Oxidation Degradation of Rhodamine B in Aqueous by UV

The UV photolysis of persulfate (S2O8 2−) is a novel advanced oxidation technologies (AOTs), which leads to the formation of strong oxidizing radicals, sulfate radicals (SO4 •−). The effect of oxidant S2O8 2− concentration, initial dye concentration, initial pH of solution, and various inorganic anions (Cl−, H2PO4 −, and HCO3 −) were investigated using Rhodamine B (RhB), a kind of xanthene dye, as a model pollutant. With the increase of oxidant S2O8 2−, more SO4 •− produced to attack RhB molecules and result in the increase of RhB degradation. While the improvement was not sustained above a critical value, beyond which degradation rate does not increase. Initial pH of solution had great effect on the RhB degradation rate during UV/S2O8 2− system. SO4 •− is rather stable in acidic solutions, while increasing system pH results in the transformation of SO4 •− to •OH. The effects of three inorganic anions (Cl−, H2PO4 −, and HCO3 −) all had some negative effect on the degradation of RhB. Based on the RhB solution changes of the UV-vis absorption intensity during the UV/S2O8 2− treatment, decolorization of RhB accompanied the destruction of aromatic ring structures of RhB molecules

Multilevel and spatial analysis of syphilis in Shenzhen, China, to inform spatially targeted control measures

The present study investigates the varied spatial distribution of syphilis cases in Shenzhen, China, and explores the individual-, neighbourhood- and district-level factors affecting the distribution

Assessing Pb-Cr Pollution Thresholds for Ecological Risk and Potential Health Risk in Selected Several Kinds of Rice

The expected typical gley moist paddy soil was collected in Zhejiang Province, China, and conventional (XS 134 and JH 218) and varieties of hybrid (YY 538 and CY 84) rices were used for a pot experiment. The effects of exogenous heavy metals lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr) on rice growth and the accumulation of heavy metals in the grains were studied. The results show that heavy metal concentrations in soil and rice grains have significant correlations, and Pb and Cr significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited the rice growth (plant height and panicle weight). The potential ecological hazard index (RI) of heavy metals in the soil was 4.88–6.76, which belongs to the grade of “slight ecological hazard”, and Pb provides a larger potential ecological hazard than Cr in the studied region. The thresholds for potential health risks and ecological risks for Pb and Cr were lower than the “Control Standards for Soil Pollution Risk of Agricultural Land (Trial)” (GB15618-2018, China). This work provides the basis for soil pollution control for Pb and Cr and the selection of rice cultivars from Pb and Cr accumulated soils

Poor awareness of syphilis prevention and treatment knowledge among six different populations in south China

Abstract Background China is facing an emerging epidemic of syphilis, and the cities in south China are most affected. Knowledge is a key factor in the prevention of syphilis infection, however, little is reported about how much people know about syphilis. This study was aimed at assessing peoples’ awareness status in a city located in south China. Methods Six populations were recruited for this study, including urban residents, factory workers, college students, pregnant women, female sex workers (FSWs), and men who have sex with men (MSM). A questionnaire designed by the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention was used to assess participants’ awareness of syphilis knowledge. About 5 % of participants were randomly selected to conduct a telephone survey for confirming the validity of fieldwork. Results The study recruited 3470 participants, and 61.2 % of participants were assigned to the awareness group. College students had the smallest percentage of awareness at 51.7 % (371/718), followed by FSWs at 53.9 % (200/371), factory workers at 56.0 % (381/679), urban residents at 65.4 % (435/665), pregnant women at 66.0 % (451/683), and MSM at 81.1 % (287/354). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that MSM and FSWs—but not factory workers and pregnant women—had more awareness of syphilis knowledge when comparing with urban residents; however, college students presented less awareness of syphilis knowledge than urban residents. Participants of younger age, of female gender, with lower education levels and without Shenzhen hukou possessed less awareness of syphilis knowledge than those of older age, of male gender, with higher education levels and with Shenzhen hukou respectively. Conclusions The percentages of awareness on syphilis knowledge found in this study are far from the benchmark set in the national 10-year plan. Tailored interventions for different subgroups to increase syphilis awareness are urgently warranted

Disentangling the Effects of Physicochemical, Genetic, and Microbial Properties on Phase-Driven Resistome Dynamics during Multiple Manure Composting Processes

Composting alters manure-derived antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) to a certain extent, which is largely dependent upon the composting phase, manure type, microbial phylogeny, and physicochemical properties. However, little is known about how these determinants influence the fate and dynamics of ARGs as well as the mechanisms underlying the ecological process of ARGs during composting. Here, we investigated the temporal patterns of ARGs and their correlations with a series of physicochemical, genetic, and microbial properties during pilot-scale composting of chicken, maggot, bovine, and swine manure. We detected 237 ARGs, 71 of which were co-occurring across all four composting processes and accounted for >80% of the sum of resistome abundance. In support of this ARG co-occurrence, variance partition analyses demonstrated that the manure type explained less resistome variations (5.6%) than the composting phase (21.6%). During the phase-driven resistome dynamics, ARGs showed divergent variations in abundance, and certain beta-lactams and multidrug ARGs were consistently enriched across multiple manure composting processes. Correlation analyses all led to the conclusion that the divergent ARG variations during composting were attributable to the unequal effects of physicochemical properties, mobile elements, and succession of indigenous microbiota, whereas antibiotic residues’ effects were marginal. Ultimately, this study determines the relative importance of various key determinants in the phase-driven divergence of ARGs during multiple manure composting processes and demonstrates a clear need to evaluate risks posed by enriched ARGs toward their receiving environments.</p