High Ammonia Levels Research Articles

Metabolic and functional phenotypic profiling of Drosophila melanogaster reveals reduced sex differentiation under stressful environmental conditions

Strong sexual dimorphism is commonly observed across species and, e.g., trade-offs between reproduction and maintenance are thought to explain this dimorphism. Here we test how the metabolic and functional phenotypic responses to varying types of environmental stress differ in male and female Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae), and how stress impacts the magnitude of sexual dimorphism. Experimental stressors that we exposed flies to during development were heat stress, poor nutrition, high acidity, high levels of ammonia and ethanol. Emerged male and female flies from the different rearing regimes were investigated using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics and assessed for body mass and viability. Our results showed that environmental stress leads to reduced sexual dimorphism in both metabolic composition and body mass compared to the level of dimorphism observed at benign conditions. This reduced sexual dimorphism in stressful environments might be caused by a lower investment in sex-specific characteristics under such conditions, and our results provide support for the longstanding idea that ecological factors are important for shaping sexual dimorphism and possibly sexual selection. (Less)

Treatment performance, nitrous oxide production and microbial community under low-ammonium wastewater in a CANON process.

To investigate the characteristics of anaerobic ammonia oxidation for treating low-ammonium wastewater, a continuous-flow completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON) biofilm reactor was studied. At a temperature of 32 ± 1 °C and a pH between 7.5 and 8.2, two operational experiments were performed: the first one fixed the hydraulic retention time (HRT) at 10 h and gradually reduced the influent ammonium concentrations from 210 to 50 mg L-1; the second one fixed the influent ammonium concentration at 30 mg L-1 and gradually decreased the HRT from 10 to 3 h. The results revealed that the total nitrogen removal efficiency exceeded 80%, with a corresponding total nitrogen removal rate of 0.26 ± 0.01 kg N m-3 d-1 at the final low ammonium concentration of 30 mg L-1. Small amounts of nitrous oxide (N2O) up to 0.015 ± 0.004 kg m-3 d-1 at the ammonium concentration of 210 mg L-1 were produced in the CANON process and decreased with the decrease in the influent ammonium loads. High-throughput pyrosequencing analysis indicated that the dominant functional bacteria 'Candidatus Kuenenia' under high influent ammonium levels were gradually succeeded by Armatimonadetes_gp5 under low influent ammonium levels.

Acclimation to extremely high ammonia levels in continuous biomethanation process and the associated microbial community dynamics

Acclimatized anaerobic communities to high ammonia levels can offer a solution to the ammonia toxicity problem in biogas reactors. In the current study, a stepwise acclimation strategy up to 10g NH4+-N L−1, was performed in mesophilic (37±1°C) continuously stirred tank reactors. The reactors were co-digesting (20/80 based on volatile solid) cattle slurry and microalgae, a protein-rich, 3rd generation biomass. Throughout the acclimation period, methane production was stable with more than 95% of the uninhibited yield. Next generation 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed a dramatic microbiome change throughout the ammonia acclimation process. Clostridium ultunense, a syntrophic acetate oxidizing bacteria, increased significantly alongside with hydrogenotrophic methanogen Methanoculleus spp., indicating strong hydrogenotrophic methanogenic activity at extreme ammonia levels (>7g NH4+-N L−1). Overall, this study demonstrated for the first time that acclimation of methanogenic communities to extreme ammonia levels in continuous AD process is possible, by developing a specialised acclimation AD microbiome.

High levels of ammonia do not raise fine particle pH sufficiently to yield nitrogen oxide-dominated sulfate production

High levels of ammonia (NH3) have been suggested to elevate ambient particle pH levels to near neutral acidity (pH = 7), a condition that promotes rapid SO2 oxidation by NO2 to form aerosol sulfate concentration consistent with “London fog” levels. This postulation is tested using aerosol data from representative sites around the world to conduct a thorough thermodynamic analysis of aerosol pH and its sensitivity to NH3 levels. We find that particle pH, regardless of ammonia levels, is always acidic even for the unusually high NH3 levels found in Beijing (pH = 4.5) and Xi’an (pH = 5), locations where sulfate production from NOx is proposed. Therefore, major sulfate oxidation through a NO2-mediated pathway is not likely in China, or any other region of the world (e.g., US, Mediterranean) where the aerosol is consistently more acidic. The limited alkalinity from the carbonate buffer in dust and seasalt can provide the only likely set of conditions where NO2-mediated oxidation of SO2 outcompetes with other well-established pathways. The mildly acidic levels associated with excessive amounts of ammonia can promote high rates of SO2 oxidation through transition metal chemistry, this may be an alternative important aerosol chemical contributor to the extreme pollution events.

Low Noise, High Performance Physical Sensor for Detection of Ammonia Gas

This paper reports on characterization and optimization of a low-noise Thermal Conductivity Detector (TCD) for detection of ammonia. Ammonia is a highly toxic agent and is widely produced by of chickens in a chicken farm. There are studies that show the presence of ammonia decreases the quality and quantity of egg and meat production, and may inhibit growth in cell lines. Research has shown that high level of ammonia will create about 5-10% runts in a flock [1]. Therefore, accurate detection ammonia is important issue for food quality control and also labor safety. The commercially available ammonia sensors on the market often have short battery life, baseline drift, selectivity problem, false alarms and need frequent recalibration. Currently most ammonia sensors rely on the chemical interaction of the gas and a specific material which chemical properties changed by the gas. The drawbacks of these sensors are the reliability of the sensors under different environmental conditions and limited life-time. On the other hand, gas sensors which primarily use physical properties of the gas to sense, such as Thermal Conductivity Detector (TCD) is potentially more stable [2]. The working principle of thermal conductivity detectors is based on relating bridge resistivity to its temperature, and bridge temperature depends on the heat loss to the surrounding gas. Here we present a comprehensive COMSOL model to study the effect of the micro-bridge geometry and the heat transfer phenomenal through the gas and substrate. The purpose of the geometry design is to reduce the heat loss to the substrate at the micro-bridge anchors, to improve the efficiency of the sensor, and increase the heat loss through the gas phase to improve the detection limit. For the purpose of this study, we investigated the effect of three differed designed depicted in figure 1. Based on the simulation data, the micro-bridge with the uniform cross-section shows the highest ratio of heat loss through the gas relative to total power of the sensor. This has improved the sensitivity of the sensor by 18% for gases with low thermal conductance such as ammonia. To improve the sensitivity of our TCD sensor by changing the working temperature, the temperature of the sensor has a tremendous effect on the noise level and, consequently, limit of detection (LOD). Ammonia and nitrogen have comparable thermal conductivity at room temperature, but the slope of change of their thermal conductivity is not equal. We have exploited of change in thermal conductivity of gases for different sensor operating temperatures by increasing the sensor power. As a result, the increase of working temperature of sensor has improved sensitivity and reduced the LOD. In conclusion, we have analyzed operation of micro-bridge for robust performance to detect ammonia, which has comparably similar thermal conductivity to the nitrogen. Robust sensitivity of gas detection is also being investigated by 3-Omega techniques, for read-out circuit, increase in the working temperature of the sensor and having better Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). There is also more room in improvement of material properties including having higher thermal coefficient resistivity. Figure 1

Performance Optimization of Microbes from Shrimp Pond Sediment by Adding EM4 In Nitrification Process for the Treatment of Wastewater Containing High Ammonia Concentration

In liquid wastes, especially domestic wastewater, many organic substances are mixed causing water quality degradation, one of them is ammonia. Liquid wastes containing ammonia can be treated using an activated sludge system. One of the active sludge that can be used is shrimp pond sediments. This experiment investigated the performance of microbes in shrimp pond sediments with the addition of EM4 in nitrification process for the treatment of wastewater with high ammonia concentration in a 8 L batch reactor capacity. The results show that the addition of shrimp pond sediment as the active sludge can remove high ammonia level almost completely and there is known interaction between time and variation of shrimp pond quantity (p value <0,05) to the decreasing of ammonia level. Efficiency of decreasing the concentration of ammonia up to 100% can be reached on the 15th day in each treatment. The addition of EM4 can shorten the decreasing of ammonia level by 50%. Keywords : Nitrification, Ammonia, Shrimp Pond Sediment, EM4, Activated Sludge

Implementation of material flow cost accounting for efficiency improvement in wastewater treatment unit of Tabriz oil refining company

The optimal use of material and energy by different industries has recently become an issue of great importance due to limited energy resources around the world. Material flow cost accounting (MFCA) has been suggested as a novel management system that can enhance waste management and provide an estimation of actual values of losses. This research aims to apply MFCA to the wastewater treatment unit of the Tabriz Oil Refining Company. In order to establish MFCA, the amount of input and output material, material costs, system costs and energy costs were studied. Using mass balance in all sections of wastewater treatment unit, losses were identified and costs and benefits were established. Results from MFCA calculation indicated that the annual cost of the unit is 28.14 million USD. This study also investigated the effect of changing the type of microorganisms in the biological treatment section that are able to digest high levels of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide and addition of reverse osmosis to the cooling drain section. It was found that the positive product's value increased from 58.92% to 90.76% and negative product's cost reduced from 41.08% to 9.23%. In addition to economic issues, use of these modifications considerably reduces environmental issues due to the release of NH3 and H2S to the environment and contamination of ground water through evaporation ponds.

Engineering of the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis for Chitin-Dependent Hydrogen Production.

Thermococcus kodakarensis is a hyperthermophilic archaeon that harbors a complete set of genes for chitin degradation to fructose 6-phosphate. However, wild-type T. kodakarensis KOD1 does not display growth on chitin. In this study, we developed a T. kodakarensis strain that can grow on chitin via genetic and adaptive engineering. First, a chitinase overproduction strain (KC01) was constructed by replacing the chitinase gene promoter with a strong promoter from the cell surface glycoprotein gene, resulting in increased degradation of swollen chitin and accumulation of N-,N'-diacetylchitobiose in the medium. To enhance N-,N'-diacetylchitobiose assimilation in KC01, genes encoding diacetylchitobiose deacetylase, exo-β-d-glucosaminidase, and glucosamine-6-phosphate deaminase were also overexpressed to obtain strain KC04. To strengthen the glycolytic flux of KC04, the gene encoding Tgr (transcriptional repressor of glycolytic genes) was disrupted to obtain strain KC04Δt. In both KC04 and KC04Δt strains, degradation of swollen chitin was further enhanced. In the culture broth of these strains, the accumulation of glucosamine was observed. KC04Δt was repeatedly inoculated in a swollen-chitin-containing medium for 13 cultures. This adaptive engineering strategy resulted in the isolation of a strain (KC04ΔtM1) that showed almost complete degradation of 0.4% (wt/vol) swollen chitin after 90 h. The strain produced high levels of acetate and ammonium in the culture medium, and, moreover, molecular hydrogen was generated. This strongly suggests that strain KC04ΔtM1 has acquired the ability to convert chitin to fructose 6-phosphate via deacetylation and deamination and further convert fructose 6-phosphate to acetate via glycolysis coupled to hydrogen generation.IMPORTANCE Chitin is a linear homopolymer of β-1,4-linked N-acetylglucosamine and is the second most abundant biomass next to cellulose. Compared to the wealth of research focused on the microbial degradation and conversion of cellulose, studies addressing microbial chitin utilization are still limited. In this study, using the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis as a host, we have constructed a strain that displays chitin-dependent hydrogen generation. The apparent hydrogen yield per unit of sugar consumed was slightly higher with swollen chitin than with starch. As gene manipulation in T. kodakarensis is relatively simple, the strain constructed in this study can also be used as a parent strain for the development and expansion of chitin-dependent biorefinery, in addition to its capacity to produce hydrogen.

Critical assessment of the nanofiltration for reusing brackish effluent from an anaerobic membrane bioreactor

In this study, a saline effluent from an anaerobic membrane bioreactor was treated by nanofiltration in order to allow its agricultural reuse. Short-term tests were conducted to investigate membrane fouling and selective rejection of ions and emerging organic contaminants (EOCs). The study has been conducted with a negatively charged commercial thin-film composite membrane (DK, GE Osmonics). The effect of operating pressure (5–20 bar) and cross-flow velocity (0.12–0.37 m/s) on membrane performance have been researched. Dimensional analysis of steady permeate flux indicated that the gel layer or the polarization layer can be completely removed at critical cross-flow velocity. At a sub-critical velocity, membrane autopsies by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy revealed a complex mixture of organic matter, phosphates and colloidal silica over the membranes surface. Since the rejection of monovalent cations (76–88%) was lower than that of multivalent cations (above 96%), the treated effluent was characterized by a very high levels of sodium adsorption ratio and ammonium. In addition, moderate rejection of low molecular weight EOCs (clofibric acid and caffeine) was observed. Therefore, the treated effluent did not achieve enough quality to be reused for agricultural irrigation. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 37: 383–390, 2018

Pengaruh kualitas fisika kimia perairan terhadap usaha budidaya ikan di Danau Bulilin Kabupaten Minahasa Tenggara

The research was conducted to determine the condition of physicochemical quality of waters and its effect on the sustainability of aquaculture in Bulilin Lake. The study was conducted at Lake Bulilin, Southeast Minahasa Regency in September 2016 (dry season) until January 2017 (rainy season). Measurement of physicochemical quality of waters was conducted in situ at 9 stations: station 1, 2, 3 (not aquaculture area); station 4, 5, 6 (aquaculture area) and station 7, 8, 9 (floating restaurant area). Laboratory analysis of water samples from three stations, namely station A (not aquaculture area), station B (aquaculture area) and C (floating restaurant area), was done at the Board of Research and Industrial Standardization Manado. Primary data were collected by interview to aquaculturist and field observation on aquaculture effort in Bulilin Lake. The results of the study showed that water temperature range from 27 - 32oC, total dissolved solid 0.239 – 0.305 g/l, brightness 40 – 72.5 cm, pH 6.44 - 9, dissolved oxygen 3 – 5.18 mg/l, Nitrate 1.93 - 5.67 mg/l, nitrite 0 mg/l, ammonia 0 - 0.22 mg/l and phosphate 0 - 0.60 mg/l. These result indicated that water quality condition is still in accordance with the quality standard for fish culture except ammonia. High ammonia level caused overgrown of Eichhornia crassipes (eceng gondok). The sustainability of fish culture at present is relative fluent and beneficial even though the waters have been overgrown with weed water hyacinth. However for the sustainability of the aquaculture effort in Bulilin Lake it is necessary to manage the waste to Bulilin Lake.Keywords : Lake Bulilin, physicochemical quality of waters , fish culture

A novel approach of preparing ZnO from ammoniacal leaching solution with high chlorine levels based on thermodynamic analysis

Thermodynamic calculations for Zn(II)−NH3−Cl−−H2O system have been presented based on free energy minimization algorithms and simultaneous equilibrium principle. Independent predominance diagrams was constructed as a function of Zn(II), NH3, Cl− concentrations versus pH, which indicates that Zn(NH3)2Cl2(s) is the most likely solid phase in near-neutral zinc solutions with high ammonia and chlorine levels. The precipitation trend of Zn(NH3)2Cl2(s) derived from experiments were consistent with the prediction by theoretical calculation. Pure ZnO(s) was successfully synthesized by a two-step hydrolysis approach, in which Zn(OH)1.6Cl0.4(s) was firstly produced from the hydrolytic deamination of Zn(NH3)2Cl2(s) and ZnO(s) was then obtained by the further hydrolytic dechlorination of Zn(OH)1.6Cl0.4(s). Both temperature and water amount played an important role on the hydrolysis procedure. Zn(NH3)2Cl2(s) can be transformed to Zn(OH)1.6Cl0.4(s) completely at room temperature with liquid-solid ratio higher than 9:1, and Zn(OH)1.6Cl0.4(s) can be thoroughly converted to ZnO(s) at 80°C with liquid-solid ratio of 5:1.

Salivary ammonia levels and Tannerella forsythia are associated with rheumatoid arthritis: A cross sectional study.

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the relationship of salivary ammonium levels and the presence of bacteria with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) clinical disease activity in a cross‐sectional study of Mexican patients. From a periodontal and disease activity standpoint, 132 consecutive RA patients fulfilling clinical criteria were evaluated. Ammonia levels (including peptidyl arginine deiminase activity) were evaluated by colorimetric assay and the presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, and Prevotella intermedia was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. After a multivariate analysis, adjusting for clinical and serological parameters, a significant association was only observed between severe periodontitis and probing depth with high RA disease activity. Additionally, in contrast to P. gingivalis, the presence of T. forsythia was significantly associated with high disease RA activity even after multivariable adjustment analysis. There was also a significant increase in ammonium levels in the high RA activity group and a significant correlation between salivary ammonia and RA disease activity but not with autoantibody titers. Similarly, we observed a significant increase in the ammonium levels derived from the cultures of P. gingivalis and T. forsythia, with respect to P. intermedia and S. gordonii cultures, or even healthy donors. These results suggest that RA activity is associated with severe periodontitis, high salivary ammonium levels and the presence of T. forsythia.

Identification of Major Sources of Atmospheric NH3 in an Urban Environment in Northern China During Wintertime.

To assess the relative contributions of traffic emission and other potential sources to high levels of atmospheric ammonia (NH3) in urban areas in the wintertime, atmospheric NH3 and related pollutants were measured at an urban site, ∼300 m from a major traffic road, in northern China in November and December 2015. Hourly average NH3 varied from 0.3 to 10.8 ppb with an average of 2.4 ppb during the campaign. Contrary to the common perspective in literature, traffic emission was demonstrated to be a negligible contributor to atmospheric NH3. Atmospheric NH3 correlated well with ambient water vapor during many time periods lasting from tens of hours to several days, implying NH3 released from water evaporation is an important source. Emissions from local green space inside the urban areas were identified to significantly contribute to the observed atmospheric NH3 during ∼60% of the sampling times. Evaporation of predeposited NHx through wet precipitation combined with emissions from local green space likely caused the spikes of atmospheric NH3 mostly occurring 1-4 h after morning rush hours or after and during slight shower events. There are still ∼30% of the data samples with appreciable NH3 level for which major contributors are yet to be identified.

Environmental risk assessment in five rivers of Parana River basin, Southern Brazil, through biomarkers in Astyanax spp.

In the current study, water quality of five river sites in Parana River basin (Brazil), utilized for public water supply, was assessed through a set of biomarkers in fish Astyanax spp. Population growth and inadequate use of land are challenges to the preservation of biodiversity and resources such as water. Some physicochemical parameters as well as somatic indexes, gills and liver histopathology, genotoxicity, and biochemical biomarkers were evaluated. The highest gonadosomatic index (GSI) and antioxidant parameters (catalase and glutathione S-transferase activities, non-protein thiols), as well as the lowest damage to biomolecules (lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation, DNA damage) were observed in site 0 (Piava River), which is located at an environmental protected area. Site 1, located in the same river, but downstream site 0 and outside the protection area, presents some level of impact. Fish from site 2 (Antas River), which lack of riparian forest and suffer from silting, presented the highest micronucleus incidence and no melanomacrophages. Differently, individuals from site 3 (Xambrê River) and site 4 (Pinhalzinho River) which receive surface runoff from Umuarama city, urban and industrial sewage, have the highest incidences of liver and gill histopathological alterations, including neoplasia, which indicated the worst health conditions of all sites. In particular, site 4 had high levels of total nitrogen and ammonia, high turbidity, and very low oxygen levels, which indicate important chemical impact. Comparison of the biomarkers in fish allowed classification of the five sites in terms of environmental impact and revealed that sites 3 and 4 had particular poor water quality.

Forest harvest intensity and soil depth alter inorganic nitrogen pool sizes and ammonia oxidizer community composition

Intensive forest harvest techniques have the potential to alter soil carbon and nutrient stocks and biogeochemical processes. We investigated how differing levels of organic matter removal (OMR) during timber harvest influenced the long-term stability of nitrification and the microbes regulating this process. Nitrification is limited by the activity of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA); however, reports on the relative contribution of each of these groups to forest soil nitrification have varied and have not been investigated in response to OMR. The influence of soil depth on the structure and function of the ammonia-oxidizing community has also been underreported and was included in this study. We quantified soil physicochemical properties including concentrations of ammonium (NH4+) and nitrite (NO2−) + nitrate (NO3−), and also coupled next generation sequencing and qPCR of the amoA gene to a whole-soil assay that stimulates nitrification and allows for the discrimination of AOA-from AOB-activity using 1-octyne, which inhibits bacterial ammonia monooxygenase activity. Soils were collected (1 m depth) from replicated loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) stands subjected to three different intensities of OMR (i.e., unharvested control, bole-only harvest, and whole-tree harvest + forest floor removal). Increasing intensity of OMR and increasing soil depth lead to significant reductions in concentrations of in situ NH4+ and NO2− + NO3−. Sequencing and subsequent annotation of the ammonia oxidizing community revealed that AOA were dominated by Crenarchaeota and AOB were dominated by Nitrosospira spp. The abundance of both bacterial and archaeal amoA were influenced by OMR and soil depth; furthermore, archaeal amoA was more abundant than bacterial amoA across all soil depths and the ratio of AOA to AOB increased with depth. Community structure of AOA and AOB were influenced by soil depth; however, only AOB were altered by OMR. Soil incubations revealed nitrification was N-limited in these forest soils. Furthermore, AOA- and AOB-contributions to total nitrification were nearly equivalent in surface soils; however, AOA contribution increased to 75% at 1 m. In general, the highest rates of nitrification occurred in the soils taken from unharvested control stands; however, OMR treatment differences were only significant when soils were amended with high levels of ammonia indicating that at ambient levels, intensive OMR may not lead to long-term alterations in nitrification potential.

Modulation and modeling of monoclonal antibody N-linked glycosylation in mammalian cell perfusion reactors.

Mammalian cell perfusion cultures are gaining renewed interest as an alternative to traditional fed-batch processes for the production of therapeutic proteins, such as monoclonal antibodies (mAb). The steady state operation at high viable cell density allows the continuous delivery of antibody product with increased space-time yield and reduced in-process variability of critical product quality attributes (CQA). In particular, the production of a confined mAb N-linked glycosylation pattern has the potential to increase therapeutic efficacy and bioactivity. In this study, we show that accurate control of flow rates, media composition and cell density of a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell perfusion bioreactor allowed the production of a constant glycosylation profile for over 20 days. Steady state was reached after an initial transition phase of 6 days required for the stabilization of extra- and intracellular processes. The possibility to modulate the glycosylation profile was further investigated in a Design of Experiment (DoE), at different viable cell density and media supplement concentrations. This strategy was implemented in a sequential screening approach, where various steady states were achieved sequentially during one culture. It was found that, whereas high ammonia levels reached at high viable cell densities (VCD) values inhibited the processing to complex glycan structures, the supplementation of either galactose, or manganese as well as their synergy significantly increased the proportion of complex forms. The obtained experimental data set was used to compare the reliability of a statistical response surface model (RSM) to a mechanistic model of N-linked glycosylation. The latter outperformed the response surface predictions with respect to its capability and reliability in predicting the system behavior (i.e., glycosylation pattern) outside the experimental space covered by the DoE design used for the model parameter estimation. Therefore, we can conclude that the modulation of glycosylation in a sequential steady state approach in combination with mechanistic model represents an efficient and rational strategy to develop continuous processes with desired N-linked glycosylation patterns. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1978-1990. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Petroleum Carcinogenicity and Aerodigestive Tract: In Context of Developing Nations.

Head and neck cancers from a diverse group of neoplasms, the occurrence of which can be attributed to habitual tobacco use, race, alcohol consumption, ultraviolet (UV) exposure, occupational exposure, viruses, and diet. The surging incidence rates reflect the prevalence of risk factors such as tobacco use (smoked and smokeless), betel nut chewing, urbanization and issues relating to urban air quality. Urbanization and development have catalyzed a multifold rise in levels of pollution in metropolitan cities. Ever-increasing consumption of fuels to meet demands of the growing population coupled with industrial activity has adversely affected the air quality, especially in developing countries. The cause most neglected in risk assessment of aerodigestive tract cancer research is that from petroleum exposure. The global issue of petroleum carcinogenicity has assumed high proportions. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals are essential constituents of total petroleum hydrocarbons which infiltrate into the environment and are recognized worldwide as priority pollutants because of their toxicity and carcinogenicity. High levels of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, ammonia and particulate matter PM10 has skyrocketed aerodigestive tract diseases especially carcinomas. The identification of specific biomarkers and role of metal ions in aerodigestive tract cancers will indicate the molecular basis of disease to provide quality care for patients confronting new threats from climate-sensitive pathologies. There is an urgent need to evaluate existing public health infrastructure so as to take ameliorative and adaptive measures.

Reduction of Particulate Matter and Ammonia by Spraying Acidic Electrolyzed Water onto Litter of Aviary Hen Houses: A Lab-Scale Study

Abstract. Particulate matter (PM) concentrations are high in cage-free aviary hen houses due to accumulation of litter on the floor and hen activities. The use of a spraying agent such as acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) to mitigate PM levels and disinfect houses has been reported, and high spray dosages will reduce PM to a low level. However, spraying a high dose of AEW may generate high levels of ammonia (NH3) due to an increase in litter moisture content (LMC). Lab-scale experiments were conducted to assess the effect of AEW spray dosage and pH on PM and NH3 emissions from the litter of aviary hen houses. Four dynamic emission chambers (DECs) located in an environmentally controlled room were used for the evaluation. Three spray dosages of 25, 50, and 75 mL kg-1 dry litter d-1 (equivalent to area application rates of 125, 250, and 375 mL m-2, respectively) and three pH values of 3, 5, and 7 at a free-chlorine concentration of 200 mg L-1 were tested. Spraying occurred within 10 min once a day for five consecutive days. A no-spray regimen was used as the control. The results showed that higher spray dosages of AEW led to lower PM emissions. In particular, spraying dosages of 25, 50, and 75 mL kg-1 dry litter d-1 reduced PM levels by (mean ±SD) 71% ±3%, 81% ±1%, and 89% ±1%, respectively, immediately after spraying. The PM reductions were still significant 24 h after spraying, averaging 57% ±4%, 71% ±5%, and 83% ±1%, respectively. There was no significant difference (p = 0.30 to 0.43) in reduction efficiency among the PM sizes (i.e., PM1, PM2.5, PM4, PM10, and total suspended particulates). For NH3 emissions, spraying 75 mL kg-1 dry litter d-1 generated 5 to 6 times greater NH3 emissions when compared to 25 mL kg-1 dry litter d-1 due to the difference in LMC (22.6% vs. 13.0%). Meanwhile, spraying AEW of pH 7 yielded 2 to 3 times higher NH3 emissions than AEW of pH 3 at the same dosage. Ammonia emissions of all spray treatments were found to be higher than that of the control, albeit no significant difference between the control and the 25 mL kg-1 dry litter d-1 dosage at pH 3 or pH 5 (p = 0.81 and 0.47, respectively). Pearson correlation coefficients between NH3 and spray dosage (0.82) and pH value (0.46) indicated that spray dosage is more linearly correlated to NH3 emissions than pH value (p

Вплив нітратного та кадмієвого навантаження на білковий та азотовий обмін у молодняку великої рогатої худоби

&lt;p&gt;We studied the impact of nitrate and cadmium load on protein and nitrogen metabolism in young cattle. The feeding with forage of sodium nitrate at a dose of 0.15 g NO3/kg and cadmium chloride at a dose of 0.02 mg/kg of body weight leads to a violation of protein and nitrogen exchange, as indicated by the low levels of urea, total protein and high levels of ammonia.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We registered that the lowest urea content in blood serum of research bulls was on the 20&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; day of the experiment. The combined use of nitrate and cadmium on the animals was accompanied with a greater reduction of urea concentration in their blood, caused by sodium nitrate. The gradual reduction of urea in the blood serum of bulls indicated reduced activity of metabolic processes in an organism of bulls and inhibition of functional capacity of the liver to synthesize proteins.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Under the influence of nitrites and cadmium in our experiments in an organism of bulls was set the decrease in total protein in serum, depending on the intensity of met hemoglobin formation and the level of aggressive forms of oxygen, are formed after the activation of these processes. The changes of total protein level in the blood serum can be considered as suppression of protein synthesizing liver function.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Calves feeding with sodium nitrate and cadmium chloride promoted significant increase of ammonia in the blood serum than just feeding of calves with sodium nitrate. On the twentieth day of the experiment the level of ammonia in the second experimental group of animals was higher by 53% towards the control.&lt;/p&gt;

NOB suppression and adaptation strategies in the partial nitrification–Anammox process for a poultry manure anaerobic digester

Abstract Poultry manure contains high levels of ammonia, which result in a suboptimal bioconversion to methane in anaerobic digesters (AD). A simultaneous process of nitrification, Anammox and denitrification (SNAD) in a continuous granular bubble column reactor to treat the anaerobically digested poultry manure was implemented. Thus, two strategies to achieve high efficiencies were proposed in this study: (1) ammonia overload to suppress nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) and (2) gradual adaptation of the partial nitrification–Anammox (PN–A) biomass to organic matter. During the NOB-suppression stage, microbial and physical biomass characterizations were performed and the NOB abundance decreased from 31.3% to 3.3%. During the adaptation stage, with a nitrogen loading rate of 0.34 g L −1 d −1 , a hydraulic retention time of 1.24 d and an influent COD/N ratio of 2.63 ± 0.02, a maximum ammonia and total nitrogen removal of 100% and 91.68% were achieved, respectively. The relative abundances of the aerobic and the anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria were greater than 35% and 40% respectively, during the study. These strategies provided useful design tools for the efficient removal of nitrogen species in the presence of organic matter.