Effluent Monitoring Research Articles

Application of cellulolytic activity of asiatic clams (Corbicula SP.) to in‐stream monitoring of power plant effluents

AbstractRigorous testing schemes in field‐located artificial streams and in‐stream monitoring provided evidence for use of Corbicula cellulolytic activity as a highly sensitive and efficient approach to effluent assessment. Cellulolytic (exo‐ and endocellulase) activity of the Asiatic clam, Corbicula sp., determined in 30‐d, field‐located artificial stream exposures at the New River, Virginia to single components of power plant effluents (copper [Cu] and zinc [Zn] separately) was compared with cellulolytic responses in caged clams from within an impacted area of the Clinch River, Virginia below power plant effluents. Cellulolytic responses were then compared to conventional biomonitoring responses (Hester‐Dendy macroinvertebrate community structure), water quality monitoring in the Clinch River, and laboratory artificial stream bioassays. Clam enzyme activity was significantly reduced in 10 to 20 d (α = 0.05) at 16 and 87 μg Cu and Zn/L, respectively, in field‐located artificial streams. Cellulolytic activity of clams caged at stations within power plant outfalls (metal concentrations of 47–78 μg Zn/L and 80–345 μg Cu/L) was significantly reduced to levels as low as 9 to 52% of upstream activity levels. Reduction in cellulolytic activity in Corbicula was more sensitive after 14 d of in‐stream monitoring than reduction in diversity of macroinvertebrate assemblages after 28 d. Bioassay exposures as long as 30 d were needed to provide toxicity data comparable to enzyme impairment seen as early as 10 d.

Tritium Detectors Employed at the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor

In preparation for deuterium-tritium operations at the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) in 1991, Princeton University, Plasma Physics Laboratory has developed a real-time tritium monitoring system. The system employs a variety of different monitors, the purpose of which is to provide tritium concentration levels for personnel protection, process streams, and stack effluent monitoring.

Landfarming of Oily Wastes: Design and Operation

The technology of treatment through landfarming for oily wastes has been more and more often utilized in Brazil, always successfully. The definition, the processes which occur, as well as the factors which affect its performance are herein presented. Design parameters, such as location, ground characterization, dimensioning of the area of application, groundwater protection, drainage, treatment of surface runoff water and percolated liquid, among others, are presented. Operational procedures and quality monitoring of effluents and environment are also described. PETROBRÁS is already operating two landfarming systems and has several others in the design stage. We present data from these projects and report that oily waste degradation has been achieved in around six months. Finally, we expect to be contributing to the affirmation and development of this technology in our Country.

Detection of interference by cyclobenzaprine in liquid-chromatographic assays of tricyclic antidepressants.

We evaluated a technique for detecting cyclobenzaprine interference with liquid-chromatographic assays for tricyclic antidepressants. The technique involves dual-wavelength absorbance monitoring of the column effluent at 214 and 254 nm. Ratios of analyte peak heights at each wavelength are used to check for the presence of co-eluting interferences. With this technique, one can detect interference with an amitriptyline assay caused by 10 micrograms of cyclobenzaprine per liter.

Responses of Diabrotica lemniscata and D. longicornis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) to Stereoisomers of 8-methyl-2-decyl-propanoate and Studies on the Pheromone of D. longicornis1

The four stereoisomers of 8-methyl-2-decyl-propanoate (MDP) were tested in the field for attractiveness to Diabrotica longicornis (Say) and D. lemniscata LeConte. Males of both species were attracted to the (2S,8R) isomer, and D. lemniscata was weakly attracted to the (2R,8R) isomer. Tests of the response of D. longicornis to combinations of isomers revealed that the (2R,8R) isomer significantly reduced catch at traps baited with (2S,8R); the other two isomers were without detectable effect. Sex pheromones were collected from virgin female D. virgifera virgifera LeConte and D. longicornis. When used as bait in traps in the presence of males of D. v. virgifera and D. longicornis, the material from D. v. virgifera attracted only conspecific males; that from D. longicornis attracted males of both species. According to electroantennographic monitoring of gas chromatographic effluent with D. longicornis males, a substance obtained from the extracts of filter papers that had been contaminated with secretions from virgin female D. longicornis had retention times coincident with MDP on four gas chromatographic liquid phases.

Peptide mapping of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography: II. A two-dimensional technique for determination of disulfide pairings using a continuous-flow disulfide-detection system

A procedure, developed for the cleavage and reversible blocking of disulfide bonds of proteins by S-sulfonation in preparation for peptide mapping, was applied to ribonuclease A. The complete peptide maps of sulforibonuclease A using limited Staphylococcus aureus protease digestion, tryptic digestion, and tryptic followed by chymotryptic digestion are presented. A description is given of an adaptation of the sulfonation procedure which forms the basis of a sensitive (5-pmol detection limit) and quantitative (±5%) disulfide-detection system for the continuous monitoring of HPLC column effluents for disulfide-containing compounds. The sulfonation procedure, peptide maps, and disulfide-detection system are the key ingredients in a two-dimensional reverse-phase HPLC technique for the determination of disulfide pairings. The applicability of this technique is demonstrated by determining the known disulfide pairings of ribonuclease A. It is also shown that there is no disulfide interchange under the digestion conditions used. This technique is suitable for determining the distributions of disulfide pairings in the intermediates present in the oxidative folding of disulfide-containing proteins.

Salmonellae in sewage sludge and abattoir effluent in south-east Scotland.

A survey into the prevalence of salmonella organisms in sewage in the Borders Region of South-east Scotland is described. A total of 317 isolates representing 34 different serotypes were made, of which only 5 serotypes appeared in animals, supporting the view that the spreading of sewage sludge on to pastureland presents little risk to livestock provided the recommended guidelines are followed. Nevertheless, Salmonella typhimurium phage type 12, identified in sewage, was also recovered from animals in incidents on 11 farms, including 4 which had received sludge from this source. A further 48 isolates (13 serotypes) were obtained from the parallel monitoring of abattoir effluents, indicating that the background level of salmonella infection in the animal population appears to be low in comparison to that in humans.

Comparison between theoretical and experimental sampling efficiencies on Tenax GC

Breakthrough curves for benzene on the polymeric adsorbent Tenax GC were recorded using a system for direct breakthrough measurement with effluent monitoring. A mathematical model was also designed which allows one to calculate theoretical collection efficiency as a function of sampling volume and number of theoretical plates of the adsorbent tube. Theoretical values correspond to sampling efficiency values derived from experimental breakthrough curves with a correlation coefficient of 0.98–0.99.

High-performance liquid chromatography of microbial acid metabolites

The use of high-performance liquid chromatography with a cation-exchange column and effluent monitoring at 210 nm has been evaluated for the profiling of selected microbial metabolites including aliphatic, dicarboxylic, and phenolic acids, as an adjunct to the identification of selected bacteria, detection of bacterial metabolites in foods, and the monitoring of industrial microbial fermentations. Advantages of the technique include the simultaneous require only qualitative or semi-quantitative data. For others, data are given on the day-to-day reproducibility for several acids.

Identification of cysteine-containing peptides in protein digests by high-performance liquid chromatography

A method is described for the facile identification of half-cystine residues in peptides from protein digests. Combined use of S-β-(4-pyridylethylation) of cysteine residues with 4-vinyl pyridine and peptide mapping by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography provides the basis for this procedure. Essentially simultaneous, in-line effluent monitoring at 220, 280, and 254 nm provides highly sensitive, specific, and instantaneous identification of all peptide peaks, as well as those containing tryptophan and half-cystine residues, respectively. The resultant cysteine-derivatized peptides are well suited to amino acid compositional and protein sequence analysis, and are protected from loss during enzymatic digestion and/or peptide mapping.

Ingestion pathway factor in dose assessment for annual airborne releases of radioactivity.

An analytic model is derived for use in a simplified assessment of the committed effective dose equivalent to the public due to routine airborne releases of radioactive materials. The model uses the dosimetry in ICRP Publication 30 and determines the ratio of the committed effective dose equivalent (CEDE) via a specified ingestion pathway relative to that CEDE by inhalation per annual airborne release of a radionuclide. This ratio is defined as the ingestion pathway factor (IPF) and is shown to depend upon the radionuclide annual limits of intake, the atmospheric deposition velocity, and an ingestion parameter, the effective contamination intake area. The IPF values are tabulated for several radionuclides. These resultant IPF values often exceed unity, suggesting that the ingestion path is often the critical or limiting pathway for off-site CEDE to an individual. An application of this assessment is demonstrated in a review of a hypothetical nuclear facility to determine the appropriate extent of radiologic effluent and environmental monitoring at the facility.

An on-Line Radio-Nuclide Liquid Effluent Monitor with a Reduced Contamination Rate

A problem with on-line monitoring of radionuclides in liquid effluent is the build-up of contamination and background on all wetted surfaces. A combination of beta monitoring, a dual phosphor scintillator, and sample geometry was used to reduce the rate of increase of background compared to other types of monitors. Performance in a nuclear station with an effluent (before dilution) of 1.7MBq/m3 (45uCi/m3) Cs 137 equivalent showed a contamination rate of 800 times less than a monitor without the above features.

Sublethal effects of treated liquid effluent from a petroleum refinery. IV. Respiratory movements and coughing of rainbow trout

Rainbow trout increased the frequency of gill irrigation in linear relation to the concentration of treated refinery effluent. Full-strength effluent resulted in a significantly higher frequency than in clean water, but 50% and lower did not, because of variation in response. Coughing rate increased sharply and was a less variable measure of response. A concentration of 50% effluent caused significantly more coughs than in clean water, while 25% did not. The eight samples of effluent caused little lethality at full strength, and average physico-chemical characteristics were near or below Canadian regulatory limits, except for elevated oil and grease. Coughing rate shows promise as a rapid initial method for sublethal screening or monitoring of refinery effluents.

Association equilibria and reacting enzyme gel filtration of yeast hexokinase.

The association-dissociation of yeast hexokinase has been re-examined and the size of the reacting form of the enzyme has been investigated under a variety of conditions. Both Sephacryl S-200 and high performance liquid chromatography on Bio-Sil have been employed with continuous effluent monitoring under reacting and nonreacting conditions. The reacting enzyme was monomeric under all conditions, suggesting that the dimer is not an important catalytic species in normal assays. The reacting enzyme remained as a monomer under the following conditions: 0.1-15 micrograms/ml loading concentration, from 30 to 100 mM ionic strength, with 2 mM citrate, with 50% D2O, and at 160 atm hydrostatic pressure. The dissociation constant for the nonreacting hexokinase was 22 (+/- 2) micrograms/ml (uncorrected for 5-fold dilution) in 100 mM triethanolamine, pH 6.5, and 25 degrees C. Glucose or MgATP had dissociative effects under all conditions studied, but MgATP was much less effective and only slightly more effective than an equivalent ionic strength. NaCl, between 30 and 80 mM, promoted dissociation, with a concomitant conformational change suggested by nonlinearity of log-log plots. The extent of dissociation with MgCl2 was slightly greater than an equivalent NaCl ionic strength and the shape of the association curves suggested the formation of an elongated dimer in the presence of MgCl2. The conclusion is made that hexokinase is monomeric under most assay conditions and that the dissociation is predominantly the result of the glucose interaction. High performance liquid chromatography has been shown to be a useful method of assessing the association state of enzymes under both reacting and nonreacting conditions.

High Sensitivity On-Line Monitor for Radioactive Effluent

A new approach for a highly sensitive effluent monitor is presented. The free flow type monitor, which consists of a straightener, nozzle, monitoring section and γ-ray detector, is demonstrated to be effective in providing long term stability. The 160 start-and-stop cycles of effluent discharge were repeated in a 120-h testing period. Results showed a background increase was not observed for the free flow type monitor. The background count rate was calibrated to the lowest detection limit to be 2.2× 10−2 Bq/ml for a 300 s measurement time.

Gas chromatography in water analysis—II selective detection methods

Gas chromatographic methods using selective detectors have been applied successfully to the determination of haloforms, herbicides and chlorophosphate esters in water extracts. Electron capture detection has been used for the determination of the four haloforms, CHCl 3, CHCl 2Br, CHClBr 2 and CHBr 3 in pentane extracts. The very low detection limits render both the extracts and calibration solutions highly susceptible to contamination, and precautions necessary for their handling and storage are described. Mass spectrometric single ion monitoring of gas chromatographic effluents has been used for the determination of the herbicides MCPA, MCPB and Mecoprop in methylated ether extracts. Possible interference from other components of the water extracts is discussed, and it is concluded that more than one ion should be monitored for each herbicide to minimise the interference. A flame photometric method involving detection at 528 nm has been developed for the determination of chlorophosphate esters in dichloromethane extracts. The method is extremely specific for phosphorus compounds, but some interference from sulphur compounds may be observed. This can be minimised by the use of high efficiency capillary columns. Detection limits and linear response ranges for the methods are given, and detector selectivities are discussed. Typical chromatograms are shown, and representative results for raw and treated waters are also given.

High sensitivity on-line monitor for radioactive effluent.

A new approach for a highly sensitive effluent monitor is presented. The free flow type monitor, which consists of a straightener, nozzle, monitoring section and γ-ray detector, is demonstrated to be effective in providing long term stability. The 160 start-and-stop cycles of effluent discharge were repeated in a 120-h testing period. Results showed a background increase was not observed for the free flow type monitor. The background count rate was calibrated to the lowest detection limit to be 2.2× 10−2 Bq/ml for a 300 s measurement time.

A Light Stabilized Photomultiplier Detector Assembly with Pulse and Current Mode Operation

This unit was developed to provide an economical scintillator detector assembly for microprocessor controlled effluent monitoring systems. The Integral high voltage supply is controlled to maintain constant photomultiplier gain from a pulsed light emitting diode reference source. This control method also provides current mode operation if high radiation levels are present. In addition, a simple comparision of the light output pulse gives an assurance of detector operation.

Belladonna Alkaloids and Phenobarbital Combination Pharmaceuticals Analysis I: High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Determinations of Hyoscyamine-Atropine and Scopolamine

High-performance liquid chromatographic separations are described for the analysis of hyoscyamine-atropine and scopolamine in combination pharmaceutical dosage forms containing phenobarbital. A mobile phase containing 0.034 M tetramethylammonium phosphate in water–methanol (21:10, pH 2.0) separated hyoscyamine or atropine from scopolamine on an octadecylsilane column in <9 min. Monitoring of the column effluent at 220 nm gave a detection limit of 0.02 μg for each alkaloid. Hyoscyamine sulfate and/or atropine sulfate were determined as total equivalent hyoscyamine sulfate, and scopolamine hydrobromide was determined as a separate entity. Data from the application of the method to commercial pharmaceutical products are also presented.

Ion-selective polymeric-membrane electrodes with immobilised ion-exchange sites. Part II. Selectivity of and application studies on a calcium electrode

A further study is reported of a calcium ion-selective electrode where the sensor is a dialkylphosphate group which is covalently bound to poly(styrene-b-butadiene). Selectivity in the order Ca2+ > Ba2+ > Sr2+ > Mg2+ > M+ was found. Interference was encountered from transition metal cations but no irreversible poisoning was observed. The response to surfactants was found to be less than that exhibited by established electrodes. The performance of the covalently bound sensor electrode for the monitoring of coking-plant effluent has been compared with other analytical techniques. This electrode appears to offer advantages of robustness, reliability and improved lifetime over a commercial liquid membrane electrode and a PVC membrane electrode for this application.