Complications with remediation strategies involving the biodegradation and detoxification of recalcitrant contaminant aromatic hydrocarbons

Environmentally persistent aromatic hydrocarbons known as unresolved complex mixtures (UCMs) derived from crude oil can be accumulated by, and elicit toxicological responses in, marine organisms (e.g. mussels, Mytilus edulis). Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass-spectrometry (GC × GC-ToF-MS) previously revealed that these UCMs included highly branched alkylated aromatic hydrocarbons. Here, the effects of biodegradation on the toxicity and chemical composition of an aromatic UCM hydrocarbon fraction isolated from Tia Juana Pesado (TJP) crude oil were examined. 48 h exposure of mussels to the aromatic hydrocarbon fraction (F2) resulted in tissue concentrations of 900 µg g^− 1 (dry wt.) and ∼ 45% decrease in clearance rate. Over 90% of the hydrocarbon burden corresponded to an UCM. Following a 5 day recovery period, GC × GC-ToF-MS analysis of the tissues indicated depuration of most accumulated hydrocarbons and clearance rates returned to those observed in controls. To assess the potential of biodegradation to reduce UCM toxicity, TJP F2 was exposed to bacteria isolated from Whitley Bay, UK, for 46 days. Mussels exposed to the undegraded TJP F2 from the abiotic control exhibited a reduction in clearance rate comparable with values for the pure crude oil TJP F2. Clearance rates of mussels exposed to biodegraded TJP F2 were statistically similar to seawater controls, suggesting biodegradation had reduced the TJP F2 toxicity. GC × GC-ToF-MS analysis revealed the same compound groups in the tissue of mussels exposed to pure TJP F2, undegraded TJP F2 and biodegraded TJP F2 samples; however > 300 fewer compounds were observed in the biodegraded (954 compounds) compared to the undegraded TJP F2 (1261). The compound distributions were markedly different, possibly accounting for the decrease in toxicity. Extraction and analysis of pelleted bacterial cell material revealed that a significant proportion of the TJP F2 had adsorbed onto the cells. Thus extreme care must be taken in interpreting biodegradation data from recalcitrant UCM hydrocarbons.     

Auftreten von Pflanzenschutzmitteln in Oberflächengewässern und im Grundwasser

An overview of the current situation of pesticide occurrence in water is presented using data from the EU-contries Denmark, England, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Data were extracted from official reports. The data base is rather heterogenous, as the monitoring strategies vary in a wide range depending on the administrative responsibilities. In the publications, water pollution with pesticides is evaluated using the drinking water standard values for single substances (0,1 μg/l), a toxicological evaluation is missing. In surface waters, substances with regionally high sell numbers or high application amounts dominate. They belong to the chemical groups triacines, phenoxy carbolic acids and urea derivates. Talking about groundwater, the time scale has to be considered as well, as the geological system reacts as a buffer. Here, the triacines and their metabolits dominate having been applicated for tens of years in high amounts. Different measures to obtain a longterm water protection are discussed.     

餐厨垃圾与剩余污泥处理现状及技术展望

随着经济的快速发展,餐厨垃圾、剩余污泥等城市有机废弃物的产生量日益增大,如何处理这些废弃物成了一个亟待解决的问题.通过分析填埋、堆肥、饲料化、焚烧、厌氧发酵等几种备选技术的利弊和发展趋势,认为餐厨垃圾和剩余污泥联合发酵技术是一种较为理想的处理技术,产氢量可达2.11 molH2/mol己糖.最后,简要阐述了近年来该技术在国内外的研究进展,分析了该技术存在的问题并提出了建议.     

Comparison of risk factor profiles concerning self-reported skin complaints and objectively determined skin symptoms in German office workers

The correspondence between impact factor profiles of self-reported skin sensation and of objectively determined skin symptoms was examined using data from the ProKlimA project (1994-1999). A sub-sample of 925 office workers participated in measurements of skin hydration and sebum content and responded to a questionnaire assessing sensory perception. The calculation of multiple logistic regression models revealed a significant increased risk for female sex [Odds ratio (OR): 2.3; confidence interval (CI): 1.4-3.6], poor software (OR: 2.2; CI: 1.3-4.0), unfavorable job characteristics (OR: 1.8; CI: 1.1-2.8), allergic illness (OR: 1.5; CI: 1.1-2.2) and the use of skin cream (OR:2.6; CI: 1.6-4.4) on the subjective perception of skin sensation. Regarding the objective medical examination of the skin humidity a significant increased risk was detected for a high concentration of Total Volatile Organic Compounds (OR: 2.5; CI: 1.3-4.8) and a low relative humidity (OR:1.9; CI: 1.1-3.4). The likewise objectively measured low sebum content is not associated with environmental variables. The impact profiles on subjective vs. objective outcome variables differ in a clear and typical way. Skin related sensory perception is mainly influenced by job-related and personal impacts. Indoor environmental characteristics affect skin hydration. We conclude the need to develop, to adapt and to use objective clinical methods applicable for field monitoring parallel to questioning.     

Lake responses following lanthanum-modified bentonite clay (Phoslock) application: An analysis of water column lanthanum data from 16 case study lakes

Phoslock^® is a lanthanum (La) modified bentonite clay that is being increasingly used as a geo-engineering tool for the control of legacy phosphorus (P) release from lake bed sediments to overlying waters. This study investigates the potential for negative ecological impacts from elevated La concentrations associated with the use of Phoslock^® across 16 case study lakes. Impact-recovery trajectories associated with total lanthanum (TLa) and filterable La (FLa) concentrations in surface and bottom waters were quantified over a period of up to 60 months following Phoslock^® application. Both surface and bottom water TLa and FLa concentrations were <0.001 mg L⁻¹ in all lakes prior to the application of Phoslock^®. The effects of Phoslock^® application were evident in the post-application maximum TLa and FLa concentrations reported for surface waters between 0.026 mg L⁻¹–2.30 mg L⁻¹ and 0.002 mg L⁻¹ to 0.14 mg L⁻¹, respectively. Results of generalised additive modelling indicated that recovery trajectories for TLa and FLa in surface and bottom waters in lakes were represented by 2nd order decay relationships, with time, and that recovery reached an end-point between 3 and 12 months post-application. Recovery in bottom water was slower (11–12 months) than surface waters (3–8 months), most probably as a result of variation in physicochemical conditions of the receiving waters and associated effects on product settling rates and processes relating to the disturbance of bed sediments. CHEAQS PRO modelling was also undertaken on 11 of the treated lakes in order to predict concentrations of La³⁺ ions and the potential for negative ecological impacts. This modelling indicated that the concentrations of La³⁺ ions will be very low (<0.0004 mg L⁻¹) in lakes of moderately low to high alkalinity (>0.8 mEq L⁻¹), but higher (up to 0.12 mg L⁻¹) in lakes characterised by very low alkalinity. The effects of elevated La³⁺ concentrations following Phoslock^® applications in lakes of very low alkalinity requires further evaluation. The implications for the use of Phoslock^® in eutrophication management are discussed.     

A critical evaluation of topology optimization results for strut‐and‐tie modeling of reinforced concrete

Defining a suitable truss model is one of the most important steps of applying the strut‐and‐tie modeling (STM) method to design D‐regions in reinforced concrete (RC) structures. The truss model is a discrete representation of the stress field developed within a region of a concrete element. Topology optimization (TO) methods have been investigated by researchers for about two decades to generate suitable models for the STM method. Several truss models and numerous continuum TO results that could serve as an inspiration for suitable truss models have been proposed. However, limited attention has been paid to the evaluation of various TO results in the perspective of the STM method. As a result, it is at present unclear to what extent TO results offer a benefit for STM modeling, and which method should be preferred. In order to address this gap, an automatic and objective evaluation procedure is proposed in this paper. First, a TO result extraction method is proposed to systematically convert optimized topologies to truss‐like structures. Next, based on the extracted structures, three evaluation measures are formulated to evaluate TO results. These measures indicate whether an analyzable truss model could be extracted, to which extent tensile stress regions are covered by tensile ties and how economical the design will be. The effectiveness of the proposed evaluation procedure is validated using known STM solutions. Subsequently, the evaluation procedure is applied to 23 TO results from the literature, covering three different design problems. Most TO results show a good performance in covering tensile regions and would result in economical designs, and some undesired topologies are also identified by the evaluation method. Nevertheless, the use of continuum TO is most hampered by difficulties in identifying a suitable truss from the TO results.     

Magnetic ion-exchange resin treatment: impact of water type and resin use

Three raw waters of fundamentally different natural organic matter (NOM) character were treated by magnetic resin using a bench-scale method designed to mimic how the resin is used in continuous operation. Increasing water hydrophobicity resulted in reduced dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal with removal of 56%, 33% and 25% for waters containing 21%, 50% and 75% hydrophobic NOM, respectively. Study of consecutive resin uses showed that the NOM in the hydrophobic water had high affinity for the resin shown by DOC removal of 65% after the first use of the resin. This dropped to 25% DOC removal after 15 consecutive resin uses. For the more hydrophilic waters, NOM removal remained consistent after each resin use. The hydrophobic sample contained higher MW NOM that was capable of blocking resin sites that prevented continual adsorption of organics on to the resin. The hydrophilic NOM containing a large proportion of hydrophilic acids was consistently removed to around 60%. The water containing algogenic-derived NOM was poorly removed by magnetic resin. Subsequent coagulation showed higher removal with increasing hydrophobicity.     

Fabrication of shish–kebab structured poly(ε-caprolactone) electrospun nanofibers that mimic collagen fibrils: Effect of solvents and matrigel functionalization

Surface properties of tissue engineering scaffolds such as topography, hydrophilicity, and functional groups play a vital role in cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, and apoptosis. In this study, poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) shish–kebab scaffolds (PCL-SK), which feature a three-dimensional structure comprised of electrospun PCL nanofibers covered by periodic, self-induced PCL crystal lamellae on the surface, was created to mimic the nanotopography of native collagen fibrils in the extracellular matrix (ECM). Two different kinds of solvents used in creating kebabs on the shish were investigated by real-time observation. It was found that the solvent solubility directly affects the formation of kebabs: the lower the solubility of the solvent, the easier the formation of the kebabs on the surface of the electrospun nanofibers. In addition, matrigel was covalently immobilized on the surface of alkaline hydrolyzed PCL and PCL-SK scaffolds to enhance their hydrophilicity. This combined approach not only mimics the nanotopography of native collagen fibrils, but also simulates the surface features of collagen fibrils for cell growth. To investigate the viability of such scaffolds, HEF1 fibroblast cell assays were conducted and the results revealed that the nanotopography of the PCL-SK scaffolds facilitated cell adhesion and proliferation. The matrigel functionalization on PCL-SK scaffolds further enhanced cellular response, which suggested elevated biocompatibility and greater potential for tissue engineering applications.     

Coherent Properties of Quantum Dot Two-Level Systems

In a single self-assembled InGaAs quantum dot, the one-exciton ground-state transition defines a two-level system, which appears as an extremely narrow resonance of only a few μeV width. The resonant interaction of this two-level system with cw laser fields can be studied in detail by photocurrent spectroscopy, revealing the fine structure of the excitonic ground state as well as the effects of nonlinear absorption and power broadening. For the case of pulsed laser fields and in the absence of decoherence, the two-level system represents a qubit. Excitations with ps laser pulses result in qubit rotations, which appear as Rabi oscillations in photocurrent experiments. Double pulse experiments further allow us to infer the decoherence time and to perform coherent control on a two level system.     

An alternative finite element model for simulation of frictional gap

This study is an attempt to modeling a frictional gap in a crack closure process under compressive loading conditions in which the crack surfaces are in touch and the effects of friction between them are significant. An iterative finite element (FE) solution is developed to model a finite crack in an interfacial layer with varying material properties. A mere application of a Lagrange multiplier formulation (node-to-node, NTN, or node-to-segment, NTS) in a developed FE framework to fulfill the contact constraints between contacting surfaces is discussed which improves the penalty formulation used in ANSYS. We then argue that the penalty formulation allows for a certain amount of crack surface interpenetration whereas the Lagrange multiplier formulation fulfils the contact constraints more accurately. This technique is easy to implement and offers higher accuracy than the equivalent FE solution, available in commercial FE software such as ANSYS 9.0, to the same system.