Experimental research on electric insulator damaged by chemical pollutant

As a main insulating device of power system, insulator can be damaged by chemical pollutant, which does threaten the electric system. An artificial pollution test system is utilized to study the damage mode for a suspension insulator, and the effects of concentration and existing state on damage efficiency of chemical pollutant are studied. Testing results show that the damage mode is flashover damage, whose efficiency increases with the decrease of creepage distance. The concentration of conductive particle of chemical pollution can effectively elevate damage efficiency, though it has a critical value. Unlike natural pollution, chemical pollutant can make insulator flashover damage whether in wet or dry condition. The damage process and relative results reveal the damage rule of insulator by chemical pollutant. Those studies put forward a new means to damage electric insulated device, and provide important reference to the protection design of electric insulator.

Hydrochemical Characterisation and Assessment of the Level of Contamination of Groundwater Collected by Private Waterworks in the Town of Moundou in the South of Chad

Groundwater is the main source of drinking water for large cities in most African countries. In Moundou, for example, the conventional groundwater supply system is failing. To compensate for this state failure, the population is building boreholes and wells, most of which tap the surface water table, generally referred to as the “water table”. The aim of this study is to characterize these waters in order to assess their level of contamination and, by extension, the degree of pollution of the water table. Major elements such as: Chloride (Cl-), Sulfate (SO42-), Nitrate (NO3-), Calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) were analysed by Liquid Chromatography and the Bicarbonate ion (HCO3-) was determined by the titrimetric method. The methodology applied is based on a combination of hydrochemical techniques and statistical analysis (PCA and CHA). A sampling campaign was carried out during high-water periods. The results of the physico-chemical analyses show mineralization ranging from 7.29 to 3670 μS/cm, with an average of 487.44 μS/cm. The groundwater studied is generally acidic, with a pH ranging from 3.26 to 6.41. Based on their anions, they are classified into four main hydrochemical facies: chloride and sulphate facies, calcium and magnesium facies, sodium and potassium facies and bicarbonate facies. The various correlations between major ions and statistical analyses have enabled us to identify three hydrogeochemical processes involved in water mineralization. The dominant process is silicate hydrolysis, followed by cation exchange, then anthropogenic input, which influences mineralization by polluting the water.

STUDY ON THE CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF POLLUTING FOG IN GUANGZHOU AREA IN SPRING

Samples of fog water collected in the area of Guangzhou during February, March and April of 2005 are used in this work to study the chemical composition of fog water in polluting fog there. Three typical episodes of polluting fog are analyzed in terms of ionic concentration and their possible sources. It is found that the concentration of various ions in fog water is much higher than those in rainwater. Fog not only blocks visual range but contains liquid particles that result in high degree of pollution and are very harmful to human health. SO4= is the anion with the highest concentration in fog water, followed by NO3-. For the cation, Ca++ and NH4+ are the highest in concentration. It is then known that rainwater is more acidic than fog water, indicating that ionic concentration of fog water is much higher than that of rainwater, but there are much more buffering materials in fog water, like NH4+ and Ca++. There is significant enrichment of Ca++, SO4=, and Mg++ in fog water. In the Guangzhou area, fog water from polluting fog is mainly influenced continental environment and human activity. The episodes of serious fog pollution during the time have immediate relationships with the presence of abundant water vapor and large amount of polluting aerosol particles.

Suspect and non-targeted screening of chemical pollutants in Botswana's aquatic environments

Chemical pollution in the aquatic systems of Botswana has been sparsely studied despite its potential ecological importance.Here,we perform a study of water samples collected from 13 locations distributed across Botswana to obtain the first overview of the nature and distribution of chemical contaminants across the country's aquatic environment.High resolution mass spectrometry was applied using nontargeted and suspect screening methods to qualitatively analyse samples.A total of 114 contaminants of emerging concern(CECs)were identified including 68(59.6%)pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical metabolites;16(14.2%)pesticides;13(11.4%)psychoactive compounds and metabolites;11(9.7%)industrial chemicals and intermediates and lastly,5(4.4%)personal care products.Allopurinol,3,4-dimethylmethcathinone,and diazolidinyl urea represented the most commonly detected pharmaceutical,psychoactive drug and personal care product,respectively.The pesticide dodemorph and three industrial chemicals(stearamide,pthalic acid and bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate)were detected in all samples obtained.90 CECs were detected in receiving water(from 7 sample locations),75 in wastewater(from 3 sample locations)and 60 in surface water(from 9 sample locations).Of the compounds detected,only 8 had been identified in environmental samples acquired in Botswana previously.We discuss the variations in the nature and frequency of chemical pollutants detected in this work in a geographical context.The results indicate that Botswana's aquatic systems are subject to pollution,despite wastewater treatment and that in order to mitigate potentially harmful effects on both human and aquatic ecosystems,more investigations are required to correctly identify,track and tackle the sources of pollution.

Biochemical strategies for the detection and detoxification of toxic chemicals in the environment

Addressing the problems related to the widespread presence of an increasing number of chemicals released into the environment by human activities represents one of the most important challenges of this century. In the last few years, to replace the high cost, in terms of time and money, of conventional technologies, the scientific community has directed considerable research towards the development both of new detection systems for the measurement of the contamination levels of chemicals in people's body fluids and tissue, as well as in the environment, and of new remediation strategies for the removal of such chemicals from the environment, as a means of the prevention of human diseases. New emerging biosensors for the analysis of environmental chemicals have been proposed, including VHH antibodies, that combine the antibody performance with the affinity for small molecules, genetically engineered microorganisms, aptamers and new highly stable enzymes. However, the advances in the field of chemicals monitoring are still far from producing a continuous realtime and on-line system for their detection. Better results have been obtained in the development of strategies which use organisms(microorganisms, plants and animals) or metabolic pathway-based approaches(single enzymes or more complex enzymatic solutions) for the fixation, degradation and detoxification of chemicals in the environment. Systems for enzymatic detoxification and degradation of toxic agents in wastewater from chemical and manufacturing industries, such as ligninolytic enzymes for the treatment of wastewater from the textile industry, have been proposed. Considering the high value of these research studies, in terms of the protection of human health and of the ecosystem, science must play a major role in guiding policy changes in this field.

Study on Migration and Transformation Rule of Organic Pollutants (COD) in Aerated Zone

Collecting waste water with a certain c onc entration of organic pollutants COD (chemical oxygen demand), static adsorption, static biodegradation and dynamic soil column experiments were made in laborato ry, we researched migration and transformation of COD in aerated zone, and put f orward a mathematical model showing the process. The results show that adsorptio n of organism in aerated zone is linear, which is represented by Henry's law s =K dc+s d, adsorption coefficient K d=0.069 3; biodegradati on diagram accord basically with first order kinetics equation c=c 0e -K 1t , biodegradation coefficient K 1 = 0.049 9 d -1 ; dispersio n coefficient D= 0.002 42 m 2/d in experiments. The migration and transform ation of organic pollutants (COD) in aerated zone jointly result from many f actors such as dispersion, adsorption and biodegradation etc..

Responses of wheat seedlings to cadmium,mercury and trichlorobenzene stresses

The molecular response of wheat（Triticum aestivum L.,cv.Yangmai 13） seedlings to heavy metal（Cd,Hg） and 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene（TCB） stresses were examined by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis,image analysis,and peptide mass fingerprinting.The results showed inhibitions of root and shoot growth by Cd,Hg,and TCB.These stresses led to water deficit and lipid phosphorylation in the seedling which also promoted protein phophorylation in the leaves.Hg stress inhibited protein synthesis while Cd and TCB stresses induced or up-regulated more proteins in the leaves.Most of these induced proteins played important roles in the biochemical reactions involved in tolerance of wheat to Cd and TCB stresses.The primary functions of Cd-and TCB-induced proteins included methionine metabolism,Rubisco modification,protein phosphorylation regulation,protein configuration protection,H＋ transmembrane transportation and also the synthesis of ethylene,defense substances and cell wall compounds.

Laparoscopic treatment of a calcium fluorophosphate stone within a seminal vesicle cyst

Stones in the seminal vesicles are extremely rare. We present a 62-year-old patient with a stone within a seminal vesicle cyst, who was cured by laparoscopic treatment. The operative time was 80 rnin, and the estimated blood loss was 90 mL. Scanning electron microscope examination of the stone showed a compact crystal image externally and sparse spherical crystal structure in kernel. Composition of the stone was calcium fluorophosphate on X-ray diffractometer. The follow-up time was 15 months with no recurrence of cyst or stone. To our knowledge, this case is the first to describe laparoscopic removal of a stone within a seminal vesicle cyst, and the first to describe calcium fluorophosphate as the composition of seminal vesicle stones. （Asian JAndro12008 Mar; 10： 337-340）

Evaluation and Optimization of Electrode Configuration of Multi-Channel Corona Discharge Plasma for Dye-Containing Wastewater Treatment

A discharge plasma reactor with a point-to-plane structure was widely studied experimentally in wastewater treatment.In order to improve the utilization efficiency of active species and the energy efficiency of this kind of discharge plasma reactor during wastewater treatment,the electrode configuration of the point-to-plane corona discharge reactor was studied by evaluating the effects of discharge spacing and adjacent point distance on discharge power and discharge energy density,and then dye-containing wastewater decoloration experiments were conducted on the basis of the optimum electrode configuration.The experimental results of the discharge characteristics showed that high discharge power and discharge energy density were achieved when the ratio of discharge spacing to adjacent point distance（d/s） was 0.5.Reactive Brilliant Blue（RBB） wastewater treatment experiments presented that the highest RBB decoloration efficiency was observed at d/s of 0.5,which was consistent with the result obtained in the discharge characteristics experiments.In addition,the biodegradability of RBB wastewater was enhanced greatly after discharge plasma treatment under the optimum electrode configuration.RBB degradation processes were analyzed by GC-MS and IC,and the possible mechanism for RBB decoloration was also discussed.

Integrated Low-cost Wastewater Treatment for Reuse in Irrigation

For sustainable wastewater management in developing countries, the implementation of low\|cost, simple treatment systems should be encouraged. In this study, the performance of three treatment schemes was evaluated. The first step in all schemes was upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB). The post treatment was either Algal Pond (AP). Lemna Pond (LP) or Rotating Biological Contactor (RBC). The results show that the performance of the UASB was satisfactory. Mean COD and BOD removal values were 78% and 85% respectively. The combination of UASB with an AP achieved significant improvement in the microbiological quality of the effluent. The geometric mean of fecal coliform in the effluent was 1.3×10 3 MPN/100ml. Residual COD was 143 mg O\-2/L. This relatively high value was due to the presence of algae in the AP effluent. The use of the LP as a post treatment achieved better quality effluent. As indicated by the physico\|chemical characteristics. However, fecal coliform removal was less by one log as compared to the AP effluent. When the RBC was used as a second stage. COD and BOD removal rates were 47% and 66% respectively. Also complete nitrification took place. Fecal coliform density declined by 5 logs.

Treatment and Reuse of Domestic Wastewater for Irrigation and Aquaculture Purposes

The feasibility of sewage treatment via combined chemical-biological techniques has been investigated. Two-stages pilot plant were designed for this purpose. The first stage was direct chemicalcoagulation-sedimentation using ferric chloride in-combination with lime to reduce the organic load and to remove the colloidal and suspended solids. A comparison of two separtion techniques namely chemical coagulation conventional sedimention and chemical coagulation tube settler sedimention were investigated. The second stage was either high rate oxidation pond or biological sand-bed to oxidize ammonia to nitrate. The results obtained showed that the effluent produced from the first stage is amaenable for restricted irrigation purposes. The HIROP proved to be satisfactory second treatment method for removal of pollutant. In addition high algal biomass was obtained. However, the use of sand-bed for nitrification proved to be more efficient, complete removal of ammonia was acheived.Average residual COD and BOD values were 66 and 38 mg O2/L, respectively. Fish toxicity was completely eleminated after the nitrification processes

Factors Controlling Bioindicators For Industrial Pollution Detection

This study describes the use of algae as potential bioindicators of pollution containing industrial metals. Phytoplanktonic algae varied with waste type and with environmental and growth conditions.In water samples containing cermic waste Euglenophyta species and Cyclotella sp. (Bacillariophyta) were determined as potential indicator species of pollution, while in sample containing metallic waste, Cyclolella sp. was most dominant. Under laboratory growth conditions, phytoplankton collected from a major stream of the Nile River were cultivated by using Algal Growth Bottle Test (EPA, 1972). This revealed that Scensdesmus sp., Actinastrum hantzschii (Chlorophyta), Oscillatoria limneica (Cyanophyta) and Nitzschia linearis (Bacilldriophyta) were also poential indicators of pollution.

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (IAE635) and their metabolites could purify pollutants, Vibrio spp. and coliformbacteria in coastal aquaculture wastewater

High-density aquaculture often causes the emission of polluted water to the marine environment in the coastal areas of China.To solve the aquaculture-related water quality problems,it is appropriate to adapt eco-friendly methods,such as using microbes and their metabolic products to purify polluted water.In this study,the purifying effects ofBacillus amyloliquefaciens(IAE635)metabolites(poly-γ-glutamic acid;PP)and IAE635 combined with their metabolites(MP)on turbidity,COD,NO3--N,NH4+-N,Vibrio spp.andcoliform bacteria in coastal aquaculture wastewater were conducted in the lab and in situ ponds.The results showed that the removal ofturbidity,COD,NH4+-Nand NO3--Nwith PP and MP was more significant(p<0.05).Compared to Control treatment(Co),the turbidity,COD,NH4+-Nand NO3--N concentrations at 24thhour were evidently reduced by 86.6%,87.5%,83.3%and 58.0%for PP,87.9%,93.5%,86.5%and 78.0%for MP,respectively.The populations of water pathogens under PP and MP were also significantly(p<0.05)removed compared with those of Co;at 24thhour,the Vibriospp.and coliform bacteria were decreased by 68.7%and 66.3%forPP,75.0%and 67.1%for MP,respectively.The water purifying effect of MP was slightly better than that of PP.In situ pond purification test demonstrated that MP significantly lowered the concentrations of turbidity,COD,NH4+-N,NO3--N and NO2--N,which was more effective than EM.A significantly higher(p<0.05)γ-PGA concentration and the total bacterial population for MP compared to PP indicatedthatMPpurifies the coastal aquaculture wastewaterby both flocculation and microbial decomposition.The application of MP will benefit the aquaculture industry by providing a novel method for the removal of chemical pollutants and pathogens.

Chemical characteristics of PM_(2.5) during dust storms and air pollution events in Chengdu,China

Daily fine particulate （PM2.5） samples were collected in Chengdu from April 2009 to February 2010 to investigate their chemical profiles during dust storms （DSs） and several types of pollution events, including haze （HDs）, biomass burning （BBs）, and fireworks displays （FDs）. The highest PM2.5 mass concentrations were found during DSs （283.3 μg/m^3）, followed by FDs （212.7 μg/m^3）, HDs （187.3 μg/m^3 ）, and BBs （130.1 μ g/m^3）. The concentrations of most elements were elevated during DSs and pollution events, except for BBs. Secondary inorganic ions （NO3^- , SO4^2-, and NH4^＋） were enriched during HDs, while PM2.5 from BBs showed high K^＋ but low SO4^2- , FDs caused increases in K^＋ and enrichment in SO4^2-. Ca^2＋. was abundant in DS samples, Ion-balance calculations indicated that PM2.5 from HDs and FDs was more acidic than on normal days, but DS and BB particles were alkaline. The highest organic carbon （OC） concentration was 26.1 μg/m^3 during FDs, followed by BBs （23.6 μg/m^3 ）, HDs （19.6 μg/m^3 ）, and DSs （18.8 μg/m^3 ）. In contrast, elemental carbon （EC） concentration was more abundant during HDs （10.6μg/m^3） and FDs （9.5 μg/m^3） than during BBs （6.2μg/m^3） and DSs （6.0 μg/m^3）. The highest OC/EC ratios were obtained during BBs, with the lowest during HDs. SO4^2＋ /K^＋ and TCA/SO4^2- ratios proved to be effective indicators for differentiating pollution events. Mass balance showed that organic matter, SO4^2-, and NO3^- were the dominant chemical components during pollution events, while soil dust was dominant during DSs.

Integration of Chemical Methods and Biomarkers for Assessment of Chlorimuron-Ethyl Bioavailability in Soil

Bioavailability is a critical factor for assessing the environmental risk of organic pollutants in soil. In this study, extractions with 3 different solvents, including 2 aqueous solutions, calcium chloride(CaCl_2) and a phosphate buffer solution(PBS), and a mixture of aqueous solution and organic solvent, a PBS-methanol(8:2,volume/volume) mixture(PBS-M), were performed to assess the bioavailability of chlorimuron-ethyl in soil in comparison to a battery of toxicity tests in wheat seedlings. The results indicated that the peroxidase(POD) activity in wheat leaves after 7 d of exposure was one of the sensitive biomarkers of chlorimuron-ethyl in soil.The extractability of chlorimuron-ethyl by all the 3 solvents decreased with exposure time, and the rate of decrease of the PBS-M extraction between 1 and 7 d of exposure was substantially higher than those of the aqueous solution extractions. Chlorimuron-ethyl gradually changed from a water-soluble form into a soil organic matter(SOM)-bound form in the soil. The PBS extraction correlated best with the POD activity in the leaves after 7 d of exposure.

Which metal represents the greatest risk to freshwater ecosystem in bohai region of china?

Metals discharged from industrial effluents,agricultural wastewater,and sewage runoff by rapid urbanization are of concern as contaminants of freshwater ecosystem because of their persistence and high toxicity to aquatic organisms.This study attempted to identify which metal posed the greatest risk to freshwater ecosystem in the Bohai Region,China.The metals arsenic(As),cadmium(Cd),chromium(Cr),copper(Cu),zinc(Zn),lead(Pb),nickel(Ni),mercury(Hg),iron(Fe),and manganese(Mn)were compared against norfloxacin and gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane(lindane).By comparing the median reported environmental and ecotoxicity concentrations,it showed that Cu,Fe,Zn,Mn,and Cr were the top five metals of concern.Of these,Cu was deemed to represent the highest risk and Hg the lowest risk.The risks for all metals were higher than those for norfloxacin and lindane.Almost all the metals except Hg had water concentrations that exceeded levels where ecotoxicity effects had been recorded in the literature.A comparison with the measurements across the UK rivers suggested that all metals examined had water concentrations about 5-to 10-fold higher than the UK median values except for Cu,Fe,Cd,and Pb.The Fuyang River,a tributary of the Haihe River Basin,seemed to be the location with the highest metal concentrations.However,comparing the post-2010 period to 2000-2009,concentrations of all the metals had fallen except for Fe and Mn,so risks have decreased over the last 7 yr with the greatest improvements for Cd and Pb.While metals still pose high risks to freshwater ecosystem in this region,there is encouragement that some control measures are taken into effect.