Fate and Behavior of Tetracycline Resistance Genes in Activated Carbon Adsorption

The accessibility of tetracycline resistance gene (tetG) into the pores of activated carbon (AC), as well as the impact of the pore size distribution (PSD) of AC on the uptake capacity of tetG, were investigated using eight types of AC (four coal-based and four wood-based). AC showed the capability to admit tetG and the average reduction of tetG for coal-based and wood-based ACs at the AC dose of 1 g·L-1 was 3.12 log and 3.65 log, respectively. The uptake kinetic analysis showed that the uptake of the gene followed the pseudo-second-order kinetics reaction, and the uptake rate constant for the coal-based and wood-based ACs was in the range of 5.97 × 10-12 - 4.64 × 10-9 and 7.02 × 10-11 - 1.59 × 10-8 copies·mg-1·min-1, respectively. The uptake capacity analysis by fitting the obtained experiment data with the Freundlich isotherm model indicated that the uptake constant (KF) values were 1.71 × 103 - 8.00 × 109 (copies·g-1)1-1/n for coal-based ACs and 7.00 × 108 - 3.00 × 1010 (copies·g-1)1-1/n for wood-based ones. In addition, the correlation analysis between KF values and pore volume as well as pore surface at different pore size regions of ACs showed that relatively higher positive correlation was found for pores of 50 - 100 Å, suggesting ACs with more pores in this size region can uptake more tetG. The findings of this study are valuable as reference for optimizing the adsorption process regarding antibiotic resistance-related concerns in drinking water treatment.

Amount of Calcium Elution and Eroded Lesion Depth in Bovine Enamel Derived from Single Short Time Immersion in Carbonated Soft Drink <i>in Vitro</i>

Erosion is one of serious oral health problems among Japanese children. Some dentists argue that brushing just after food/drink intake induces enamel abrasion. Objectives of this study were to evaluate amount of calcium elution from bovine enamel due to single and short immersion into carbonated soft drink, to calculate depth of the eroded lesion, and to determine when to brush teeth after carbonated soft drink intake from the view point of preventing enamel abrasion. Four enamel specimens were made from each of eight bovine teeth. The specimens were covered by quick-cure resin except for enamel surfaces. The four specimens from each bovine tooth were classified into three, six, nine, and 12 minutes immersion (IM3, IM6, IM9, and IM12) groups and immersed separately in five mL of carbonated soft drink. After the immersion, the calcium concentration of the original drink and the drink samples were evaluated using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The dimension of each enamel specimen was calculated using a planimeter. The amount of eluted calcium per unit area of the enamel specimen into each drink sample was obtained. The depth of the demineralized lesion was obtained by dividing the amount of calcium elution per unit area by the concentration of calcium in enamel and the specific gravity of enamel. The lesion depth of the IM3 group was significantly lower than those in the IM6, IM9, and IM12 groups. The mean lesion depth in the IM12 group which showed the deepest lesion depth was 0.21 μm. As conclusions, the erosive lesion depth due to intake of carbonated soft drink was much shallower than remineralized enamel surface of a white spot lesion which can be repaired in plaque fluid in a short time, suggesting such erosion hardly causes tooth wear, hence it was suggested that brushing teeth just after the intake was recommended.

Measurement of Radioactivity in Carbonated Soft Drinks and Annual Dose Assessment

A set of measurements have been conducted, using gamma spectrometry technique, in order to determine the activity-level in some carbonated soft drinks. The obtained activity is about 0.18 ± 0.07 Bq/l for 137Cs, whereas it is less than 0.13, 0.18 and 4.51 Bq/l respectively for 212Pb, 214Pb and 40K. The total average annual dose is about 3.49, 1.69 and 1.68 μSv/y respectively for 7 - 12, 12 - 17 and >17 years old person leading to a radiological risk about 0.142 for adolescent and adults. The obtained results show no significant radiation dose and radiation hazard on human health due to the consumption of these carbonated soft drinks.

Particle properties in granular activated carbon filter during drinking water treatment

The elemental composition and bacteria attached in particles were investigated during granular activated carbon （GAC） filtration.The experimental results showed that trapped influent particles could form new,larger particles on GAC surface.The sloughing of individuals off GAC surface caused an increase in effluent particles in the size range from 5 to 25 μm.The selectivity for element removal in GAC filters caused an increasing proportion of metallic elements in the effluent particles.The distribution of molar ratio indicated a complicated composition for large particles,involving organic and inorganic substances.The organic proportion accounted for 40% of total carbon attached to the particles.Compared with dissolved carbon,there was potential for the formation of trihalomethanes by organic carbon attached to particles,especially for those with size larger than 10 μm.The pure carbon energy spectrum was found only in the GAC effluent and the size distribution of carbon fines was mainly above 10 μm.The larger carbon fines provided more space for bacterial colonization and stronger protection for attached bacteria against disinfection.The residual attached bacteria after chorine disinfection was increased to 10 2-10 3 CFU/mL within 24 hours at 25°C.

Particle size distribution and property of bacteria attached to carbon fines in drinking water treatment

The quantitative change and size distribution of particles in the effluents from a sand filter and a granular activated carbon （GAC） filter in a drinking water treatment plant were investigated. The average total concentration of particles in the sand filter effluent during a filter cycle was 148 particles/mL, 27 of which were larger than 2 μm in size. The concentration in the GAC effluent （561 particles/mL） was significantly greater than that in the sand filter effluent. The concentration of particles larger than 2 μm in the GAC filter effluent reached 201 particles/mL, with the amount of particles with sizes between 2 μm and 15 μm increasing. The most probable number （MPN） of carbon fines reached 43 unit/L after six hours and fines between 0.45 μm and 8.0 μm accounted for more than 50%. The total concentration of outflowing bacteria in the GAC filter effluent, 350 CFU （colony-forming units） /mL, was greater than that in the sand filter effluent, 210 CFU/mL. The desorbed bacteria concentration reached an average of 310 CFU/mg fines. The disinfection efficiency of desorbed bacteria was lower than 40% with 1.5 mg/L of chlorine. The disinfection effect showed that the inactivation rate with 2.0 mg/L of chloramine （90%） was higher than that with chlorine （70%）. Experimental results indicated that the high particle concentration in raw water and sedimentation effluent led to high levels of outflowing particles in the sand filter effluent. The activated carbon fines in the effluent accounted for a small proportion of the total particle amount, but the existing bacteria attached to carbon fines may influence the drinking water safety. The disinfection efficiency of desorbed bacteria was lower than that of free bacteria with chlorine, and the disinfection effect on bacteria attached to carbon fines with chloramine was better than that with only chlorine.

Carbon dioxide heat pump for dual-temperature drinking fountain

Carbon dioxide trans-critical heat pump system for heating and cooling water was designed,and its thermodynamic steady-state concentration model was established. Based on the steady-state model,parameters of the carbon dioxide trans-critical heat pump were calculated by computer programming. According to these parameters,the effects and application prospect of the heat pump system were analyzed for dual-temperature drinking fountains.

家用活性炭滤芯与反渗透膜滤芯对饮用水中全氟化合物的去除性能试验

饮用水中普遍检出全氟化合物(PFASs)。该研究以4种典型的PFASs,即全氟丁基羧酸(PFBA)、全氟己基磺酸(PFHxS)、全氟辛基羧酸(PFOA)及全氟辛基磺酸(PFOS)为目标物质,以活性炭滤芯及反渗透(RO)膜滤芯两种常用家庭净水部件为研究对象,测试两种净水材料对PFASs自来水加标水样的去除性能及过滤前后相关水质参数。结果表明,对于活性炭滤芯,PFHxS、PFOA、PFOS在7倍额定总净水量内去除率为72%~86%,PFBA去除率相对较低,且通水量超过2倍额定总净水量后,去除率呈明显下降趋势;PFASs的去除率与高锰酸盐指数、溶解性总固体、无机阴离子等水质参数不相关;对于RO膜滤芯,PFASs的去除率可达90%~100%,PFBA去除率在通水后期呈现缓慢下降趋势;PFHxS、PFOA及PFOS的去除率与溶解性总固体、氯化物、硫酸盐等无机阴离子浓度呈较好的相关性。因此,家用活性炭滤芯、RO膜滤芯对饮用水中的PFASs具有良好的去除效果。研究可为家庭净水装置去除PFASs提供使用参考。

GB/T 5750.8—2023顶空-气相色谱法测定饮用水中三氯甲烷和四氯化碳的问题与建议

对GB/T 5750.8—2023中的顶空-气相色谱法测定生活饮用水中三氯甲烷和四氯化碳方法确认中影响定量准确性的因素,如分流比、色谱柱、基质空白、标准曲线配制等进行了讨论,并结合实验室的7697A顶空自动进样器、7890B气相色谱仪及所用DB-1701石英毛细管柱(30 m×0.25 mm×0.25μm)对方法进行了条件优化.采用优化后的试验条件对方法进行了确认.结果表明,三氯甲烷和四氯化碳分别在质量浓度为0.1~10.0μg/L和0.01~1.0μg/L范围内线性良好,检出限分别为0.025和0.0020μg/L,定量限分别为0.083和0.0067μg/L,相关系数r均大于0.999,相对标准偏差分别为4.2%~6.5%和1.8%~4.0%,加标回收率分别为96.8%~102.5%和104.0%~107.2%.优化后的方法可满足生活饮用水中三氯甲烷和四氯化碳的测定要求,为水中三氯甲烷和四氯化碳含量相关测试提供参考.

Drinking water production by uitrafiltration of Songhuajiang River with PAC adsorption

In recent years, membrane ultrafiltration （UF） of surface water for drinking water treatment has become a more attractive technology worldwide as a possible alternative treatment to conventional clarification. To evaluate the performance of ultrafiltration membranes for treatment of surface water in North China, a 48-m^2 low pressure hollow fiber membrane ultrafiltration pilot plant was constructed. Ultrafiltration was operated in cross-flow and with powdered activated carbon （PAC） adsorption. Turbidity was almost completely removed to less than 0.2 NTU （below Chinese standard 1 NTU）. It was found that PAC addition enhanced organic matter removal. The combined process of PAC/UF allowed to 41% removal of CODMn, 46% removal of DOC and 57% decrease in UV254 absorbance. The elimination of particles, from average 12000/ml in the raw water to approximately 15/ml in the permeated, was observed. When PAC concentration was below 30 mg/L, backwashing could recovery the membrane flux with backwash interval/backwashing duration of 1/30.

Soft drinks consumption and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) is a common clinical condition which is associated with metabolic syndrome in 70% of cases.Inappropriate dietary fat intake,excessive intake of soft drinks,insulin resistance and increased oxidative stress combine to increase free fatty acid delivery to the liver,and increased hepatic triglyceride accumulation contributes to fatty liver.Regular soft drinks have high fructose corn syrup which contains basic sugar building blocks,fructose 55% and glucose 45%.Soft drinks are the leading source of added sugar worldwide,and have been linked to obesity,diabetes,and metabolic syndrome.The consumption of soft drinks can increase the prevalence of NAFLD independently of metabolic syndrome.During regular soft drinks consumption,fat accumulates in the liver by the primary effect of fructose which increases lipogenesis,and in the case of diet soft drinks,by the additional contribution of aspartame sweetener and caramel colorant which are rich in advanced glycation end products that potentially increase insulin resistance and inflammation.This review emphasizes some hard facts about soft drinks,reviews fructose metabolism,and explains how fructose contributes to the development of obesity,diabetes,metabolic syndrome,and NAFLD.

Performance of microbiological control by a point-of-use filter system for drinking water purification

Purification capacity of a faucet mounted type water filter for home use was evaluated, particularly with regard to microbiological performance under different running conditions. Biofilms were formed inside the filter, affecting the bacterial quality of the effluent water. Low flow rate, long stagnation period and high filter temperature were found favorable for bacterial growth inside. By commercial analytical profile index （API） kits, ten different bacterial species were identified in drinking water, four of which were probably contributed to the biofilm formation since they were also present in the biofilm. Fluorescence in situ hybridization （FISH） was used to confirm the API identification results, and direct viable count （DVC） method was employed to improve the sensitivity of FISH for the isolated Acinetobacter spp. and Pseudomonas putida as models. Relationship between the filter operating condition and the bacterial community alteration was partly revealed, which could provide the basic knowledge for the filter design and its practical use.

Phosphorus limitation in biofiltration for drinking water treatment

Bacterial growth potential(BGP) method and two parallel pilot scale biofilters were used to investigate phosphorus limitation and its effect on the removal of organic matters in biofiltration for drinking water treatment. Addition of phosphorus can substantially increase the BGPs of the samples. Its effect was equivalent to that of addition of a mixture of various inorganic nutrients including phosphorus. The biofilter with phosphate added into its influent performed a higher biological stability of the effluent and a higher COD Mn removal than the control filter. These results suggested that phosphorus was the limiting nutrient in the biofiltration and the removal efficiency of organic matters could be improved by adding phosphate into the influent.

Modification on the conventional procedure to measure AOC in drinking water

Additional phosphorus will be introduced to water sample if the conventional procedure is used to measure assimilable organic carbon(AOC) in drinking water. It has been shown that there are the cases that phosphorus is the limiting nutrient for microbial growth in drinking water. The measured value of AOC would not be able to indicate appropriately the regrowth potential of bacteria in this case. The conventional procedure used to measure AOC was modified to avoid the introduction of additional phosphorus to water sample in this study. It was shown that it was feasible to measure AOC in water using the modified procedure. Furthermore, the measured value of AOC determined by the modified procedure could indicate appropriately the regrowth potential of bacteria in drinking water despite either organics or phosphorus was the limiting nutrient for bacterial regrowth.

Pilot Study on Drinking Water Advanced Treatment by GAC-MF System

The pilot performance of the combined GAC-MF membrane process for drinking water advanced treatment was described. In the process of GAC adsorption, under the conditions of 20 min HRT and 6 m/h filtration rate, the removal efficiencies of UV254 and trichloromethane could reach 40% and 50%respectively and the UV254 and trichloromethane in system effluent was less than 0.015 cm-1 and 5 μg/L respectively. In the post MF membrane process, MF membrane effectively retained the particles and bacteria in raw water. The effluent turbidity was less than 0.2 NTU and no bacteria were detected at all in permeate. A computer-controlled system was enployed to control this system. The membrane operating parameters of backwash interval, duration and flux were studied. The backwash interval of 10-min, 20-min and 60-min was researched respectively, and the variation of trans-membrane pressure was also analyzed. Consequently short backwash interval was recommended under the same water consume.

Novel FGBAC reactor for controlling the leakage of microfauna in drinking water treatment

In order to reduce the microfauna leakage risk from a granular biological activated carbon （GBAC） reactor which employs granular activated carbon （GAC） as adsorption media in drinking water advanced treatment, a novel fiber and granular biological activated carbon （FGBAC） reactor which employs both GAC and activated carbon fiber （ACF） as adsorption media, was developed. The results showed that the species composition of microfauna leaking from FGBAC reactor is almost similar to that leaking from GBAC reactor, however the densities of microfauna leaking from FGBAC reactor is reduced by 26%-81% compared to those leaking from GBAC reactor. In addition, compared to GBAC reactor, FGBAC reactor can increase the removal efflciencies of chemical oxygen demand （COD） and turbidity by 7% and 10%, respectively, during the stable operation period of reactor.

Effects of Gaseous Drinks in Wistar Rats Esophagus

The consumption of beverages and processed foods, mainly soft drinks, has been incorporated into the usual diet of children, adolescents and adults frequently in recent years. The present study aimed to study the effects of carbonated drinks on Wistar rats, based on the macroscopic and histological morphology of the esophagus. Fifteen Wistar rats were divided into three groups: control group;group fed with ration and cola-type refrigerant ad libitum and group fed with ration and gas industrialized water ad libitum, for a trial period of 90 days. For histopathology and morphology, the esophagus was removed, prepared in slides and stained with hematoxylineosin. Images of the sections were captured for analysis and classification of the inflammatory infiltrate. For morphometry, ten grid fields of 100 points were evaluated in the 40x eyepiece, totaling 3000 points per animal. The results demonstrate that the refrigerant treatment induced the following structural changes in the rats: significant reduction of weight in relation to the control group;inflammatory infiltrate predominantly diffuse mild to moderate and tissue edema. The rats treated with carbonated water had similar results to the control, besides signs of healing and tissue repair.

Determination of the Dose of PAC in Ultrafiltration System for Drinking Water Treatment

Immersed ultrafiltration (UF) process was chosen to treat the raw water of the Yangtze River. In order to control the membrane fouling, powdered activated carbon (PAC) was added to the UF tank for removing natural organic matter (NOM). The optimal dosage of PAC was investigated in the PAC/UF combined process. UV254 was used to measure the organic matter adsorbed by PAC. And the results show that the maximum elimination can be achieved while the dosage of PAC is 60mg/L. However, the elimination can not reduce the rate of membrane fouling which indicates that the organic matter absorbed by PAC is not the only factor leading to the fouling and the overload of PAC also contributes to the fouling. Therefore, the optimal dosage of PAC should be determined by organic matter removal as well as membrane fouling control. The ultimately optimized dosing of PAC is 20mg/L in this study, and the average removal rate of the PAC/UF process for dissolved organic carbon (DOC), UV254, and CODMn are 42.6%, 63.4%, and 45.7% respectively.

Characterization of Scale Formed in Drinking Water and Hot Water Pipes in the Taliouine Downtown—Morocco

This paper presents the results of a comprehensive study of water scale found in water distribution system of Taliouine city in the south of Morocco. Physico-chemical properties of drinking water supplied to the city were evaluated. The data showed a high level of soluble salt in water. Concentrations were calcium 108 - 143 mg/1, magnesium 80 - 96 mg/1, bicarbonate 660 - 750 mg/l and hardness degree 660 - 690 mg CaCO3/l. The water samples contain high amounts of minerals in the form of ions, especially the metals calcium and bicarbonate, which precipitated out and caused problems in water conducting or storing vessels like pipes. Scales were removed from the inside of two old pipes which transported drinking and hot water in the downtown of Taliouine city. Scale samples were investigated by XRF, XRD, SEM, DTA, TGA and SEM’s analytical techniques. This study was able to identify scales formed in pipes of water distribution systems. It was found that water scale in this city contains 53% of calcium oxide and 43% of organic matter. The XRD and SEM results revealed that calcite was the main crystalline structure in drinking water scale. Nevertheless, scale deposited in hot water pipe is well crystalline with peaks corresponding mostly to aragonite (88%) along with calcite (12%). The thermal behavior of scale samples confirms that calcium carbonate was the main compound in the scale samples. Further studies are needed to find an efficient antiscale in drinking water of this city.

Affordable Water Filtration Technology for Disinfection By-Product Control for Small Rural Communities by Using Carbon Extracted from Local Fly Ash

The fly ash generated from local pulp and paper industries was transformed into activated carbon (AC) through physical activation process in a high temperature tube furnace in this study. Effects of two factors including activation temperature and activation time were investigated. Iodine number (IN), methylene blue value (MBV), and surface microstructure were all analyzed to assess the adsorption capacity of different carbon samples. The surface area of the carbon sample increased significantly from 486.44 m2/g to 847.26 m2/g before and after activation. The jar tests revealed that the use of 0.5 g (AC)/L (water) has the highest adsorption effectiveness. Meanwhile, the column filtration experiment indicated more than 60% of the organic matter can be removed by the carbon barrier within 2 hours filtration. The follow-up chlorination experiment illustrated that the formation of trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) could be considerably prevented after filtration. Above all, the cost-effective carbon filtration technology developed in this study can potentially be applied as a pre-treatment technology for intake source waters for local communities.

Inactivation Removal for Excess Propagation of Copepod of Zooplankton in Ozone-Granular Activated Carbon Filter in Southern China

Comparative experiments on the inactivation of Copepod were investigated in southern China.The 100% of inactivation effect may be attained by 3.0 mg/L of ozone for contacting time of 25 min,whereas 0.5 mg/L of dosage resulted in only 30% of inactivation rate.Copepod may not be completely inactivated by ozone oxidation for feasible dosage limited by higher bromide in raw water.The favorable environment of granular activated carbon(GAC)filter provided Copepod with conditions for excess propagation.The disinfection experimental results show that the inactivation rate is 90% by 2.0 mg/L of chloramines for contacting time of 30 min,whereas only 70% is attained with chlorine.The GC-MS examination indicates that the total organic substance is increased to 92 species including 13 sorts of halogenated hydrocarbon by chlorine disinfection,which is more than that of chloramines.More products of brominated trihalomethanes occur in treated water by chlorine disinfection and total amount of THMs is 3 times as high as that of chloramines.