Ecological risk of estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals in sewage plant effluent and reclaimed water.

The long-term ecological risk of micropollutants, especially endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) has threatened reclaimed water quality. In this study, estrogenic activity and ecological risk of eight typical estrogenic EDCs in effluents from sewage plants were evaluated. The estrogenic activity analysis showed that steroidal estrogens had the highest estrogenic activity (ranged from 10(-1) to 10(3) ng-E2/L), phenolic compounds showed weaker estrogenic activity (mainly ranged from 10(-3) to 10 ng-E2/L), and phthalate esters were negligible.

Supercritical fluid extraction of bacterial and archaeal lipid biomarkers from anaerobically digested sludge.

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) was used in the analysis of bacterial respiratory quinone (RQ), bacterial phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA), and archaeal phospholipid ether lipid (PLEL) from anaerobically digested sludge. Bacterial RQ were determined using ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). Determination of bacterial PLFA and archaeal PLEL was simultaneously performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Supercritical fluid extraction and ultra performance liquid chromatography of respiratory quinones for microbial community analysis in environmental and biological samples.

Microbial community structure plays a significant role in environmental assessment and animal health management. The development of a superior analytical strategy for the characterization of microbial community structure is an ongoing challenge. In this study, we developed an effective supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method for the analysis of bacterial respiratory quinones (RQ) in environmental and biological samples.

Supercritical fluid extraction of microbial phospholipid fatty acids from activated sludge.

Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) extraction was applied for the determination of microbial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) in activated sludge. Quantification was performed by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The highest extraction yields of PLFA, at a concentration of 7.

[Characterization of the change in DOM during wastewater chlorine and chlorine dioxide disinfections by 3DEEM].

The change of DOM (dissolve organic matter) during wastewater chlorine and chlorine dioxide disinfections was characterized by 3DEEM (three-dimensional excitation emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy) method. The results showed that the DOM in wastewater tested was quite different from drinking water and surface waters. It contained more aromatic proteins and soluble microbial products, and the humus were predominately microbially derived and had less aromatic moieties.

[Change in genotoxicity of wastewater during chlorine dioxide and ahlorine disinfections and the influence of ammonia nitrogen].

The effects of chlorine dioxide and chlorine disinfections on genotoxicity of different biologically treated sewage wastewater samples were studied by umu-test. The experiment results showed that when chlorine dioxide dosage increased from 0 mg/L to 30 mg/L, the genotoxicity of wastewater first decreased rapidly and then tended to be stable, while when the chlorine dosage increased from 0 mg/L to 30 mg/L, the genotoxicity of wastewater changed diversely for different samples. It was then found that ammonia nitrogen did not affect the change of genotoxicity during chlorine dioxide disinfection of wastewater, while it greatly affected the change of genotoxicity during chlorine disinfection of wastewater.

Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of ubiquinones and menaquinones from activated sludge.

Supercritical CO2 (scCO2) extraction, with methanol as modifier, was applied to the determination of ubiquinones and menaquinones in activated sludge. Four ubiquinones and 12 menaquinones species were identified based on retention time and UV spectrum in 0.1g dried activated sludge.

Application of modified supercritical carbon dioxide extraction to microbial quinone analysis.

Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) was applied to extract microbial quinones from activated sludge. Identification and analysis was then performed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipped with ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) detector and photodiode array detector (PDA). Extracted microbial quinones were trapped and separated as menaquinones (MK) and ubiquinones (Q) species using two Sep-Pak Plus Silica cartridges joined in series.

Development of ecotoxicity assay based on inhibition of respiring activity in microbial community using XTT reduction.

The aim of this study is to develop ecotoxicity assay for evaluating the influence of chemicals on a microbial ecosystem based on XTT reduction inhibition (XTT assay). XTT reduction method is used for quantification of the microbial respiratory activity. Since the XTT assay indicates the inhibition of microbial respiratory activity, it could evaluate the toxicity of chemicals.

Metal elution from Ni- and Fe-based alloy reactors under hydrothermal conditions.

Elution of metals from Ni- and Fe-based alloy (i.e. Inconel 625 and SUS 316) under hydrothermal conditions was investigated.

Change of monochloroacetic acid to biodegradable organic acids by hydrothermal reaction.

The feasibility of biodegradability improvement induced from the structural conversion of refractory pollutants by hydrothermal reaction was investigated. Monochloroacetic acid (MCAA) was selected as a preliminary material represented for linear hydrocarbon structured refractory pollutants. Under the tested conditions, MCAA was partially destructed and then converted to biodegradable reaction products by hydrolysis, dehydration and thermal decomposition.

Qualitative investigation on hydrothermal treatment of Hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa) bark for production of useful chemicals.

Hydrothermal treatment of an outer layer of a bark of Hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa) tree was investigated qualitatively for the possibility of utilizing residual forest biomass to produce valuable chemicals. Experiments were carried out in a semibatch reactor apparatus that allows the study of the effect of reaction temperatures in a single run. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses show the presence of useful chemicals such as furfural, aromatic compounds (1,3-di-tert-butyl benzene and 2,4-di-tert-butyl phenol), and fatty acids (myristic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid) in the products.

[Determination and QSPR study on the electrochemical reduction characteristics of chlorinated aromatic compounds].

The relationship between the reduction characteristics and molecular structure of 87 chlorinated aromatics including naphthalenes, biphenyls, benzenes and phenols was studied by using quantitative structure-property relationship technique. The result indicated that there was significant correlation between reduction potential and the energy of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital and the number of chlorine atoms in molecule. The study threw more light on the nature of reduction process, and provided valuable basic data for designing and optimizing treatment process.

A new strategy for recycling and preparation of poly(L-lactic acid): hydrolysis in the melt.

Poly(L-lactide) [i.e., poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA)] was hydrolyzed in the melt in high-temperature and high-pressure water at the temperature range of 180-350 degrees C for a period of 30 min, and formation, racemization, and decomposition of lactic acids and molecular weight change of PLLA were investigated.

Analysis of the differences in microbial community structures between suspended and sessile microorganisms in rivers based on quinone profile.

In this study, a quinone profiling method was applied to clarify the differences in community structure between suspended and sessile microorganisms in rivers. The compositions of microbial quinone of 6 sites for 4 rivers were analyzed. Ubiquinone (UQ)-8, UQ-10, menaquinone (MK)-7, and plastoquinone (PQ)-9 were observed in all samples of suspended and sessile microorganisms for the sites investigated.

Low-molecular-weight carboxylic acids produced from hydrothermal treatment of organic wastes.

This article reports production of low-molecular-weight carboxylic acids from the hydrothermal treatment of representative organic wastes and compounds (i.e. domestic sludge, proteinaceous, cellulosic and plastic wastes) with or without oxidant (H(2)O(2)).