Suspension Property of Gemini Surfactant in Seed Coating Agent

Suspension properties of Gemini surfactant, polyethylene glycol diester alpha sulfonated stearic acid disodium salt, on 15% thiram/carbofuran/triadimefon seed coating agent of maize, 17% carbendazim/carbofuran/triadimefon seed coating agent of wheat and 15% carbendazim/thiram/triadimefon seed coating agent of cotton were studied. Under these conditions, Gemini surfactant had a good suspension property by itself and an excellent synergistic effect with some nonionic surfactant such as OP‐10, Tween 80, and AEO‐7. Also, it can be mixed with attapulgite clay to provide a better suspension property than suspension system without attapulgite clay. Its suspending rates on three kinds of seed coating agents mentioned above are, respectively, up to 97%, 95%, and 98% for 90 days. In comparison with traditional surfactant suspending agent of LAS and SDS, Gemini surfactant had less changes in suspending efficiency at high temperatures, and in viscidity in impact tests. In a germination experiment, cotton seeds coated with Gemini surfactant suspending agent have an 88% germination rate for 10 days and a 69% excavation rate, which was higher than those bare seeds, and grow fully.     

Analysis of sulfur-containing compounds in ambient air using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography with pulsed flame photometric detection

A new analysis method for sulfur-containing compounds in air using solid-phase microextraction (SPME), gas chromatography and pulsed flame photometric detection (PFPD), SPME-GC-PFPD method, has been developed. The analysis method is simple, fast and easily performed. To demonstrate the usefulness and versatility of the method air samples collected in geothermal areas in Rotorua, at a muddy beach in Auckland (cities in New Zealand), and in a wastewater treatment plant were analysed. COS, H₂S, CS₂, SO₂, CH₃SH, (CH₃)₂S and CH₃(CH₂)₂CH₂SH were identified in the samples from Rotorua. It was noted that air quality in residential areas with respect to sulfur compounds was better than that around geothermal sources. Samples from the wastewater treatment plant contained COS, H₂S, CS₂, SO₂, CH₃SH, (CH₃)₂S and (CH₃)₂S₂. It was found that the emission of sulfur compounds was reduced in the course of the wastewater treatment process. The potential impact of the detected sulfur compounds on human health is briefly discussed.     

Development of a highly sensitive method for determining atmospheric carbonyl compounds by passive sampling and application of the method to a survey of indoor air

A simple, highly sensitive analytical method for measuring many kinds of carbonyls in air using a passive sampler containing a sorbent (silica gel) coated with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine has been developed. The carbonyls collected by the sampler were extracted with a solvent, and the extracts were subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC; UV detection) without first being concentrated. In this method, the volume injection is examined, and is found to have a sensitivity at least 20 times that of ordinary HPLC methods. The air concentrations of nine carbonyls collected by passive sampling over a period of 24?h were estimated by means of conversion equations derived from the results of active sampling;c?=?^{10[log ( y} )^{??? b ] a} , where c is the carbonyl concentration in air (µg/m³); y is the amount of carbonyl collected by the passive sampler (µg); and a and b are constants for each carbonyl compound. The calculated air concentrations were consistent with the concentrations measured by active sampling. This method may be useful in determining personal exposure to ambient carbonyls.     

Multisorbent tubes sampling used in thermal desorption cold trap injection with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for C2–C6 hydrocarbon measurements in an urban atmosphere

Three solid adsorbents (Carbotrap, Carbotrap C, and Carbosieve III) were evaluated for sampling trace non-methane hydrocarbons in urban atmospheres. The sampled atmosphere was pumped through a multisorbent tube containing the three sorbents separated by a small amount of silanized glass wool. The trapped compounds were recovered by thermal desorption and analysed by combining cryogenic enrichment with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Adsorption/thermal desorption and breakthrough experiments were performed to test their ability to quantitatively trap the light hydrocarbons. The technique was suitable for determination of low ppbv concentrations of these compounds. Ambient atmospheric sampling was conducted in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Basque Country, Spain), and the measurements cover a period of one year (2001–2002). Fifteen C₂–C₆ hydrocarbons are identified and quantified, and seasonal trends are discussed.     

Evaluation of a Continuous Composite Sampler for Volatile Organic Compounds in Water

Abstract

The high volatility and low water solubility of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), make the collection of representative samples difficult. The standard grab sampling method only gives information of that moment in time when the sample is taken. When the composition of VOCs is varying, continuous composite sampling will give a more representative sample. However, no thorough evaluation of its use for VOCs has been reported.

The use of an automatic continuous composite sampler for the analysis of VOCs in water was studied. The causes and magnitude of the VOCs losses during the sampling process were determined.

Adsorbent cartridges were used to trap the VOCs escaping from solution during the sampling process. Sorption phenomena occurring on the containers and/or tubings were also evaluated. Sorption losses were much more significant than volatilization losses.

The results indicate that a modified version of this sampler can be an alternative for the long term sampling of water for VOC analysis.     

A review of: “Potential Industrial Carcinogens and Mutagens,Studies in Environmental Science 4 by Lawrence Fishbein,Little Rock,Arkansas, 534 pages,many figures and tables,linen, format 250 × 175 mm,printed by Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company,Amsterdam, The Netherlands 1979, 73.25 US$ or 150.-Df1.”

Abstract

The design and calibration of a passive sampler operating according to the diffusion principle and its application to the analysis of indoor air are described. Taking aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons as representative pollutants, it is demonstrated that at constant concentration, the amount of substance trapped by the sampler is a linear function of the time of exposure. An equation is given relating this amount of substance to the mean pollutant concentration. The detection limit is of an order of 300μg/(m³.h). For test gas atmospheres variation coefficients of between 5 and 10%, were determined for a 24-hour exposure in an atmosphere with concentrations of the individual hydrocarbons between 150 and 600 μg/m³.     

Determination of diphenylamine in contaminated air of agricultural buildings using active sampling on solid sorbents

This paper reports the results of a study carried out with solid sorbents in order to establish the optimum procedure for sampling and determination of diphenylamine (DPA), the most widely used post-harvest chemical in apples, in the indoor air of apple storage buildings. Different sorbents (Amberlite XAD-2, Amberlite XAD-4, Supelpak 2, Florisil, and the octadecyl silica bonded sorbent, C-18) were evaluated for their capacity to efficiently retain DPA under different air sampling and storage conditions, whereas a desorption study of all sorbents tested was also performed to optimise a simple extraction procedure using low volumes of organic solvents. In general all sorbents produced acceptable results for DPA air sampling whereas DPA was recovered easily by the use of low volumes of both ethyl acetate and acetone from all sorbents studied thus making DPA a suitable analyte to be used in methods of indoor air analysis for multi-organic pollutants. However, the best results (analytical features, recovery results, and stability results during storage) were obtained by the use of Supelpak 2 as a sorbent for DPA active sampling. Limits of Quantification (LOQs) for the GC-NPD system ranged from 1.0 to 2.0?µg?m^?3 for 120 and 60?L air sampled, respectively. The developed air sampling procedure and analytical methodology was applied with success in the field to measure DPA residues in indoor air of two apple storage plants in Greece and results were further used to calculate the occupational inhalation exposure to DPA and consequently risk characterisation. Since DPA was detected in indoor air (at concentrations ranged from 1.6 to 580?µg?m^?3), there is no zero occupational risk for workers. However, the inhalation exposure of workers to DPA estimated in this study is far below the Acceptable Operator Exposure Level recently reviewed by the European Union and far below the critical exposure level for haematotoxicity systemic effect observed in carcinogenicity studies in rats for long-term inhalation exposure to DPA.     

Novel multi-sorbent for sampling and determination of trace volatile organic sulfur compounds in ambient air

Novel adsorbent APSG-MW (average particle size 215?µm and specific surface 98 m²?g^?1) bonding multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on silica gel are obtained. Then the sampling tubes filled with Tenax TA and APSG-MW are prepared and the adsorptive capacity of Tenax TA/APSG-MW for volatile organic sulfur compounds (VOSCs) is studied. The data show that the adsorption and desorption recoveries of multi-sorbent for VOSCs are satisfactory (>85%), and the breakthrough values are large (>16?L?g^?1) enough to absorb VOSCs in ambient air. The sampling precision of the sorbent tubes meets TO-17 criteria. The sampling tubes are successfully used to concentrate and analyze a sample of landfill air, and the major S compounds are identified.     

Preparation of Hydrophilic Polystyrene Microspheres with Casein Molecules on the Surface

In this study, suspension polymerization is described to prepare hydrophilic polystyrene microspheres with casein macromolecules on the surface. In the suspension polymerization, casein w as used as an emulsifier and stabilizer instead of synthetic surfactants. The microspheres had spherical shape and the size distribution was narrow, the average size was about 3.5 µm. The microspheres were characterized with a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, revealing the existence of hydroxyl, carboxyl and amino groups. XPS analysis was carried out to study the surface composition, it revealed that the nitrogen concentration was 5.04% on the surface of the particles and it remained almost unchanged after the particles were washed by 2% SDS. The microspheres were confirmed to be hydrophilic due to the casein molecules on the surface.     

Molecular dynamics simulation study of the structural features and inclusion capacities of cucurbit[6]uril derivatives in aqueous solutions

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed for cucurbit[6]uril (CB6) methyl and cyclohexyl derivatives in aqueous solutions. Furthermore, MD simulations have been conducted to study the inclusion complexes between each CB6 derivative with α,ω-pentane diammonium ion (NH₃⁺(CH₂)₅NH₃⁺) to estimate the binding free energies, the complex geometries and the intermolecular forces responsible for complex formation. Results show a complete inclusion of the guest molecule in the cavity of the host for all complexes. Results also indicate that the guest dynamics inside the cavity of the substituted host is similar to that for the unsubstituted host. This demonstrates that the molecular recognition of the host is not affected by the alkyl substitution at the equator. Also, there is an insignificant conformational change of the macrocyclic structure upon inclusion of the guest. Molecular mechanics/Poisson Boltzmann surface area method was used to estimate the binding free energy of each complex. Results indicate that host–guest electrostatic interactions make the largest contribution to the complex binding free energy. Moreover, van der Waals interactions add significantly to the complex stability. The guest molecules show more or less similar binding free energies with the substituted CB6 that exhibits slightly more negative values than unsubstituted CB6 which is proved also by umbrella sampling.