not be considered true risks. The reason humans can eat the tremendous variety of natural chemical "rodent carcinogens" is that humans, like other animals, are extremely well protected by many general defense enzymes, most of which are inducible (i.e., whenever a defense enzyme is in use, more of it is made). Since the defense enzymes are equally effective against natural and synthetic chemicals one does not expect, nor does one find, a general difference between synthetic and natural chemicals in ability to cause cancer in high-dose rodent tests. The idea that there is an epidemic of human cancer caused by synthetic industrial chemicals is false. In addition, there is a steady rise in life expectancy in the developed countries. Linear extrapolation from the maximum tolerated dose in rodents to low level exposure in humans has led to grossly exaggerated mortality forecasts. Such extrapo     

Comparison of the QSAR models for toxicity and biodegradability of anilines and phenols

Structure-activity models for toxicity and biodegradability of groups of m-anilines and p-phenols were developed and compared. Hydrophobicity was the most important property in determining toxicity. Whereas, electronic and steric properties were the more important in modeling biodegradation.     

Systematic Approach for Modeling Tetrachloroethene Biodegradation

The anaerobic biodegradation of tetrachloroethene (PCE) is a reasonably well understood process. Specific organisms capable of using PCE as an electron acceptor for growth require the addition of an electron donor to remove PCE from contaminated ground waters. However, competition from other anaerobic microorganisms for added electron donor will influence the rate and completeness of PCE degradation. The approach developed here allows for the explicit modeling of PCE and byproduct biodegradation as a function of electron donor and byproduct concentrations, and the microbiological ecology of the system. The approach is general and can be easily modified for ready use with in situ ground-water models or ex situ reactor models. Simulations conducted with models developed from this approach show the sensitivity of PCE biodegradation to input parameter values, in particular initial biomass concentrations. Additionally, the dechlorination rate will be strongly influenced by the microbial ecology of the system. Finally, comparison with experimental acclimation results indicates that existing kinetic constants may not be generally applicable. Better techniques for measuring the biomass of specific organism groups in mixed systems are required.     

沉管隧道钢壳在海水中的加速腐蚀

沉管隧道置于不易检查和维护的海泥区域,其钢壳结构受到海水的侵蚀,会缩短其服役周期,腐蚀严重则会影响沉管隧道的安全运行.深中通道(又称“深中大桥”)是国内首个钢壳式沉管隧道,耐久性要求100年,针对深中通道钢壳混凝土沉管的服役环境及超高的耐久性要求等诸多特征,且目前国内外可以借鉴的工程和研究很少,因此需要研究揭示钢壳外壁在海洋环境下的腐蚀机理和腐蚀发展规律.本文采用室内腐蚀模拟加速试验及电化学分析测试等,对深中通道沉管隧道钢壳所用Q390C低合金高强度结构钢在模拟海水条件下的腐蚀发生发展规律进行研究.研究发现Q390C在海水中腐蚀产物主要为Fe₃O₄、α-FeOOH和γ-FeOOH及少量CaCO₃,其均匀腐蚀和局部腐蚀速率都呈指数关系下降,最终趋于稳定.     

Microbial degradation of xenobiotics in the environment

Biodegradation of naturally occurring organic compounds follows their synthesis. In contrast, man-made compounds, also known as xenobiotics, are often refractory to degradation. The main reason is that they cannot be recognized by naturally present organisms and therefore do not enter common metabolic pathways. The physical and chemical characteristics of the compounds, as well as environmental factors, may influence their biodegradability. Some compounds may be transformed only in the presence of another compound which appears as a carbon and energy source. Very often compounds are degraded sequentially through the activity of a series of different organisms. The main degraders in nature are microorganisms, mostly bacteria and some fungi. These organisms, due to their rapid rates of multiplication and great metabolic potential, are able to adapt to new substrates. Selection of degradative potent microorganisms and their successive adaptation to a naturally persistent compound might be a powerful means for environmental detoxification. Although numerous laboratory experiments have given positive results, very few are applicable on a large scale. It is necessary to select microorganisms or microbial communities capable of controlled degradation of persistent organic chemicals without their transformation to other, more hazardous compounds. Better understanding of metabolic pathways for the biodegradation of specific organic compounds as well as more thorough knowledge of degrading microorganisms will make purposeful application of biodegradation possible.     

Development of single-phased copper alloy for seawater applications: As a cost-effective substitute for Cu-10Ni alloy

Cu-10Ni alloy is a standard material for seawater application. Under Indian scenario, where half of copper and whole of Ni (and Cu-Ni) requirement is met by imports, search for a cheaper substitute is obvious. An attempt has been made to develop a single-phased copper alloy containing 10 wt% Ni, 29 wt% Zn, up to 5 wt% Mn and 1 wt% Fe as a substitute to Cu-10wt% Ni-1wt% Fe alloy. Studies on Corrosion resistance of test alloys were carried out in synthetic seawater (ASTM D 114-75) by electro-chemical methods (cathodic and anodic polarization). Corrosion product film formed on alloy containing 5wt% Mn was characterized by SEM and XRD. A film of Cu₂O was found to form on the surface of the alloy, which accords corrosion protection. The test alloys containing 29 wt% Zn and 3 or 5 wt% Mn have exhibited better corrosion resistance in synthetic seawater than Cu-10Ni alloy. The role of Mn and Zn addition has been discussed.     

Competitive Substrate Biodegradation during Surfactant-Enhanced Remediation

The impact of synthetic surfactants on the aqueous phase biodegradation of benzene, toluene, and p-xylene (BTpX) was studied using two anionic surfactants, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS), and two nonionic surfactants, POE(20) sorbitan monooleate (T-maz-80) and octylphenolpoly(ethyleneoxy) ethanol (CA-620). Batch biodegradation experiments were performed to evaluate surfactant biodegradability using two different microbial cultures. Of the four surfactants used in this study, SDS and T-maz-80 were readily degraded by a microbial consortium obtained from an activated sludge treatment system, whereas only SDS was degraded by a microbial culture that was acclimated to BTpX. Biodegradation kinetic parameters associated with SDS and T-maz-80 degradation by the activated sludge consortium were estimated using respirometric data in conjunction with a nonlinear parameter estimation technique as μmax = 0.93 h?1, Ks = 96.18 mg∕L and μmax = 0.41 h?1, Ks = 31.92 mg∕L, respectively. When both BTpX and surfactant were present in the reactor along with BTpX-acclimated microorganisms, two distinct biodegradation patterns were seen. SDS was preferentially utilized inhibiting hydrocarbon biodegradation, whereas the other three surfactants had no impact on BTpX biodegradation. None of the four surfactants were toxic to the microbial cultures used in this study. Readily biodegradable surfactants are not very effective for subsurface remediation applications as they are rapidly consumed, and also because of their potential inhibitory effects on intrinsic hydrocarbon biodegradation. This greatly increases treatment costs as surfactant recovery and reuse are adversely affected.     

A simplified modeling approach using microbial growth kinetics for predicting exposure concentrations of organic chemicals in treated wastewater effluents

Various mathematical relationships have been used to assess exposure concentrations of organic chemicals when emissions occur via wastewater treatment. These relationships range from a simple removal factor calculation to more sophisticated approaches using kinetic based mathematical models. While these existing approaches have been used by decision makers to screen new chemicals for exposure assessments, they all have limitations in the predictive capabilities. Thus, a simplified modeling approach grounded in sound scientific fundamentals that utilizes relatively easy to obtain input parameters is needed. In this paper a simplified modeling approach that utilizes microbial growth kinetics was developed for predicting effluent concentrations in secondary biological wastewater treatment systems. Receiving water predicted exposure concentrations (PEC) are assessed by using a dilution factor. One advantage of this approach is that it allows for wastewater treatment plant effluent concentrations, and therefore receiving water exposure levels, to be predicted with a minimum amount of experimental data. It also provides quantitative data that can be used to assess the relative biodegradability of different chemicals for use in regulatory and risk assessment activities.     

What do animal cancer tests tell us about human cancer risk?: Overview of analyses of the carcinogenic potency database

Many important issues in carcinogenesis can be addressed using our Carcinogenic Potency Database, which analyzes and standardizes the literature of chronic carcinogenicity tests in laboratory animals. This review is an update and overview of our analyses during the past 15 years, using the current database that includes results of 5152 experiments on 1298 chemicals. We address the following: 1. More than half the 1298 chemicals tested in long-term experiments have been evaluated as carcinogens. We describe this positivity rate for several subsets of the data (including naturally occurring and synthetic chemicals), and we hypothesize and important role in the interpretation of results for increased cell division due to administration of high doses. 2. Methodological issues in the interpretation of animal cancer tests: constraints on the estimation of carcinogenic potency and validity problems associated with using the limited data from bioassays to estimate human risk, reproducibility of results in carcinogenesis bioassays, comparison of lifetable and summary methods of analysis, and summarizing carcinogenic potency when multiple experiments on a chemical are positive. 3. Positivity is compared in bioassays for two closely related species, rats and mice, tested under similar experimental conditions. We assess what information such a comparison can provide about interspecies extrapolation. 4. Rodent carcinogens induce tumors in 35 different target organs. We describe the frequency of chemicals that induce tumors in rats or mice at each target site, and we compare target sites of mutagenic and nonmutagenic rodent carcinogens. 5. A broad perspective on evaluation of possible cancer hazards from rodent carcinogens is given, by ranking 74 human exposures (natural and synthetic) on the HERP indes.     

Simple, direct broth-disk method for antibiotic susceptibility testing of Ureaplasma urealyticum

A simple, direct broth-disk test, utilizing urine sediment as the inoculum and impregnated paper disks as the source of antibiotic, was developed and used to test the susceptibility of 54 isolates of Ureaplasma urealyticum (T-strain mycoplasmas) to minocycline, doxycycline, demeclocycline, tetracycline, and erythromycin. The concentration of each antibiotic was calculated to approximate the attainable blood level. Resistance or susceptibility to each antibiotic was determined by growth, indicated by a color change of the medium in each tube, comparable to that of a control culture without antibiotic. Of the 54 T-mycoplasmas tested, 46 (85.2%) were inhibited by 1 mug of minocycline per ml, 45 (83.3%) were inhibited by 1 mug of doxycycline per ml, 38 (72.2%) were inhibited by 1 mug of demeclocycline per ml, 18 (33.3%) were inhibited by 1 mug of tetracycline per ml, and only 2 (3.7%) were inhibited by 3 mug of erythromycin per ml. Seven (13%) of the 54 T-mycoplasmas tested were resistant to all five antibiotics. There was good correlation between results obtained by this direct broth-disk method and minimal inhibitory concentrations obtained by the direct broth dilution method.     

Biodegradation of metal-EDTA complexes by an enriched microbial population

A mixed culture utilizing EDTA as the sole carbon source was isolated from a mixed inoculum of water from the River Mersey (United Kingdom) and sludge from an industrial effluent treatment plant. Fourteen component organisms were isolated from the culture, including representatives of the genera Methylobacterium, Variovorax, Enterobacter, Aureobacterium, and Bacillus. The mixed culture biodegraded metal-EDTA complexes slowly; the biodegradability was in the order Fe > Cu > Co > Ni > Cd. By incorporation of inorganic phosphate into the medium as a precipitant ligand, heavy metals were removed in parallel to EDTA degradation. The mixed culture also utilized a number of possible EDTA degradation intermediates as carbon sources.     

Newly designed tissue adhesion prevention technology based on photocurable mucopolysaccharides. In vivo evaluation

Tissue adhesion after surgery occasionally causes serious complications. The authors have been developing photocurable mucopolysaccharides for a tissue adhesion prevention material that meets requirements such as nonadherent surface characteristics, biocompatibility, biodegradability in accordance with the wound healing rate, and nontoxicity. Mucopolysaccharides (hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate) partially derived with photoreactive groups, such as cinnamate or thymine, were subjected to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation to produce water insoluble gels via intermolecular photodimerization of photoreactive groups. Photocured films that covered injured liver surfaces of rats were implanted for as long as 4 weeks and histologically evaluated. In vivo performance, including tissue adhesion prevention, biodegradability, and mechanical flexibility of the films, was found to be controlled by the type of mucopolysaccharides, the type of photoreactive groups, and their degrees of substitution (DS). Photocured films with lower DS, which had high water swellability and flexibility, prevented tissue adhesion and exhibited enhanced biodegradability. As an increase in DS occurred, tissue adhesion prevention, biodegradability, and mechanical flexibility were reduced. Control of the biodegradation rate was feasible. Minimum inflammatory reaction was noticed.     

Effect of zinc addition to copper in improving its corrosion resistance in sulfide polluted synthetic seawater

In an endeavor to develop a cost effective substitute of Cu-10Ni alloy for seawater application (especially for sulfide polluted seawater) few Cu-Ni-Zn-Mn alloys were developed in our laboratory. The Cu-Ni-Zn-Mn alloy was found to have better corrosion resistance than Cu-10Ni both in clean and sulfide polluted synthetic seawater. Resistance to sulfide in Synthetic Seawater was attributed to the formation of ZnS. To ensure that the resistance to sulfide attack is due to Zn alone, a series of studies were carried out with binary alloys of Cu and Zn with increasing weight percentage of Zn (12% and 36%). Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used for the purpose. Polarization studies gave the corrosion data and EIS was effective in depicting the nature of corrosion product (film). It was found that among the test alloys, Cu-36Zn is most corrosion resistant in sulfide polluted seawater due to formation of ZnS in the film. As it is a binary alloy, the corrosion resistance against sulfide is attributed to Zn alone.