Int J Syst Bacteriol, 1996 Oct, 46(4), 1056 - 64 Sulfobacillus disulfidooxidans sp . nov., a new acidophilic, disulfide-oxidizing, gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium; Dufresne S et al.; An acidophilic, disulfide-oxidizing, mesophilic, aerobic bacterium was isolated from wastewater sludge . The new organism is a gram-positive sporulated rod . It can use elemental sulfur and pyrite as sole energy sources and grows on organic substrates such as glutamate and glucose . It also grows on the following organic sulfur substrates: oxidized and reduced glutathione, cysteine, cystine, and dithio(bis)benzothiazole and clearly shows a preference for disulfide bond-containing substrates . The optimal pH of growth is between 1.5 and 2.5, depending on the substrate used, and the growth temperature range varies from 4 to 40 degrees C, with an optimal value at 35 degrees C . The G + C chromosomal DNA content was measured at 53 +/- 1 mol% . Phylogenetic analysis of 16S genes coding for rRNA sequences places the new isolate in the genus Sulfobacillus . In addition, unique phenotypic and physiologic characteristics and DNA homology values assign the isolate to a new species in the genus . Therefore, this new isolate has been named Sulfobacillus disulfidooxidans and has been assigned ATCC number 51911. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 1996 Aug, 34(3), 223 - 7 Winter stress syndrome: an important consideration for hazard assessment of aquatic pollutants; Lemly AD; Winter Stress Syndrome (WSS) is a condition of severe lipid depletion in fish brought on by external stressors in combination with normal reductions in feeding and activity during cold weather . Fish can develop this syndrome in response to chemical stressors, such as water pollutants, or biological stressors such as parasites . Substantial mortality can result, potentially changing year-class strength and population structure of the affected species and altering community-level ecological interactions . Aquatic contaminants should be evaluated in the context of seasonal metabolic changes that normally occur in test organisms . WSS could be an important, but as yet unquantified, cause of mortality in many circumstances . Wastewater discharges may pose a greater toxic threat to fish during winter than at other times of the year . A comprehensive protocol for aquatic hazard assessment should include testing for WSS. Environ Manage, 1996 Jul, 20(4), 487 - 95 Salt Enrichment of Municipal Sewage: New Prevention Approaches in Israel Weber B, Avnimelech Y, Juanico M. Wastewater irrigation is an environmentally sound wastewater disposal practice, but sewage is more saline than the supplied fresh water and the salts are recycled together with the water . Salts have negative environmental effects on crops, soils, and groundwater . There are no inexpensive ways to remove the salts once they enter sewage, and the prevention of sewage salt enrichment is the most immediately available solution . The body of initiatives presently structured by the Ministry of the Environment of Israel are herein described, with the aim to contribute to the search for a long-term solution of salinity problems in arid countries . The new initiatives are based on: (1) search for new technologies to reduce salt consumption and discharge into sewage; (2) different technologies to cope with different situations; (3) raising the awareness of the public and industry on the environmental implications of salinity pollution; and (4) an elastic legal approach expressed through new state-of-the-art regulations . The main contributor to the salinity of sewage in Israel is the water-softening process followed by the meat koshering process . Some of the adopted technical solutions are: the discharge of the brine into the sea, the substitution of sodium by potassium salts in the ion-exchangers, the construction of centralized systems for the supply of soft water in industrial areas, the precipitation of Ca and Mg in the effluents from ion-exchangers and recycling of the NaCl solution, a reduction of the discharge of salts by the meat koshering process, and new membrane technology for salt recovery. J Chromatogr A, 1996 May 10, 733(1-2), 511 - 22 Wastewater from the manufacture of rubber vulcanization accelerators: characterization, downstream monitoring and chemical treatment; Puig A et al.; The content of wastewater resulting from the manufacture of rubber antioxidants and accelerators by a factory situated in the Ebro basin (Spain) has been determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) . The change in the pollutants was studied in the riverbed via two modules which continuously gathered pollutants on various solid supports (activated carbon and XAD-2 resins) . These modules were located in Bocal Station, lying a further 100 km downstream from the factory, and from the Zaragoza water supply . Forty-six different compounds were identified at Bocal Station, the majority resulting from the production of rubber additives . Due to the immunity of different waste substances, and to the toxic nature of some, we studied their reaction when subjected to techniques of chemical oxidation using ozone. Kansenshogaku Zasshi, 1996 Feb, 70(2), 132 - 40 {An outbreak of waterborne Cryptosporidiosis in Kanagawa, Japan}; Kuroki T et al.; An outbreak of diarrhea due to infection with Cryptosporidium occurred among the staff members and customers who visited one of the 10 public houses or a dancing school in a building in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, at the end of summer in 1994 . The epidemiological surveys by a questionnaire revealed that 461 out of 736 persons investigated complained of cholera-like or flu-like illness . The clinical manifestations included mucous and/or watery diarrhea (96.7%), abdominal pain (61.6%), fever (54.2%: lower than 39 degrees C = 84.1%, higher than 39 degrees C = 15.9%), malaise (37.1%), nausea (32.8%) and headache (29.3%) . The polluted drinking water was strongly suspected to be the immediate cause of infection . Although several species of pathogenic bacteria were isolated both from stool and water samples, they were not supposed to be linked to the outbreak . No known enteropathogenic virus was found in either of the samples . Oocysts of Cryptosporidium parvum were identified in 12 (48.0%) of the 25 stool samples . The oocysts were also found in tap water and other water samples from a receiving tank which was directly connected with the public waterworks, and an elevated tank on the roof, a wastewater pits, a soil pit and artesianspring water tank . These tanks and pits except for the elevated tank were built adjucent to each other on an underground floor of the building . These tanks and pits were connected with openings in the upperpart of the tank walls . These openings might have functioned to discharge excess of drinking water in the receiving tank to the wastewater pit . The water level of the wastewater pit is kept down below the openings by pumping out the sanitary sewage to the public drain . According to the declaration of the owner of the building, however, the wastewater pump was broken at the time of outbreak . Accidental malfunction of the drainage system caused contamination of drinking water with sanitary sewage through the connecting pipes. J Appl Bacteriol, 1996 Feb, 80(2), 117 - 23 Variations in R-plasmid DNA concentrations of Escherichia coli during starvation in sewage and brackish waters; Arturo-Schaan M et al.; Cell culturability and plasmid stability in Escherichia coli containing plasmids RP1, R388 and pUB824 were studied in raw and treated wastewater, and in brackish water . The E . coli strain survived well in the three samples of water employed . Moreover, the three plasmids were maintained under all conditions studied . Interestingly, plasmid DNA concentration of individual plasmids followed the same evolution as the culturable bacteria in the corresponding selective medium when the bacteria grew in raw or treated wastewater . In contrast, in brackish water, the stress due to the oligotrophic and salinity conditions of the medium produced an initial paradoxical increase in plasmid DNA concentration, followed by a decrease in the number of culturable bacteria in the corresponding selective medium . Maintenance of RP1 (56 kbp) and R388 (33 kbp) was markedly influenced by nutritive conditions, which caused a segregation of the plasmids from cells . The results of the present study suggest that variations in plasmid DNA concentrations in an aquatic environment depend on the quality of the water and also on the molecular weight of the plasmid considered. Crit Rev Biotechnol, 1996, 16(1), 53 - 94 Biotechnological developments in Turkey; Ozcengiz G; Turkey is a country not usually associated with industrial biotechnology . However, when current research potential in universities and other R & D centers and particularly contributions made to the international literature since the mid-1980s are taken into account, high-quality international-level work is now commonplace, especially in areas such as industrial microbiology, enzyme technology, biomaterials and biological wastewater treatment . Work in plant biotechnology is at a relatively early stage, but is expected to become a rapidly developing force in the near future . The present article documents current potential in Turkey, based on significant publications produced during the last 8 years. Med Trop (Mars), 1996, 56(1), 41 - 7 {Survival of Bulinus truncatus and Biomphalaria pfeifferi in sewer water purified in stabilization ponds in a sudanese-saharan zone}; Klutse A et al.; In subsaharan Africa wastewater purification to protect the health of the population could create stagnate water reservoirs for parasitic vectors such as snails which are intermediate hosts of bilharzia . Laboratory studies of the survival of Bulinus truncatus, an intermediate host of Schistosoma haematobium, and Biomphalaria pfeifferi, an intermediate host of Schistosoma mansoni, in waste water purified in stabilization ponds showed that Biomphalaria pfeifferi thrives to dirty water (60 mg/l < or = COD < or = 1060 mg/l) while Bulinus truncatus survived only in slightly cleaner water (60 mg/l < or = COD < or = 200 mg/l) . Field studies showed that Biomphalaria pfeifferi disappeared after 48 hours as compared to 25 days in the laboratory . In both laboratory and field studies Bulinus truncatus survived only 24 hours in raw waste water . The duration of survival grew longer as quality of the water improved . Temperature variations, high amounts of organic material in water, high oxygen content in water, and absence of plant-life are factors which could limit the development of the intermediate snail hosts (i.e . Bulinus truncatus and Biomphalaria pfeifferi) in the waste stabilization ponds of the Interstate School of Rural Equipment Engineers in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 1996 Jan, 69(1), 47 - 59 Post-treatments of anaerobic effluents; Tilche A et al.; Post-treatments are necessary if anaerobic effluents need to be discharged into surface waters, because anaerobic digestion alone is not able to produce effluents that can meet the discharge standards applied in most industrialized countries, particularly for suspended solids, particulate COD, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphides . This paper has the aim to present some results obtained in the recent years in our laboratory, where different comprehensive processes that include anaerobic digestion have been studied . Discussion will regard: 1) the ANANOX (ANaerobic-ANoxic-OXic) process for the treatment of municipal wastewater; 2) a process studied for the biological removal of C, N and P from piggery wastewater that has a hybrid anaerobic/anoxic reactor as the first treatment step; 3) the use of a Sequencing Batch Reactor for the post-treatment of digested cheese whey mixed with cheese factory cleaning waters. Parassitologia, 1995 Dec, 37(2-3), 229 - 32 Viability of Ascaris suum, Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris muris eggs to alkaline pH and different temperatures; Ghiglietti R et al.; Disposal of wastewater sludges in agricultural soil is a way to recover mineral and organic substances . Nevertheless disposing and handling such untreated, potentially contaminated sludges may be hazardous for human health and the environment . The aim of this study is to evaluate a method for sludge decontamination consisting in alkaline treatment with ammonia at different temperatures (22 degrees C, 30 degrees C, 40 degrees C) to establish its effects on the survival of Ascaris suum, Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris muris eggs . Our experiments show that the combination of alkalinization with NH4OH at a temperature of 30 degrees C causes the eggs to be inactivated . A 40 degrees C temperature was unfavourable to the development of these helminths in the eggs, with or without addition of NH4OH . At 22 degrees C ammonia did not have any effect on their viability . Ammonia at suitable temperatures therefore, is able to destroy Ascaris and Trichuris eggs . It is suggested that this technology be adopted to decontaminate wastewater sludge before using it as manure in agriculture. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 1995 Nov, 68(4), 329 - 37 Different types of sludge granules in UASB reactors treating acidified wastewaters; Thaveesri J et al.; The influence of a high energy substrate, i.e . sucrose, on the granular sludge yield and the development of different types of granular sludge was investigated by using Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Bed (UASB) reactors fed with synthetic wastewater . The feed COD was a mixture of volatile fatty acids (VFA) i.e., 20, 40, and 40% of the COD as C2-, C3-, and C4-VFA, respectively . Furthermore, experiments were carried out in which 10 and 30% of the VFA COD was substituted with sucrose . The following distinctly different types of granules were observed in each testrun: in the reactor fed with solely VFA, black (B) and white (W) granules developed; in the reactor fed with a mixture of 90% VFA and 10% sucrose, three types of granules i.e., B, W, and grey (G) granules could be seen; in the reactor fed with 70% VFA and 30% sucrose, only W and G granules were found . The granular sludge yield increased proportional to the amount of sucrose COD . At steady-state performance of the reactors, specific acidogenic (SAA) and methanogenic (SMA) activity tests on these granules revealed that B granules had the highest SMA with low SAA . The W granules had very high SMA with low SAA . G granules gave the highest SAA with a considerable SMA . Measurement of coenzyme F420 revealed that B granules consist mainly of acetoclastic methanogens . The fore-mentioned tests were supplemented with analyses of the wash-out cells present in the reactor effluent and the results suggested that acidogens, if present, prevail at the granule surface . The B granules were particularly rich in Ca, Mn, and Zn minerals . The size distribution analysis showed that the granule diameter increased in the following order: B < W < G granules . The biogas bubbles tended to adhere to the B and W granules but not so strongly to the G granules. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 1995 Nov, 32(2), 139 - 46 Toxicity evaluations of wastewaters in Austria with conventional and cost-effective bioassays; Muna L et al.; The acute toxicity of 42 samples of different types of domestic and industrial discharges was assessed with a battery of tests comprising the standard Daphnia magna bioassay and three cost-effective new microbiotests (cyst-based Toxkits): the Rotoxkit F with the freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus and the Streptoxkit F and Thamnotoxkit F tests with the freshwater fairy shrimps Streptocephalus proboscideus and Thamnocephalus platyurus, respectively . Chemical analyses were performed for conventional water quality parameters such as chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD5), NO2, NH3, NH4+, O2, and pH . Toxicity of the samples, expressed as German regulatory G-values, was found to vary between 1 and 128 . The results of these toxicity tests indicate that the Toxkit bioassays were as sensitive as the D . magna acute test . The crustacean T . platyurus was in 75% of the toxic samples more sensitive than D . magna . Relationships between the chemical composition and the toxicity of the discharges could be established in some cases, but not in others, which confirms the difficulties of extrapolating toxic hazards of complex wastes from (mostly restricted) chemical analyses . This study demonstrates the potential of cost-effective bioassays (such as, e.g., cyst-based Toxkits) as attractive alternatives to (expensive) conventional bioassays for routine monitoring of effluents and wastes. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1995 Nov, 61(11), 3849 - 55 Development of a PCR protocol for sensitive detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts in water samples; Johnson DW et al.; The development of a reliable method of using PCR for detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts in environmental samples with oligonucleotide primers which amplify a portion of the sequence encoding the small (18S) subunit of rRNA producing a 435-bp product was demonstrated . The PCR assay was found to provide highly genus-specific detection of Cryptosporidium spp . after release of nucleic acids from oocysts by a simple freeze-thaw procedure . The assay routinely detected 1 to 10 oocysts in purified oocyst preparations, as shown by direct microscopic counts and by an immunofluorescence assay . The sensitivity of the PCR assay in some seeded environmental water samples was up to 1,000-fold lower . However, this interference was eliminated by either flow cytometry or magnetic-antibody capture . Sensitivity was also improved 10- to 1,000-fold by probing of the PCR product on dot blots with an oligonucleotide probe detected by chemiluminescence . Confirmation of the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts in water samples from the outbreak in Milwaukee, Wis., was obtained with this technique, and PCR was found to be as sensitive as immunofluorescence for detection of oocysts in wastewater concentrates. Lett Appl Microbiol, 1995 Nov, 21(5), 307 - 12 Aerobic degradation and dechlorination of 2-chlorophenol, 3-chlorophenol and 4-chlorophenol by a Pseudomonas pickettii strain; Fava F et al.; A Gram-negative aerobic bacterium capable of using 2-chlorophenol (2-CP), 3-chlorophenol (3-CP) and 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) as sole carbon sources was isolated and characterized . The bacterium, designated LD1, was identified to be a Pseudomonas pickettii strain . LD1 was able to totally degrade and dechlorinate 2-CP (initial concentration: 1.51 mmol l-1), 3-CP (initial concentration: 0.57 mmol l-1) and 4-CP (initial concentration: 0.75 mmol l-1) within 30, 30 and 40 h of incubation, respectively, under growing-cell batch conditions . LD1 was also found to be able to metabolize chlorocatechols in growing- and resting-cell conditions . This suggests that the bacterium degrades monochlorophenols through a chlorocatechol pathway . In addition, LD1 was found to be capable of readily metabolizing other organic compounds such as phenol, benzoic acid, hydroxybenzoic acids and hydroquinone . Because of the broad spectrum of monochlorophenols and organic compounds that LD1 can degrade, this bacterium appears to have the potential for being successfully used in the biotreatment of wastewaters and in soil decontamination. Rev Latinoam Microbiol, 1995 Oct-Dec, 37(4), 325 - 35 {Comparison of ciliate diversity in biodisc reactors which purify industrial wastewater}; Luna-Pabello VM et al.; The comparative study of the ciliate populations present in rotating biological reactors (biodiscs reactors) of 20 l working volume, treating three different wastewaters is the aim of this project . Wastewaters chosen were those of a maize mill, of a sugarcane/ethyl alcohol plant, and of a recycled paper mill . Its dissolved organic contents, measured as soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) and five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), were 2040 mg COD/l and 585 mg BOD5/l for maize mill effluents (nejayote), 2000 mg COD/l and 640 mg BOD5/l for sugarcane/ethanol effluents (vinasses), and 960 mg COD/l and 120 mg BOD5/l for whitewaters of the paper industry . Results obtained indicate that ciliate proliferate in all chambers of reactors treating these wastewaters . The ciliates were more abundant in vinasses, followed by nejayote, and then whitewaters . Among protozoa, ciliates were present as follows: 19 species in total . Three of them were common for the three systems . Free swimming ciliates were in higher proportion than pedunculated ones . Its diversity was higher for the whitewaters system, next for nejayote, and the lesser, for vinasses, corroborating the fact that less polluted waters have higher organisms' diversity. J Environ Sci Health B, 1995 Sep, 30(5), 733 - 58 Nitrogen and phosphorus removal for swine wastewater by ammonium crystallization and intermittent aeration process; Liao CM et al.; A process on crystallized precipitation of ammonium by adding magnesium salt and phosphate was carried out to improve C/N ratio in swine wastewater . After completion of crystallized precipitation of ammonium, an intermittent aeration process with aeration and nonaeration periods alternated at interval of 1:1 hr day-1 is used for the improved swine wastewater (T-N/BOD = 0.14: BOD = 8200 mg/liter and T-N = 1166 mg/liter) . The results obtained from the experiment show that the removal ratios of T-N and NH4-N are 91% and 99%, respectively . T-P is not removed, while the removal ratio of PO4-P is 60% as 3% of CaCl2 liquid is added . The results also indicate that dilution with water is effective to improve the removal of phosphorus even if raw swine wastewater contains high concentrations of T-N, T-P, BOD, and TOC. J Environ Sci Health B, 1995 Sep, 30(5), 585 - 604 Organophosphate insecticide degradation by non-amended and cupric ion-amended Fenton's reagent in aqueous solution; Dowling KC et al.; Improper treatment and disposal of pesticide-contaminated wastewaters raise concerns for soil and water contamination . Based on the pilot studies described here, chemical treatment via Fenton's reagent (ferrous ion plus hydrogen peroxide) of three organophosphorus insecticides in aqueous solution appears promising . Results show that the Fenton dark reaction degrades methyl parathion, malathion, and methamidophos, and in many cases their breakdown products as well . Addition of cupric ion greatly accelerates insecticide disappearance . To maximize degradation, further studies of the influence of 1) pesticide structure, 2) reagent ratios, and 3) breakdown product competition on reaction rates are necessary. Arch Microbiol, 1995 Aug, 164(2), 119 - 24 Desulforhabdus amnigenus gen . nov . sp . nov., a sulfate reducer isolated from anaerobic granular sludge; Oude Elferink SJ et al.; From granular sludge of an upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactor treating paper-mill wastewater, a sulfate-reducing bacterium (strain ASRB1) was isolated with acetate as sole carbon and energy source . The bacterium was rod-shaped, (1.4-1.9 x 2.5-3.4 microns), nonmotile, and gram-negative . Optimum growth with acetate occurred around 37 degrees C in freshwater medium (doubling time: 3.5-5.0 days) . The bacterium grew on a range of organic acids, such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate, and on alcohols, and grew autotrophically with H2, CO2, and sulfate . Fastest growth occurred with formate, propionate, and ethanol (doubling time: approx . 1.5 days) . Strain ASRB1 clusters with the delta subdivision of Proteobacteria and is closely related to Syntrophobacter wolinii, a syntrophic propionate oxidizer . Strain ASRB1 was characterized as a new genus and species: Desulforhabdus amnigenus. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 1995 Aug, 31(3), 205 - 10 Microalgae and wastewater treatment; Hammouda O et al.; The performance of microalgae aquaculture wastewater treatment system predominated mainly by Scenedesmus and Chlorella was assessed . Treatment induced a progressive reduction in both COD and BOD to values below the discharge limits . Different patterns were obtained for removal of phosphorus, nitrogen, and ammonia; however, the algal culture efficiencies reached 100% in their removal by the end of the treatment period . The applied aquatic systems demonstrated percentage reduction of heavy metals in the range between 52.3 and 100% in the batch system and 64.2 and 100% in the continuous system . Wastewater supported algal growth by inducing the incorporation of a significantly higher content of the individual amino acids Asp, Thr, Ser, Glu, Gly, and Tyr, and a markedly higher level of Pro . However, His, Lys, and Arg were markedly reduced compared to their levels in synthetic-medium-grown algae. Dtsch Tierarztl Wochenschr, 1995 Jul, 102(7), 278 - 83 {Effect of structural changes in animal husbandry on the environment due to wastes and residues from animal production}; Bohm R; From the statistic data it can be taken, that especially in the old federal states of Germany, in the new future animal husbandry will be more and more concentrated in certain regions . This structural change probably is followed by a similar concentration process concerning slaughterhouses and within limitations the rendering industry too . This will result in a higher regional environmental pollution by volatile and soluble components as well as microorganism from agricultural wastes of animal origin, by offal and by products from slaughtering as well as by highly contaminated slaughterhouse wastewater and by pollutants in air and waste-water from rendering plants . Further regional environmental and epidemiological risks are connected with recycling of voluminous slaughterhouse wastes like rumen-, stomach- and gut-contents to the farms as fertilizers, unless strictly hygienic guidelines have to be followed in the future. Biodegradation, 1995 Jun, 6(2), 93 - 107 The development of a novel strategy for the microbial treatment of acrylonitrile effluents; Wyatt JM et al.; Effluent from the manufacture of acrylonitrile is difficult to biodegrade . It contains nine major organic components: acetic acid, acrylonitrile, acrylamide, acrylic acid, acrolein, cyanopyridine, fumaronitrile, succinonitrile, and maleimide . A range of bacteria have been isolated that can grow on, or convert all of the organic components of effluent from the manufacture of acrylonitrile . These bacteria can be used as the basis of a mixed culture system to treat the effluent . The bacteria were utilised in batch and continuous cultures to degrade a synthetic wastewater containing acrylonitrile, acrylamide, acrylic acid, cyanopyridine and succinonitrile . The mixed microbial population was adapted by varying the growth rate and switching from continuous to batch and back to continuous growth, to degrade these five compounds as well as acrolein, fumaronitrile and maleimide. Vaccine, 1995 Jun, 13(9), 835 - 40 Antigenicity of hepatitis A virus after ultra-violet inactivation; Wang CH et al.; Ultra-violet (UV) treatment has been shown to inactivate hepatitis A virus (HAV) in wastewater and polluted drinking water . Whether this method could be used to inactivate virus preparations made for vaccine purposes is not known since the effect of UV on the antigenicity of HAV has not been studied . HAV vaccine preparations have been treated effectively with formaldehyde . However, this method is time-consuming, since treatment times of up to 15 days have been published as necessary for a complete and safe inactivation . We used a cell-culture-derived HAV preparation with a TCID50 of 10(9) for a UV irradiation experiment . The antigenicity (assessed by a panel of anti-HAV antibodies), viral genome titre (quantitated by polymerase chain reaction) and HAV infectivity were compared after treatment with UV doses of 0, 184, 368, 552, 736 and 920 J m-2 . Our results showed the antigenicity of HAV was almost unaltered even when infectious viral particles were no longer detectable . This technique shows potential as a simple and low-cost method for an inactivated HAV vaccine. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc, 1995 May, 70(2), 243 - 75 Treatability, toxicity and biodegradability test methods; Kilroy A et al.; 1 . This review confirms that treatability and biodegradability test methods have been cited extensively in the literature . It is clear that the method selected depends on the specific objectives of the test, i.e . the determination of whether a substance is toxic, biodegradable or treatable . Factors that have to be considered when selecting the test methods are the cost of performing the test, the time and resources involved, and the accuracy required . It often appears that more extensive simulation studies are required after initial screening tests have been performed . 2 . Many of the enzyme and bacterial growth tests which have been developed for monitoring or screening of toxicants and their persistence in water and wastewaters have been reviewed . Most of these tests are rapid, inexpensive, and reproducible . Most of the biochemical and microcalorimetric approaches, although promising, are still in their infancy as regards toxicity testing . Therefore, biological testing still appears to be most suitable for routine assessment . 3 . Micro-organisms are particularly suitable for use in toxicity testing of chemicals as they are inexpensive to culture, have rapid growth rates, and usually provide reproducible results (Vaishnav & Korthals, 1990) . Many bioassays have been developed to evaluate the toxicity and treatability of municipal and industrial effluents . Numerous single species tests have been recommended by several authors (Dutka et al., 1983; Beaubien et al . 1986) . Such approaches are mainly based on the belief that, by selecting the most sensitive species and by using appropriate factors to allow for variability not included in the test, the highest levels of biological organization will be adequately protected . Single species tests are now quite well established, and when properly used, are easy to analyse and quantify . However, it has been pointed out (Levin, 1984) that the results obtained from single species tests cannot easily be applied to natural field conditions because the test organisms are extensively laboratory acclimated; also the test conditions provide for optimized growth and survival, a situation unlikely to be found in the field . Moreover, a fundamental problem with this approach is that it assumes that the ecosystem is a collection of single species exposed to toxicants under constant conditions (Cairns, 1982) . Multi-species toxicity tests, that is the use of mixed cultures or communities of micro-organisms for a testing protocol, are found to be generally much less sensitive than single species tests (Dutka & Kwan, 1984).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS) Appl Environ Microbiol, 1995 Apr, 61(4), 1246 - 51 Anaerobic oxidation of ammonium is a biologically mediated process; van de Graaf AA et al.; A newly discovered process by which ammonium is converted to dinitrogen gas under anaerobic conditions (the Anammox process) has now been examined in detail . In order to confirm the biological nature of this process, anaerobic batch culture experiments were used . All of the ammonium provided in the medium was oxidized within 9 days . In control experiments with autoclaved or raw wastewater, without added sludge or with added sterilized (either autoclaved or gamma irradiated) sludge, no changes in the ammonium and nitrate concentrations were observed . Chemical reactions could therefore not be responsible for the ammonium conversion . The addition of chloramphenicol, ampicillin, 2,4-dinitrophenol, carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl-hydrazone (CCCP), and mercuric chloride (HgIICl2) completely inhibited the activity of the ammonium-oxidizing sludge . Furthermore, the rate of ammonium oxidation was proportional to the initial amount of sludge used . It was therefore concluded that anaerobic ammonium oxidation was a microbiological process . As the experiments were carried out in an oxygen-free atmosphere, the conversion of ammonium to dinitrogen gas did not even require a trace of O2 . That the end product of the reaction was nitrogen gas has been confirmed by using 15NH4+ and 14NO3- . The dominant product was 14-15N2 . Only 1.7% of the total labelled nitrogen gas produced was 15-15N2 . It is therefore proposed that the N2 produced by the Anammox process is formed from equimolar amounts of NH4+ and NO3-. Mutat Res, 1995 Mar, 342(1-2), 1 - 8 Mutagenicity and toxicity of water extracts from the Sora river area; Filipic M; The present study was conducted on the waters of the Sora river and effluents entering to the river . The samples were extracted with XAD-2 resin at different pH and tested for mutagenicity with the modified Ames test using strains S . typhimurium TA98 and TA100 . The majority of the mutagenic activity of the samples was found in the neutral pH fraction of the extracts . Strain TA98 in the presence of metabolic activation was the most sensitive condition of mutagenicity . Of the eleven sample extracts, six were positive; neutral fractions of the effluent from wastewater treatment plant, the water leaching from the municipal dump, the water from the lake lying beneath the dump and the untreated effluent, and acid fractions of two samples taken directly from the river . The water leaching from the municipal dump was also mutagenic and toxic without previous extraction . Mutagenic responses before and after extraction of this sample indicate that components responsible for mutagenicity were partly extracted in the neutral fraction . The toxicity of water samples and extracts was tested with Microtox assay, and acid fractions of the extracts were more toxic than the neutral fractions . Comparing the toxicity to the mutagenicity data indicates that components responsible for toxic and mutagenic response were at least partly separated between acid and neutral fraction respectively. Curr Microbiol, 1995 Mar, 30(3), 155 - 60 Conjugal transfer of natural plasmids between Escherichia coli strains in sterile environmental water; Tamanai-Shacoori Z et al.; Seven antibiotic-multiresistant Escherichia coli strains, possessing three or four plasmids, capable of transferring their resistance marker at a high frequency, were selected among a total of 300 antibiotic-resistant E . coli strains isolated from natural water--raw and treated wastewater, and brackish water (collected 1 km downstream) . These strains were mated with E . coli K-12 C600 nalr, both in sterilized natural water and LB medium at 25 degrees C . Conjugation did occur in all the systems tested, although fewer transconjugants were recovered from raw and treated wastewater experiments . In contrast, in brackish and seawater, the transfer frequency did not significantly decrease in spite of salt contents . In 100% of the cases, transfer of the high-molecular-weight plasmids (> or = 20 kb) was observed, but the small plasmids (2.6-7.5 kb) were only cotransferred in raw or treated wastewater and in brackish water . Moreover, genotypic variation occurred more frequently in natural water than in LB medium. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1995 Jan, 61(1), 13 - 20 Development and application of a monoclonal antibody against Thiothrix spp; Brigmon RL et al.; Historically, methods used to identify Thiothrix spp . in environmental samples have been inadequate because isolation and identification procedures are time-consuming and often fail to separate Thiothrix spp . from other filamentous microorganisms . We described a monoclonal antibody-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) procedure which was used to identify Thiothrix spp . in wastewater, artesian springs, groundwater, and underwater subterranean samples . The ELISA utilized monoclonal antibody T3511 to a species-specific carbohydrate epitope of Thiothrix spp . No cross-reactions were observed among non-Thiothrix strains consisting of 12 species and nine genera . In field trials, the ELISA identified 100% of 20 biochemically and cytologically confirmed Thiothrix spp.-containing samples with no false positives . Indirect immunofluorescent microscopy utilizing T3511 was effective for wastewater samples but not for those from natural spring water because of background fluorescence in the latter . In addition, electron micrographs of Thiothrix spp . labeled with T3511-biotin-anti-mouse antibody-gold showed that epitope T3511 was intracellular both in laboratory strains and environmental isolates . The minimum level of detection of the ELISA was 0.10 microgram/ml. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 1995, 67(1), 103 - 10 The physical characteristics of anaerobic granular sludges in relation to their internal architecture; Forster CF et al.; A range of granular sludges was taken from industrial anaerobic sludge blanket reactors treating a wide variety of wastewaters and a comparison was made between the polymers which were extractable from the granules and their internal structures . The study of the internal structure, using sequential staining of ultra-thin sections, showed the complexity of granular sludges . Much of the area was occupied by Gram-negative cells and the area which stained positive for protein was found to increase nearer the centre of the granules . This was accompanied by a decrease in the carbohydrate positive areas . Positive areas for lipid were widespread throughout the granules . Changes in the internal structure were observed when the type of wastewater treated by the granules was changed and a comparison between sludges treating the same type of wastewater showed that factors other than the nature of the substrate must be considered as parameters which will affect the structure of the granules . Although an appreciable variation in the granule strengths was noted, it was not possible to relate these differences, on an overall basis, to either the internal structure or the chemical composition of the extracted polymers . However, an examination of data for granules produced during the treatment of nominally similar wastes did suggest that there would be a relationship between polymer composition and granule strength in these cases. Food Chem Toxicol, 1994 Nov, 32(11), 1021 - 30 Denver Potable Water Reuse Demonstration Project: comprehensive chronic rat study; Condie LW et al.; The health effects testing program for the Denver Water Department's Potable Water Reuse Demonstration Project was designed to evaluate the relative health effects of highly treated reclaimed water derived from secondary wastewater in comparison with Denver's present high-quality drinking water . The 1 x 10(6) gal/day treatment plant provided 500-fold concentrates of water that had been treated by multiple processes to remove microbial and chemical contaminants . Fischer 344 rats were exposed to the complex mixture solutions for up to 2 yr to evaluate chronic toxicity and oncogenicity effects . The following parameters were evaluated: clinical observations, survival rate, growth, food and water consumption, haematology, clinical chemistry, urinalysis, organ weights, gross autopsy and histopathological examination of all lesions, major tissues and organs . Clinical pathology, gross pathology, and microscopic pathology conducted at wk 26 and 65 and at the end of the study did not reveal any findings that could be considered to be treatment related . Administration of drinking water concentrates at up to 500 times the original concentration in the original water samples to F344 rats for up to 104 wk did not result in any overt toxicological or carcinogenic effects. J Chem Technol Biotechnol, 1994 Oct, 61(2), 179 - 82 Enzymatic removal of selected aromatic contaminants from wastewater by a fungal peroxidase from Coprinus macrorhizus in batch reactors; al-Kassim L et al.; The use of enzymes such as horseradish peroxidase (HRP) for degrading or removing toxic organics from synthetic wastewater has been demonstrated previously . Potential alternatives to HRP are other peroxidases, various ligninases, haloperoxidases and laccases . Results of this study indicate that a fungal peroxidase from Coprinus macrorhizus (CMP) has the capability to catalyze the same reactions as HRP . Similarly, in batch reactors the trend and removal efficiency of aromatic compounds by CMP from synthetic wastewater depend on the nature of the compound. J AOAC Int, 1994 Sep-Oct, 77(5), 1253 - 63 Determination of inorganic anions in water by ion chromatography: a collaborative study; Edgell KW et al.; The U.S . Environmental Protection Agency (U.S . EPA) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) conducted a joint collaborative study validating an ion chromatographic method for determination fo inorganic anions (U.S . EPA method 300.0A and the equivalent proposed revision to ASTM method D4327) . This study was conducted to determine the mean recovery and precision of analyses for bromide, chloride, fluoride, nitrate, nitrite, orthophosphate, and sulfate in reagent water, drinking water, and wastewater . The study design was based on Youden's nonreplicate plan for collaborative tests of analytical methods . The test waters were spiked with the anions at 6 concentration levels, prepared as 3 Youden pairs . The 22 volunteer laboratories were instructed to dilute 10 mL sample concentrate to 100 mL test water . A measured volume of sample (20-200 microL) was injected into an ion chromatograph equipped with a guard column, anion exchange column, and a chemical micromembrane suppression device . The anions were then separated using 1.7 mM sodium bicarbonate and 1.8 mM sodium carbonate, and measured by a conductivity detector . Submitted data were evaluated using U.S . EPA's IMVS computer program, which follows ASTM D2777-86 statistical guidance . U.S . EPA method 300.0A and ASTM method D4327 were judged acceptable for measurement of the above anions (except sulfate) at concentrations ranging from 0.3 to 25 mg/L and sulfate concentrations from 2.9 to 95 mg/L . Mean recoveries for the 7 anions from all matrixes, as estimated from the linear regression equations, ranged from 95 to 104% . At concentrations above 2-6 mg/L for bromide, fluoride, nitrate, nitrite, and orthophosphate, and above 24 mg/L for sulfate, the overall and single-analyst relative standard deviations were less than 10 and 6%, respectively . As concentrations decreased, precision became more variable . The relative standard deviations of results for chloride were slightly higher than the other anions, especially in matrixes with high chloride background . Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tests at the 95% confidence interval indicated a statistically significant matrix effect for chloride, nitrite, and nitrate analyses in drinking water compared to analyses in reagent water . Because these matrix effects were caused by the spiking process and not the drinking water itself, the ANOVA determination was not considered to be of practical significance. Australas Biotechnol, 1994 Sep-Oct, 4(5), 292 - 7 Biological sorption and uptake of toxic metal ion from wastewaters; Madgwick JC; Microorganisms and algae have potential as agents for removing inorganic pollutants from wastewaters . Metal ion uptake mechanisms function either by passive chemical adsorption or by metabolically driven processes . Ion selective uptake processes are being sought in algae to facilitate purification of valuable metal ions for recycling . Sessile macroalgae growing in seawater are useful bioindicators for detecting metal ion contamination in the marine environment. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1994 Aug, 60(8), 2963 - 70 Detection of adenoviruses and enteroviruses in polluted waters by nested PCR amplification; Puig M et al.; A procedure has been developed for the rapid detection of enteroviruses and adenoviruses in environmental samples . Several systems for virus concentration and extraction of nucleic acid were tested by adding adenovirus type 2 and poliovirus type 1 to different sewage samples . The most promising method for virus recovery involved the concentration of viruses by centrifugation and elution of the virus pellets by treatment with 0.25 N glycine buffer, pH 9.5 . Nucleic acid extraction by adsorption of RNA and DNA to silica particles was the most efficient . One aliquot of the extracted nucleic acids was used for a nested two-step PCR, with specific primers for all adenoviruses; and another aliquot was used to synthesize cDNA for a nested two-step PCR with specific primers for further detection of seeded polioviruses or all enteroviruses in the river water and sewage samples . The specificity and sensitivity were evaluated, and 24 different enterovirus strains and the 47 human adenovirus serotypes were recognized by the primers used . The sensitivity was estimated to be between 1 and 10 virus particles for each of the species tested . Twenty-five samples of sewage and polluted river water were analyzed and showed a much higher number of positive isolates by nested PCR than by tissue culture analysis . The PCR-based detection of enteroviruses and adenoviruses shows good results as an indicator of possible viral contamination in environmental wastewater. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol, 1994 Jul, 27(1), 25 - 8 Evaluation of a microplate assay specific for heavy metal toxicity; Bitton G et al.; A rapid, quantitative microbial assay, which is specific for heavy metal toxicity, has been developed . The assay (MetPLATE) is in a 96-well microtitration plate format and is suitable for determining toxicity characteristics such as median inhibitory concentrations . The sensitivity of MetPLATE to heavy metals {Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Hg, Cr(III)} was generally higher than Microtox and was of the same order as or better than Daphnia and fish bioassay . MetPLATE was insensitive to organic compounds at concentrations higher than those found in the environment . Six out of 10 industrial wastewaters or process waters surveyed were toxic . Heavy metal analysis of these waters confirmed the presence of heavy metals in the toxic samples . MetPLATE can be run concurrently with other assays for general toxicity to help determine the nature of chemicals causing toxicity. J Dairy Sci, 1994 Jul, 77(7), 2008 - 30 Components of dairy manure management systems; Van Horn HH et al.; Dairy manure management systems should account for the fate of excreted nutrients that may be of environmental concern . Currently, regulatory oversight is directed primarily at the assurance of water quality; N is the most monitored element . Land application of manure at acceptable fertilizer levels to crops produced on the farm by hauling or by pumping flushed manure effluent through irrigation systems is the basis of most systems . Nutrient losses to surface and groundwaters can be avoided, and significant economic value can be obtained from manure as fertilizer if adequate crop production is possible . Dairies with insufficient crop production potential need affordable systems to concentrate manure nutrients, thereby reducing hauling costs and possibly producing a salable product . Precipitation of additional nutrients from flushed manures with sedimented solids may be possible . Composting of separated manure solids offers a possible method to stabilize solids for distribution, but, most often, solids separated from dairy manures are fibrous and low in fertility . Manure solids combined with wastes from other sources may have potential if a marketable product can be produced or if sufficient subsidy is received for processing supplementary wastes . Solutions to odor problems are needed . Energy generated from manure organic matter, via anaerobic digestion, reduces atmospheric emissions of methane and odorous compounds . Use of constructed wetlands or harvesting of photosynthetic biomass from wastewater has the potential to improve water quality, making extensive recycling possible. Microbiol Res, 1994 Jun, 149(2), 105 - 14 Alteration of viral infectious behavior by surface active agents; Vanden Bossche G; Phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and wastewater retentate, which had been adjusted to the same level of pH and ionic strength by addition of a concentrated PBS solution, were experimentally seeded with polio- or parvovirus and treated with various concentrations of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) and dodecyltrimethylammoniumbromid (DTAB), respectively . Upon subsequent assessment for viral infectivity of the samples in Buffalo green monkey kidney cell cultures, infectivity modulating effects of DTAB in PBS and of SDS in retentate appeared to be largely affected by the electrical charge of the suspended virions . However, if PBS or retentate samples were treated with SDS or DTAB respectively, different isoelectric properties between polio- and parvovirus particles were less likely to affect the detergent concentration required for optimal virus recovery . Moreover, in the presence of soluble organics, optimal virus recovery rates were obtained with much lower detergent concentrations if the samples had been treated with DTAB instead of SDS . Measurement of the effective critical micelle concentration as well as multiangle electrophoretic light scattering (MELS) seemed to provide a simple approach to monitoring colloidal stability of multicomponent viral particle (VP) suspensions upon the addition of ionic detergents . By measuring zeta potential distribution, MELS offers additional information about alterations to electrical viral surface properties . Since the behavior of VPs is well known to largely depend upon their electrical characteristics within the environment in which they exist, there is substantial evidence that MELS can provide valuable guidelines in studying optimal detergent-treatment conditions for virus recovery from aqueous suspensions. J Chem Technol Biotechnol, 1994 Jun, 60(2), 171 - 6 Effects of the seed sludge on the performance of UASB reactors for treatment of toxic wastewater; Peng D et al.; A comparative study of different sludges (anaerobic sewage sludge and anaerobic sewage sludge cultivated for 30 days) as the seed of UASB reactors for treatment of synthetic resin production wastewater was carried out on a laboratory scale . Significant differences in reactor performance were observed . With anaerobic sewage sludge seed, the reactor obtained a 71% COD removal efficiency and produced 2.94 dm3 biogas per dm3 wastewater under an organic loading rate of 4.5 kg COD m-3 day-1 . The sludge in the reactor was diffuse and possessed poor settling ability, which led to effluent SS as high as 1200 mg dm-3 . However, with anaerobic sewage sludge cultivated with synthetic substrate for 30 days as a seed, the same reactor gave 78% COD removal efficiency and produced 3.5 dm-3 biogas per dm3 wastewater at the same loading rate . Moreover, the sludge in the reactor was completely granulated and possessed good settling ability, which resulted in effluent SS as low as 200 mg dm-3 . The granular sludge produced less biomass per gram COD removed than the diffused sludge . Anaerobic sewage sludge cultivated for a short time could form the nuclei of granules for the reactor, allowing granulation to proceed smoothly . Therefore, sludge nuclei are a prerequisite of sludge granulation in UASB reactors for treatment of toxic wastewater. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 1994 Jun, 28(1), 25 - 34 Occurrence of toxic metabolites from nonionic surfactants in the Krka River estuary; Kvestak R et al.; The occurrence and behavior of nonylphenol (NP), nonylphenol monoethoxylate (NP1EO), and nonylphenol diethoxylate (NP2EO) were studied in the Krka River estuary . Quantitative determinations using normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with spectrofluorimetric detection were performed in both municipal wastewaters and receiving estuarine waters . The concentrations of NP, NP1EO, and NP2EO in municipal wastewaters varied within the ranges of < 0.5-419, < 0.5-35, and < 0.5-54 micrograms/liter, respectively; thus, in general representing only a minor fraction of the total surfactant-derived nonylphenolic compounds . The concentration decrease after the wastewater discharge into the estuary was very sharp, which was assigned primarily to an efficient dilution of the wastewater plume . Consequently, the concentrations of NP, NP1EO, and NP2EO in the estuary were fairly low, the respective concentration ranges being < 20-1200, < 20-440, and < 20-1300 ng/liter . Rather complicated distribution patterns of NP, NP1EO, and NP2EO were obtained on the vertical profile of the estuarine water column with the concentration maxima at the estuarine phase boundaries, i.e., air-freshwater and freshwater-seawater . Moreover, the ratio between individual nonylphenolic compounds varied significantly, indicating that transformation reactions played a significant role in their distribution and fate in the estuary. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 1994 May 2, 721, 440 - 9 Bioextraction (reductive dissolution) of iron from low-grade iron ores . Fundamental and applied studies; DiChristina TJ; Results of the present study indicate that S . putrefaciens 200 may be a suitable Fe(3+)-reducing microorganism for commercial application in a microbially catalyzed iron ore bioextraction (reductive dissolution) process . The proposed scheme of the bioextraction process (Fig . 1) entails the addition of a suitable iron ore to anaerobic, batch cultures of aerobically grown S . putrefaciens 200, with subsequent recovery of Fe2+ in the product stream . Although batch growth under low oxygen tension is known to induce expression of the high-rate Fe3+ reduction system in S . putrefaciens, such growth conditions do not appreciably enhance the rate at which S . putrefaciens catalyzes the reductive dissolution of iron from low-grade iron ore . As a result, strict monitoring of dissolved oxygen levels during batch growth is not required . Highly aerobic growth conditions are most desirable because such conditions maximize microbial growth rates . Commercial application of the proposed process is made more attractive by the ability to grow S . putrefaciens aerobically on a relatively inexpensive organic substrate (filter-sterilized, primary effluent wastewater) as sole carbon and energy source . Physical and chemical factors that accelerate overall reductive dissolution rates include (i) pulverization of the iron ores before their addition to the anaerobic, batch cultures, and (ii) subsequent addition of an Fe(III)-chelating agent to the anaerobic iron ore-microorganism slurry . Recycle of residual ore remaining in the initial reactor vessel after a one-hour incubation is recommended, since overall reductive dissolution rates decrease dramatically after that time . Significant enhancement of the overall reductive dissolution rates may reside in the ability to genetically engineer a more robust Fe(3+)-reducing microorganism . Preliminary genetic studies presented here indicate that S . putrefaciens is a suitable model microorganism for studying the molecular basis of microbial Fe3+ reduction . Mutagenesis experiments demonstrated that the Fe3+ reduction system of S . putrefaciens is physiologically uncoupled from other electron-accepting processes carried out by this bacterium, and that a distinct ferrireductase enzyme is expressed after growth under either highly aerobic or microaerobic conditions . An array of S . putrefaciens mutants (Class I), deficient only in their ability to grow anaerobically on Fe3+ as sole terminal electron acceptor, were isolated and a single mutant selected for subsequent gene cloning (complementation) experiments . Restriction enzyme analysis of putative, complemented clones (i.e., transconjugates in which the ability to grow anaerobically on Fe3+ had been restored) revealed the presence of a common cloned DNA insert.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS) Ann N Y Acad Sci, 1994 May 2, 721, 399 - 406 Plasmid-mediated degradation of hydroxylated, methoxylated, and carboxylated benzene derivatives in Moraxella sp; Vasudevan N et al.; Chemical industries produce wastewater that contains large amount of aromatic substances including chlorinated compounds . Moraxella sp . isolated from a petroleum refinery unit efficiently used a variety of benzene derivatives bearing hydroxyl, methoxyl, carboxyl, and chloro- groups as the sole carbon source . The isolate harbored two plasmids of high mobility that are responsible for the utilization of these substrates. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J, 1994 May, 55(5), 438 - 42 Evaluation of chemical releases and worker exposures from filter press operations; Timberlake DL et al.; The exposures (inhalation and dermal) and releases (air, water, solids, and process streams) associated with the filtration of industrial wastewater sludge from an electronics manufacturing plant were characterized . Chemical releases and worker exposures for a target chemical (total copper) were measured over four operational cycles . Various aspects of the filtration operation believed to influence the measurement values were documented . Worker exposures associated with the discreet stages of the filter operation were measured . Ventilation patterns around the filter press were also monitored . The workers' time-weighted average exposures to total copper during the 113-minute operational cycle ranged from 3.1 to 25 micrograms/m3 (2.2 geometric standard deviation, 6.4 micrograms/m3 geometric mean concentration) . The manual removal of filter cake comprised only 15% of the time in an average filtration cycle, but produced 72% of the workers' inhalation exposure . During this cake-removal stage, inhalation exposures ranged from 11 micrograms/m3 to 130 micrograms/m3 (2.5 geometric standard deviation, 30 micrograms/m3 geometric mean concentration) . Differences in worker technique may account for the large range of inhalation exposures during the cake-removal stage . Exposures and releases were successfully determined for a single unit operation, as well as for the discreet stages of operation . The data generated will enable EPA to more accurately estimate worker exposures and chemical releases for new chemicals as required by the Toxic Substances Control Act . The approach utilized will benefit industrial hygienists in providing estimates of worker exposures and aid in the targeting of survey sampling. Environ Health Perspect, 1994 Mar, 102(3), 310 - 2 Environmental health knowledge and practice survey among secondary schoolchildren in Zaria, Nigeria; Ebong RD; Knowledge of environmental health was assessed in a sample of 192 students at Ja'afaru Secondary School, Zaria, Nigeria, by means of a questionnaire . A follow-up practice survey was also administered to assess the environmental sanitation of the school and the homes of a subsample of the students . Observations were recorded on the sources of water, the methods of refuse and sewage disposal, and the hygienic condition of the toilets in both the school and the homes surveyed . The findings indicated that the students' knowledge of environmental hygiene was high for all classes and that students whose fathers had primary, secondary, or post-secondary education scored slightly higher than those whose fathers were illiterate . Analysis of the observations on environmental sanitation showed that even though the school lacked indoor plumbing on the premises, the pupils were accustomed to pipe-borne and well water in their homes . The main method of refuse disposal for school and homes was open dumping, and the main method of sewage disposal for both school and homes was pit latrines, which were dirty and poorly maintained . Although the pupils had good knowledge of environmental hygiene, inadequate opportunities and lack of sanitation facilities at school and homes did not allow them to practice the health knowledge they had acquired . Recommendations were made to the school authority to direct more effort toward providing a safe and adequate water supply, good drainage systems, additional toilets, and renovating the existing toilets . The school should also emphasize the practice of good environmental hygiene to complement theoretical inputPIP: The objectives of the study, carried out between June and September 1989, were to assess knowledge of environmental hygiene of a stratified random sample of 192 pupils consisting of 101 (52.6%) males and 91 (47.4%) females at the Ja'afaru Secondary School, Zaria, Nigeria, and to assess the available sanitation facilities in the school and homes of a subsample . The information was obtained regarding: 1) personal data: age, sex, present class in school, total years of schooling, and family size; 2) parental education and occupation; and 3) students' knowledge of environmental hygiene . Thirty-seven (19.3%) students were in class three, 84 (43.7%) were in class four, and 71 (37%) were in class five . 28.6% of fathers and 49.0% of mothers were illiterate . 61.5% of parents were skilled workers . With respect to environmental hygiene, students had good knowledge of the subject . Most of them answered the questions correctly . Students with literate fathers scored slightly higher than those with illiterate fathers . Although 39 (20.3%) children whose fathers were illiterate got 100% of the questions correct, 88 (45.8%) children with literate fathers scored 100% . Environmental sanitation of the homes of the subsample of 54 students, made up of 26 males and 28 females, and that of the school was also assessed . 78% of the households surveyed (42) had a functioning pipe-borne water supply; 22% of households (12) obtained water from wells . 89.9% of households practiced open dumping of refuse . 70.1% of households used pit latrines for sewage disposal (and of these only 36% had toilets that were clean), while 20.9% practiced indiscriminate disposal of feces . Only 18 (33%) households had properly constructed drainage systems for wastewater, and 36 (67%) had open drainage systems . Recommendations were made to the school authority to focus more effort on the provision of a safe and adequate water supply, good drainage systems, additional toilets, and renovation of the existing toilets . Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 1994 Mar, 27(2), 128 - 57 A field study of environmental impacts at a bleached kraft pulp mill site on the Baltic Sea coast; Landner L et al.; The rate of technical development in bleaching of chemical pulp and the upgrading of process control and wastewater treatment systems in the pulp industry have been extremely rapid over the past few years . When assessing the environmental impacts of bleached kraft pulp mill effluents (BKMEs), it is therefore more important than ever to carefully characterize the bleaching process, the composition of the treated effluent, and the degree of exposure of sensitive target organisms in the receiving water body . These requirements have not always been fulfilled in previous reports on biological effects of BKMEs in Scandinavia . This work presents the results of a comprehensive field study of the impacts of a 350,000-tonne kraft mill, bleaching softwood and hardwood pulp in campaigns according to the sequence O(D25,C70+D5)(EOP)D(EP)D . The effluent is treated in an aerated lagoon with a mean retention time of 8-9 days, practically eliminating chlorate and resin acids, and reducing the discharge of adsorbable organic halogen (AOX) to an average of 1 t/day (1.3 and 0.4 kg/ADt for softwood and hardwood, respectively) . The treated effluent is discharged through a 1.3-km-long diffuser, at a water depth of 9-12 m, into a well ventilated coastal area, giving a 1000-fold dilution within 3-4 km from the diffuser . The actual exposure of the coastal ecosystem to BKME components was determined by analysis of extractable organic chlorine in suspended solids and of conjugates of chlorophenolics in the bile of feral perch . Despite a major damage to the benthic communities that occurred about 10 years ago, and was due to large chlorate discharges at the time, no direct detrimental effects on benthic flora and fauna could be ascribed to the present BKME discharge . Instead, a clear recovery of the Fucus community, although not yet completed, could be demonstrated . Studies of the composition, abundance and biomass of the fish community, the recruitment and survival of fish fry, and the physiological status of perch, using a set of biomarkers, revealed that even in the most BKME-exposed area, only minor effects were detected . These effects were related to eutrophication/enrichment rather than to the action of toxic substances . The general effect picture, thus, was essentially of a different type than the one recorded in previous studies of mills, which used older technology and less effective process and effluent treatment control, and which were discharging into enclosed, shallow bays of the Baltic Sea. Mutat Res, 1994 Feb, 312(1), 17 - 24 Evaluation of the Allium anaphase-telophase test in relation to genotoxicity screening of industrial wastewater; Rank J et al.; The Allium anaphase-telophase test was evaluated to find out if it could be recommended in the screening of wastewater for genotoxicity . Five mutagenic or carcinogenic chemicals usually found in wastewater were tested in the Allium anaphase-telophase test . Sodium dichromate (25 microM), benzene (100 microM), dichloromethane (175 microM) and 1,1,1-trichloromethane (175 microM) increased the frequency of chromosome aberrations in the root cells, whereas formaldehyde (1 mM) was found to be non-mutagenic in this test system . Other studies where chemicals were tested in the Allium test were reviewed . For 15 chemicals the results were compared with results from the Ames test, the Microscreen assay, and carcinogenicity tests in rodents . The sensitivity of the Allium test was calculated to be 82% . In conclusion the Allium test is recommended for the screening of wastewater because it has a high sensitivity, is cheap, rapid, easy to handle, and because it can be used on wastewater without pretreatment of the sample. J Occup Med, 1994 Jan, 36(1), 31 - 5 Proportional mortality analysis of wastewater treatment system workers by birthplace with comments on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Betemps EJ et al.; There is concern that wastewater treatment system workers are at risk for cancers and diseases affecting the neurological and digestive systems . However, these diseases have also been linked to early exposures . A proportional mortality study was conducted on a large cohort of wastewater treatment system workers who were divided into two groups, migrants and nonmigrants, by place of birth as reported on their death certificates . The migrant worker group was significantly higher than the US white male population for cancer of the stomach, leukemia, and all lymphopoietic cancers . Migrant workers also had an elevated ratio for all diseases of the nervous system and sense organs . No cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis were found . The American-born workers had an elevated rate of death for arteriosclerotic heart disease compared with the US white male population . We suggest that place of birth may present a confounding factor when evaluating exposures in employee groups. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1994 Jan, 60(1), 227 - 34 Importance of cobalt for individual trophic groups in an anaerobic methanol-degrading consortium; Florencio L et al.; Methanol is an important anaerobic substrate in industrial wastewater treatment and the natural environment . Previous studies indicate that cobalt greatly stimulates methane formation during anaerobic treatment of methanolic wastewaters . To evaluate the effect of cobalt in a mixed culture, a sludge with low background levels of cobalt was cultivated in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor . Specific inhibitors in batch assays were then utilized to study the effect of cobalt on the growth rate and activity of different microorganisms involved in the anaerobic degradation of methanol . Only methylotrophic methanogens and acetogens were stimulated by cobalt additions, while the other trophic groups utilizing downstream intermediates, H2-CO2 or acetate, were largely unaffected . The optimal concentration of cobalt for the growth and activity of methanol-utilizing methanogens and acetogens was 0.05 mg liter-1 . The higher requirement of cobalt is presumably due to the previously reported production of unique corrinoid-containing enzymes (or coenzymes) by direct utilizers of methanol . This distinctly high requirement of cobalt by methylotrophs should be considered during methanolic wastewater treatment . Methylotroph methanogens presented a 60-fold-higher affinity for methanol than acetogens . This result in combination with the fact that acetogens grow slightly faster than methanogens under optimal cobalt conditions indicates that acetogens can outcompete methanogens only when reactor methanol and cobalt concentrations are high, provided enough inorganic carbon is available. Am J Ind Med, 1994 Jan, 25(1), 125 - 7 Microbiological treatment of recirculating wastewater from cleaning rolls in a rolling mill; Lundholm M et al.; In industry, the use of biological methods for cleaning wastewater is increasing . The number of airborne Gram-negative bacteria was high in relation to the use of high pressure water in a rolling mill using recirculated water for cleaning rolls . Analyzing the total amount and species of microorganisms indicates whether they are emitted from a polluted source or consist of the normal airborne flora. Salud Publica Mex, 1994 Jan-Feb, 36(1), 3 - 9 {Epidemiologic setting of the agricultural use of sewage: Valle del Mezquital, Mexico}; Cifuentes E et al.; Wastewater from Mexico City is used to irrigate over 85,000 hectares mainly of fodder and cereal crops in the Mezquital Valley . A cross-sectional study method is being used to test the impact of exposure to raw wastewater and wastewater from storage reservoirs on diarrheal disease and parasitic infections in farmworkers and their families . The study population in the rainy season survey included 1,900 households: 680 households where the farmworker is exposed to untreated wastewater (exposed group), 520 households exposed to reservoir water (semiexposed group), and 700 households where the farmworker practices rain-fed agriculture (control group) . Preliminary analysis of the data from the rainy season study (dry season study in progress) has been carried out . Current information indicates that the risk of Ascaris lumbricoides infection is much higher in the exposed group than in the control group (95% CL = 2.9-10.8) . According to the procedures employed Entamoeba histolytica infection was more frequent among subjects aged 5 to 14 years from households exposed to raw wastewater, than among subjects of the same ages belonging to the control group (95% CL = 1.07-1.72) . When diarrheal disease rates were analyzed, children under 5 years from exposed households had a significantly higher prevalence than controls (95% CL = 1.03-1.64) . The final results of this study are expected to aid decisions within the National Wastewater Reuse Programme in Mexico.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Appl Biochem Biotechnol, 1994 Spring, 45-46, 847 - 59 Biosorption of nickel in complex aqueous waste streams by cyanobacteria; Corder SL et al.; A study was undertaken to determined if a suitable biosorbent could be found for removal of nickel at low concentrations (< 20 parts per million {ppm}) from a chemically complex wastewater effluent generated by electroplating operations . Algae and cyanobacteria were chosen as candidate biosorbent materials because they are easy to grow and they have the ability to withstand processing into biosorbent materials . Several species were screened for nickel-biosorption capacity initially, and three species of cyanobacteria were selected for further study based on their performance in the scoping tests . When compared to live controls, autoclaving improved the binding capacities of all three species, but usually biosorption data from experiments with live cells were more consistent . None of the three species was able to bind nickel efficiently in actual effluent samples . Further experimentation indicated that sodium ions, which were present in high concentrations in the effluent, were interfering with the ability of the cells to bind nickel . Adsorption isotherm plots for biosorption of nickel by two species of Anabaena in NiCl2-deionized water solutions were prepared. Biomed Mater Eng, 1994, 4(2), 127 - 37 Removal of pesticides from wastewater at golf courses using plants (removal by mung beans; Phaseolus radiatus L); Azuma T et al.; Many studies have been done on the removal of pollutants from wastewater using aquatic plants . Water hyacinth has been the most widely-used plant, and systems using water hyacinth are well-established . These systems, however, have a few problems in their practical use . In a previous paper, we proposed a new system that could be used as a substitute for a conventional system or, as a secondary system to assist the conventional one . Mung beans will be used to remove pollutants in this system . In the previous experiment, the removal characteristics of nutrient salts such as NO2-, NO3-, NH4+ and phosphorus salts from wastewater in residential areas were examined . Mung beans exhibited good characteristics for removing these nutrient salts . At present, pesticides used at golf courses have become a severe environmental problem polluting water supplies . The purpose of this study was, therefore, to verify whether our new system using mung beans was also effective in removing pesticides from wastewater at golf courses . An experiment was conducted on seven different pesticides . They were three insecticides; Diazinon, Fenitrothion and Chlorpyrifos, three fungicides; Captan, Isoprothiolane and Chlorothalonil, and a herbicide; Simazine . The experimental results showed that, under experimental conditions, the pesticides were rapidly removed and that they exhibited no harmful effects on the growth of the mung beans . Mung beans may be used, therefore, to remove pesticides from wastewater at golf courses although further research is needed. Hereditas, 1994, 121(3), 249 - 54 Screening of toxicity and genotoxicity in wastewater by the use of the Allium test; Nielsen MH et al.; Wastewater was collected from two municipal wastewater treatment plants and twelve different industries representing five lines of business (chemical, metallic, petrochemical, pulp- and paper, and textile dye industries) . Effect on the growth of Allium roots was measured after five days of exposure . Growth inhibition values, EC50 and EC30, showed no toxic effect for eight of the fourteen plants . The most toxic effect was found in wastewater from one of the pulp- and paper plants . Allium root tip cells were analyzed for chromosome aberrations after 24 h of exposure . Wastewater from nine of the fourteen plants was able to induce chromosome aberrations at a statistically significant level . The textile dye industry was the only line of business which did not show any genotoxic effect . Three of the plants (municipal wastewater, metallic, and pulp- and paper) showed genotoxicity in spite of being nontoxic in the growth inhibition experiment. J Infect Dis, 1993 Dec, 168(6), 1510 - 4 Direct detection of wild poliovirus circulation by stool surveys of healthy children and analysis of community wastewater; Tambini G et al.; Cartagena, Colombia, was one of the last cities in the Americas known to have endemic poliomyelitis . After 3 cases were identified in 1991, two approaches for detecting continued silent transmission of wild polioviruses within a high-risk community were used: stool surveys of healthy children and virologic analysis of community sewage . Wild type 1 polioviruses were isolated from 8% of the children studied and from 21% of sewage samples . The proportions of wild polioviruses, vaccine-related polioviruses, and nonpolio enteric viruses were similar for both approaches . Wild poliovirus sequences were also amplified directly from processed sewage samples by the polymerase chain reaction using primer pairs specific for the indigenous type 1 genotype . The last reported cases associated with wild polioviruses in the Americas occurred in Colombia (8 April 1991) and Peru (23 August 1991) . Direct sampling for wild polioviruses in high-risk communities can provide further evidence that eradication of the indigenous wild polioviruses has been achieved in the Americas. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1993 Nov, 59(11), 3744 - 9 Genetic improvement of Escherichia coli for enhanced biological removal of phosphate from wastewater; Kato J et al.; The ability of Escherichia coli MV1184 to accumulate inorganic phosphate (Pi) was enhanced by manipulating the genes involved in the transport and metabolism of Pi . The high-level Pi accumulation was achieved by modifying the genetic regulation and increasing the dosage of the E . coli genes encoding polyphosphate kinase (ppk), acetate kinase (ackA), and the phosphate-inducible transport system (pstS, pstC, pstA, and pstB) . Acetate kinase was employed as an ATP regeneration system for polyphosphate synthesis . Recombinant strains, which contained either pBC29 (carrying ppk) or pEP02.2 (pst operon), removed approximately two- and threefold, respectively, more Pi from minimal medium than did the control strain . The highest rates of Pii removal were obtained by strain MV1184 containing pEP03 (ppk and ackA) . However, unlike the control strain, MV1184 (pEP03) released Pi to the medium after growth had stopped . Drastic changes in growth and Pi uptake were observed when pBC29 (ppk) and pEP02.2 (pst operon) were introduced simultaneously into MV1184 . Even though growth of this recombinant was severely limited in minimal medium, the recombinant could remove approximately threefold more Pi than the control strain . Consequently, the phosphorus content of this recombinant reached a maximum of approximately 16% on a dry weight basis (49% as phosphate). Salud Publica Mex, 1993 Nov-Dec, 35(6), 614 - 9 {The health problems associated with irrigation with wastewater in Mexico}; Cifuentes E et al.; Over 85,000 hectares in the Mezquital Valley of central Mexico are irrigated with wastewater . The main crops are fodder and cereal crops . A two cross-sectional survey was carried out to test the impact of exposure to raw wastewater and from storage of that wastewater in reservoirs . The main outcomes were diarrhoeal disease and parasitic infections in farmworkers and their families . The total study population in the dry season included 2,049 households . The study population was classified in households where the farmworker is exposed to untreated wastewater (exposed group), households exposed to reservoir water (semi-exposed group), and households where the farmworker practices rain-fed agriculture (control group) . Preliminary analysis of the data has been carried out . Current information indicates that the risk of Ascaris lumbricoides infection is much higher in the exposed group than in the control group (95% CL = 4.0-67.3 and 4.7-78.8) . According to the procedures employed, exposed children from exposed households were at higher risks of diarrhoeal disease than controls (95% CL = 1.03-2.03) . The final results of this study are expected to aid decisions within the reuse programmes in developing countries. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol, 1993 Sep, 25(3), 293 - 7 Genotoxicity of blue rayon extracts from river waters using sister chromatid exchange in cultured mammalian cells; Ohe T et al.; Using cultured Chinese hamster lung (CHL) cells, sister chromatid exchange (SCE) assays were carried out with blue rayon extracts recovered at seven sampling locations from the Katsura, Nishitakase and Kamo Rivers, tributaries of the Yodo River, in Kyoto City, Japan . The downstream extracts of wastewater treatment plants showed higher SCE frequencies than the upstream extracts both with and without metabolic activation, suggesting that the effluents from wastewater treatment plants were the possible pollution sources of genotoxic chemicals in the rivers . The results show the possible use of SCE in CHL cells for the monitoring of genotoxicity of blue rayon extracts from river waters . In addition, simultaneous treatment with sodium thiosulfate significantly reduced the frequencies of SCE induced by blue rayon extracts. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1993 Aug, 59(8), 2607 - 13 Purification and characterization of a phenoloxidase (laccase) from the lignin-degrading basidiomycete PM1 (CECT 2971); Coll PM et al.; A new lignin-degrading basidiomycete, strain PM1 (= CECT 2971), was isolated from the wastewater of a paper factory . The major ligninolytic activity detected in the basidiomycete PM1 culture supernatant was a phenoloxidase (laccase) . This activity was produced constitutively in defined or complex media and appeared as two protein bands in native gel electrophoresis preparations . No enzyme induction was found after treatment with certain potential laccase inducers . Laccase I was purified to homogeneity by gel filtration chromatography, anion-exchange chromatography, and hydrophobicity chromatography . The enzyme is a monomeric glycoprotein containing 6.5% carbohydrate and having a molecular weight of 64,000 . It has an isoelectric point of 3.6, it is stable in a pH range from 3 to 9, and its optimum pH is 4.5 . The laccase optimal reaction temperature is 80 degrees C, the laccase is stable for 1 h at 60 degrees C, and its activity increases with temperature . Spectroscopic analysis revealed that the enzyme has four bound copper atoms, a type I copper, a type II copper, and a type III binuclear copper . The amino-terminal sequence of the protein is very similar to the amino-terminal sequences of laccases from Coriolus hirsutus and Phlebia radiata. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1993 May, 59(5), 1437 - 43 Survival of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), HIV-infected lymphocytes, and poliovirus in water; Moore BE; The potential for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to enter domestic sewers via contaminated body fluids such as blood has spurred interest in the survival of this virus in water and wastewater . This study focused on establishing the inactivation of HIV and productively infected lymphocytes in dechlorinated tap water . In addition, HIV survival was compared with that of poliovirus . Results indicated that either free HIV or cell-associated HIV was rapidly inactivated, with a 90% loss of infectivity within 1 to 2 h at 25 degrees C and a 99.9% loss by 8 h . In comparison, poliovirus showed no loss of infectivity over 24 h . The presence of human serum in tap water slowed the rate of HIV inactivation through 8 h but did not stabilize the virus through 24 h . In addition, blood from stage IV AIDS patients was introduced into tap water, and the recovery of HIV was monitored by using both an infectivity assay and polymerase chain reaction amplification of viral sequences . Virally infected cells were no longer detectable after 5 min in dechlorinated tap water, while little diminution in amplifiable sequences was observed over 2 h . Thus, detection of viral sequences by polymerase chain reaction technology should not be equated with risk of exposure to infectious HIV. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol, 1993 Apr, 17(2 Pt 1), 157 - 80 Subsurface agricultural irrigation drainage: the need for regulation; Lemly AD; Subsurface drainage resulting from irrigated agriculture is a toxic threat to fish and wildlife resources throughout the western United States . Studies by the U.S . Department of the Interior show that migratory waterfowl have been poisoned by drainwater contaminants on at least six national wildlife refuges . Allowing this poisoning to continue is a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act under U.S . Federal law . Critical wetlands and waterfowl populations are threatened in both the Pacific and Central flyways . The public is also at risk and health warnings have been issued in some locations . Subsurface irrigation drainage is a complex effluent containing toxic concentrations of trace elements, salts, and nitrogenous compounds . Some of the contaminants are classified by the U.S . Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as priority pollutants and they can be present in concentrations that exceed EPA's criteria for toxic waste . The on-farm drainage systems used to collect and transport this wastewater provide point-source identification as well as a mechanism for toxics control through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit process . A four-step approach is presented for dealing with irrigation drainage in an environmentally sound manner . This regulatory strategy is very similar to those commonly used for industrial discharges and includes site evaluation, contaminant reduction through NPDES, and compliance monitoring . The EPA must recognize subsurface irrigation drainage as a specific class of pollution subject to regulation under the NPDES process . Active involvement by EPA is necessary to ensure that adequate controls on this wastewater are implemented. Zentralbl Hyg Umweltmed, 1993 Mar, 193(6), 513 - 20 Irrigation with waste water: parasitological analysis of soil; Gaspard P et al.; In third world countries, the agricultural use of treated wastewater represents an interesting solution . A recent report of W.H.O . shows the importance of strict parasitological criteria for such reuse . The aim of this paper is to study the conditions under which Ascaris eggs have been recovered from artificially contaminated soils (sandy, clay or loamy soil, mould garden) . The eggs elution has been carried out from soil particles using various solutions (detergents, distilled water, formaldehyde, sodium hydroxide, sodium hypochlorite) . The recovery percentage analysis showed the superiority of the sodium hypochlorite solution titrating 10 chlorometric degrees, whatever the soil type . The eggs concentration in the eluates has been carried out through the flotation technique by testing various reagents with densities ranging from 1.16 to 1.44 . The zinc sulphate solution at 50%, 55% and 66% prove to be flotation agents that are well adapted to this sampling type . By carrying out the elution with a sodium hypochlorite solution titrating 10 chlorometric degrees and the concentration by flotation with a zinc sulphate solution at 55% the recovery percentages, which are independent of the parasitic load, vary from 66 to 78%. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol, 1993 Jan, 24(1), 11 - 5 The effect of industrial pollution on mercury levels in water, soil, and sludge in the coastal area of Motril, southeast Spain; Navarro M et al.; The total concentration of mercury was determined in samples of water, soil and sludge from the Mediterranean coastal area of Southeast Spain (Motril), where Hg contamination is produced primarily by a local paper mill . Samples were taken at surface level in a 5 Km radius from the factory . The total Hg concentrations varied from 0.117 to 0.760 microgram/g in soil and sludge, and from ND to 2.088 micrograms/L in water . A negative correlation was observed between the distance of the sampling station from the mill and the concentration of Hg in the soil and sludge samples . Similarly, an increase in Hg concentration was observed in the freshwater and wastewater after passing close to the factory. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1993 Jan, 59(1), 140 - 3 Detection and distribution of rotavirus in raw sewage and creeks in São Paulo, Brazil; Mehnert DU et al.; Rotaviruses were concentrated from 8-liter samples of raw domestic sewage and sewage-polluted creek water by adsorption to and elution from positively charged microporous filters (Zeta Plus 60S), followed by ultracentrifugation of the filter eluates . Indirect immunofluorescence and direct immunoperoxidase methods allowed detection and enumeration of rotavirus in 6 (20.6%) of 29 sewage samples and in 19 (34.5%) of 55 creek water samples . Levels of rotaviruses ranged from < 3 to 63 focus-forming units (FFU)/liter, and the geometric means were 2.2 FFU/liter in sewage, 2.9 FFU/liter at creek Tremembe, and 2.6 FFU/liter at creek Pirajussara . Wastewater samples examined during autumn and winter months showed a higher rate positivity for rotavirus than those collected in spring and summer, corresponding to the seasonal variation of rotaviral diarrhea in the city of Sao Paulo. Microbios, 1993, 75(302), 7 - 16 The presence of high-molecular weight proteins with a strong affinity for cadmium in environmental Escherichia coli strains; Morozzi G et al.; High molecular weight proteins, with a strong affinity for cadmium, were found in two environmental strains of Escherichia coli isolated from a wastewater treatment plant and were resistant up to 128 ppm of Cd+2 . The fraction containing intracellular cadmium binding proteins was obtained by affinity chromatography and the single components of the same fraction were separated by SDS-gel electrophoresis in order to calculate molecular weights ranging from 48 to 89 kD . Plasmid analysis, carried out by agarose gel electrophoresis, and transformation experiments demonstrated that the plasmids, isolated from one of the strains which was resistant to tetracycline and streptomycin, are not related to the synthesis of cadmium-binding proteins. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1992 Dec, 58(12), 3984 - 90 Presence of human immunodeficiency virus nucleic acids in wastewater and their detection by polymerase chain reaction; Ansari SA et al.; The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) released by infected individuals or present in human and hospital wastes can potentially cause contamination problems . The presence of HIV-1 was investigated in 16 environmental samples, including raw wastewater, sludge, final effluent, soil, and pond water, collected from different locations . A method was developed to extract total nucleic acids in intact form directly from the raw samples or from the viral concentrates of the raw samples . The isolated nucleic acids were analyzed for the presence of HIV-1 by using in vitro amplification of the target sequences by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method . HIV-1-specific proviral DNA and viral RNA were detected in the extracted nucleic acids obtained from three wastewater samples by this method . The specificity of the PCR-amplified products was determined by Southern blot hybridization with an HIV-1-specific oligonucleotide probe, SK19 . The isolated nucleic acids from wastewater samples were also screened for the presence of poliovirus type 1, representing a commonly found enteric virus, and simian immunodeficiency virus, representing, presumably, rare viruses . While poliovirus type 1 viral RNA was found in all of the wastewater samples, none of the samples yielded a simian immunodeficiency virus-specific product . No PCR-amplified product was yielded when wastewater samples were directly used for the detection of HIV-1 and poliovirus type 1 . The wastewater constituents appeared to be inhibitory to the enzymes reverse transcriptase and DNA polymerase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) J Chromatogr, 1992 Nov 20, 625(2), 247 - 55 Detection of substituted benzenes in water at the pg/ml level using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry; Potter DW et al.; Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is combined with gas chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry (GC-IT-MS) for the analysis of benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene isomers (BTEX) in water . SPME is a recent technique for extracting organics from an aqueous matrix into a stationary phase immobilized on a fused-silica fiber . The analytes are thermally desorbed directly in the injector of a gas chromatograph . The wide linear dynamic range (five orders of magnitude) and pg sensitivity of the ion trap mass spectrometer in its full scan mode is an ideal detector for identifying and quantifying the analytes extracted with an SPME device . The combined method SPME-GC-IT-MS, using fibers coated with a 100-microns polydimethylsiloxane coating, showed a limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 50 pg/ml benzene in water . This corresponds to 5 pg of benzene absorbed onto the fiber . The limit of detection (LOD) was 15 pg/ml benzene . For o-xylene spiked at 50 pg/ml in water 50 pg were absorbed by the fiber indicating an LOQ and LOD 10 times better than for benzene . The detection limits obtained exceed the requirements of both the United States Environmental Protection Agency method 524.2 and the Ontario Municipal/Industrial Strategy for Abatement program, which range from 30 to 80 pg/ml and 500 to 1100 pg/ml, respectively . The linearity of the method extended over five orders of magnitude . Relative standard deviation ranged from 2.7 to 5.2% for 15 ng/ml BTEX in water and from 5.5 to 7.5% for 50 pg/ml BTEX in water . SPME-GC-IT-MS was used to evaluate the contamination level in laboratory, potable and wastewater sources. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1992 Nov, 58(11), 3774 - 6 Relationship between bacterial counts and endotoxin concentrations in the air of wastewater treatment plants; Laitinen S et al.; The relationship between bacterial counts and endotoxin concentrations in air samples was studied . Selective EMB medium favored the growth of a larger portion of airborne gram-negative bacteria than LES Endo or MacConkey medium and was a good predictor of the endotoxin levels determined with a chromogenic Limulus assay of the air of wastewater treatment plants . The bacterial counts determined with nonselective media correlated poorly with airborne endotoxin levels; however, R2A medium yielded higher viable bacterial counts than TYG medium . Direct counting by epifluorescence microscopy yielded the highest bacterial counts, but no correlation was obtained between total bacterial counts and endotoxin concentrations. Mutat Res, 1992 Nov 1, 270(1), 45 - 51 Tradescantia-micronucleus (Trad-MCN) bioassay on clastogenicity of wastewater and in situ monitoring; Ruiz EF et al.; The Tradescantia-micronucleus (Trad-MCN) bioassay was used to determine the clastogenicity of wastewater samples collected from the Arena canal which contains effluent from the industrial district Benito Juarez of the city of Queretaro, Mexico . Fifteen wastewater samples which were collected, in most cases, at bi-weekly intervals beginning in September 1986 through February 1988, after a 3-fold dilution were used to treat Tradescantia plant cuttings . The clastogenicity expressed in terms of micronucleus frequencies of treated groups (30 h of treatment without recovery time) was significantly (0.01) higher than that of the tapwater control groups . The Trad-MCN bioassay was also used for in situ monitoring of air pollutants for the clastogenicity at 3 sites near the industrial and residential areas (Flores Magon, Conalep and Bellas Artes) of the city of Queretaro . Fourteen monitoring trips were made to each of the 3 sites at monthly intervals beginning in May 1988 through June 1990 . Seasonal variation of micronucleus frequencies was exhibited with the peak clastogenicities shown in May and June 1988, June 1989 and April 1990 at the three sites . Micronucleus frequencies of all the exposed groups at the Conalep site, a predominantly industrial area, were markedly higher than that of the laboratory control groups throughout the 2-year period. J Virol Methods, 1992 Oct, 40(1), 31 - 6 Improved method for coliphage detection based on beta-galactosidase induction; Ijzerman MM et al.; An improved method for coliphage detection based on the induction of beta-galactosidase in Escherichia coli is described . Upon infection by coliphages, the cells are lysed and a stable indolyl product that is dark blue becomes visible within each plaque . The improved method is compared to the proposed coliphage detection procedure described in Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. J Virol Methods, 1992 Oct, 40(1), 67 - 75 Processing procedures for recovering enteric viruses from wastewater sludges; Stetler RE et al.; A powdered beef extract specially formulated for recovering viruses from environmental samples and designated as beef extract V was evaluated using indigenous and viral seeded wastewater sludge samples . When beef extract V was used to process activated and aerobically digested sludge solids, virus recoveries were shown to be similar to other methods that used commercially available supplemented beef extract . When used to process other sludge solids (primary and activated without primary clarification), cytotoxicity resulted in the BGM cell line used for virus assay . When these sludge solids were processed with the supplemented commercially marketed beef extract cell toxicity did not occur . Metal concentrations in the processed sewage sludge eluates were analyzed, but based on the levels observed they could not be shown as the source of the cytotoxicity . This did not exclude possible synergistic cytotoxic effects or organometal complexes . The commercially marketed beef extract was supplemented with either a floccing aid (FeCl3), a filter aid (Celite) or a floc prepared from paste beef extract . The paste beef floc supplement proved to be the most useful and reliable method for processing for viruses from wastewater sludge solids. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 1992 Oct, 24(2), 234 - 42 Primary chemical and physical characterization of acute toxic components in wastewaters; Svenson A et al.; A chemical and physical primary characterization work sheet was developed based on the Microtox test, a bacterial bioluminescence system used as a rapid estimate of acute aquatic toxic effects . Measurements of the variation in light reduction upon different pretreatments provided information about the chemical and physical properties of the main toxic component(s) in test wastewater samples . This primary characterization of a wastewater sample was performed within 1 day . Tests of pure toxic chemical compounds and wastewaters with known and unknown primary toxicants are presented . Outlines to the chemical analysis and identification of toxic components may be deduced from the primary characterization . The provisional characterization may also provide information on wastewater treatment techniques. J Chromatogr, 1992 Sep 16, 580(1-2), 215 - 28 Strategies for the identification of non-polar toxicants in aqueous environmental samples using toxicity-based fractionation and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; Lukasewycz M et al.; Toxicity-based fractionation is a useful tool for the isolation and identification of non-polar organic compounds that are present at toxic concentrations in aqueous environmental samples . Methods for isolating such toxicants from the aqueous sample matrix and techniques for fractionating the compounds for the purpose of reducing the complexity of the sample matrix and thus facilitating identification are evaluated . Strategies for analyzing gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric data and confirming toxicant identification are presented . Studies that use toxicity-based fractionation for identifying the cause of toxicity in aqueous environmental samples such as municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plant effluents and ambient waters are discussed. J Appl Bacteriol, 1992 Sep, 73(3), 257 - 62 Sensitivity of Escherichia coli cells to seawater closely depends on their growth stage; Gauthier MJ et al.; Sensitivity of Escherichia coli cells in seawater, considered in terms of culturability loss, was examined after different growth periods in a mineral medium supplemented with glucose (M9) at 37 degrees C under aerobic or anaerobic conditions . Their sensitivity varied considerably during the different growth phases and differed when cells were grown under aerobic or anaerobic conditions . Sensitivity of aerobic cells rapidly increased during the lag phase, then decreased during the exponential phase and became minimal during the stationary phase . Coliforms isolated from human faeces showed a similar sensitivity after incubation in wastewater at 37 degrees C for 3 h . The sensitivity phase was completely eliminated when cells were incubated with chloramphenicol . Variation of sensitivity in anaerobic cells according to their growth phase was comparable with that found for aerobic cells which had been left in seawater for a long period (6 d) . However, for shorter periods in this medium (1-2 d), cells grown until the mid-exponential phase remained resistant to seawater . During the second half of the growth phase, they were as sensitive as aerobic cells at lag phase . Escherichia coli cells grown under anaerobic conditions, such as found in the intestine, progressively adapt to aerobic conditions after their transfer into aerated seawater and their sensitivity to seawater increases . On a practical level, these observations show that it is necessary to control accurately the age of cells before inoculation in seawater microcosms to conserve a comparative value in results . The importance of this factor is vital as all variations in sensitivity of cells to seawater according to their prior growth phase proved to be logarithmic functions of time. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 1992 Aug, 24(1), 63 - 71 Toxic effects of bleached and unbleached paper mill effluents in primary cultures of rainbow trout hepatocytes; Pesonen M et al.; Toxic effects of unbleached (sulfate or sulfite) and bleached (sulfate) paper mill effluents were studied in a primary culture of rainbow trout liver cells . The effluents and control water from a clean area were extracted with diethyl ether and added to the cultures dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide . Plasma membrane integrity was studied by measuring lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage . The cellular content of glutathione (GSH) was used as an indicator of oxidative stress and the formation of reactive intermediates . Dose-response studies indicated that unbleached effluents contained more potent toxic substances than bleached effluents . Both unbleached and bleached effluents contained organic diethyl ether-extractable substances which increased cytochrome P450-dependent 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activities . The inducing effects were seen at concentrations substantially lower than those decreasing GSH content and increasing LDH leakage . Possible EROD inducing substances in bleached effluents are chlorinated organic compounds . Inducing compounds in unbleached effluents are yet to be identified . Furthermore, at higher concentrations the effluents contained substances that inhibited the cytochrome P450 system . The results show that the trout primary hepatocyte cultures afford a convenient in vitro method for screening cytochrome P450 inducing components extracted from industrial effluents to investigate mechanisms by which wastewaters cause injury in cells. Biomed Environ Sci, 1992 Jun, 5(2), 99 - 108 Removal of Cu and Ni by free and immobilized microalgae; Wong MH et al.; The present investigation evaluated the effectiveness of Chlorella cells in concentrating Cu and Ni in their cells and thereby removing the two metals from solution . The removal efficiency of the two metals by free and immobilized algal cells were further studied . (1) Four types of Chlorella cells, namely Chlorella pyrenoidosa (26) (from Carolina Biological Supplies Company), Chlorella HKBC-1 and-2 (isolated from a polluted stream receiving wastewater from several electroplating factories) and Chlorella HKBC-3 (from a clean water pond) were subjected to different concentrations of Cu and Ni accordingly . It was revealed that Chlorella HKBC-1 was the most tolerant species to Cu and Ni as reflected by their highest values of 48 h and 96 h "Highest no effect concentrations" (The highest concentration of the tested substance that does not inhibit the growth rate of the alga: Cu 2 and Ni 10 mg/l at 48 h, Cu 2 and Ni 5 at 96 h) . This was followed by C . pyrenoidosa (26) and then C . HKBC-2 while C . HKBC-3 had the lowest tolerance to the two metals (Cu 0.5 and Ni 2 at 48 h; Cu 0.5 and Ni 1 mg/l at 96 h) . (2) It was further revealed that C . HKBC-1 had higher concentration factors and removal efficiencies of Ni (734-963 mg/l, 16.3-18.7%) and C . HKBC-2 had higher concentration factors and removal efficiencies of Cu (2316-2839 mg/l, 53.7-66%) when exposed to lower concentrations of Cu (0.5, 1 and 2 mg/l) and Ni (5, 10 and 13 mg/l) . (3) By treating the free and immobilized algal cells (algal cells entrapped in alginate beads) with different concentrations of Cu and Ni, it was observed that free cells had higher concentration factors and removal efficiencies when compared with immobilized cells (free cells: Cu 1577-3056 mg/l, 24.2-71.4%; Ni 355-849 mg/l, 4.8-18.7%; immobilized cells: Cu 453-935 mg/l, 13.9-53.2%; Ni 244-486 mg/l, 3.2-11.9%). Health Phys, 1992 Mar, 62(3), 235 - 8 Discovery of a 137Cs hot particle in municipal wastewater treatment sludge; Larsen IL et al.; Analysis of primary treatment sludge from a municipal wastewater treatment plant revealed elevated 137Cs concentrations in one sample . This elevated activity was associated with a radioactive particle that, when isolated and quantified, was found to contain 1.82 kBq of 137Cs . Additional analysis indicated an absence of alpha activity, and energetic beta radiation, if present, was less than the 137Cs activity . The particle was approximately 50 microns in diameter, appeared not to be an aggregate, and was nonmetallic. J Bacteriol, 1992 Mar, 174(6), 1783 - 92 Isolation and comparison of the paracrystalline surface layer proteins of freshwater caulobacters; Walker SG et al.; Several methods for isolation of the paracrystalline surface (S) layer protein (RsaA) of Caulobacter crescentus CB15A were evaluated . Treatment of cells with HEPES (N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N'-2-ethanesulfonic acid) buffer at pH 2 was the most effective means of selectively removing RsaA from cells, and after neutralization, the protein was capable of reassembling into a paracrystalline structure . Ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid treatment could also be used to extract RsaA and yielded protein capable of reassembly . The success of the methods was likely related to disruption of calcium-mediated bonding; calcium was required for recrystallization, while magnesium and strontium ions were ineffective . Antibody was raised against purified RsaA and, along with the S-layer extraction techniques, was used to evaluate 42 strains of caulobacters isolated from a variety of aquatic and wastewater treatment locations . A single characteristic protein could be isolated from the 35 strains that produced an S layer; with one exception, no proteins were extracted from strains that had no S layer . The presumed S-layer proteins ranged in size from 100 to 193 kDa . All of these proteins specifically reacted with anti-RsaA serum by Western immunoblot analysis . In strain CB15A, a specific S-layer-associated oligosaccharide has been proposed to be involved in a calcium-mediated attachment of the S layer to the cell surface . This molecule was detected by Western immunoblotting with a specific antiserum and on polyacrylamide gels stained for polysaccharides . A comparable band was found in all S-layer-producing strains and for most, S-layer-associated oligosaccharide-specific antibody reacted with them in Western analysis . Overall, in freshwater caulobacters at least portions of their S-layer structures appear to be strongly conserved entities, as well as the means of attachment to the cell surface. Fundam Appl Toxicol, 1992 Feb, 18(2), 189 - 92 Acrylamide: dermal exposure produces genetic damage in male mouse germ cells; Gutierrez-Espeleta GA et al.; Acrylamide is used extensively in sewage and wastewater treatment plants, in the paper and pulp industry, in treatment of potable water, and in research laboratories for chromatography, electrophoresis, and electron microscopy . Dermal contact is a major route of human exposure . It has been shown that acrylamide is highly effective in breaking chromosomes of germ cells of male mice and rats when administered intraperitoneally or orally, resulting both in the early death of conceptuses and in the transmission of reciprocal translocations to live-born progeny . It is now reported that acrylamide is absorbed through the skin of male mice, reaches the germ cells, and induces chromosomal damage . The magnitude of genetic damage appears to be proportional to the dose administered topically. Anal Chem, 1992 Jan 1, 64(1), 36 - 43 Nitroprusside and methylene blue methods for silicone membrane differentiated flow injection determination of sulfide in water and wastewater; Kuban V et al.; Hydrogen sulfide evolved from an acidified sample is pre-concentrated by permeation in a stationary alkaline acceptor solution enclosed in a silicone rubber sample loop . Depending on the sample volume pre-concentrated, the applicable analytical range spans low micrograms/L to tens of mg/L for both methods . The methylene blue method is more sensitive by a factor of approximately 30 and actually permits practical determinations in the sub-micrograms/L levels . The limit of detection (LOD) for the nitroprusside method ranges from 20 micrograms/L for a 20 microL sample by conventional flow-injection determination (no membrane, throughput 30 samples/h) to less than 2 micrograms/L for 12 mL sample pre-concentrated in the membrane system (throughput 5 samples/h) . The membrane is highly resistant to fouling and permits analysis of untreated wastewater samples bearing suspended solids, oil, grease, etc . without any pretreatment . No significant interference is observed with either chemistry . Although the nitroprusside chemistry is less sensitive, it does not involve the use of concentrated aggressive reagents and is recommended unless ultratrace determinations are essential . Viable reaction mechanisms are proposed for both of these chemistries. ISA Trans, 1992, 31(1), 111 - 23 Instrumentation control and automation in the control of biological effluent treatment; Briggs R et al.; The role of instrumentation, control, and automation (ICA) in the management, operation, and control of domestic and industrial wastewater treatment works is examined following an historical account of developments in the UK over the past two decades . Included also are aspects of process optimization and process selection, taking into account size and types of works and populations served . The particular ICA requirements of individual unit processes are examined and the effects of unattended operation and remote supervision are considered . Particular attention is paid to measurement technology, the shortcomings of available instruments and systems, and recent developments of relevance, with particular emphasis being placed on microelectronic and fibre- and electro-optic-based sensors and on the role of advanc