Early-warning of compartmentalized anaerobic reactor (CAR) was investigated in lab-scale. The performance stability of CAR at high loading rate was worse than that at common loading rate. At high loading rate, the fluctuation of effluent chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration and volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration was larger than that of influent COD concentration. The average relative standard deviation of effluent COD concentration and VFA concentration was 32.95% and 40.46% respectively, while that of influent COD concentration was 8.08%. The saturation of volumetric loading rate (S(VLR)) and VFA (S(VFA)) could be used to alarm the performance of anaerobic reactors. The working performance was good when the CAR was operated at normal organic loading rate (OLR), in which S(VLR) and S(VFA) were below 0.89 and 0.40 respectively. The fluctuation of performance became larger when the CAR was operated at OLR near saturation, in which S(VLR) and S(VFA) were close to 1. The performance of CAR was deteriorated when the S(VLR) and S(VFA) were more than 1.
Anaerobiosis ; Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis ; Bioreactors ; microbiology ; Fatty Acids, Volatile ; analysis ; Sewage ; Waste Disposal, Fluid ; methods

OBJECTIVETo use a new kind of fixing material, i.e. Sol-Gel organic-inorganic hybridized material to immobilize bacterium to detect Biochemical oxygen demand quickly.

METHODSThe biosensor was fabricated using a thin film in which Hansenula anomala was immobilized by sol-gel and an oxygen electrode. The optimum measurement for biochemical oxygen demand was at pH 7.0; 28 degrees C; response time 3 - 12 min. Pure organic compound, sewage and rate of recovery were detected with the biosensor.

RESULTSIt shows that the BOD biosensor can be used to detect many organic compounds such as amino acid, glucide. It is suitable to monitor sewage and industrial waste water which has low level alcohols and phenols. The microbial membrane can work 3 months and remain its 70% activity. It is measured that the rate of recovery of BOD is between 90% to 105% in sewage.

CONCLUSIONThe study confirmed the effectiveness and usefulness of BOD sensor, which is quick, convenient, low cost and reliable with little interference.

Bacteria ; Biosensing Techniques ; instrumentation ; Cells, Immobilized ; Gels ; Membranes, Artificial ; Nylons ; Oxygen ; analysis ; Sewage ; analysis ; microbiology

Objective: To estimate the consumption level of four drugs in Beijing using wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). Methods: The primary sludge from one large wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) was collected in Beijing from July 2020 to February 2021. The concentrations of codeine, methadone, ketamine and morphine in the sludge were detected through solid-phase extraction-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The consumption, prevalence and number of users of four drugs were estimated by using the WBE approach. Results: Among 416 sludge samples, codeine had the highest detection rate (82.93%, n=345) with a concentration [M (Q₁, Q₃)] of 0.40 (0.22-0.8) ng·g^-1, and morphine had the lowest detection rate (28.37%,n=118) with a concentration [M (Q₁, Q₃)] of 0.13 (0.09, 0.17) ng·g^-1. There was no significant difference in the consumption of the four drugs on working days and weekends (all P values>0.05). Drug consumption was significantly higher in winter than that in summer and autumn (all P values <0.05). The consumption [M (Q₁, Q₃)] of codeine, methadone, ketamine and morphine in winter was 24.9 (15.58, 38.6), 9.39 (4.57, 26.72), 9.84 (5.18, 19.45) and 5.67 (3.57, 13.77) μg·inhabitant^-1·day^-1, respectively. For these drugs, there was an upward trend in the average drug consumption during summer, autumn and winter (the Z values of the trend test were 3.23, 3.16, 2.19, and 3.32, respectively and all P values<0.05). The prevalence [M (Q₁, Q₃)] of codeine, methadone, ketamine and morphine were 0.0056% (0.003 4%, 0.009 2%), 0.0148% (0.009 6%, 0.026 7%),0.0333% (0.0210%, 0.0710%) and 0.0072% (0.003 8%, 0.011 7%), respectively. The estimated number of drug users [M (Q₁, Q₃)] was 918 (549, 1 511), 2 429 (1 578, 4 383), 5 451 (3 444, 11 642) and 1 173 (626, 1 925),respectively. Conclusion: Codeine, methadone, ketamine and morphine have been detected in the sludge of WWTPs in Beijing, and the consumption level of these drugs varies in different seasons.
Humans ; Beijing ; Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Monitoring ; Sewage/analysis* ; Wastewater ; Ketamine/analysis* ; Codeine/analysis* ; Methadone/analysis* ; Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis*

OBJECTIVES: To examine the complaint proportion and characteristics of musculoskeletal symptoms and to find risk factors of musculoskeletal symptoms among caterers for school lunch services. METHODS: The study subjects were 385 caterers who were working for school lunch services in 71 elementary schools and 114 housewives who had visited a hospital for routine health check-up. A self-recording questionnaire was used to investigate the general characteristics, labor conditions, job stress and nature of musculoskeletal symptom. Caterers were surveyed from September to October in 2003 and the housewives during September by post. The ergonomic risk factors were examined for the caterers of an elementary school in Kyonggi Province in November, 2003. RESULTS: The complaint proportion of self-reported positive musculoskeletal symptoms was 52.0% and that of severe musculoskeletal symptoms was 24.9%. Ergonomic assessment revealed that washing the dishes, carrying the soup containers and cleaning the sewage drain were highly risky activities in terms of repetitive and heavy weight-bearing motions. As for personal factors, the caterers having severe musculoskeletal symptoms had high psychological job demand. As for the workplace factors, the proportion of schools having severe musculoskeletal symptoms was significant higher where each caterer prepared more than 150 lunches. Among schools without school lunchroom, more schools had caterers having severe musculoskeletal symptoms. Using multilevel analysis, we found that the number of lunches to be prepared per caterer was a significant risk factor of severe musculoskeletal symptoms (O.R. 4.67). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the number of lunches prepared per caterer has a significant influence on the development of musculoskeletal disorder and that caterers work in an ergonomically highly risky job environment. The study results suggest that the number of caterers be increased to decrease the number of lunches prepared per caterer and the ergonomic environment be improved.
Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Lunch* ; Multilevel Analysis* ; Musculoskeletal Diseases ; Questionnaires ; Risk Factors* ; Sewage ; Weight-Bearing

The performance of internal-loop air-lift nitrifying bioreactor was good with strong tolerance to influent ammonia concentration (78.49 mmol/L), high volume converting rate (163.18 mmol/L.d) and obvious working stability (ammonia removal > 94.42%). During operation of internal-loop air-lift bioreactor, the nitrifying activated sludge was granulated. The nitrifying granular activated sludge began to appear on day 45. Its average diameter was 0.83 mm, settling velocity was 55.53 m/h and specific ammonia removal rate was 0.95 mmol (NH4(+)-N)/g (VS).d. The nitrifying granular activated sludge had the activity for anaerobic ammonia oxidation with ammonia oxidation rate of 0.23 mmol (NH4(+)-N)/g(VS).d and nitrite reduction rate of 0.24 mmol (NO2(-)-N)/g(VS).d.
Ammonia ; metabolism ; Anaerobiosis ; Bioreactors ; Nitrites ; metabolism ; Nitrogen ; metabolism ; Oxidation-Reduction ; Sewage ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of salinity variations on the performance of activated sludge systems, treating domestic wastewater.

METHODSThe completely mixed reactor was used and operated in a batch-wise mode. The activated sludge taken from the Gaobeidian Wastewater Treatment Plant was used as a seeding sludge. Total organic carbon (TOC), oxygen uptake rate (OUR) and suspended solids (SS) were used as parameters to characterize the performance of the treatment systems. TOC was measured using a TOC-analyzer (TOC-5000, Japan). The OUR value was measured with a dissolved oxygen meter (YSI model-58). SS was measured gravimetrically.

RESULTSThe TOC removal efficiency and the OUR value of activated sludge were not deteriorated when the NaCl shock concentration was less than 0.5 g/L. However, when the NaCl shock concentrations were up to 10g/L and 20 g/L, the OUR of activated sludge was reduced by 35% and TOC removal efficiency was dropped by 30%, compared with the control experiment without NaCl shock loading.

CONCLUSIONThe effect of NaCl shock loading on the activated sludge wastewater treatment system is dependant upon the NaCl concentrations and the degree of influence can be inferred through the change of substrate utilization rate at different shock NaCl loadings.

Bioreactors ; Carbon ; analysis ; Oxygen ; metabolism ; Sewage ; chemistry ; Sodium Chloride ; Waste Disposal, Fluid

To investigate the epidemic and evolutionary trends of enterovirus (EV) in the external environment of Yunnan Province, China, molecular typing was performed on 4 EV strains that were isolated from environmental sewage in Yunnan. The VP1 region of isolates was amplified by RT-PCR using universal enterovirus primers, and the amplified VP1 region was sequenced for GenBank BLAST search and genotype analysis. The 4 EV strains were identified as ECHO7. Their nucleotide and amino acid homologies with the VP1 sequences of 68 ECHO7 strains retrieved from GenBank were measured by Mega software analysis. Our findings showed that ECHO7 strains from environmental sewage and population samples were in different evolutionary branches. These strains showed typical geographical and temporal differences; In addition, there were different transmission chains at the same time and in the same area. ECHO7 strains isolated from sewage water and patients with acute flaccid paralysis during the same period in Yunnan belonged to different clusters and evolved at different speeds. Special concerns are needed for this problem. Continuous molecular biological surveillance of human EV in the external environment of Yunnan will provide strong support for early warning of EV diseases.
China ; Databases, Genetic ; Enterovirus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Evolution, Molecular ; Humans ; Molecular Epidemiology ; Sequence Analysis ; Sewage ; virology

Sulfonamides (SAs) are a kind of antibiotics widely used in medical treatment and livestock breeding. However, they have poor degradability in human and animal intestines, and will enter the sewage treatment system through the discharge of feces and urine. The aerobic activated sludge (AAS) in wastewater treatment plant was found to be able to effectively transform SAs. This article summarizes the advances in biodegradation of SAs in aerobic activated sludge system, which includes the biodegradation mechanisms, the main biodegradation pathways, and the environmental factors affecting the degradation efficiency. Challenges encountered in the current research were discussed, with the aim to provide scientific basis for optimizing the biodegradation of SAs in wastewater treatment process.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Biodegradation, Environmental ; Humans ; Sewage ; Sulfonamides ; Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis*

OBJECTIVETo investigate the kinetics of quinoline biodegradation by Burkholderia pickttii, a gram negative rod-shaped aerobe, isolated in our laboratory.

METHODSHPLC (Hewlett-Packard model 5050 with an UV detector) was used for the analysis of quinoline concentration. GC/MS method was used to identify the intermediate metabolites of quinoline degradation.

RESULTSThe biodegradation of quinoline was inhibited by quinoline at a high concentration, and the degradation process could be described by the Haldane model. The kinetic parameters based on Haldane substrate inhibition were evaluated. The values were vmax = 0.44 h(-1), K(S) = 166.7 mg/L, Ki = 650 mg/L, respectively. The quinoline concentration to avoid substrate inhibition was inferred theoretically and determined to be 329 mg/L.

CONCLUSIONThe biodegradation of quinoline conforms to the Haldane inhibition model and the main intermediate metabolite of quinoline biodegradation is 2-hydroxy-quinoline.

Biodegradation, Environmental ; Biomass ; Burkholderia ; growth & development ; isolation & purification ; Environmental Pollutants ; analysis ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Kinetics ; Quinolines ; analysis ; Sewage ; microbiology

In order to simultaneously remove carbon and nitrogen from organic-rich wastewater, we used an up-flow anaerobic sludge bed/blanket (UASB) reactor that was started up with anammox with high concentration of carbon and nitrogen by gradually raising the organic loading of influent. We optimized the removal of nitrogen and carbon when the chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration varied from 172 to 620 mg/L. During the entire experiment, the ammonium and total nitrogen removal efficiency was higher than 85%, while the average COD removal efficiency was 56.6%. The high concentration of organic matter did not restrain the activity of anammox bacteria. Based on polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) and tapping sequencing analyses, the Planctomycete, Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Chlorobi bacteria are detected in the UASB reactor, which indicated complex removal pathway of carbon and nitrogen coexisted in the reactor. However, a part of Planctomycete which referred to anammox bacteria could tolerate a high content of organic carbon, and it provided help for high performance of nitrogen removal in UASB reactor.
Ammonia ; chemistry ; Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis ; Bioreactors ; Carbon ; chemistry ; Nitrogen ; chemistry ; Sewage ; Waste Disposal, Fluid ; methods ; Waste Water ; chemistry