从中国首台紫外-可见光高光谱卫星仪器反演得到的高空间分辨率臭氧廓线

Understanding the vertical distribution of ozone is crucial when assessing both its horizontal and vertical transport,as well as when analyzing the physical and chemical properties of the atmosphere.One of the most effective ways to obtain high spatial resolution ozone profiles is through satellite observations.The Environmental Trace Gases Monitoring Instrument(EMI)deployed on the Gaofen-5 satellite is the first Chinese ultraviolet-visible hyperspectral spectrometer.However,retrieving ozone profiles using backscattered radiance values measured by the EMI is challenging due to unavailable measurement errors and a low signal-to-noise ratio.The algorithm developed for the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument did not allow us to retrieve 87%of the EMI pixels.Therefore,we developed an algorithm specific to the characteristics of the EMI.The fitting residuals are smaller than 0.3%in most regions.The retrieved ozone profiles were in good agreement with ozonesonde data,with maximum mean biases of 20%at five latitude bands.By applying EMI averaging kernels to the ozonesonde profiles,the integrated stratospheric column ozone and tropospheric column ozone also showed excellent agreement with ozonesonde data,The lower layers(0-7.5 km)of the EMI ozone profiles reflected the seasonal variation in surface ozone derived from the China National Environmental Monitoring Center(CNEMC).However,the upper layers(9.7-16.7 km)of the ozone profiles show different trends,with the ozone peak occurring at an altitude of 9.7-16.7 km in March,2019.A stratospheric intrusion event in central China from August 11 to 15,2019,is captured using the EMI ozone profiles,potential vorticity data,and relative humidity data.The increase in the CNEMC ozone co ncentration showed that downward transport enhanced surface ozone pollution.

Trends of surface ozone based on hourly concentrations in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region during 2017–2021

As a typical secondary air pollutant,surface ozone has been monitored routinely since 2013 in China.Most studies on the spatiotemporal variation of ozone have been centered around the daily maximum 8-h average,with little attention paid to the trends of hourly ozone,especially hourly ozone exceedances.Focusing on hourly ozone exceedances and peak values,the spatiotemporal trends of hourly ozone at 77 sites in 13 cities of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei(BTH)region during 2017-2021 were analyzed in this study.The number of hours with exceedances(N_(H200))in 2019 was nearly three times that of 2021.On a five-year average,the percentage of cumulative NH200 in June accounted for up to 40.5%of all hourly exceedances.Cities in central Hebei Province had the highest cumulative annual N_(H200).June had the highest average hourly ozone exceeded multiples of 0.158.The top two cities with the highest average exceeded multiple were Tangshan(0.166)and Beijing(0.158).Tangshan and Xingtai ranked as the top two in terms of the mean of the 10 highest daily maximum ozone concentrations(MTDM),with 286.74 and 285.37μg m^(−3),respectively.The gap between the MTDM and the daily maximum of hourly ozone averaged over all sites had narrowed to 97.88μg m^(−3) in 2021,much lower than that in other years,which indicated that the stability and convergence of ozone pollution in BTH region had been enhanced in 2021 to some extent.

Impacts of global biogenic isoprene emissions on surface ozone during 2000-2019

Biogenic isoprene is an important precursor of tropospheric ozone(O_(3)).Here,a coupled chemistry-vegetation model was used to quantify the contributions of isoprene emissions to surface O_(3)pollution on the global scale during 2000-2019.The biogenic isoprene emissions showed high values in mid-low latitudes and seasonal peaks in the summer hemispheres.They promote global surface O_(3)concentrations by 1.75 ppbv annually with regional hotspots of 4.39 ppbv(8.8%)in China and 5.36 ppbv(11.1%)in the U.S.in boreal summer.In the past two decades,isoprene emissions increased by 1.32 TgC yr^(−1)(0.67%yr^(−1))in the Northern Hemisphere but decreased by 0.71 TgC yr^(−1)(0.44%yr^(−1))in the Southern Hemisphere.Such changes of isoprene made opposite contributions to the surface O_(3)trend,with 0.26 ppbv yr^(−1)in eastern China but−0.32 ppbv yr^(−1)in the southeastern U.S.due to the changes in the background regime of chemical reactions.The impact of anthropogenic changes on the O_(3)trend is consistent with that of biogenic isoprene,but two to four times stronger in magnitude.This study revealed that the effective control of anthropogenic NO_(x)emissions could mitigate regional O_(3)pollution even with the increased isoprene emissions under global warming.

A portable instrument for measurement of atmospheric O_(x) and NO_(2) based on cavity ring-down spectroscopy

Atmospheric O_(x)(nitrogen dioxide(NO_(2))+ozone(O_(3)))can better reflect the local and regional change character-istics of oxidants compared to O_(3)alone,so obtaining O_(x)accurately and rapidly is the basis for evaluating the O_(3)production rate.Furthermore,O_(x)has proved to be a more representative indicator and can serve as a reflection of pollution prevention efficacy.A portable instrument for measuring atmospheric O_(x)and NO_(2)based on cavity ring-down spectroscopy(O_(x)/NO_(2)-CRDS)was developed in this work.The NO_(2)concentration is accurately mea-sured according to its absorption characteristic at 407.86 nm.Ambient O_(3)is converted into NO_(2)by chemical titration of high concentrations of nitrogen oxide(NO),and the O_(3)conversion efficiencies obtained are nearly 99%.The detection limit of the O_(x)/NO_(2)-CRDS system for O_(x)is 0.024 ppbv(0.1 s),and the overall uncertainty of the instrument is±6%.Moreover,the Kalman filtering technique was applied to improve the measurement accuracy of O_(x)/NO_(2)-CRDS.The system was applied in a comprehensive field observation campaign at Hefei Sci-ence Island from 26 to 30 September 2022,and the time concentration series and change characteristics of O_(x)and NO_(2)were obtained for five days.The measured O_(x)concentrations were compared with those of two com-mercial instruments,and the consistency was good(R^(2)=0.98),indicating that this system can be deployed to accurately and rapidly obtain the concentrations of atmospheric O_(x)and NO_(2).It will be a useful tool for assessing the atmospheric oxidation capacity and controlling O_(3)pollution.

Medical ozone alleviates acute lung injury by enhancing phagocytosis targeting NETs via AMPK/SR-A1 axis

Acute lung injury(ALI)linked to sepsis has a high mortality rate,with limited treatment options available.In recent studies,medical ozone has shown the potential to alleviate inflammation and infection.Here,we aimed to evaluate therapeutic potential of medical ozone in a mouse model of the sepsis-induced ALI by measuring behavioral assessments,lung function,and blood flow.Protein levels were quantified by Western blotting.In vitro,we performed experiments on bone marrow-derived macrophages(BMDMs)to investigate the effect of adenosine monophosphate(AMP)-activated protein kinase(AMPK)inhibitors and agonists on their phagocytic activity.The results showed that medical ozone significantly improved the survival rate,ameliorated lung injury,and enhanced lung function and limb microcirculation in mice with ALI.Notably,medical ozone inhibited the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps(NETs),a crucial factor in the ALI development.Additionally,medical ozone counteracted the elevated levels of tissue factor,matrix metalloproteinase-9,and interleukin-1β.In the ALI mice,the effects of ozone were abolished,and BMDMs showed an impaired capacity to engulf NETs following the Sr-a1 knockout.Under normal physiological conditions,the administration of an AMPK antagonist showed similar effects on the Sr-a1 knockout,significantly inhibiting the phagocytosis of NETs by BMDMs.In contrast,AMPK agonists enhanced this phagocytic process.In conclusion,medical ozone may alleviate the sepsis-induced lung injury through the AMPK/SR-A1 pathway,thereby enhancing the phagocytosis of NETs by macrophages.

Implications of the extremely hot summer of 2022 on urban ozone control in China

Frequent occurrences of extreme heat are causing severe ozone pollution over China.This study examined the driving factors of urban ozone pollution in China during the extremely hot summer of 2022 and the impact of emission control strategies using surface measurements and the GEOS-Chem model.The results show that ozone pollution was extremely severe in summer 2022,with a significant rebound by 12-15 ppbv in the North China Plain(NCP),Yangtze River Delta(YRD),and Sichuan basin(SCB),compared to 2021.Especially over the NCP,the MDA8(maximum daily 8-hourly average)ozone exceeded 160 ppbv,and the number of ozone exceedances was over 42 days.Based on an IPR(integrated process rate)analysis,the authors found that the net chemical production was the dominant factor contributing to the strong ozone increase in summer 2022.For example,in June over the NCP,the net chemical production resulted in an increase by 3.08 Gg d^(−1)(∼270%)in ozone mass change.Sensitivity simulations showed that both NO_(x)(nitrogen oxides)and VOC(volatile organic compound)reductions were important over the NCP,and NO_(x)reductions were more important than VOCs over southern China.To keep the ozone of 2022 at the same level as 2021,a joint reduction of NO_(x)and VOCs by at least 50%-60%would have been required.This study highlights the urgency to develop effective ozone management since extreme heat will become more frequent.

Significant contributions of the petroleum industry to volatile organic compounds and ozone pollution:Insights from year-long observations in the Yellow River Delta

The petroleum industry is a significant source of anthropogenic volatile organic compounds(VOCs),but up to now,its exact impact on urban VOCs and ozone(O_(3))remains unclear.This study conducted year-long VOC ob-servations in Dongying,China,a petroleum industrial region.The VOCs from the petroleum industry(oil and gas volatilization and petrochemical production)were identified by employing the positive matrix factorization model,and their contribution to O_(3) formation was quantitatively evaluated using an observation-based chemical box model.The observed annual average concentration of VOCs was 68.6±63.5 ppbv,with a maximum daily av-erage of 335.3 ppbv.The petroleum industry accounted for 66.5%of total VOCs,contributing 54.9%from oil and gas evaporation and 11.6%from petrochemical production.Model results indicated that VOCs from the petroleum industry contributed to 31%of net O_(3) production,with 21.3%and 34.2%contributions to HO_(2)+NO and RO_(2)+NO pathways,respectively.The larger impact on the RO_(2) pathway is primarily due to the fact that OH+VOCs ac-count for 86.9%of the primary source of RO_(2).This study highlights the critical role of controlling VOCs from the petroleum industry in urban O_(3) pollution,especially those from previously overlooked low-reactivity alkanes.

Implications of 1.5 K climate warming on warm-season ozone exposure and atmospheric oxidation capacity in China

Surface ozone(O_(3))poses significant threats to public health,agricultural crops,and plants in natural ecosystems.Global warming is likely to increase future O_(3)mainly by altering atmospheric photochemical reactions and enhancing biogenic volatile organic compound(BVOC)emissions.To assess the impacts of the future 1.5 K climate target on O_(3)concentrations and ecological O_(3)exposure in China,numerical simulations were conducted using the CMAQ(Community Multiscale Air Quality)model during April-October 2018.Ecological O_(3)exposure was estimated using six indices(i.e.,M7,M24,N100,SUM60,W126,and AOT40f).The results show that the temperature rise increases the MDA8 O_(3)(maximum daily eight-hour average O_(3))concentrations by∼3 ppb and the number of O_(3)exceedance days by 10-20 days in the North China Plain(NCP),Yangtze River Delta(YRD),and Sichuan Basin(SCB)regions.All O_(3)exposure indices show substantial increases.M24 and M7 in eastern and southern China will rise by 1-3 ppb and 2-4 ppb,respectively.N100 increases by more than 120 h in the surrounding regions of Beijing.SUM60 increases by greater than 9 ppm h^(−1),W126 increases by greater than 15 ppm h^(−1)in Shaanxi and SCB,and AOT40f increases by 6 ppm h^(−1)in NCP and SCB.The temperature increase also promotes atmospheric oxidation capacity(AOC)levels,with the higher AOC contributed by OH radicals in southern China but by NO_(3)radicals in northern China.The change in the reaction rate caused by the temperature increase has a greater influence on O_(3)exposure and AOC than the change in BVOC emissions.

Effects of Chlorine and Chlorine Monoxide on Stratospheric Ozone Depletion

This paper presents a system approach of mass balance calculations of ozone and other species under diffusion-convection-reaction processes to study the impacts of major ozone-depleting chemicals, chlorine (Cl) and chlorine monoxide (ClO), and the effect of photolysis on ozone concentrations, ozone depletion, total ozone abundance, and ozone layer along the altitude in the stratosphere. The calculated ozone concentrations and profile of the layer followed a similar trend and were generally in good agreement with the measurements above the tropical area. The calculated peak of the layer was at the same mid-stratosphere at Z = 30 km with a peak concentration and total ozone abundance about 20% higher than the measured peak concentration of 8.0 ppm and total abundance of 399 DU. In the presence of Cl and ClO, the calculated ozone concentrations and total abundance were substantially reduced. Cl generally depleted more uniformly of ozone across the altitude, while ClO reduced substantially the ozone in the upper stratosphere and thus shifted the peak of the layer to a much lower elevation at Z = 14 km. Although both ClO and Cl are active ozone-depleting chemicals, ClO was found to have a more pronounced impact on ozone depletion and distribution than Cl. The possible explanations of these interesting phenomena were discussed and elaborated. The approach and calculations in this paper were shown to be useful in providing an initial insight into the structure and behavior of the complex ozone layer.

对臭氧层造成破坏的违禁化学物质仍在增加

As reported in a study published in April 2023,some of the globally banned chemicals that decimated the Earth’s ozone layer are still finding their way into the atmosphere[1].While unlikely to greatly impact global ozone levels,the continuing pollution has scientists concerned for two reasons:The chemicals,called chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs),are potent greenhouse gases,and,perhaps more worrying,the sources of the surprising emissions remain unidentified.

Study on the spatial and temporal evolutionary characteristics of ozone concentration and the impact of human activities in China in 2019

Ozone(O_(3))pollution has a profound impact on human health,vegetation development,and the ecological environment,making it a critical focus of global academic research.In recent years,O_(3)pollution in China has been on a steady rise,with ozone emerging as the sole conventional pollutant to consistently increase in concentration without any decline.This study conducted a quantitative analysis of O_(3)concentrations across 367 Chinese cities in 2019,examining spatial autocorrelation and local clustering of O_(3)levels,and investigated the diverse relationships between human activity factors and O_(3)concentration.The seasonal fluctuation of O_(3)exhibited the“M-type”pattern,with peak concentrations in winter and the lowest levels in summer.The center of O_(3)pollution migrated southeastward,with the area of highest concentration progressively shifting south along the eastern coast.Moreover,O_(3)concentration showed a strong positive correlation with population density,road freight volume,and industrial emissions,suggesting that human activities,vehicle emissions,and industrial operations are significant contributors to O_(3)production.The results provide comprehensive information on the characteristics,causes,and occurrence mechanism of O_(3)in Chinese cities that can be utilized by global government departments to formulate strategies to prevent and control O_(3)pollution.

Distribution and Formation Causes of PM_(2.5) and O_(3) Double High Pollution Events in China during 2013–20

Fine particulate matter(PM_(2.5))and ozone(O_(3))double high pollution(DHP)events have occurred frequently over China in recent years,but their causes are not completely clear.In this study,the spatiotemporal distribution of DHP events in China during 2013–20 is analyzed.The synoptic types affecting DHP events are identified with the Lamb–Jenkinson circulation classification method.The meteorological and chemical causes of DHP events controlled by the main synoptic types are further investigated.Results show that DHP events(1655 in total for China during 2013–20)mainly occur over the North China Plain,Yangtze River Delta,Pearl River Delta,Sichuan Basin,and Central China.The occurrence frequency increases by 5.1%during 2013–15,and then decreases by 56.1%during 2015–20.The main circulation types of DHP events are“cyclone”and“anticyclone”,accounting for over 40%of all DHP events over five main polluted regions in China,followed by southerly or easterly flat airflow types,like“southeast”,“southwest”,and“east”.Compared with non-DHP events,DHP events are characterized by static or weak wind,high temperature(20.9℃ versus 23.1℃)and low humidity(70.0%versus 64.9%).The diurnal cycles of meteorological conditions cause PM_(2.5)(0300–1200 LST,Local Standard Time=UTC+8 hours)and O_(3)(1500–2100 LST)to exceed the national standards at different periods of the DHP day.Three pollutant conversion indices further indicate the rapid secondary conversions during DHP events,and thus the concentrations of NO_(2),SO_(2) and volatile organic compounds decrease by 13.1%,4.7%and 4.4%,respectively.The results of this study can be informative for future decisions on the management of DHP events.

Constructing fast mass-transfer channels with efficient catalytic ozonation activity in 2D manganese dioxide membranes by intercalating Fe/Mn bimetallic MOF

Two-dimensional(2D)catalytic ozonation membranes are promising for the treatment of micropollutants in wastewater due to simultaneous ozone-catalyzed degradation and membrane filtration processes.However,it remains challenging for 2D catalytic ozonation membranes to efficiently degrade micropollutants due to low mass-transfer efficiency and poor catalytic activity.Herein,Fe/Mn bimetallic metal-organic framework(MOF)intercalated lamellar MnO_(2) membranes with fast and robust ozone-catalyzed mass-transfer channels were developed on the surface of the hollow fiber ceramic membrane(HFCM)to obtain 2D Fe/Mn-MOF@MnO_(2)-HFCM for efficiently degrading micropollutants in wastewater.The intercalation of Fe/Mn-MOF expanded the interlayer spacing of the MnO_(2) membrane,thereby providing abundant transport channels for rapid passage of water.More notably,the Fe/Mn-MOF provided enriched reactive sites as well as high electron transfer efficiency based on the redox cycling between Mn^(3+)/Mn^(4+) and Fe^(2+)/Fe^(3+),ensuring the effective catalytic oxidative degradation of micropollutants including tetracycline hydrochloride(TCH),methylene blue,and methyl blue.Moreover,the carboxyl groups on the MOF formed covalent bonds(-COO-)with the hydroxyl groups in MnO_(2) between layers,which increased the interaction between MnO_(2) nanosheets to form stable interlayer channels.Specifically,the optimal composite membrane achieved a high removal rate of TCH micropollutant(93.4%),high water treatment capacity(282 L·m^(-2)·h^(-1)·MPa^(-1)),and excellent longterm stability(1200 min).This study provides a simple and easily scalable strategy to construct fast,efficient,and stable 2D catalytic mass-transfer channels for the efficient treatment of micropollutants in wastewater.

Surface ozone in global cities:A synthesis of basic features,exposure risk,and leading meteorological driving factors

Long-term exposure to high surface ozone(O_(3))concentrations,a complex oxidative atmospheric pollutant,can adversely impact human health.Based on O_(3)monitoring data from 261 cities worldwide in 2020,generalized additive model(GAM)and spatial data analysis(SDA)methods were applied in this study to quantitatively evaluate the spatiotemporal distribution of O_(3)concentration,exposure risk,and dominant meteorological factors.Results indicated that over 40%of the cities worldwide were exposed to harmful O_(3)concentration ranges(40-60μg/m^(3)),with most cities distributed in China and India.Moreover,significant seasonal variations in global O_(3)concentrations were observed,presenting as summer(45.6μg/m^(3))>spring(47.3μg/m^(3))>autumn(38.0μg/m^(3))>winter(33.6μg/m^(3)).Exposure analysis revealed that approximately 12.2%of the population in 261 cities were exposed to an environment with high O_(3)concentrations(80-160μg/m^(3)),with about 36.32 million people in major countries.Thus,the persistent increase in high O_(3)levels worldwide is a critical factor contributing to threats to human health.Furthermore,GAM results indicated temperature,relative humidity,and wind speed as primary determinants of O_(3)variability.The synergy of meteorological factors is critical for understanding O_(3)changes.Our findings are important for enforcing robust air quality policies and mitigating public risk.

Photocatalytic ozonation-based degradation of phenol by ZnO—TiO_(2)nanocomposites in spinning disk reactor

Spinning disk reactor(SDR)has emerged as a novel process intensification photocatalytic reactor,and it has higher mass transfer efficiency and photon utilization for the degradation of toxic organic pollutants by advanced oxidation processes(AOPs).In this study,ZnO—TiO_(2)nanocomposites were prepared by solgel method,and coated on the disk of SDR by impregnation-pull-drying-calcination method.The performance of catalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscope,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,photoluminescence and ultraviolet—visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy.Photocatalytic ozonation in SDR was used to remove phenol,and various factors on degradation effect were studied in detail.The results showed that the rate of degradation and mineralization reached 100%and 83.4%under UV light irradiation after 50 min,compared with photocatalysis and ozonation,the removal rate increased by 69.3%and 34.7%,and mineralization rate increased by 56.7%and 62.9%,which indicated that the coupling of photocatalysis and ozonation had a synergistic effect.The radical capture experiments demonstrated that the active species such as photogenerated holes(h^(+)),hydroxyl radicals(·OH),superoxide radical(·O_(2)-)were responsible for phenol degradation,and·OH played a leading role in the degradation process,while h+and·O_(2)^(-)played a non-leading role.

Himalayas as a global hot spot of springtime stratospheric intrusions:Insight from isotopic signatures in sulfate aerosols

Downward transport of stratospheric air into the troposphere(identified as stratospheric intrusions)could potentially modify the radiation budget and chemical of the Earth's surface atmosphere.As the highest and largest plateau on earth,the Tibetan Plateau including the Himalayas couples to global climate,and has attracted widespread attention due to rapid warming and cryospheric shrinking.Previous studies recognized strong stratospheric intrusions in the Himalayas but are poorly understood due to limited direct evidences and the complexity of the meteorological dynamics of the third pole.Cosmogenic^(35)S is a radioactive isotope predominately produced in the lower stratosphere and has been demonstrated as a sensitive chemical tracer to detect stratospherically sourced air mass in the planetary boundary layer.Here,we report 6-month(April–September 2018)observation of^(35)S in atmospheric sulfate aerosols(^(35)SO_(4)^(2-))collected from a remote site in the Himalayas to reveal the stratospheric intrusion phenomenon as well as its potential impacts in this region.Throughout the sampling campaign,the^(35)SO_(4)^(2-)concentrations show an average of 1,070±980 atoms/m^(3).In springtime,the average is 1,620±730 atoms/m^(3),significantly higher than the global existing data measured so far.The significant enrichments of^(35)SO_(4)^(2-)measured in this study verified the hypothesis that the Himalayas is a global hot spot of stratospheric intrusions,especially during the springtime as a consequence of its unique geology and atmospheric couplings.In combined with the ancillary evidences,e.g.,oxygen-17 anomaly in sulfate and modeling results,we found that the stratospheric intrusions have a profound impact on the surface ozone concentrations over the study region,and potentially have the ability to constrain how the mechanisms of sulfate oxidation are affected by a change in plateau atmospheric properties and conditions.This study provides new observational constraints on stratospheric intrusions in the Himalayas,which would further provide additional information for a deeper understanding on the environment and climatic changes over the Tibetan Plateau.

Calculations and Sensitivity Analysis of Chlorine-,NO_(x)-,and Bromine-Depleting Cycles of Stratospheric Ozone

This paper presents an engineering system approach using a 2D model of conservation of mass to study the dynamics of ozone and concerned chemical species in the stratosphere.By considering all fourteen photolysis,ozone-generating,and-depleting chemical reactions,the model calculated the transient,spatial changes of ozone under different physical-chemical-radiative conditions.Validation against the measured data demonstrated good accuracy,close match of our model with the observed ozone concentrations at both 20°S and 90°N locations.The deviation in the average concentration was less than 1% and in ozone profiles less than 17%.The impacts of various chlorine-(Cl),nitrogen oxides-(NO_(x)),and bromine-(Br)depleting cycles on ozone concentrations and distribution were investigated.The chlorine catalytic depleting cycle was found to exhibit the most significant impact on ozone dynamics,confirming the key role of chlorine in the problem of ozone depletion.Sensitivity analysis was conducted with levels of 25%,50%,100%,200%,and 400% of the baseline value.The combined cycles(Cl+NO_(x)+Br)showed the most significant influence on ozone behavior.The total ozone abundance above the South Pole could decrease by a small 3%,from 281 DU(Dubson Units)to 273 DU for the 25% level,or by a huge thinning of 60%to 114 DU for the 400% concentration level.When the level of chlorine gases increased beyond 200%,it would cause ozone depletion to a level of ozone hole(below 220 DU).The 2D Ozone Model presented in this paper demonstrates robustness,convenience,efficiency,and executability for analyzing complex ozone phenomena in the stratosphere.

Effect of Ozone Treatment on Microbiological Properties of Stored Wheat

In this study, ozone gas was applied to samples of durum wheat stored in four experimental groups (durum wheat without any treatment for comparison, durum wheat treated with ozone, purified durum wheat, and purified durum wheat treated with ozone). Two groups were treated with ozone gas at 3 ppm concentration for 1 hour. Groups were then placed in air-tight glass jars and stored for 6 months at variable temperatures between 24.7°C to 34.8°C. Microbiological (total count bacteria, yeast/molds and coliform) and physical properties (moisture, color and ash) evaluated. Ozone application statistically caused a significant reduction in the numbers of bacteria, yeast, molds and coliforms. Ozone application, washing process and storage temperature are the major factors affecting the microbial counts. No significant differences were determined in moisture and ash contents of samples after ozone treatment. The color measurement results showed that color values of wheat samples were affected by ozone treatment, storage and washing.

Biomass Control via UV Lamp Application and Nutrient Supply Restriction in the Biofiltration of Gaseous VOCs

Biofiltration may have clogging problems owing to excess biomass growth during the treatment of gaseous pollutants.In this study,we employed an UV(Ultraviolet)lamp and controlled the nutrient supply to conduct a biofiltration process for treating 2-butanone(MEK:Methyl Ethyl Ketone)and toluene in a gas stream.Two methods of UV lamp usage(direct and indirect irradiation)and several nutrient supply methods were tested.However,no clear effect was observed with either UV usage.Under the optimal conditions,97%of the MEK and 69%of the toluene gases were removed after 29 s of EBRT(Empty Bed Retention Time).The inlet loads were 18 and 19 mg/(m^(3)·h)for MEK and toluene,respectively.Under these conditions,23 g-N/(m^(3)·day)of nitrate-nitrogen was consumed.Excess biomass growth occurred during simultaneous excess nutrient supply and a persistent irrigation schedule.In this study,we demonstrated the effective use of a dense nitrate solution to deliver an appropriate amount of nutrients and moisture,and the optimal irrigation frequency was four times per week.

Ozone Sterilizer for Treatment and Health Care

Ozone is a green broad-spectrum bactericidal disinfectant, and a trace amount of ozone in the atmosphere makes many viruses and bacteria lose their biochemical activity and infectivity. Nature produces trace amounts of ozone in the air through lightning to purify the ecological environment. The product of ozone decomposition is oxygen, without secondary pollution. Ozone sterilizer is widely used in the epidemic prevention and control of intensive breeding farms and achieved remarkable results. If the concentration and action time of ozone can be accurately controlled, then ozone can quickly eliminate pathogens, without harming the normal cells in the human body. How to use medical ozone for epidemic prevention, treatment and health care is a subject worthy of serious study, which should arouse the attention of the experts in the field.