Disparity in disinfection byproducts concentration between hot and cold tap water.

PubMed

Liu, Boning; Reckhow, David A

2015-03-01

The quality of water entering a distribution system may differ substantially from the quality at the point of exposure to the consumer. This study investigated temporal variations in the levels of regulated and non-regulated disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in cold and hot tap water in a home on a medium-sized municipal water system. In addition, samples were collected directly from the water plant with some being held in accordance with a simulated distribution system (SDS) test protocol. The location for this work was a system in western Massachusetts, USA that uses free chlorine as a final disinfectant. Very little short term variability of DBPs at the point of entry (POE) was observed. The concentration of DBPs in the time-variable SDS test was similar to concentrations in the cold water tap. For most DBPs, the concentrations continued to increase as the cold water tap sample was held for the time-variable SDS incubation period. However, the impact of heating on DBP levels was compound specific. For example, the concentrations of trihalomethanes (THMs), dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and chloropicrin (CP) were substantially higher in the hot water tap than in the cold water time-variable SDS samples. In contrast, the concentration of trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) was lower in the heated hot tap water, but about equal to that observed in the cold tap water. The situation was more pronounced for dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN), bromodichloroacetic acid (BDCAA), bromochloroacetic acid (BCAA) and 1,1,1-trichloropropanone (TCP), which all showed lower concentrations in the hot water then in either of the cold water samples (instantaneous or time-variable SDS). The latter was viewed as a clear indication of thermally-induced decomposition. The ratio of unknown total organic halide (UTOX) to TOX was substantially lower in the hot tap water as the THM to TOX ratio became correspondingly larger. The results of this study show that DBP exposure in the home is not well represented by

Perceptions of tap water and school water fountains and association with intake of plain water and sugar-sweetened beverages.

PubMed

Onufrak, Stephen J; Park, Sohyun; Sharkey, Joseph R; Merlo, Caitlin; Dean, Wesley R; Sherry, Bettylou

2014-03-01

Little is known regarding youth perceptions of tap water and school water fountains and how these relate to water and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake. We used national 2010 YouthStyles data to assess perceptions of tap water and school water fountains and associations with water and SSB intake. Nearly 1 in 5 participants disagreed their tap water was safe and nearly 2 in 5 disagreed school water fountains were clean and safe. Perceived tap water risk was more prevalent among non-Hispanic (NH) Blacks (26.4%) and Hispanics (28.3%) compared with NH Whites (14.7%, p < .001) and more prevalent among lower-income youth. Negative water fountain perceptions were more common among high school-aged youth. Perceived tap water risk was not associated with SSB intake (odds ratio [OR] = 1.0, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.6, 1.5) or water intake (OR = 1.4, 95% CI: 0.9, 2.1). Negative water fountain perceptions were associated with SSB intake only among Hispanics (race/ethnicity interaction p < .001; OR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.3, 6.6) but were not associated with water intake. Negative perceptions of tap water and water fountains among youth are common and should be considered in efforts to provide water in schools. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Sociodemographic Characteristics and Beverage Intake of Children Who Drink Tap Water

PubMed Central

Patel, Anisha I.; Shapiro, Daniel J.; Wang, Y. Claire; Cabana, Michael D.

2015-01-01

Background Tap water provides a calorie-free, no-cost, environmentally friendly beverage option, yet only some youth drink it. Purpose To examine sociodemographic characteristics, weight status, and beverage intake of those aged 1–19 years who drink tap water. Methods National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data (2005–2010) were used to examine factors associated with tap water consumption. A comparison was made of beverage intake among tap water consumers and nonconsumers, by age, race/ethnicity, and income. Results Tap water consumption was more prevalent among school-aged children (OR=1.85, 95% CI=1.47, 2.33, for those aged 6–11 years; OR=1.85, 95% CI=1.32, 2.59, for those aged 12–19 years) as compared to those aged 1–2 years. Tap water intake was less prevalent among girls/women (OR=0.76, 95% CI=0.64, 0.89); Mexican Americans (OR=0.32, 95% CI=0.23, 0.45); non-Hispanic blacks (OR=0.48, 95% CI=0.34, 0.67); and others (OR=0.50, 95% CI=0.36, 0.68) as compared to whites; Spanish speakers (OR=0.72, 95% CI=0.55, 0.95); and among referents with a lower than Grade-9 education (OR=0.52, 95% CI=0.31, 0.88); Grade 9–11 education (OR=0.50, 95% CI=0.32, 0.77); and high school/General Educational Development test completion (OR=0.50, 95% CI=0.33, 0.76), as compared to college graduates. Tap water consumers drank more fluid (52.5 vs 48.0 ounces, p<0.01); more plain water (20.1 vs 15.2 ounces, p<0.01); and less juice (3.6 vs 5.2 ounces, p<0.01) than nonconsumers. Conclusions One in six children/adolescents does not drink tap water, and this finding is more pronounced among minorities. Sociodemographic disparities in tap water consumption may contribute to disparities in health outcomes. Improvements in drinking water infrastructure and culturally relevant promotion may help to address these issues. PMID:23790991

Characterizing TW Hydra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sokal, Kimberly R.; Deen, Casey P.; Mace, Gregory N.; Lee, Jae-Joon; Oh, Heeyoung; Kim, Hwihyun; Kidder, Benjamin T.; Jaffe, Daniel T.

2018-02-01

At 60 pc, TW Hydra (TW Hya) is the closest example of a star with a gas-rich protoplanetary disk, though TW Hya may be relatively old (3–15 Myr). As such, TW Hya is especially appealing for testing our understanding of the interplay between stellar and disk evolution. We present a high-resolution near-infrared spectrum of TW Hya obtained with the Immersion GRating INfrared Spectrometer (IGRINS) to re-evaluate the stellar parameters of TW Hya. We compare these data to synthetic spectra of magnetic stars produced by MoogStokes, and use sensitive spectral line profiles to probe the effective temperature, surface gravity, and magnetic field. A model with {T}{eff}=3800 K, {log} g=4.2, and B=3.0 kG best fits the near-infrared spectrum of TW Hya. These results correspond to a spectral type of M0.5 and an age of 8 Myr, which is well past the median life of gaseous disks.

Analysis of UV filters in tap water and other clean waters in Spain.

PubMed

Díaz-Cruz, M Silvia; Gago-Ferrero, Pablo; Llorca, Marta; Barceló, Damià

2012-03-01

The present paper describes the development of a method for the simultaneous determination of five hormonally active UV filters namely benzophenone-3 (BP3), 3-(4-methylbenzylidene) camphor (4MBC), 2-ethylhexyl 4-(dimethylamino) benzoate (OD-PABA), 2-ethylhexyl 4-methoxycinnamate (EHMC) and octocrylene (OC) by means of solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography-electron impact ionization-mass spectrometry. Under optimized conditions, this methodology achieved low method limits of detection (needed for clean waters, especially drinking water analysis), between 0.02 and 8.42 ng/L, and quantitative recovery rates higher than 73% in all cases. Inter- and intraday precision for all compounds were lower than 7% and 11%, respectively. The optimized methodology was applied to perform the first survey of UV absorbing compounds in tap water from the metropolitan area and the city of Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain). In addition, other types of clean water matrices (mineral bottled water, well water and tap water treated with an ion-exchange resin) were investigated as well. Results evidenced that all the UV filters investigated were detected in the water samples analyzed. The compounds most frequently found were EHMC and OC. Maximum concentrations reached in tap water were 290 (BP3), 35 (4MBC), 110 (OD-PABA), 260 (EHMC), and 170 ng/L (OC). This study constitutes the first evidence of the presence of UV filter residues in tap water in Europe.

The mineral content of tap water in United States households

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The composition of tap water contributes to dietary intake of minerals. The USDA’s Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL) conducted a study of the mineral content of residential tap water, to generate current data for the USDA National Nutrient Database. Sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper...

Oropharyngeal Tularemia Outbreak Associated with Drinking Contaminated Tap Water, Turkey, July-September 2013.

PubMed

Aktas, Dilber; Celebi, Bekir; Isik, Mehmet Emirhan; Tutus, Celal; Ozturk, Huseyin; Temel, Fehminaz; Kizilaslan, Mecit; Zhu, Bao-Ping

2015-12-01

In 2013, an oropharyngeal tularemia outbreak in Turkey affected 55 persons. Drinking tap water during the likely exposure period was significantly associated with illness (attack rate 27% vs. 11% among non-tap water drinkers). Findings showed the tap water source had been contaminated by surface water, and the chlorination device malfunctioned.

Tanner-Whitehouse Skeletal Ages in Male Youth Soccer Players: TW2 or TW3?

PubMed

Malina, Robert M; Coelho-E-Silva, Manuel J; Figueiredo, António J; Philippaerts, Renaat M; Hirose, Norikazu; Peña Reyes, Maria Eugenia; Gilli, Giulio; Benso, Andrea; Vaeyens, Roel; Deprez, Dieter; Guglielmo, Luiz F; Buranarugsa, Rojapon

2018-04-01

The Tanner-Whitehouse radius-ulna-short bone protocol (TW2 RUS) for the assessment of skeletal age (SA) is widely used to estimate the biological (skeletal) maturity status of children and adolescents. The scale for converting TW RUS ratings to an SA has been revised (TW3 RUS) and has implications for studies of youth athletes in age-group sports. The aim of this study was to compare TW2 and TW3 RUS SAs in an international sample of male youth soccer players and to compare distributions of players by maturity status defined by each SA protocol. SA assessments with the TW RUS method were collated for 1831 male soccer players aged 11-17 years from eight countries. RUS scores were converted to TW2 and TW3 SAs using the appropriate tables. SAs were related to chronological age (CA) in individual athletes and compared by CA groups. The difference of SA minus CA with TW2 SA and with TW3 SA was used to classify players as late, average, or early maturing with each method. Concordance of maturity classifications was evaluated with Cohen's Kappa coefficients. For the same RUS score, TW3 SAs were systematically and substantially reduced compared with TW2 SAs; mean differences by CA group ranged from - 0.97 to - 1.16 years. Kappa coefficients indicated at best fair concordance of TW2 and TW3 maturity classifications. Across the age range, 42% of players classified as average with TW2 SA were classified as late with TW3 SA, and 64% of players classified as early with TW2 SA were classified as average with TW3 SA. TW3 SAs were systematically lower than corresponding TW2 SAs in male youth soccer players. The differences between scales have major implications for the classification of players by maturity status, which is central to some talent development programs.

Perceptions of Tap Water and School Water Fountains among Youth and Association with Intake of Plain Water and Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

PubMed Central

Onufrak, Stephen J; Park, Sohyun; Sharkey, Joseph R; Merlo, Caitlin; Dean, Wesley R.; Sherry, Bettylou

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND Little is known regarding youth perceptions of tap water and school water fountains and how these relate to water and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake. METHODS We used national 2010 YouthStyles data to assess perceptions of tap water and school water fountains and associations with water and SSB intake. RESULTS Nearly 1 in 5 participants disagreed their tap water was safe and nearly 2 in 5 disagreed school water fountains were clean and safe. Perceived tap water risk was more prevalent among non-Hispanic (NH) blacks (26.4%) and Hispanics (28.3%) compared to NH whites (14.7%, p < .001) and more prevalent among lower income youth. Negative water fountain perceptions were more common among high school age youth. Perceived tap water risk was not associated with SSB intake (odds ratio (OR) = 1.0, 95% CI: 0.6, 1.5) or water intake (OR = 1.4, 95% CI: 0.9, 2.1). Negative water fountain perceptions were associated with SSB intake only among Hispanics (race/ethnicity interaction p < .001; OR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.3, 6.6) but were not associated with water intake. CONCLUSION Negative perceptions of tap water and water fountains among youth are common and should be considered in efforts to provide water in schools. PMID:24443781

The Relationship of Perceptions of Tap Water Safety with Intake of Sugar Sweetened Beverages and Plain Water among U.S. Adults

PubMed Central

Onufrak, Stephen J; Park, Sohyun; Sharkey, Joseph R; Sherry, Bettylou

2015-01-01

Objective Research is limited on whether mistrust of tap water discourages plain water intake and leads to greater intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB). The objective of this study is to examine demographic differences in perceptions of tap water safety and determine if these perceptions are associated with intake of SSB and plain water Design The study examined perceptions of tap water safety and their cross-sectional association with intake of SSB and plain water. Racial/ethnic differences in the associations of tap water perceptions with SSB and plain water intake were also examined. Setting Nationally weighted data from 2010 HealthStyles Survey (n=4184) Subjects United States adults ≥18 years Results Overall, 13.0% of participants disagreed that their local tap water was safe to drink and 26.4% of participants agreed that bottled water was safer than tap water. Both mistrust of tap water safety and favoring bottled water differed by region, age, race/ethnicity, income, and education. The associations of tap water mistrust on intake of SSB and plain water were modified by race/ethnicity (p<0.05). Non-white racial/ethnic groups who disagreed that their local tap water was safe to drink were more likely to report low intake of plain water. The odds of consuming ≥1 SSB/day among Hispanics who mistrusted their local tap water was twice that of Hispanics who did not (OR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.2, 3.3). Conclusions Public health efforts to promote healthy beverages should recognize the potential impact of tap water perceptions on water and SSB intake among minority populations. PMID:23098620

Perceptions of Tap Water and School Water Fountains and Association with Intake of Plain Water and Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Onufrak, Stephen J.; Park, Sohyun; Sharkey, Joseph R.; Merlo, Caitlin; Dean, Wesley R.; Sherry, Bettylou

2014-01-01

Background: Little is known regarding youth perceptions of tap water and school water fountains and how these relate to water and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake. Methods: We used national 2010 YouthStyles data to assess perceptions of tap water and school water fountains and associations with water and SSB intake. Results: Nearly 1 in 5…

Multi-Generational Drinking of Bottled Low Mineral Water Impairs Bone Quality in Female Rats

PubMed Central

Zeng, Hui; Wang, Lingqiao; Wang, Dahua; Luo, Jiaohua; Zhang, Liang; Huang, Yujing; Chen, Ji-an; Shu, Weiqun

2015-01-01

Background Because of reproductions and hormone changes, females are more sensitive to bone mineral loss during their lifetime. Bottled water has become more popular in recent years, and a large number of products are low mineral water. However, research on the effects of drinking bottled low mineral water on bone health is sparse. Objective To elucidate the skeletal effects of multi-generational bottled water drinking in female rats. Methods Rats continuously drank tap water (TW), bottled natural water (bNW), bottled mineralized water (bMW), or bottled purified water (bPW) for three generations. Results The maximum deflection, elastic deflection, and ultimate strain of the femoral diaphysis in the bNW, bMW, and bPW groups and the fracture strain in the bNW and bMW groups were significantly decreased. The tibiae calcium levels in both the bNW and bPW groups were significantly lower than that in the TW group. The tibiae and teeth magnesium levels in both the bNW and bPW groups were significantly lower than those in the TW group. The collagen turnover markers PICP (in both bNW and bPW groups) were significantly lower than that in the TW group. In all three low mineral water groups, the 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D levels were significantly lower than those in the TW group. Conclusion Long-term drinking of low mineral water may disturb bone metabolism and biochemical properties and therefore weaken biomechanical bone properties in females. Drinking tap water, which contains adequate minerals, was found to be better for bone health. To our knowledge, this is the first report on drinking bottled low mineral water and female bone quality on three generation model. PMID:25803851

Demographic factors associated with perceptions about water safety and tap water consumption among adults in Santa Clara County, California, 2011.

PubMed

van Erp, Brianna; Webber, Whitney L; Stoddard, Pamela; Shah, Roshni; Martin, Lori; Broderick, Bonnie; Induni, Marta

2014-06-12

The objective of this study was to examine differences in tap water consumption and perceptions of bottle versus tap water safety for Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites, as well as associations with other demographic characteristics. Data are from the Santa Clara County, California, Dietary Practices Survey (2011; N = 306). We used logistic regression to examine associations between demographic characteristics and 1) perceptions that bottled water is safer than tap and 2) primarily consuming tap water. Hispanics were less likely than non-Hispanic whites to primarily drink tap water (OR = 0.33; 95% CI, 0.11-0.99), although there was no significant difference in perceptions that bottled water is safer between these groups (OR = 0.50; 95% CI, 0.11-2.27). Hispanics may be an important population for interventions promoting tap water consumption.

Major inorganic elements in tap water samples in Peninsular Malaysia.

PubMed

Azrina, A; Khoo, H E; Idris, M A; Amin, I; Razman, M R

2011-08-01

Quality drinking water should be free from harmful levels of impurities such as heavy metals and other inorganic elements. Samples of tap water collected from 24 locations in Peninsular Malaysia were determined for inorganic element content. Minerals and heavy metals were analysed by spectroscopy methods, while non-metal elements were analysed using test kits. Minerals and heavy metals determined were sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium, chromium, manganese, iron, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, cadmium and lead while the non-metal elements were fluoride, chloride, nitrate and sulphate. Most of the inorganic elements found in the samples were below the maximum permitted levels recommended by inter-national drinking water standard limits, except for iron and manganese. Iron concentration of tap water from one of the locations was higher than the standard limit. In general, tap water from different parts of Peninsular Malaysia had low concentrations of heavy metals and inorganic elements.

The occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes in tap water - a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siedlecka, Agata

2018-02-01

The study presents a review of the occurrence of genetic determinants of antibiotic resistance in tap water. The aim of this study was also to compare the applied methods for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) investigations in tap water. As the concentration of ARGs in treated, drinking water is expected to be very low and may cause problems in a standard isolation procedure, the special emphasis is placed on the applied procedures of DNA extraction and their efficiency. The study presents the first attempts to obtain DNA directly from tap water. Further efforts must be put to determine the final amount of obtained DNA and the presence of chosen ARGs among the molecules.

Mineral water or tap water? An endless debate.

PubMed

De Giglio, O; Quaranta, A; Lovero, G; Caggiano, G; Montagna, M T

2015-01-01

The consumption of mineral water has been increasing because of the frequent and unjustified reports of the water supply contamination. However some authors have shown that bottled waters are not always better than tap water. Mineral waters are more palatable for organoleptic characteristic because, being pure at source, they do not undergo disinfection treatments and are sometimes enriched with CO2. In fact, they are characterized by their microbial facies subject to changes during the production cycle which can contribute to their contamination. It is necessary to provide people with the tools necessary to operate a critical choice of the type of water to be consumed not exclusively for their organoleptic characteristics or marketing strategies.

Risk characterization of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) in tap water.

PubMed

Stern, B R; Tardiff, R G

1997-12-01

Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) can enter surface water and groundwater through wet atmospheric deposition or as a result of fuel leaks and spills. About 30% of the U.S. population lives in areas where MTBE is in regular use. Ninety-five percent of this population is unlikely to be exposed to MTBE in tap water at concentrations exceeding 2 ppb, and most will be exposed to concentrations that are much lower and may be zero. About 5% of this population may be exposed to higher levels of MTBE in tap water, resulting from fuel tank leaks and spills into surface or groundwater used for potable water supplies. This paper describes the concentration ranges found and anticipated in surface and groundwater, and estimates the distribution of doses experienced by humans using water containing MTBE to drink, prepare food, and shower/bathe. The toxic properties (including potency) of MTBE when ingested, inhaled, and in contact with the skin are summarized. Using a range of human toxic potency values derived from animal studies, margins of exposure (MOE) associated with alternative chronic exposure scenarios are estimated to range from 1700 to 140,000. Maximum concentrations of MTBE in tap water anticipated not to cause adverse health effects are determined to range from 700 to 14,000 ppb. The results of this analysis demonstrate that no health risks are likely to be associated with chronic and subchronic human exposures to MTBE in tap water. Although some individuals may be exposed to very high concentrations of MTBE in tap water immediately following a localized spill, these exposures are likely to be brief in duration due to large-scale dilution and rapid volatilization of MTBE, the institution of emergency response and remediation measures to minimize human exposures, and the low taste and odor thresholds of MTBE which ensure that its presence in tap water is readily detected at concentrations well below the threshold for human injury.

Predicting consumer preferences for mineral composition of bottled and tap water.

PubMed

Platikanov, Stefan; Hernández, Alejandra; González, Susana; Luis Cortina, Jose; Tauler, Roma; Devesa, Ricard

2017-01-01

The overall liking for taste of water was correlated with the mineral composition of selected bottled and tap waters. Sixty-nine untrained volunteers assessed and rated twenty-five different commercial bottled and tap waters from. Water samples were physicochemical characterised by analysing conductivity, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS) and major anions and cations: HCO 3 - , SO 4 2- , Cl - , NO 3 - , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Na + , and K + . Residual chlorine levels were also analysed in the tap water samples. Globally, volunteers preferred waters rich in calcium bicarbonate and sulfate, rather than in sodium chloride. This study also demonstrated that it was possible to accurately predict the overall liking by a Partial Least Squares regression using either all measured physicochemical parameters or a reduced number of them. These results were in agreement with previously published results using trained panellists. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Test wells TW1 and TW2, and TW3, White Sands Missile Range, Otero County, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Myers, R.G.; Pinckley, K.M.

1987-01-01

Three test wells, TW1, TW2, and TW3, were drilled at White Sands Missile Range in south-central New Mexico in July, August, and October 1983 as part of a joint military training program sponsored by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army in July, August, and October 1983. The test wells were drilled as exploratory and monitoring wells for the toxic waste storage facility at White Sands Missile Range. Information obtained from these wells includes lithologic logs for all wells and borehole-geophysical logs for the cased wells. (Author 's abstract)

Factors associated with drinking and being satisfied with tap water in Indigenous communities in Saskatchewan, Canada

PubMed Central

Bharadwaj, Lalita; Waldner, Cheryl L.

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Previous studies have described concerns regarding tap water in Indigenous communities, yet there is little information on participants who report drinking their tap water and being satisfied with its quality. This study undertaken with members of 8 Indigenous communities in Saskatchewan, Canada, and identified factors associated with both the decision to drink tap water at home and being satisfied with its quality. We examined the importance of factors such as individual attributes, experiences, attitudes, household and community-based variables. Less than one-quarter of participants (23.4%) drank tap water and were satisfied with its quality. Individuals who did not boil tap water (odds ratio [OR] = 5.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.68–19.8), those who did not experience tap water odour (OR = 2.38, 95% CI = 1.26–4.50) and participants living in communities away from urban centres (OR = 2.74, 95% CI = 1.63–4.51) were more likely to drink and be satisfied with their tap water. Concerns about the environment had the most impact on community members aged 55+ years. Those not reporting concerns about environmental problems affecting water (OR = 11.4, 95% CI = 3.10–42.2) were much more likely to drink and be satisfied with their tap water. Programmes to improve water quality, reduce the need for boil water advisories and increase community confidence in the environment could improve tap water satisfaction and consumption. PMID:29697009

Influence of Household Water Filters on Bacteria Growth and Trace Metals in Tap Water of Doha, Qatar.

PubMed

Nriagu, Jerome; Xi, Chuanwu; Siddique, Azhar; Vincent, Annette; Shomar, Basem

2018-05-29

Deteriorating water quality from aging infrastructure, growing threat of pollution from industrialization and urbanization, and increasing awareness about waterborne diseases are among the factors driving the surge in worldwide use of point-of-entry (POE) and point-of-use (POU) filters. Any adverse influence of such consumer point-of-use systems on quality of water at the tap remains poorly understood, however. We determined the chemical and microbiological changes in municipal water from the point of entry into the household plumbing system until it leaves from the tap in houses equipped with filters. We show that POE/POU devices can induce significant deterioration of the quality of tap water by functioning as traps and reservoirs for sludge, scale, rust, algae or slime deposits which promote microbial growth and biofilm formation in the household water distribution system. With changes in water pressure and physical or chemical disturbance of the plumbing system, the microorganisms and contaminants may be flushed into the tap water. Such changes in quality of household water carry a potential health risk which calls for some introspection in widespread deployment of POE/POU filters in water distribution systems.

Longitudinal and Source-to-Tap New Orleans, LA, U.S.A. Drinking Water Microbiology.

PubMed

Hull, Natalie M; Holinger, Eric P; Ross, Kimberly A; Robertson, Charles E; Harris, J Kirk; Stevens, Mark J; Pace, Norman R

2017-04-18

The two municipal drinking water systems of New Orleans, LA, U.S.A. were sampled to compare the microbiology of independent systems that treat the same surface water from the Mississippi River. To better understand temporal trends and sources of microbiology delivered to taps, these treatment plants and distribution systems were subjected to source-to-tap sampling over four years. Both plants employ traditional treatment by chloramination, applied during or after settling, followed by filtration before distribution in a warm, low water age system. Longitudinal samples indicated microbiology to have stability both spatially and temporally, and between treatment plants and distribution systems. Disinfection had the greatest impact on microbial composition, which was further refined by filtration and influenced by distribution and premise plumbing. Actinobacteria spp. exhibited trends with treatment. In particular, Mycobacterium spp., very low in finished waters, occurred idiosyncratically at high levels in some tap waters, indicating distribution and/or premise plumbing as main contributors of mycobacteria. Legionella spp., another genus containing potential opportunistic pathogens, also occurred ubiquitously. Source water microbiology was most divergent from tap water, and each step of treatment brought samples more closely similar to tap waters.

Investigation of formaldehyde pollution of tap water and rain water using a novel visual colorimetry.

PubMed

Murai, K; Okano, M; Kuramitz, H; Hata, N; Kawakami, T; Taguchi, S

2008-01-01

The pollution of tap water and rain water with formaldehyde in Toyama Pref., Japan was investigated by means of a simple, rapid and cost-effective visual colorimetry developed by us. The levels of formaldehyde in three tap waters from different sources of dams on mountainside and a well-water pumped in urban area in Toyama Pref. were lower than 0.01 mg L(-1) that was the detection limit of the colorimetry. On the other hand, rain waters were seriously polluted with formaldehyde. Rain waters were sampled from three different sites (urban area, top of hill and industrial area) in Toyama Pref. from autumn to winter in 2006. The levels of formaldehyde in the rain waters ranged from 0.07 to 0.30 mg L(-1). The analytical results by the visual colorimetry were in good agreement with those obtained by GC-MS method. It was confirmed that the colorimetry is excellent for practical use for the determination of formaldehyde. It must be concerned about the pollution of rainwater with formaldehyde, when rain water is applied for tap water and miscellaneous purpose. Copyright IWA Publishing 2008.

A level change in mutagenicity of Japanese tap water over the past 12 yr.

PubMed

Takanashi, Hirokazu; Kishida, Misako; Nakajima, Tsunenori; Ohki, Akira; Akiba, Michihiro

2011-05-01

A relative comparison study of mutagenicity in Japanese tap water was conducted for 1993 and 2005 surveys. It intended to assess the effects of advanced water treatment installations to water works, improvement of raw water quality and improvement of residual HOCl concentration controlling. Sampling points (taps) were the same in both surveys. The results of 245 samples obtained by the Ames Salmonella mutagenicity test (Ames test) were analyzed. The Ames tests were conducted by using Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 strains with and without exogenous activation (S9). With the exception of TA100-S9, the other conditions needed no discussion as a factor in the mutagenicity level change. The average mutagenicity in 1993 and 2005 under the conditions of TA100-S9 were 2600 and 1100 net revertantL(-1), respectively. This indicated that the mutagenicity level of Japanese tap water decreased during the 12-yr period. Particularly a remarkable decrease in mutagenicity was observed in the water works where the advanced water treatments were installed during the 12-yr period. The advanced water treatments were effective in decreasing the mutagenicity of tap water. Mutagenicity also decreased in the water works with conventional water treatments; the improvement of residual HOCl concentration controlling was also considered to be effective in decreasing the mutagenicity of tap water. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of magnetic field on the physical properties of water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Youkai; Wei, Huinan; Li, Zhuangwen

2018-03-01

In this study, the effect of magnetic field (MF) on the partial physical properties of water are reported, tap water (TW) and 4 types of magnetized water (MW) were measured in the same condition. It was found that the properties of TW were changed following the MF treatment, shown as the increase of evaporation amount, the decrease of specific heat and boiling point after magnetization, the changes depend on the magnetization effect. In addition, magnetic field strength (MFS) has a marked influence on the magnetization effect, the optimal magnetizing condition was determined as the MFS of 300 mT. The findings of this study offered a facile approach to improve cooling and power generation efficiency in industrial.

Microprocessor controlled anodic stripping voltameter for trace metals analysis in tap water

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clem, R.G.; Park, F.W.; Kirsten, F.A.

1981-04-01

The construction and use of a portable, microprocessor controlled anodic stripping voltameter for on-site simultaneous metal analysis of copper, lead and cadmium in tap water is discussed. The instrumental system is comprised of a programmable controller which permits keying in analytical parameters such as sparge time and plating time; a rotating cell for efficient oxygen removal and amalgam formation; and, a magnetic tape which can be used for data storage. Analysis time can be as short as 10 to 15 minutes. The stripping analysis is based on a pre-measurement step during which the metals from a water sample are concentratedmore » into a thin mercury film by deposition from an acetate solution of pH 4.5. The concentrated metals are then electrochemically dissolved from the film by application of a linearly increasing anodic potential. Typical peak-shaped curves are obtained. The heights of these curves are related to the concentration of metals in the water by calibration data. Results of tap water analysis showed 3 +- 1 ..mu..g/L lead, 22 +- 0.3 ..mu..g/L copper, and less than 0.2 ..mu..g/L cadmium for a Berkeley, California tap water, and 1 to 1000 ..mu..g/L Cu, 1 to 2 ..mu..g/L Pb for ten samples of Seattle, Washington tap water. Recommendations are given for a next generation instrument system.« less

Relationship between the incidence infection stones and the magnesium-calcium ratio of tap water.

PubMed

Kohri, K; Ishikawa, Y; Iguchi, M; Kurita, T; Okada, Y; Yoshida, O

1993-01-01

In a previous study we showed that the magnesium-calcium ratio of tap water is negatively correlated with the incidence of calcium-containing urinary stones. In this study we examined the relationship between the incidence of struvite stones, water hardness and the regional geological features on the basis of our previous study and an epidemiological study of urolithiasis performed in Japan. The magnesium-calcium ratio of tap water was found to correlate positively with the incidence of struvite stones. The tap water magnesium-calcium ratio was high in regions of basalt and sedimentary rock and was low in granite and limestone areas. The incidence of struvite stones in the regions of basalt and sedimentary rock was higher than that in the granite and limestone areas. Thus, this study suggested that the incidence of struvite stones is related to the magnesium-calcium ratio of tap water and to the regional geology, as is the case for calcium-containing stones.

Immunoaffinity column as clean-up tool for determination of trace amounts of microcystins in tap water.

PubMed

Tsutsumi, T; Nagata, S; Hasegawa, A; Ueno, Y

2000-07-01

Trace amounts of microcystins (MCs) in drinking water should be monitored because of their potential hazard for human health as an environmental tumor promoter. We describe here a new clean-up tool with immunoaffinity column (IAC) for determination of trace amounts of MCs (from pg to microg/litre) in tap water. The water samples were concentrated with IAC clean-up and MCs levels were determined by HPLC with UV detection or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In the combination with HPLC analysis, mean recovery of microcystin-LR (MCLR),-RR and-YR spiked to tap water were 91.8%, 77.3% and 86.4%, respectively, in the range 2.5-100 microg/litre. The chromatogram of MCs-spiked tap water sample cleaned up with IAC showed effective elimination of the impurities compared to that with octadecyl silanized cartridge, which had been cleaned up with a conventional method. Also, in the combination with highly sensitive ELISA, mean recovery of MCLR spiked to tap water was 80% in the range 0.1-1000 ng/litre. The combined methods developed here can detect pg to microg/litre of MCs in tap water. The overall results indicated that IAC will be suitable as a clean-up tool for trace amounts of MCs in tap water.

Concentration of poliovirus from tap water using positively charged microporous filters.

PubMed Central

Sobsey, M D; Jones, B L

1979-01-01

Microporous filters that are more electropositive than the negatively charged filters currently used for virus concentrations from water by filter adsorption-elution methods were evaluated for poliovirus recovery from tap water. Zeta Plus filters composed of diatomaceous earth-cellulose-"charge-modified" resin mixtures and having a net positive charge of up to pH 5 to 6 efficiently adsorbed poliovirus from tap water at ambient pH levels 7.0 to 7.5 without added multivalent cation salts. The adsorbed virus were eluted with glycine-NaOH, pH 9.5 to 11.5. Electropositive asbestos-cellulose filters efficiently adsorbed poliovirus from tap water without added multivalent cation salts between pH 3.5 and 9.0, and the absorbed viruses could be eluted with 3% beef extract, pH 9, but not with pH 9.5 to 11.5 glycine-NaOH. Under water quality conditions in which poliovirus recoveries from large volumes of water were less than 5% with conventional negatively charged filters and standard methods, recoveries with Zeta Plus filters averaged 64 and 22.5% for one- and two-stage concentration procedures, respectively. Electropositive filters appear to offer distinct advantages over conventional negatively charged filters for concentrating enteric viruses from water, and their behavior tends to confirm the importance of electrostatic forces in virus recovery from water by microporous filter adsorption-elution methods. PMID:36844

Levels of major and trace elements, including rare earth elements, and ²³⁸U in Croatian tap waters.

PubMed

Fiket, Željka; Rožmarić, Martina; Krmpotić, Matea; Benedik, Ljudmila

2015-05-01

Concentrations of 46 elements, including major, trace, and rare earth elements, and (238)U in Croatian tap waters were investigated. Selected sampling locations include tap waters from various hydrogeological regions, i.e., different types of aquifers, providing insight into the range of concentrations of studied elements and (238)U activity concentrations in Croatian tap waters. Obtained concentrations were compared with the Croatian maximum contaminant levels for trace elements in water intended for human consumption, as well as WHO and EPA drinking water standards. Concentrations in all analyzed tap waters were found in accordance with Croatian regulations, except tap water from Šibenik in which manganese in concentration above maximum permissible concentration (MPC) was measured. Furthermore, in tap water from Osijek, levels of arsenic exceeded the WHO guidelines and EPA regulations. In general, investigated tap waters were found to vary considerably in concentrations of studied elements, including (238)U activity concentrations. Causes of variability were further explored using statistical methods. Composition of studied tap waters was found to be predominately influenced by hydrogeological characteristics of the aquifer, at regional and local level, the existing redox conditions, and the household plumbing system. Rare earth element data, including abundances and fractionation patterns, complemented the characterization and facilitated the interpretation of factors affecting the composition of the analyzed tap waters.

Read-Through Proteins of Group 4 RNA Bacteriophages TW19 and TW28

PubMed Central

Aoi, Takeshi; Kaesberg, Paul

1976-01-01

Group 4 phages TW19 and TW28 of Escherichia coli possess a “read-through” (IIb) protein, although group 2 phage GA does not. This may have implications concerning the evolution and classification of RNA phages. Images PMID:978795

Bacterial community of iron tubercles from a drinking water distribution system and its occurrence in stagnant tap water.

PubMed

Chen, Lu; Jia, Rui-Bao; Li, Li

2013-07-01

Bacteria in drinking water distribution systems can cause deterioration of the water quality, and the microbial quality of tap water is closely related to consumer health. In the present study, the potential effects of bacteria attached to cast iron pipes on tap water in a distribution system were investigated. Comparison of the bacterial community composition of pipe tubercles with that of stagnant tap water samples based on a denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that the communities were related. Specifically, the main bacterial members were identical to each other. The bacterial community was found to be dominated by Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria, which included Rhizobium, Pseudomonas, Lactococcus, Brevundimonas, Rheinheimera, Arthrobacter, Bacillus, and Herbaspirillum. Heterotrophic bacteria proliferation was observed during the period of stagnation, followed by a decrease of assimilable organic carbon and a slight increase of microbially available phosphorus. These findings indicated that the regrowth of bacteria might be boosted by the release of nutrients such as phosphorus from the pipe walls, as well as the decline of residual chlorine during stagnation. Inorganic contaminants at low levels, including Al, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Ni, were detected in tubercles and were concentrated in particulates from tap water following the release of iron during stagnation.

Assessing the origin of bacteria in tap water and distribution system in an unchlorinated drinking water system by SourceTracker using microbial community fingerprints.

PubMed

Liu, Gang; Zhang, Ya; van der Mark, Ed; Magic-Knezev, Aleksandra; Pinto, Ameet; van den Bogert, Bartholomeus; Liu, Wentso; van der Meer, Walter; Medema, Gertjan

2018-07-01

The general consensus is that the abundance of tap water bacteria is greatly influenced by water purification and distribution. Those bacteria that are released from biofilm in the distribution system are especially considered as the major potential risk for drinking water bio-safety. For the first time, this full-scale study has captured and identified the proportional contribution of the source water, treated water, and distribution system in shaping the tap water bacterial community based on their microbial community fingerprints using the Bayesian "SourceTracker" method. The bacterial community profiles and diversity analyses illustrated that the water purification process shaped the community of planktonic and suspended particle-associated bacteria in treated water. The bacterial communities associated with suspended particles, loose deposits, and biofilm were similar to each other, while the community of tap water planktonic bacteria varied across different locations in distribution system. The microbial source tracking results showed that there was not a detectable contribution of source water to bacterial community in the tap water and distribution system. The planktonic bacteria in the treated water was the major contributor to planktonic bacteria in the tap water (17.7-54.1%). The particle-associated bacterial community in the treated water seeded the bacterial community associated with loose deposits (24.9-32.7%) and biofilm (37.8-43.8%) in the distribution system. In return, the loose deposits and biofilm showed a significant influence on tap water planktonic and particle-associated bacteria, which were location dependent and influenced by hydraulic changes. This was revealed by the increased contribution of loose deposits to tap water planktonic bacteria (from 2.5% to 38.0%) and an increased contribution of biofilm to tap water particle-associated bacteria (from 5.9% to 19.7%) caused by possible hydraulic disturbance from proximal to distal regions

Residential tap water contamination following the Freedom Industries chemical spill: perceptions, water quality, and health impacts.

PubMed

Whelton, Andrew J; McMillan, LaKia; Connell, Matt; Kelley, Keven M; Gill, Jeff P; White, Kevin D; Gupta, Rahul; Dey, Rajarshi; Novy, Caroline

2015-01-20

During January 2014, an industrial solvent contaminated West Virginia’s Elk River and 15% of the state population’s tap water. A rapid in-home survey and water testing was conducted 2 weeks following the spill to understand resident perceptions, tap water chemical levels, and premise plumbing flushing effectiveness. Water odors were detected in all 10 homes sampled before and after premise plumbing flushing. Survey and medical data indicated flushing caused adverse health impacts. Bench-scale experiments and physiochemical property predictions showed flushing promoted chemical volatilization, and contaminants did not appreciably sorb into cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) pipe. Flushing reduced tap water 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol (4-MCHM) concentrations within some but not all homes. 4-MCHM was detected at unflushed (<10 to 420 μg/L) and flushed plumbing systems (<10 to 96 μg/L) and sometimes concentrations differed among faucets within each home. All waters contained less 4-MCHM than the 1000 μg/L Centers for Disease Control drinking water limit, but one home exceeded the 120 μg/L drinking water limit established by independent toxicologists. Nearly all households refused to resume water use activities after flushing because of water safety concerns. Science based flushing protocols should be developed to expedite recovery, minimize health impacts, and reduce concentrations in homes when future events occur.

Anthropogenic contamination of tap water, beer, and sea salt

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Plastic pollution has been well documented in natural environments, including the open waters and sediments within lakes and rivers, the open ocean and even the air, but less attention has been paid to synthetic polymers in human consumables. Since multiple toxicity studies indicate risks to human health when plastic particles are ingested, more needs to be known about the presence and abundance of anthropogenic particles in human foods and beverages. This study investigates the presence of anthropogenic particles in 159 samples of globally sourced tap water, 12 brands of Laurentian Great Lakes beer, and 12 brands of commercial sea salt. Of the tap water samples analyzed, 81% were found to contain anthropogenic particles. The majority of these particles were fibers (98.3%) between 0.1–5 mm in length. The range was 0 to 61 particles/L, with an overall mean of 5.45 particles/L. Anthropogenic debris was found in each brand of beer and salt. Of the extracted particles, over 99% were fibers. After adjusting for particles found in lab blanks for both salt and beer, the average number of particles found in beer was 4.05 particles/L with a range of 0 to 14.3 particles/L and the average number of particles found in each brand of salt was 212 particles/kg with a range of 46.7 to 806 particles/kg. Based on consumer guidelines, our results indicate the average person ingests over 5,800 particles of synthetic debris from these three sources annually, with the largest contribution coming from tap water (88%). PMID:29641556

Stereotypes for lever-tap operation.

PubMed

Chan, Alan H S; Tsang, Steve N H; Hoffmann, Errol R

2016-04-15

Lever-operated taps have become more popular and are commonly used in operating theatres, food preparation areas and where users have poor strength; however, there is very little data available for user expectations on tap operation. Thus, an experiment on dual lever-operated water tap (faucets) was conducted with the aim of for providing information for improved design. This study aims to compare different lever-tap designs and their stereotypes adopted by the end-user to operate them also to verify the stereotypes for increasing or decreasing the water flow. 240 participants were requested to rotate the lever tap to indicate direction for increasing and decreasing water flow with simulated hardware, using actual taps placed at the top of a simulated washbasin. Nine initial positions of the lever were used for increasing and decreasing flows, ranging from the ends of both levers facing outward from the bowl center to the ends of both levers facing inward. All levers operated in the horizontal plane. Strong stereotypes (greater than 80%) for several initial lever orientations were found for increasing water flow, especially when the initial lever end positions were facing outwards. However, for different initial positions at which participants were told that the water was flowing and the flow was to be decreased, no strong stereotypes existed. The stereotypes for increasing water flow of dual-lever taps were strong, whereas those for decreasing water flow were weak and hence the stereotype reversibility was also weak. In terms of user expectations, lever taps do not show any great advantage over cross-taps in terms of operator expectations for increasing and decreasing water flow.

Tap water isotope ratios reflect urban water system structure and dynamics across a semiarid metropolitan area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jameel, Yusuf; Brewer, Simon; Good, Stephen P.; Tipple, Brett J.; Ehleringer, James R.; Bowen, Gabriel J.

2016-08-01

Water extraction for anthropogenic use has become a major flux in the hydrological cycle. With increasing demand for water and challenges supplying it in the face of climate change, there is a pressing need to better understand connections between human populations, climate, water extraction, water use, and its impacts. To understand these connections, we collected and analyzed stable isotopic ratios of more than 800 urban tap water samples in a series of semiannual water surveys (spring and fall, 2013-2015) across the Salt Lake Valley (SLV) of northern Utah. Consistent with previous work, we found that mean tap water had a lower 2H and 18O concentration than local precipitation, highlighting the importance of nearby montane winter precipitation as source water for the region. However, we observed strong and structured spatiotemporal variation in tap water isotopic compositions across the region which we attribute to complex distribution systems, varying water management practices and multiple sources used across the valley. Water from different sources was not used uniformly throughout the area and we identified significant correlation between water source and demographic parameters including population and income. Isotopic mass balance indicated significant interannual and intra-annual variability in water losses within the distribution network due to evaporation from surface water resources supplying the SLV. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of isotopes as an indicator of water management strategies and climate impacts within regional urban water systems, with potential utility for monitoring, regulation, forensic, and a range of water resource research.

Evaluation of disinfective potential of reactivated free chlorine in pooled tap water by electrolysis.

PubMed

Nakajima, Norihito; Nakano, Takashi; Harada, Fumiue; Taniguchi, Hiromasa; Yokoyama, Isao; Hirose, Jun; Daikoku, Eriko; Sano, Kouichi

2004-05-01

Tap water is one of the causative factors of hospital infections. We examined the disinfective potential of electrolysis and mechanism of disinfection, and clarified the disinfective effect of electrolysis on tap water contaminated with bacteria, and discussed its clinical applications. Tap waters artificially contaminated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Legionella pneumophila, and Staphylococcus aureus could be sterilized by electrolysis at 20-30 mA for 5 min. A high-density suspension (10(6) CFU/ml) of a spore forming bacterium, Bacillus subtilis was not completely sterilized by electrolysis at 50 mA up to 30 min, but a low-density suspension (10(5) CFU/ml) was totally sterilized by electrolysis at 50 mA for 5 min. Electrolyzed P. aeruginosa changed morphologically, that is, there was bleb formation on the cell wall and irregular aggregation of cytoplasmic small granules. Moreover, cytoplasmic enzyme, nitrate reductase, was inactivated by the electrolysis. On the other hand, genomic DNA of the electrolyzed bacteria was not degenerated, therefore, their DNA polymerase activity was not completely inactivated. Consequently, the major agent in electrolysis for bactericidal action was considered to be free chlorine, and the possible bactericidal mechanism was by destruction of bacterial membranes, followed by the aggregation of peripheral cytoplasmic proteins. Electrolysis of tap water for both disinfecting contaminating bacteria and increasing the disinfectant capacity was considered effective with some limitations, particularly against high-density contamination by spore-forming bacteria. In clinical settings, electrolysis of tap water is considered effective to disinfect water for hand washing in operation theatres, and bathing water for immunocompromised hosts.

Detection of Escherichia coli, Salmonella species, and Vibrio cholerae in tap water and bottled drinking water in Isfahan, Iran.

PubMed

Momtaz, Hassan; Dehkordi, Farhad Safarpoor; Rahimi, Ebrahim; Asgarifar, Amin

2013-06-07

The quality of drinking water has an important role in human infection and disease. This study was aimed at comparing polymerase chain reaction and culture in detecting Escherichia coli, Salmonella species and Vibrio cholera in tape water and bottled drinking water in various seasons in Isfahan province, Iran. A total of 448 water samples from tap water and bottled mineral water were taken over 6 months, from July 2010 to December 2010, and after filtration, samples were examined by culture and polymerase chain reaction methods for detection of Escherichia coli, Salmonella species, and Vibrio cholerae. The culture method showed that 34 (7.58%), 4 (0.89%) and 3 (0.66%) of all 448 water samples were positive for Escherichia coli, Salmonella species, and Vibrio cholera, respectively. The uidA gene from Escherichia coli, IpaB gene from Salmonella species, and epsM gene from Vibrio cholera were detected in 38 (26.38%), 5 (3.47%), and 3 (2.08%) of 144 tap-water samples, respectively. Escherichia coli was detected in 8 (2.63%) of 304 samples of bottled drinking water from 5 companies. The water of southern part of Isfahan and company 5 had the highest prevalence of bacteria. The Escherichia coli water contamination was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the hot seasons (July-August) than cold (November-December) seasons and in company 5 than other companies. There were significant differences (P < 0.05) for the prevalence of bacteria between the tap waters of southern part and tap waters of central part of Isfahan. This study showed that the polymerase chain reaction assays can be an extremely accurate, fast, safe, sensitive and specific approach to monitor drinking water quality from purification facilities and bottled water companies. Also, our study confirmed the presence of Escherichia coli, Salmonella species, and Vibrio cholerae as water-borne pathogens in tap water and bottled drinking water of Isfahan, Iran. The present study showed the important public health

Detection of Escherichia coli, Salmonella species, and Vibrio cholerae in tap water and bottled drinking water in Isfahan, Iran

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The quality of drinking water has an important role in human infection and disease. This study was aimed at comparing polymerase chain reaction and culture in detecting Escherichia coli, Salmonella species and Vibrio cholera in tape water and bottled drinking water in various seasons in Isfahan province, Iran. Methods A total of 448 water samples from tap water and bottled mineral water were taken over 6 months, from July 2010 to December 2010, and after filtration, samples were examined by culture and polymerase chain reaction methods for detection of Escherichia coli, Salmonella species, and Vibrio cholerae. Results The culture method showed that 34 (7.58%), 4 (0.89%) and 3 (0.66%) of all 448 water samples were positive for Escherichia coli, Salmonella species, and Vibrio cholera, respectively. The uidA gene from Escherichia coli, IpaB gene from Salmonella species, and epsM gene from Vibrio cholera were detected in 38 (26.38%), 5 (3.47%), and 3 (2.08%) of 144 tap-water samples, respectively. Escherichia coli was detected in 8 (2.63%) of 304 samples of bottled drinking water from 5 companies. The water of southern part of Isfahan and company 5 had the highest prevalence of bacteria. The Escherichia coli water contamination was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the hot seasons (July-August) than cold (November-December) seasons and in company 5 than other companies. There were significant differences (P < 0.05) for the prevalence of bacteria between the tap waters of southern part and tap waters of central part of Isfahan. Conclusions This study showed that the polymerase chain reaction assays can be an extremely accurate, fast, safe, sensitive and specific approach to monitor drinking water quality from purification facilities and bottled water companies. Also, our study confirmed the presence of Escherichia coli, Salmonella species, and Vibrio cholerae as water-borne pathogens in tap water and bottled drinking water of Isfahan, Iran. The

[Volatile organic compounds of the tap water in the Watarase, Tone and Edo River system].

PubMed

Ohmichi, Kimihide; Ohmichi, Masayoshi; Machida, Kazuhiko

2004-01-01

The chlorination of river water in purification plants is known to produce carcinogens such as trihalomethanes (THMs). We studied the river system of the Watarase, Tone, and Edo Rivers in regard to the formation of THMs. This river system starts from the base of the Ashio copper mine and ends at Tokyo Bay. Along the rivers, there are 14 local municipalities in Gunma, Saitama, Ibaragi and Chiba Prefectures, as well as Tokyo. This area is the center of the Kanto plain and includes the main sources of water pollution from human activities. We also analyzed various chemicals in river water and tap water to clarify the status of the water environment, and we outline the problems of the water environment in the research area (Fig. 1). Water samples were taken from 18 river sites and 42 water faucets at public facilities in 14 local municipalities. We analyzed samples for volatile organic compounds such as THMs, by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and evaluations of chemical oxygen demand (COD) were made with reference to Japanese drinking water quality standards. Concentrations of THMs in the downstream tap water samples were higher than those in the samples from the upperstream. This tendency was similar to the COD of the river water samples, but no correlation between the concentration of THMs in tap water and the COD in tap water sources was found. In tap water of local government C, trichloroethylene was detected. The current findings suggest that the present water filtration plant procedures are not sufficient to remove some hazardous chemicals from the source water. Moreover, it was confirmed that the water filtration produced THMs. Also, trichloroethylene was detected from the water environment in the research area, suggesting that pollution of the water environment continues.

The Danger of Using Tap Water with Contact Lenses

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Acanthamoeba is a microbe that is very common in tap water. It has two forms: the trophozoite and the cyst. These trophozoites and cysts can stick to the surface of your contact lenses and then infect your eye.

Occurrence and sources of bromate in chlorinated tap drinking water in Metropolitan Manila, Philippines.

PubMed

Genuino, Homer C; Espino, Maria Pythias B

2012-04-01

Significant levels of potentially carcinogenic bromate were measured in chlorinated tap drinking water in Metropolitan Manila, Philippines, using an optimized ion-chromatographic method. This method can quantify bromate in water down to 4.5 μg l⁻¹ by employing a postcolumn reaction with acidic fuchsin and subsequent spectrophotometric detection. The concentration of bromate in tap drinking water samples collected from 21 locations in cities and municipalities within the 9-month study period ranged from 7 to 138 μg l⁻¹. The average bromate concentration of all tap drinking water samples was 66 μg l⁻¹ (n = 567), almost seven times greater than the current regulatory limit in the country. The levels of bromate in other water types were also determined to identify the sources of bromate found in the distribution lines and to further uncover contaminated sites. The concentration of bromate in water sourced from two rivers and two water treatment plants ranged from 15 to 80 and 12 to 101 μg l⁻¹, respectively. Rainwater did not contribute bromate in rivers but decreased bromate level by dilution. Groundwater and wastewater samples showed bromate concentrations as high as 246 and 342 μg l⁻¹, respectively. Bromate presence in tap drinking water can be linked to pollution in natural water bodies and the practice of using hypochlorite chemicals in addition to gaseous chlorine for water disinfection. This study established the levels, occurrence, and possible sources of bromate in local drinking water supplies.

Simultaneous determination and assessment of 4-nonylphenol, bisphenol A and triclosan in tap water, bottled water and baby bottles.

PubMed

Li, Xu; Ying, Guang-Guo; Su, Hao-Chang; Yang, Xiao-Bing; Wang, Li

2010-08-01

This study investigated the levels of 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), bisphenol A (BPA) and triclosan (TCS) in bottled water and tap water in Guangzhou and release of these chemicals from baby bottles using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with negative chemical ionization. Results show that 4-NP was present in all the bottled water while 17 out of 21 contained BPA and 18 out of 21 contained TCS. Their concentrations in bottled water ranged from 108 to 298 ng/L, 17.6 to 324 ng/L and 0.6 to 9.7 ng/L, respectively. Five of the tap water samples from six drinking water plants were found to contain 4-NP and BPA both in June and December, while TCS was detected in the same five plants only in June. The highest concentrations in tap water for 4-NP, BPA and TCS were 1987, 317 and 14.5ng/L, respectively. Daily intakes of 4-NP, BPA and TCS of adults by drinking 2L of tap water were estimated to be 1410, 148 and 10 ng/day, respectively. BPA was found to be released within 24h from four brands of baby bottles at room temperature (24 degrees C), 40 degrees C and 100 degrees C. Increased temperature led to higher release of BPA from the baby bottles. Estimated daily intakes of 4-NP, BPA and TCS for infants were 705, 1340 and 5 ng/day, respectively, by drinking 1L of tap water from a baby bottle at 40 degrees C. This study showed that the exposure to the three compounds from drinking water is unlikely to pose a health risk. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Persistence of antibiotic resistance genes and bacterial community changes in drinking water treatment system: From drinking water source to tap water.

PubMed

Su, Hao-Chang; Liu, You-Sheng; Pan, Chang-Gui; Chen, Jun; He, Liang-Ying; Ying, Guang-Guo

2018-03-01

As emerging contaminants, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have become a public concern. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence and diversity of ARGs, and variation in the composition of bacterial communities in source water, drinking water treatment plants, and tap water in the Pearl River Delta region, South China. Various ARGs were present in the different types of water. Among the 27 target ARGs, floR and sul1 dominated in source water from three large rivers in the region. Pearson correlation analysis suggested that sul1, sul2, floR, and cmlA could be potential indicators for ARGs in water samples. The total abundance of the detected ARGs in tap water was much lower than that in source water. Sand filtration and sedimentation in drinking water treatment plants could effectively remove ARGs; in contrast, granular activated carbon filtration increased the abundance of ARGs. It was found that Pseudomonas may be involved in the proliferation and dissemination of ARGs in the studied drinking water treatment system. Bacteria and ARGs were still present in tap water after treatment, though they were significantly reduced. More research is needed to optimize the water treatment process for ARG removal. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contribution of tap water to chlorate and perchlorate intake: a market basket study.

PubMed

Asami, Mari; Yoshida, Nobue; Kosaka, Koji; Ohno, Koichi; Matsui, Yoshihiko

2013-10-01

The contributions of water to total levels of chlorate and perchlorate intake were determined using food and water samples from a market basket study from 10 locations in Japan between 2008 and 2009. Foods were categorized into 13 groups and analyzed along with tap water. The average total chlorate intake was 333 (min. 193-max. 486) μg/day for samples cooked with tap water. The contribution of tap water to total chlorate intake was as high as 47%-58%, although total chlorate intake was less than 32% of the tolerable daily intake, 1500 μg/day for body weight of 50 kg. For perchlorate, daily intake from water was 0.7 (0.1-4.4) μg/day, which is not high compared to the average total intake of 14 (2.5-84) μg/day, while the reference dose (RfD) is 35 μg/day and the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) is 500 μg/day for body weight of 50 kg. The highest intake of perchlorate was 84 μg/day, where concentrations in foods were high, but not in water. The contribution of water to total perchlorate intake ranged from 0.5% to 22%, while the ratio of highest daily intake to RfD was 240% and that to PMTDI was 17%. Eight baby formulas were also tested--total chlorate and perchlorate intakes were 147 (42-332) μg/day and 1.11 (0.05-4.5) μg/day, respectively, for an ingestion volume of 1 L/day if prepared with tap water. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Skeletal age estimation for forensic purposes: A comparison of GP, TW2 and TW3 methods on an Italian sample.

PubMed

Pinchi, Vilma; De Luca, Federica; Ricciardi, Federico; Focardi, Martina; Piredda, Valentina; Mazzeo, Elena; Norelli, Gian-Aristide

2014-05-01

Paediatricians, radiologists, anthropologists and medico-legal specialists are often called as experts in order to provide age estimation (AE) for forensic purposes. The literature recommends performing the X-rays of the left hand and wrist (HW-XR) for skeletal age estimation. The method most frequently employed is the Greulich and Pyle (GP) method. In addition, the so-called bone-specific techniques are also applied including the method of Tanner Whitehouse (TW) in the latest versions TW2 and TW3. To compare skeletal age and chronological age in a large sample of children and adolescents using GP, TW2 and TW3 methods in order to establish which of these is the most reliable for forensic purposes. The sample consisted of 307 HW-XRs of Italian children or adolescents, 145 females and 162 males aged between 6 and 20 years. The radiographies were scored according to the GP, TW2RUS and TW3RUS methods by one investigator. The results' reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient. Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Student t-test were performed to search for significant differences between skeletal and chronological ages. The distributions of the differences between estimated and chronological age, by means of boxplots, show how median differences for TW3 and GP methods are generally very close to 0. Hypothesis tests' results were obtained, with respect to the sex, both for the entire group of individuals and people grouped by age. Results show no significant differences among estimated and chronological age for TW3 and, to a lesser extent, GP. The TW2 proved to be the worst of the three methods. Our results support the conclusion that the TW2 method is not reliable for AE for forensic purpose. The GP and TW3 methods have proved to be reliable in males. For females, the best method was found to be TW3. When performing forensic age estimation in subjects around 14 years of age, it could be advisable to use and associate the TW3 and GP methods. Copyright �

&LDQUO;FROM THE SOURCE &NDASH; TAP WATER AS A SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE&RDQUO;

EPA Science Inventory

The major technical challenge to sustainability is reduction of use of plastic bottled water and bottled water in general. This will be done by a student administered water assessment survey on campus, coupled with a public education campaign on the benefits of using tap water...

TRIHALOMETHANE LEVELS IN HOME TAP WATER AND SEMEN QUALITY

EPA Science Inventory

Trihalomethane Levels in Home Tap Water and Semen Quality
Laura Fenster, 1 Kirsten Waller, 2 Gayle Windham, 1 Tanya Henneman, 2 Meredith Anderson, 2 Pauline Mendola, 3 James W. Overstreet, 4 Shanna H. Swan5

1California Department of Health Services, Division of Environm...

Chronic exposure to contaminated drinking water stimulates PPAR expression in mice livers.

PubMed

Shi, Peng; Zhang, Xu-Xiang; Zhang, Zongyao; Zhang, Yan; Wu, Bing; Cheng, Shupei; Li, Aimin

2012-07-01

Mice were fed with source water (SW) and tap water (TW) for 90 d to evaluate hepatotoxicity induced by the drinking water. Histopathologic observation showed no obvious damage to hepatic tissue in the SW and TW groups. However, microarray analysis indicated that the SW and TW exposures affected many metabolic pathways, among which PPAR (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors) signaling was most susceptible. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that both PPAR-α and PPAR-γ were significantly increased in the exposure groups compared to control. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed that PPAR-α expression level was increased from 23.37±0.53 ng g(-1) liver weight in control group to 26.60±1.43 ng g(-1) liver weight in SW group and 27.68±1.10 ng g(-1) liver weight in TW group (p<0.05). For PPAR-γ, the expression level was also significantly enhanced from 0.83±0.07 ng g(-1) liver weight in control group to 1.11±0.20 ng g(-1) liver weight in SW group and 1.16±0.07 ng g(-1) liver weight in TW group (p<0.05). The SW and DW posed no obvious hepatotoxicity on mice and PPAR-α/-γ could be used as a novel biomarker to assess public health risk induced by slightly contaminated drinking water. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reuse potential of laundry greywater for irrigation based on growth, water and nutrient use of tomato

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misra, R. K.; Patel, J. H.; Baxi, V. R.

2010-05-01

SummaryGreywater is considered as a valuable resource with a high reuse potential for irrigation of household lawns and gardens. However, there are possibilities of surfactant and sodium accumulation in soil from reuse of greywater which may affect agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability adversely. We conducted a glasshouse experiment to examine variation in growth, water and nutrient use of tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Grosse Lisse) using tap water (TW), laundry greywater (GW) and solutions of low and high concentration of a detergent surfactant (LC and HC, respectively) as irrigation treatments. Each treatment was replicated five times using a randomised block design. Measurements throughout the experiment showed greywater to be significantly more alkaline and saline than the other types of irrigation water. Although all plants received 16 irrigations over a period of 9 weeks until flowering, there were little or no significant effects of irrigation treatments on plant growth. Soil water retention following irrigation reduced significantly when plants were irrigated with GW or surfactant solutions on only three of 12 occasions. On one occasion, water use measured as evapotranspiration (ET) with GW irrigation was similar to TW, but it was significantly higher than the plants receiving HC irrigation. At harvest, various components of plant biomass and leaf area for GW irrigated plants were found to be similar or significantly higher than the TW irrigated plants with a common trend of GW ⩾ TW > LC ⩾ HC. Whole-plant concentration was measured for 12 essential plant nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, Mo and B) and Na (often considered as a beneficial nutrient). Irrigation treatments affected the concentration of four nutrients (P, Fe, Zn and Na) and uptake of seven nutrients (P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe and B) significantly. Uptake of these seven nutrients by tomato was generally in the order GW ⩾ TW > HC ⩾ LC. GW

Influence of tap water quality and household water use activities on indoor air and internal dose levels of trihalomethanes.

PubMed

Nuckols, John R; Ashley, David L; Lyu, Christopher; Gordon, Sydney M; Hinckley, Alison F; Singer, Philip

2005-07-01

Individual exposure to trihalomethanes (THMs) in tap water can occur through ingestion, inhalation, or dermal exposure. Studies indicate that activities associated with inhaled or dermal exposure routes result in a greater increase in blood THM concentration than does ingestion. We measured blood and exhaled air concentrations of THM as biomarkers of exposure to participants conducting 14 common household water use activities, including ingestion of hot and cold tap water beverages, showering, clothes washing, hand washing, bathing, dish washing, and indirect shower exposure. We conducted our study at a single residence in each of two water utility service areas, one with relatively high and the other low total THM in the residence tap water. To maintain a consistent exposure environment for seven participants, we controlled water use activities, exposure time, air exchange, water flow and temperature, and nonstudy THM sources to the indoor air. We collected reference samples for water supply and air (pre-water use activity), as well as tap water and ambient air samples. We collected blood samples before and after each activity and exhaled breath samples at baseline and post-activity. All hot water use activities yielded a 2-fold increase in blood or breath THM concentrations for at least one individual. The greatest observed increase in blood and exhaled breath THM concentration in any participant was due to showering (direct and indirect), bathing, and hand dishwashing. Average increase in blood THM concentration ranged from 57 to 358 pg/mL due to these activities. More research is needed to determine whether acute and frequent exposures to THM at these concentrations have public health implications. Further research is also needed in designing epidemiologic studies that minimize data collection burden yet maximize accuracy in classification of dermal and inhalation THM exposure during hot water use activities.

Influence of Tap Water Quality and Household Water Use Activities on Indoor Air and Internal Dose Levels of Trihalomethanes

PubMed Central

Nuckols, John R.; Ashley, David L.; Lyu, Christopher; Gordon, Sydney M.; Hinckley, Alison F.; Singer, Philip

2005-01-01

Individual exposure to trihalomethanes (THMs) in tap water can occur through ingestion, inhalation, or dermal exposure. Studies indicate that activities associated with inhaled or dermal exposure routes result in a greater increase in blood THM concentration than does ingestion. We measured blood and exhaled air concentrations of THM as biomarkers of exposure to participants conducting 14 common household water use activities, including ingestion of hot and cold tap water beverages, showering, clothes washing, hand washing, bathing, dish washing, and indirect shower exposure. We conducted our study at a single residence in each of two water utility service areas, one with relatively high and the other low total THM in the residence tap water. To maintain a consistent exposure environment for seven participants, we controlled water use activities, exposure time, air exchange, water flow and temperature, and nonstudy THM sources to the indoor air. We collected reference samples for water supply and air (pre–water use activity), as well as tap water and ambient air samples. We collected blood samples before and after each activity and exhaled breath samples at baseline and postactivity. All hot water use activities yielded a 2-fold increase in blood or breath THM concentrations for at least one individual. The greatest observed increase in blood and exhaled breath THM concentration in any participant was due to showering (direct and indirect), bathing, and hand dishwashing. Average increase in blood THM concentration ranged from 57 to 358 pg/mL due to these activities. More research is needed to determine whether acute and frequent exposures to THM at these concentrations have public health implications. Further research is also needed in designing epidemiologic studies that minimize data collection burden yet maximize accuracy in classification of dermal and inhalation THM exposure during hot water use activities. PMID:16002374

Determination of uranium in tap water by ICP-MS.

PubMed

El Himri, M; Pastor, A; de la Guardia, M

2000-05-01

A fast and accurate procedure has been developed for the determination of uranium at microg L(-1) level in tap and mineral water. The method is based on the direct introduction of samples, without any chemical pre-treatment, into an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). Uranium was determined at the mass number 238 using Rh as internal standard. The method provides a limit of detection of 2 ng L(-1) and a good repeatability with relative standard deviation values (RSD) about 3% for five independent analyses of samples containing 73 microg L(-1) of uranium. Recovery percentage values found for the determination of uranium in spiked natural samples varied between 91% and 106%. Results obtained are comparable with those found by radiochemical methods for natural samples and of the same order for the certified content of a reference material, thus indicating the accuracy of the ICP-MS procedure without the need of using isotope dilution. A series of mineral and tap waters from different parts of Spain and Morocco were analysed.

The Consumption of Bicarbonate-Rich Mineral Water Improves Glycemic Control

PubMed Central

Murakami, Shinnosuke; Goto, Yasuaki; Ito, Kyo; Hayasaka, Shinya; Kurihara, Shigeo; Soga, Tomoyoshi; Tomita, Masaru; Fukuda, Shinji

2015-01-01

Hot spring water and natural mineral water have been therapeutically used to prevent or improve various diseases. Specifically, consumption of bicarbonate-rich mineral water (BMW) has been reported to prevent or improve type 2 diabetes (T2D) in humans. However, the molecular mechanisms of the beneficial effects behind mineral water consumption remain unclear. To elucidate the molecular level effects of BMW consumption on glycemic control, blood metabolome analysis and fecal microbiome analysis were applied to the BMW consumption test. During the study, 19 healthy volunteers drank 500 mL of commercially available tap water (TW) or BMW daily. TW consumption periods and BMW consumption periods lasted for a week each and this cycle was repeated twice. Biochemical tests indicated that serum glycoalbumin levels, one of the indexes of glycemic controls, decreased significantly after BMW consumption. Metabolome analysis of blood samples revealed that 19 metabolites including glycolysis-related metabolites and 3 amino acids were significantly different between TW and BMW consumption periods. Additionally, microbiome analysis demonstrated that composition of lean-inducible bacteria was increased after BMW consumption. Our results suggested that consumption of BMW has the possible potential to prevent and/or improve T2D through the alterations of host metabolism and gut microbiota composition. PMID:26798400

9. Tower building. Hot water tap floor shown. Mixing vat ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

9. Tower building. Hot water tap floor shown. Mixing vat at center level. Juices mix and flow and left lower level. Copper kettles are down below view level. Looking toward front of building. - Tivoli-Union Brewery, 1320-1348 Tenth Street, Denver, Denver County, CO

Tap water isotopes reveal the San Francisco Bay Area's plumbing and responses to a major drought

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tipple, B. J.; Jameel, M. Y.; Chau, T. H.; Mancuso, C. J.; Bowen, G. J.; Dufour, A.; Chesson, L. A.; Ehleringer, J. R.

2016-12-01

Water availability and sustainability in the Western United States is a major flashpoint among expanding communities, growing industries, and productive agricultural lands. This issue came to a head in 2015 in the State of California, when the State mandated a 25% reduction in urban water use following a multi-year drought that significantly depleted water resources. The demands for and challenges in supplying water are only expected to intensify as climate perturbations, such as the 2012-2015 California Drought, become more common. As a consequence, there is an increased need to understand linkages between population centers, water transport and usage, and the impacts of climate change on water resources and infrastructure. To better understand these relationships within a megalopolis in the Western United States, we collected and analyzed 723 tap waters from the San Francisco Bay Area during seven collection campaigns across 21 months during 2013-2015. San Francisco Bay Area was selected as it has well-known water management strategies and its water resources were dramatically affected by the 2012-2105 drought. Consistent with known water management strategies and previous reports of tap water isotope values, we found large spatiotemporal variations in the δ2H and δ18O values of tap waters, indicative of complex water transport systems and municipality-scale management decisions. We observed δ2H and δ18O values of tap water consistent with waters originating from snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada Mountains, local precipitation, ground water, and partially evaporated reservoir sources. A cluster analysis of measured tap water data grouped waters from 43 static sampling sites that were associated with specific water utility providers within the San Francisco Bay Area and known management practices. Water management responses to the drought, such as source switching, bringing in new sources, and conservation, could be observed within the isotope data from each of

Biofilm formation in an experimental water distribution system: the contamination of non-touch sensor taps and the implication for healthcare.

PubMed

Moore, Ginny; Stevenson, David; Thompson, Katy-Anne; Parks, Simon; Ngabo, Didier; Bennett, Allan M; Walker, Jimmy T

2015-01-01

Hospital tap water is a recognised source of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. U.K. guidance documents recommend measures to control/minimise the risk of P. aeruginosa in augmented care units but these are based on limited scientific evidence. An experimental water distribution system was designed to investigate colonisation of hospital tap components. P. aeruginosa was injected into 27 individual tap 'assemblies'. Taps were subsequently flushed twice daily and contamination levels monitored over two years. Tap assemblies were systematically dismantled and assessed microbiologically and the effect of removing potentially contaminated components was determined. P. aeruginosa was repeatedly recovered from the tap water at levels above the augmented care alert level. The organism was recovered from all dismantled solenoid valves with colonisation of the ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) diaphragm confirmed by microscopy. Removing the solenoid valves reduced P. aeruginosa counts in the water to below detectable levels. This effect was immediate and sustained, implicating the solenoid diaphragm as the primary contamination source.

Comparing grey water versus tap water and coal ash versus perlite on growth of two plant species on green roofs.

PubMed

Agra, Har'el; Solodar, Ariel; Bawab, Omar; Levy, Shay; Kadas, Gyongyver J; Blaustein, Leon; Greenbaum, Noam

2018-08-15

Green roofs provide important ecosystem services in urban areas. In Mediterranean and other semi-arid climate regions, most perennial plants on green roofs need to be irrigated during the dry season. However, the use of freshwater in such regions is scarce. Therefore, the possibility of using grey water should be examined. Coal ash, produced primarily from the burning of coal in power plants, constitutes an environmental contaminant that should be disposed. One option is to use ash as a growing substrate for plants. Here, we compare the effects of irrigating with grey- versus tap-water and using ash versus perlite as growing substrates in green roofs. The study was conducted in northern Israel in a Mediterranean climate. The design was full factorial with three factors: water-type (grey or tap-water)×substrate-type (coal ash vs perlite)×plant species (Phyla nodiflora, Convolvulus mauritanicus or no-plant). The development of plants and the quality of drainage water along the season, as well as quality of the used substrates were monitored. Both plant species developed well under all the experimental conditions with no effect of water type or substrate type. Under all treatments, both plant species enhanced electrical conductivity (EC) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the drainage water. In the summer, EC and COD reached levels that are unacceptable in water and are intended to be reused for irrigation. We conclude that irrigating with grey water and using coal ash as a growth substrate can both be implemented in green roofs. The drainage from tap water as well as from grey water can be further used for irrigating the roof, but for that, COD and EC levels must be lowered by adding a sufficient amount of tap water before reusing. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in the Pra and Kakum River basins and associated tap water in Ghana.

PubMed

Essumang, David K; Eshun, Albert; Hogarh, Jonathan N; Bentum, John K; Adjei, Joseph K; Negishi, Junya; Nakamichi, Shihori; Habibullah-Al-Mamun, Md; Masunaga, Shigeki

2017-02-01

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are persistent environmental pollutants that have been detected in various media including human serum. Due to concerns regarding their bioaccumulation and possible negative health effects, an understanding of routes of human exposure is necessary. PFAAs are recalcitrant in many water treatment processes, making drinking water a potential source of human exposure. This study presents the first report on contamination from PFAAs in river and drinking water in Ghana. The targeted PFAAs were perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) with C 4-14 carbon chain and perfluoroalkane sulphonic acids (PFSAs) with C 6, 8, 10 . Five PFAA congeners - PFOA, PFOS, PFHxA, PFDA and PFPeA - were commonly detected in river and tap water. The mean concentrations of ∑PFAAs in the Kakum and Pra Rivers were 281 and 398ng/L, while tap water (supplied from the treatment of water from those rivers) contained concentrations of 197 and 200ng/L, respectively. PFOA and PFOS constituted about 99% of the ∑PFAAs. The risk quotient (RQ) attributed to drinking of tap water was estimated at 1.01 and 1.74 for PFOA and PFOS, respectively. For a country that has not produced these compounds, the RQs were unexpectedly high, raising concerns particularly about contamination from such emerging pollutants in local water sources. The study revealed limitations of local tap water treatment in getting rid of these emerging pollutants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tap versus bottled water consumption: The influence of social norms, affect and image on consumer choice.

PubMed

Etale, Anita; Jobin, Marilou; Siegrist, Michael

2018-02-01

What drives consumers to choose bottled water instead of tap water where the latter is safe, accessible, costs far less, and in spite of its environmental impacts? This research investigates the influence of hitherto unexplored psychological drivers in an attempt to generate a more holistic understanding of the phenomenon, and strategies for designing more effective consumption reduction campaigns. Using data from an internet survey of Swiss and German respondents (N = 849) we investigated the role of, social norms, affect and image on water consumption. Results suggest that these psychological factors play a role in water consumption choice. Convenience was the only contextual predictor - the inconvenience of transporting bottled water has a negative effect on its consumption, and a positive effect on tap water consumption. Although concern about the effect of bottled water on the environment was not a significant predictor of tap water consumption, we found that for some people, a link exists between environmental concern and consumption choice. Ways through which consumers may be more effectively influenced towards environmentally-friendly consumption are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Widespread molecular detection of Legionella pneumophila Serogroup 1 in cold water taps across the United States.

PubMed

Donohue, Maura J; O'Connell, Katharine; Vesper, Stephen J; Mistry, Jatin H; King, Dawn; Kostich, Mitch; Pfaller, Stacy

2014-03-18

In the United States, 6,868 cases of legionellosis were reported to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 2009-2010. Of these reports, it is estimated that 84% are caused by the microorganism Legionella pneumophila Serogroup (Sg) 1. Legionella spp. have been isolated and recovered from a variety of natural freshwater environments. Human exposure to L. pneumophila Sg1 may occur from aerosolization and subsequent inhalation of household and facility water. In this study, two primer/probe sets (one able to detect L. pneumophila and the other L. pneumophila Sg1) were determined to be highly sensitive and selective for their respective targets. Over 272 water samples, collected in 2009 and 2010 from 68 public and private water taps across the United States, were analyzed using the two qPCR assays to evaluate the incidence of L. pneumophila Sg1. Nearly half of the taps showed the presence of L. pneumophila Sg1 in one sampling event, and 16% of taps were positive in more than one sampling event. This study is the first United States survey to document the occurrence and colonization of L. pneumophila Sg1 in cold water delivered from point of use taps.

Spatial, seasonal, and source variability in the stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopic composition of tap waters throughout the USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Landwehr, Jurate M.; Coplen, Tyler B.; Stewart, David W.

2013-01-01

To assess spatial, seasonal, and source variability in stable isotopic composition of human drinking waters throughout the entire USA, we have constructed a database of δ18O and δ2H of US tap waters. An additional purpose was to create a publicly available dataset useful for evaluating the forensic applicability of these isotopes for human tissue source geolocation. Samples were obtained at 349 sites, from diverse population centres, grouped by surface hydrologic units for regional comparisons. Samples were taken concurrently during two contrasting seasons, summer and winter. Source supply (surface, groundwater, mixed, and cistern) and system (public and private) types were noted. The isotopic composition of tap waters exhibits large spatial and regional variation within each season as well as significant at-site differences between seasons at many locations, consistent with patterns found in environmental (river and precipitation) waters deriving from hydrologic processes influenced by geographic factors. However, anthropogenic factors, such as the population of a tap’s surrounding community and local availability from diverse sources, also influence the isotopic composition of tap waters. Even within a locale as small as a single metropolitan area, tap waters with greatly differing isotopic compositions can be found, so that tap water within a region may not exhibit the spatial or temporal coherence predicted for environmental water. Such heterogeneities can be confounding factors when attempting forensic inference of source water location, and they underscore the necessity of measurements, not just predictions, with which to characterize the isotopic composition of regional tap waters. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Microbiological, chemical and physical quality of drinking water for commercial turkeys: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Di Martino, G; Piccirillo, A; Giacomelli, M; Comin, D; Gallina, A; Capello, K; Buniolo, F; Montesissa, C; Bonfanti, L

2018-04-17

Drinking water for poultry is not subject to particular microbiological, chemical and physical requirements, thereby representing a potential transmission route for pathogenic microorganisms and contaminants and/or becoming unsuitable for water-administered medications. This study assessed the microbiological, chemical and physical drinking water quality of 28 turkey farms in North-Eastern Italy: 14 supplied with tap water (TW) and 14 with well water (WW). Water salinity, hardness, pH, ammonia, sulphate, phosphate, nitrate, chromium, copper and iron levels were also assessed. Moreover, total bacterial count at 22°C, presence and enumeration of Enterococcus spp. and E. coli, presence of Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp. were quantified. A water sample was collected in winter and in summer at 3 sampling sites: the water source (A), the beginning (B) and the end (C) of the nipple line (168 samples in total). Chemical and physical quality of both TW and WW sources was mostly within the limits of TW for humans. However, high levels of hardness and iron were evidenced in both sources. In WW vs. TW, sulphate and salinity levels were significantly higher, whilst pH and nitrate levels were significantly lower. At site A, microbiological quality of WW and TW was mostly within the limit of TW for humans. However, both sources had a significantly lower microbiological quality at sites B and C. Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Kentucky was isolated only twice from WW. Campylobacter spp. were rarely isolated (3.6% of farms); however, Campylobacter spp. farm-level prevalence by real-time PCR was up to 43% for both water sources. Winter posed at higher risk than summer for Campylobacter spp. presence in water, whereas no significant associations were found with water source, site, recirculation system, and turkey age. Low salinity and high hardness were significant risk factors for C. coli and C. jejuni presence, respectively. These results show the need of

A City-wide Investigation of the Isotopic Distribution and Source of Tap Waters for Forensic Human Geolocation Ground-truthing.

PubMed

Ueda, Momoko; Bell, Lynne S

2017-05-01

Human geolocation is prefaced on the accuracy of the geographic precision of mapped isotopic values for drinking water. As most people live in cities, it becomes important to understand city water supplies and how the isotopic values uniquely reflect that city. This study investigated the isotopic distribution of δ 2 H and δ 18 O from sourced tap waters that were collected from across the Metro Vancouver (MV) area (n = 135). The results revealed that the isotopic values reflect their water sources with a range of 5.3‰ for δ 18 O tap and 29.3‰ for δ 2 H tap for MV. The results indicate that individual cities need higher resolution studies to determine their tap water isotopic ranges, and a good understanding of the water supply network itself for human geolocation work. With an extended high-resolution understanding of each city, human tissue may be compared with more certainty for geolocation. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

From Source Water to Tap Water to Spa and Swimming Pool Water: Effects of Disinfectanta and Precursors and Implications for Exposure and Toxicity

EPA Science Inventory

Introduction The current study investigated the effect of different disinfection treatments on the disinfection by-products (DBPs) formed in finished drinking water vs. tap water vs. swimming pool water vs. spa waters. To this end, samples across the complete water pathway (untr...

On-tap passive enrichment, a new way to investigate off-flavor episodes in drinking water.

PubMed

Tondelier, Christophe; Thouvenot, Thomas; Genin, Arnaud; Benanou, David

2009-04-03

Because taste and odor events in drinking water are often fleeting and unpredictable phenomena, an innovative enrichment sampler has been developed to trap off-flavor compounds directly at the consumer's tap. The ARISTOT (Advanced Relevant Investigation Sampler for Taste & Odor at Tap) consists of a tap adapter in which seven polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coated stir bars are placed, allowing the stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) of organic compounds during each tap opening. In order to study the efficiency of ARISTOT, a private network pilot unit has been constructed in our laboratory, equipped with four faucets in parallel, solenoid valves for an automation of the system and a mixing chamber to spike drinking water with odorous compounds in order to have homogenously smelling water at each tap. After enrichment, the stir bars are taken out, in-line thermo-desorbed and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometer. The results showed the high sensitivity of ARISTOT, which was able to quickly monitor odorous compounds at the sub ng/L level. A "multishot" method was developed to analyze chemicals concentrated on the seven stir bars in only one chromatographic run, thereby increasing the sensitivity of the system. Higher enrichment factors were obtained under low water flow rates or by using longer stir bars and/or stir bars with a higher PDMS film thickness. No significant loss of extracted compounds was reported for flow rates between 2 and 4L/min. This allowed us to spike the stir bars with an internal standard prior to sampling in order to monitor the analytical variations. It was also observed that hot water increases the loss of enriched solutes but the quantification can be corrected by internal standard addition.

Poor tap water quality experiences and poor sleep quality during the Flint, Michigan Municipal Water Crisis.

PubMed

Kruger, Daniel J; Kodjebacheva, Gergana D; Cupal, Suzanne

2017-08-01

After inadequate official response to community concerns over water quality following changes in Flint's municipal water supply, this study sought evidence for a relationship between water quality and community mental health. The Speak to Your Health Community Survey is a community-based participatory component of the health surveillance system in Genesee County, Michigan. This cross-sectional survey recruits participants from every residential Census Tract of the county and strives for demographic representativeness. Respondents (n=834) rated their tap water quality (taste, smell, appearance) as poor (36%), fair (18%), good (20%), very good (17%), and excellent (10%). They rated their sleep quality as poor (12%), fair (28%), good (39%), very good (18%), and excellent (4%), and had an average (SD) sleep length of 408(90) minutes. Controlling for age, sex, years of education, and whether respondents were African American and Hispanic/Latino/a, lower perceived tap water quality was associated with lower sleep quality and shorter sleep length. Results indicate that adverse health conditions related to the water crisis extend beyond lead poisoning in children and include deterioration of sleep conditions among adult residents. Copyright © 2017 National Sleep Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[One-time effects of drinking mineral water and tap water enriched with silver nanoparticles on the biochemical markers of liver condition and metabolic parameters in healthy rats].

PubMed

Efimenko, N V; Frolkov, V K; Kozlova, V V; Kaisinova, A S; Chalaya, E N

2017-12-05

 The objective of the present research was to study the influence of tap water enriched with silver nanoparticles (NP) as well as that of «Krasnoarmeysky» and «Essentuki №17» mineral waters after their single administration through the oral gavage to the rats on the metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids, the biochemical markers of the liver condition, and the endocrine profile in the healthy animals.  The laboratory animals (130 male Wistar rats) were allocated to thirteen groups comprised of 10 rats each as follows: 1st group (n=10) intact animals, 2nd group (5 minutes after the administration of silver NP (n=10), 3rd group (15 minutes after the of silver NP), 4th group (60 minutes after the administration of silver NP), 5th group (n=10) (5 minutes after the introduction of the «Krasnoarmeysky» mineral water), 6th group (n=10) (15 min after the introduction of the «Krasnoarmeysky» mineral water), 7th group (n=10), (60 minutes after the introduction of the «Krasnoarmeysky» mineral water) 8th group (n=10) (5 minutes after the introduction of the «Essentuki № 17» mineral water), 9th group (n=10) (15 min after the introduction of the «Essentuki № 7» mineral water) , 10th group (n=10) (60 minutes after the introduction of the «Essentuki №17» mineral water), 11th group (n=10) (5 minutes after administration of tap water (control),12th group (n=10) (15 minutes after administration of tap water (control), and 13th (n=10) group 60 minutes after administration of tap water (control).  The study has demonstrated that the tap water enriched with silver nanoparticles similar to the mineral waters caused stress reactions that are inferior to those induced by «Essentuki №17» mineral water in terms of the magnitude; however, the effect provoked by the tap water was of longer duration. Moreover, the tap water enriched with silver nanoparticles stimulates prooxidant reactions, and inhibit the activity of antioxidant protection. Silver nanoparticles

Determination of trace metals in drinking water in Irbid City-Northern Jordan.

PubMed

Alomary, Ahmed

2013-02-01

Drinking water samples from Irbid, the second populated city in Jordan were analyzed for trace metals (As, Ba, Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn, Ni, and Se) content. The study was undertaken to determine if the metal concentrations were within the national and international guidelines. A total of 90 drinking water samples were collected from Al-Yarmouk University area. The samples were collected from three different water types: tap water (TW), home-purified water (HPW), and plant-purified water (PPW). All the samples were analyzed for trace metals using an inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. All the samples analyzed were within the United States Environmental Protection Agency admissible pH limit (6.5-8.5). The results showed that concentrations of the trace metals vary significantly between the three drinking water types. The results showed that HPW samples have the lowest level of trace metals and the concentrations of some essential trace metals in these samples are less than the recommended amounts. Slight differences in the metal contents were found between HPW samples, little differences between PPW samples; however, significant differences were found between TW samples. Although some TW samples showed high levels of trace metals, however, the mean level of most elements determined in the samples were well within the Jordanian standards as well as the World Health Organization standards for drinking water.

Investigation of radon level in air and tap water of workplaces at Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology, Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sola, P.; Youngchuay, U.; Kongsri, S.; Kongtana, A.

2017-06-01

Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology (TINT) has continuously monitored radiation exposure and radionuclide in workplaces specifically radon gas to estimate effective dose for workers. Radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the world. In this study, radon in air and tap water at building no. 3, 7, 8, 9 and 18 on Ongkharak site of TINT have been measured for 5 years from 2012 to 2016. Radon level in air and tap water were investigated on 83 stations (workplaces) and 54 samples, respectively. Radon concentrations in air and tap water were measured by using the pulsed ionization chamber (ATMOS 12 DPX). Indoor radon concentrations in air were in the range of 12-138 Bq.m-3 with an average value of 30.13±17.05 Bq.m-3. Radon concentrations in tap water were in the range of 0.10 to 2.89 Bq.l-1 with an average value of 0.51±0.55 Bq.l-1. The results of radon concentrations at TINT were below the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) safety limit of 148 Bq.m-3 and 150 Bq.l-1, for, air and tap water, respectively. The average effective dose for TINT’s workers due to indoor radon exposure was approximately 0.20±0.11 mSv.y-1. The value is 100 times less than the annual dose limit for limit occupational radiation worker defined by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). As a result, the TINT’s workplaces are radiologically safe from radon content in air and tap water.

Occurrence and Distribution of Organophosphate Flame Retardants/Plasticizers in Surface Waters, Tap Water, and Rainwater: Implications for Human Exposure.

PubMed

Kim, Un-Jung; Kannan, Kurunthachalam

2018-04-27

The occurrence and profiles of 14 triester organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) and plasticizers were investigated in surface water, tap water, rainwater, and seawater collected from New York State. In total, 150 samples collected from rivers ( n = 35), lakes ( n = 39), tap water ( n = 58), precipitation/rainwater ( n = 15), and seawater ( n = 3) were analyzed for 14 organophosphate esters (OPEs). An additional nine Hudson River water samples were collected periodically to delineate seasonal trends in OPE levels. The total concentrations of OPEs were found at part-per-trillion ranges, with average concentrations that ranged from 0.01 ng/L for tripropyl phosphate (TPP) in river water to 689 ng/L for tris(2-butoxyethyl)phosphate (TBOEP) in lake water. Tris(1-chloro-2-propyl)phosphate (TCIPP) was the most abundant compound among the investigated OPEs in all types of water. The concentrations of OPEs in river-, lake-, and rainwater were similar but >3 times higher than those found in tap water. Chlorinated alkyl OPFRs accounted for a major proportion of total concentrations. TCIPP, TBOEP, and triethyl phosphate (TEP) were found in >90% of the samples analyzed. Wet deposition fluxes for 14 OPFRs were estimated, on the basis of the concentrations measured in rainwater in Albany, New York, and the values were between 440 and 5250 ng/m 2 . Among several surface water bodies analyzed, samples from the Hudson River and Onondaga Lake contained elevated concentrations of OPEs. Estimated daily intake of OPEs via the ingestion of drinking water was up to 9.65 ng/kg body weight/day.

The Recreational Water Cycle: From Source Water to Tap Water to Spa and Swimming Pool Water: Effects of Disinfectants and Precursors and Implications for Exposure and Toxicity

EPA Science Inventory

The current study investigates the effect of different disinfection treatments on the disinfection by-products (DBPs) formed in finished drinking water vs. tap water vs. swimming pool water vs. spa waters. To this end, complete water pathway samples (untreated source waters ->fi...

Efficient electrochemical remediation of microcystin-LR in tap water using designer TiO2@carbon electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanz Lobón, Germán; Yepez, Alfonso; Garcia, Luane Ferreira; Morais, Ruiter Lima; Vaz, Boniek Gontijo; Carvalho, Veronica Vale; de Oliveira, Gisele Augusto Rodrigues; Luque, Rafael; Gil, Eric De Souza

2017-02-01

Microcystin-leucine arginine (MC-LR) is the most abundant and toxic secondary metabolite produced by freshwater cyanobacteria. This toxin has a high potential hazard health due to potential interactions with liver, kidney and the nervous system. The aim of this work was the design of a simple and environmentally friendly electrochemical system based on highly efficient nanostructured electrodes for the removal of MC-LR in tap water. Titania nanoparticles were deposited on carbon (graphite) under a simple and efficient microwave assisted approach for the design of the electrode, further utilized in the electrochemical remediation assays. Parameters including the applied voltage, time of removal and pH (natural tap water or alkaline condition) were investigated in the process, with results pointing to a high removal efficiency for MC-LR (60% in tap water and 90% in alkaline media experiments, under optimized conditions).

Efficient electrochemical remediation of microcystin-LR in tap water using designer TiO2@carbon electrodes

PubMed Central

Sanz Lobón, Germán; Yepez, Alfonso; Garcia, Luane Ferreira; Morais, Ruiter Lima; Vaz, Boniek Gontijo; Carvalho, Veronica Vale; de Oliveira, Gisele Augusto Rodrigues; Luque, Rafael; Gil, Eric de Souza

2017-01-01

Microcystin-leucine arginine (MC-LR) is the most abundant and toxic secondary metabolite produced by freshwater cyanobacteria. This toxin has a high potential hazard health due to potential interactions with liver, kidney and the nervous system. The aim of this work was the design of a simple and environmentally friendly electrochemical system based on highly efficient nanostructured electrodes for the removal of MC-LR in tap water. Titania nanoparticles were deposited on carbon (graphite) under a simple and efficient microwave assisted approach for the design of the electrode, further utilized in the electrochemical remediation assays. Parameters including the applied voltage, time of removal and pH (natural tap water or alkaline condition) were investigated in the process, with results pointing to a high removal efficiency for MC-LR (60% in tap water and 90% in alkaline media experiments, under optimized conditions). PMID:28145477

Quantitative risk assessment of Cryptosporidium in tap water in Ireland.

PubMed

Cummins, E; Kennedy, R; Cormican, M

2010-01-15

Cryptosporidium species are protozoan parasites associated with gastro-intestinal illness. Following a number of high profile outbreaks worldwide, it has emerged as a parasite of major public health concern. A quantitative Monte Carlo simulation model was developed to evaluate the annual risk of infection from Cryptosporidium in tap water in Ireland. The assessment considers the potential initial contamination levels in raw water, oocyst removal and decontamination events following various process stages, including coagulation/flocculation, sedimentation, filtration and disinfection. A number of scenarios were analysed to represent potential risks from public water supplies, group water schemes and private wells. Where surface water is used additional physical and chemical water treatment is important in terms of reducing the risk to consumers. The simulated annual risk of illness for immunocompetent individuals was below 1 x 10(-4) per year (as set by the US EPA) except under extreme contamination events. The risk for immunocompromised individuals was 2-3 orders of magnitude greater for the scenarios analysed. The model indicates a reduced risk of infection from tap water that has undergone microfiltration, as this treatment is more robust in the event of high contamination loads. The sensitivity analysis highlighted the importance of watershed protection and the importance of adequate coagulation/flocculation in conventional treatment. The frequency of failure of the treatment process is the most important parameter influencing human risk in conventional treatment. The model developed in this study may be useful for local authorities, government agencies and other stakeholders to evaluate the likely risk of infection given some basic input data on source water and treatment processes used. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[The value of glucose-positive coliform bacteria and potentially pathogenic bacteria as indicators of epidemiological safety of tap water].

PubMed

Zhuravlev, P V; Aleshnia, V V; Panasovets, O P; Morozova, A A; Artemova, T Z; Talaeva, Iu G; Zagaĭnova, A V; Gipp, E K

2012-01-01

Due to intensive anthropogenic pollution of water environment generally accepted indicators of epidemic security of water bodies - common bacteria and thermotolerant coliform bacteria do not always permit to obtain an objective characterization of bacterial contamination of tap water. From the point of view of authors the integral index - glucose positive coliform bacteria most adequately reflect the sanitary-hygienic and epidemiological situation of water bodies. In monitoring for bacterial quality of tap water it is advisable to determine glucose positive coliform bacteria, that will provide the relevance of estimation of the epidemiological safety of water use. According to the method developed by the authors the calculation of the index of population risk of acute intestinal infections occurrence in dependence on the quality of tap water in Azov and Tsimlyansk towns.

Silicate Emission in the TW Hydrae Association

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sitko, Michael L.; Lynch, David K.; Russell, Ray W.

2000-11-01

The TW Hydrae association is the nearest young stellar association. Among its members are HD 98800, HR 4796A, and TW Hydrae itself, the nearest known classical T Tauri star. We have observed these three stars spectroscopically between 3 and 13 μm. In TW Hya, the spectrum shows a silicate emission feature that is similar to many other young stars' with protostellar disks. The 11.2 μm feature indicative of significant amounts of crystalline olivine is not as strong as in some young stars and solar system comets. In HR 4796A, the thermal emission in the silicate feature is very weak, suggesting little in the way of (small silicate) grains near the star. The silicate band of HD 98800 (observed by us, but also reported by Sylvester & Skinner) is intermediate in strength between TW Hya and HR 4796A.

Ingestion, inhalation, and dermal exposures to chloroform and trichloroethene from tap water.

PubMed Central

Weisel, C P; Jo, W K

1996-01-01

Individuals are exposed to volatile compounds present in tap water by ingestion, inhalation, and dermal absorption. Traditional risk assessments for water often only consider ingestion exposure to toxic chemicals, even though showering has been shown to increase the body burden of certain chemicals due to inhalation exposure and dermal absorption. We collected and analyzed time-series samples of expired alveolar breath to evaluate changes in concentrations of volatile organic compounds being expired, which reflects the rate of change in the bloodstream due to expiration, metabolism, and absorption into tissues. Analysis of chloroform and trichloethene in expired breath, compounds regulated in water, was also used to determine uptake from tap water by each route (inhalation, ingestion, or absorption). Each route of exposure contributed to the total exposure of these compounds from daily water use. Further, the ingestion dose was completely metabolized before entering the bloodstream, whereas the dose from the other routes was dispersed throughout the body. Thus, differences in potential biologically effective doses depend on route, target organ, and whether the contaminant or metabolite is the biologically active agent. Images Figure 1. A Figure 1. B Figure 1. C Figure 2. A Figure 2. B PMID:8834861

Lithium levels in tap water and psychotic experiences in a general population of adolescents.

PubMed

Shimodera, Shinji; Koike, Shinsuke; Ando, Shuntaro; Yamasaki, Syudo; Fujito, Ryosuke; Endo, Kaori; Iijima, Yudai; Yamamoto, Yu; Morita, Masaya; Sawada, Ken; Ohara, Nobuki; Okazaki, Yuji; Nishida, Atsushi

2018-06-09

Recently, several epidemiologic studies have reported that lithium in drinking water may be associated with lower rates of suicide mortality, lower incidence of dementia, and lower levels of adolescents' depression and aggression at the population level. However, to our knowledge, no study has investigated lithium level in tap water in relation to psychotic experiences in a general population of adolescents. This is the first study to investigate this using a large dataset. Information on psychotic experiences, distress associated with these experiences, and depressive symptoms were collected in 24 public junior high schools in Kochi Prefecture in Japan. Samples were collected from sources that supplied drinking water to schools, and lithium levels were measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The association of lithium levels with psychotic experiences, considering distress as a degree of severity, was examined using an ordinal logistic regression model with schools and depressive symptoms as random effects. In total, 3040 students responded to the self-reporting questionnaire (response rate: 91.8%). Lithium levels in tap water were inversely associated with psychotic experiences (p = 0.021). We concluded that lithium level in tap water was inversely associated with psychotic experiences among a general population of adolescents and may have a preventive effect for such experiences and distress. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of the type of brewing water on the chemical composition, sensory quality and antioxidant capacity of Chinese teas.

PubMed

Xu, Yong-Quan; Zou, Chun; Gao, Ying; Chen, Jian-Xin; Wang, Fang; Chen, Gen-Sheng; Yin, Jun-Feng

2017-12-01

The physicochemical characteristics, sensory quality, and antioxidant activity of tea infusions prepared with purified water (PW), mineral water (MW), mountain spring water (MSW), and tap water (TW) from Hangzhou were investigated. The results showed that the taste quality, catechin concentration, and antioxidant capacity of green, oolong, and black tea infusions prepared using MW and TW were significantly lower than those prepared using PW. Extraction of catechins and caffeine was reduced with high-conductivity water, while high pH influenced the stability of catechins. PW and MSW were more suitable for brewing green and oolong teas, while MSW, with low pH and moderate ion concentration, was the most suitable water for brewing black tea. Lowering the pH of mineral water partially improved the taste quality and increased the concentration of catechins in the infusions. These results aid selection of the most appropriate water for brewing Chinese teas. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rapid Detection of Melamine in Tap Water and Milk Using Conjugated "One-Step" Molecularly Imprinted Polymers-Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopic Sensor.

PubMed

Hu, Yaxi; Lu, Xiaonan

2016-05-01

An innovative "one-step" sensor conjugating molecularly imprinted polymers and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopic-active substrate (MIPs-SERS) was investigated for simultaneous extraction and determination of melamine in tap water and milk. This sensor was fabricated by integrating silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with MIPs synthesized by bulk polymerization of melamine (template), methacrylic acid (functional monomer), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (cross-linking agent), and 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile (initiator). Static and kinetic adsorption tests validated the specific affinity of MIPs-AgNPs to melamine and the rapid adsorption equilibration rate. Principal component analysis segregated SERS spectral features of tap water and milk samples with different melamine concentrations. Partial least squares regression models correlated melamine concentrations in tap water and skim milk with SERS spectral features. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of melamine in tap water were determined as 0.0019 and 0.0064 mmol/L, while the LOD and LOQ were 0.0165 and 0.055 mmol/L for the determination of melamine in skim milk. However, this sensor is not ideal to quantify melamine in tap water and skim milk. By conjugating MIPs with SERS-active substrate (that is, AgNPs), reproducibility of SERS spectral features was increased, resulting in more accurate detection. The time required to determine melamine in tap water and milk were 6 and 25 min, respectively. The low LOD, LOQ, and rapid detection confirm the potential of applying this sensor for accurate and high-throughput detection of melamine in tap water and milk. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®

Whole genome and transcriptome analyses of environmental antibiotic sensitive and multi-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates exposed to waste water and tap water

PubMed Central

Schwartz, Thomas; Armant, Olivier; Bretschneider, Nancy; Hahn, Alexander; Kirchen, Silke; Seifert, Martin; Dötsch, Andreas

2015-01-01

The fitness of sensitive and resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in different aquatic environments depends on genetic capacities and transcriptional regulation. Therefore, an antibiotic-sensitive isolate PA30 and a multi-resistant isolate PA49 originating from waste waters were compared via whole genome and transcriptome Illumina sequencing after exposure to municipal waste water and tap water. A number of different genomic islands (e.g. PAGIs, PAPIs) were identified in the two environmental isolates beside the highly conserved core genome. Exposure to tap water and waste water exhibited similar transcriptional impacts on several gene clusters (antibiotic and metal resistance, genetic mobile elements, efflux pumps) in both environmental P. aeruginosa isolates. The MexCD-OprJ efflux pump was overexpressed in PA49 in response to waste water. The expression of resistance genes, genetic mobile elements in PA49 was independent from the water matrix. Consistently, the antibiotic sensitive strain PA30 did not show any difference in expression of the intrinsic resistance determinants and genetic mobile elements. Thus, the exposure of both isolates to polluted waste water and oligotrophic tap water resulted in similar expression profiles of mentioned genes. However, changes in environmental milieus resulted in rather unspecific transcriptional responses than selected and stimuli-specific gene regulation. PMID:25186059

Influence of storage conditions on aluminum concentrations in serum, dialysis fluid, urine, and tap water.

PubMed

Wilhelm, M; Ohnesorge, F K

1990-01-01

The influence of storage temperature, vessel type, and treatment on alterations of aluminum (Al) concentrations in serum, urine, and dialysis fluid samples was studied at three different concentrations for each sample over an 18-month period. Furthermore, the influence of acidification on Al levels in tap water, urine, and dialysis fluid samples was studied over a four-month period. Al was measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. Sample storage in glass vessels was unsuitable, whereas only minor alterations of Al levels were observed with storage in polypropylene tubes, polystyrene tubes, and Monovettes. By using appropriate plastic containers, acid washing of the vessels showed no improvement. Frozen storage was superior compared with 4 degrees C, whereas storage at -80 degrees C offered no advantage compared with storage at -20 degrees C. Acidification of tap water samples was necessary to stabilize Al levels during storage. No striking effect of acidification on Al levels in urine and dialysis fluid samples was found. It is concluded that longterm storage of serum, urine, tap water, and dialysis fluid samples is possible if appropriate conditions are used.

Earth's Fiercely Cooling Core - 24 TW

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgan, Jason P.; Vannucchi, Paola

2014-05-01

Earth's mantle and core are convecting planetary heat engines. The mantle convects to lose heat from slow cooling, internal radioactivity, and core heatflow across its base. Its convection generates plate tectonics, volcanism, and the loss of ~35 TW of mantle heat through Earth's surface. The core convects to lose heat from slow cooling, small amounts of internal radioactivity, and the freezing-induced growth of a compositionally denser inner core. Core convection produces the geodynamo generating Earth's geomagnetic field. The geodynamo was thought to be powered by ~4 TW of heatloss across the core-mantle boundary, a rate sustainable (cf. Gubbins et al., 2003; Nimmo, 2007) by freezing a compositionally denser inner core over the ~3 Ga that Earth is known to have had a strong geomagnetic field (cf. Tarduno, 2007). However, recent determinations of the outer core's thermal conductivity(Pozzo et al., 2012; Gomi et al., 2013) indicate that >15 TW of power should conduct down its adiabat. Conducted power is unavailable to drive thermal convection, implying that the geodynamo needs a long-lived >17 TW power source. Core cooling was thought too weak for this, based on estimates for the Clapeyron Slope for high-pressure freezing of an idealized pure-iron core. Here we show that the ~500-1000 kg/m3 seismically-inferred jump in density between the liquid outer core and solid inner core allows us to directly infer the core-freezing Clapeyron Slope for the outer core's actual composition which contains ~8±2% lighter elements (S,Si,O,Al, H,…) mixed into a Fe-Ni alloy. A PREM-like 600 kg/m3 - based Clapeyron Slope implies there has been ~774K of core cooling during the freezing and growth of the inner core, releasing ~24 TW of power during the past ~3 Ga. If so, core cooling can easily power Earth's long-lived geodynamo. Another major implication of ~24 TW heatflow across the core-mantle boundary is that the present-day mantle is strongly 'bottom-heated', and diapiric mantle

Can we remove iodine-131 from tap water in Japan by boiling? - Experimental testing in response to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident.

PubMed

Tagami, K; Uchida, S

2011-08-01

Iodine-131 concentrations in tap water higher than 100 BqL(-1) were reported by several local governments in Japan following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. Some individuals in the emergency-response community recommended the boiling of tap water to remove iodine-131. However, the tap water boiling tests in this study showed no iodine-131 loss from the tap water with either short-term boiling (1-10 min) or prolonged boiling (up to 30 min) resulting in up to 3-fold volume reductions. In this situation, boiling was shown to be not effective in removing iodine-131 from tap water; indeed even higher concentrations may result from the liquid-volume reduction accompanying this process. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[The significance of glucose positive coliform bacteria and potentially pathogenic bacteria as an indicator of epidemiological safety of tap water].

PubMed

Zhuravlev, P V; Aleshnya, V V; Panasovets, O P; Morozova, A A; Artemova, T Z; Talaeva, Yu G; Zagaynova, A V

2013-01-01

Due to intensive anthropogenic pollution of water environment generally accepted indicators of epidemic security of water bodies--common bacteria (CB) and thermotolerant coliform bacteria (TCB) do not always permit to obtain an objective characterization of bacterial contamination of tap water. From the point of view of authors the integral index--glucose positive coliform bacteria most adequately reflect the sanitary-hygienic and epidemiological situation of water bodies. In monitoring for bacterial quality of tap water it is advisable to determine glucose positive coliform bacteria, that will provide the relevance of estimation of the epidemiological safety of water use. According to the method developed by the authors the calculation of the index of population risk of acute intestinal infections (AHI) occurrence in dependence on the quality of tap water in Azov and Tsimlyansk towns.

40 CFR 141.86 - Monitoring requirements for lead and copper in tap water.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Monitoring requirements for lead and... § 141.86 Monitoring requirements for lead and copper in tap water. (a) Sample site location. (1) By the applicable date for commencement of monitoring under paragraph (d)(1) of this section, each water system...

40 CFR 141.86 - Monitoring requirements for lead and copper in tap water.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Monitoring requirements for lead and... § 141.86 Monitoring requirements for lead and copper in tap water. (a) Sample site location. (1) By the applicable date for commencement of monitoring under paragraph (d)(1) of this section, each water system...

40 CFR 141.86 - Monitoring requirements for lead and copper in tap water.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Monitoring requirements for lead and... § 141.86 Monitoring requirements for lead and copper in tap water. (a) Sample site location. (1) By the applicable date for commencement of monitoring under paragraph (d)(1) of this section, each water system...

TIME TO PREGNANCY IN RELATION TO TOTAL TRIHALOMETHANE LEVELS IN TAP WATER

EPA Science Inventory

Time to pregnancy in relation to total trihalomethane levels in tap water
Shanna H. Swan, Cuirong Ren, Gayle C. Windham, Laura Fenster, Kirsten Waller. (University of Missouri and California Department of Health Services).

We have previously reported increased risks o...

AmeriFlux US-Tw2 Twitchell Corn

DOE Data Explorer

Baldocchi, Dennis [University of California, Berkeley

2016-01-01

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-Tw2 Twitchell Corn. Site Description - The Twitchell Corn site is a corn field on peat soil. The tower was installed on May 17, 2012 and was equipped to analyze energy, H2O and CO2 fluxes. The field was planted in early May 2012 and harvested in early November 2012. The field was fallow during the non-growing season. The variety of corn used was ES-7477 hybrid corn commercialized by Eureka seeds. The site is near US-Tw1, US-Tw3 and US-Twt sites.

Water quality monitoring records for estimating tap water arsenic and nitrate: a validation study.

PubMed

Searles Nielsen, Susan; Kuehn, Carrie M; Mueller, Beth A

2010-01-28

Tap water may be an important source of exposure to arsenic and nitrate. Obtaining and analyzing samples in the context of large studies of health effects can be expensive. As an alternative, studies might estimate contaminant levels in individual homes by using publicly available water quality monitoring records, either alone or in combination with geographic information systems (GIS). We examined the validity of records-based methods in Washington State, where arsenic and nitrate contamination is prevalent but generally observed at modest levels. Laboratory analysis of samples from 107 homes (median 0.6 microg/L arsenic, median 0.4 mg/L nitrate as nitrogen) served as our "gold standard." Using Spearman's rho we compared these measures to estimates obtained using only the homes' street addresses and recent and/or historical measures from publicly monitored water sources within specified distances (radii) ranging from one half mile to 10 miles. Agreement improved as distance decreased, but the proportion of homes for which we could estimate summary measures also decreased. When including all homes, agreement was 0.05-0.24 for arsenic (8 miles), and 0.31-0.33 for nitrate (6 miles). Focusing on the closest source yielded little improvement. Agreement was greatest among homes with private wells. For homes on a water system, agreement improved considerably if we included only sources serving the relevant system (rho = 0.29 for arsenic, rho = 0.60 for nitrate). Historical water quality databases show some promise for categorizing epidemiologic study participants in terms of relative tap water nitrate levels. Nonetheless, such records-based methods must be used with caution, and their use for arsenic may be limited.

Relationship between tap water hardness, magnesium, and calcium concentration and mortality due to ischemic heart disease or stroke in The Netherlands.

PubMed

Leurs, Lina J; Schouten, Leo J; Mons, Margreet N; Goldbohm, R Alexandra; van den Brandt, Piet A

2010-03-01

Conflicting results on the relationship between the hardness of drinking water and mortality related to ischemic heart disease (IHD) or stroke have been reported. We investigated the possible association between tap water calcium or magnesium concentration and total hardness and IHD mortality or stroke mortality. In 1986, a cohort of 120,852 men and women aged 5569 years provided detailed information on dietary and other lifestyle habits. Follow-up for mortality until 1996 was established by linking data from the Central Bureau of Genealogy and Statistics Netherlands. We calculated tap water hardness for each postal code using information obtained from all pumping stations in the Netherlands. Tap water hardness was categorized as soft [< 1.5 mmol/L calcium carbonate (CaCO3)], medium hard (1.62.0 mmol/L CaCO3), and hard (> 2.0 mmol/L CaCO3). The multivariate case-cohort analysis was based on 1,944 IHD mortality and 779 stroke mortality cases and 4,114 subcohort members. For both men and women, we observed no relationship between tap water hardness and IHD mortality [hard vs. soft water: hazard ratio (HR) = 1.03; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.851.28 for men and HR = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.711.21 for women) and stroke mortality (hard vs. soft water HR = 0.90; 95% CI, 0.661.21 and HR = 0.86; 95% CI, 0.621.20, respectively). For men with the 20% lowest dietary magnesium intake, an inverse association was observed between tap water magnesium intake and stroke mortality (HR per 1 mg/L intake = 0.75; 95% CI, 0.610.91), whereas for women with the 20% lowest dietary magnesium intake, the opposite was observed. We found no evidence for an overall significant association between tap water hardness, magnesium or calcium concentrations, and IHD mortality or stroke mortality. More research is needed to investigate the effect of tap water magnesium on IHD mortality or stroke mortality in subjects with low dietary magnesium intake.

Whole genome and transcriptome analyses of environmental antibiotic sensitive and multi-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates exposed to waste water and tap water.

PubMed

Schwartz, Thomas; Armant, Olivier; Bretschneider, Nancy; Hahn, Alexander; Kirchen, Silke; Seifert, Martin; Dötsch, Andreas

2015-01-01

The fitness of sensitive and resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in different aquatic environments depends on genetic capacities and transcriptional regulation. Therefore, an antibiotic-sensitive isolate PA30 and a multi-resistant isolate PA49 originating from waste waters were compared via whole genome and transcriptome Illumina sequencing after exposure to municipal waste water and tap water. A number of different genomic islands (e.g. PAGIs, PAPIs) were identified in the two environmental isolates beside the highly conserved core genome. Exposure to tap water and waste water exhibited similar transcriptional impacts on several gene clusters (antibiotic and metal resistance, genetic mobile elements, efflux pumps) in both environmental P. aeruginosa isolates. The MexCD-OprJ efflux pump was overexpressed in PA49 in response to waste water. The expression of resistance genes, genetic mobile elements in PA49 was independent from the water matrix. Consistently, the antibiotic sensitive strain PA30 did not show any difference in expression of the intrinsic resistance determinants and genetic mobile elements. Thus, the exposure of both isolates to polluted waste water and oligotrophic tap water resulted in similar expression profiles of mentioned genes. However, changes in environmental milieus resulted in rather unspecific transcriptional responses than selected and stimuli-specific gene regulation. © 2014 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

The relation of communication to risk judgment and preventive behavior related to lead in tap water.

PubMed

Griffin, R J; Dunwoody, S

2000-01-01

More and more communities are becoming concerned about health risks posed by lead and other health hazards in their drinking water. Our study, applying the model of innovation diffusion to the adoption of preventive health behaviors, found that reliance on health professionals for information about lead in tap water was associated with residents perceiving risk from this hazard, their sense of efficacy in dealing with it, and their adoption of preventive behaviors. Mass media and pamphlets mailed directly to residents were relatively ineffective. Results suggest that interpersonal channels may be the best way to reach individuals who live in areas of highest risk from tap water lead.

Electrolyzed water as novel technology to improve hygiene of drinking water for dairy ewes.

PubMed

Bodas, R; Bartolomé, D J; Tabernero De Paz, M J; Posado, R; García, J J; Rodríguez, L; Olmedo, S; Martín-Diana, A B

2013-12-01

Tap water alone (TW) or treated with 3% of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) were used in this experiment to study its effect on water quality, blood biochemical parameters and milk yield and composition. Each type of water was supplied to one group of 10 milking ewes for 25 days. Weekly water samples from troughs were taken. On days 1, 12 and 25, milk yield was measured, and milk and blood samples were taken. SAEW reduced (P < 0.05) bacterial counts (aerobic mesophilic, total coliform and streptococcus). Blood gases, biochemical parameters and milk yield and its composition were not affected (P > 0.05). SAEW can be used at 3% rate as a powerful and economic agent for sanitizing drinking water for dairy ewes with no effects on animal performance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Survey and significance of filamentous fungi from tap water.

PubMed

Gonçalves, Ana B; Paterson, R Russell M; Lima, Nelson

2006-05-01

Fungi in drinking water are involved in the production of tastes and odours in water. Health problems are possible, originating from mycotoxins, animal pathogens and allergies. This report concerns the surveillance of mesophilic fungi in tap water and assessment of their potential for causing problems. The methods for the determination of the filamentous fungi (ff) were filtering, swabbing and baiting. Tap water, half-strength corn meal, neopeptone-glucose rose Bengal aureomycin (NGRBA) and oomycete selective agars for the enumeration of colony forming units (cfu) were used. Samples were taken consecutively over 16 months. Filtration and NGRBA gave the highest ff counts. A total of 340 taxa were isolated. There appeared to be a negative correlation between bacterial and yeast (b/y) and ff counts. Highest counts were found in winter months for ff and in the warmer months for b/y. Penicillium (40.6%) and Acremonium (38.8%) were the most frequently isolated ff. There was a difference in the pattern of isolation of the key taxa with season: penicillia predominated in early summer and Acremonium in winter. P. expansum was isolated in high numbers in May 2004. This species is associated with the production of the mycotoxin patulin and the odour secondary metabolite geosmin. P. brevicompactum was detected throughout the sampling period and is known to produce the immunosuppressive drug mycophenolic acid. Acremonium is associated with ocentol production which is responsible for bad tastes and flavours. The remaining taxa were Phialophora sp. (4.1%), Cladosporium sp. (3.5%), Rhizopus stolonifer (2.9%), Chaetomium sp. (0.6%), Alternaria sp. (0.3%), Aspergillus sp. (0.3%), mycelia sterilia (2.6%) and unidentified (6.2%). It is emphasised that few Aspergillus and no Fusarium strains were isolated. Rhizopus stolonifer was obtained. However, none of the fungi isolated at mesophilic temperature used could be described as being involved with pathogenicity per se.

Overnight stagnation of drinking water in household taps induces microbial growth and changes in community composition.

PubMed

Lautenschlager, Karin; Boon, Nico; Wang, Yingying; Egli, Thomas; Hammes, Frederik

2010-09-01

Drinking water quality is routinely monitored in the distribution network but not inside households at the point of consumption. Fluctuating temperatures, residence times (stagnation), pipe materials and decreasing pipe diameters can promote bacterial growth in buildings. To test the influence of stagnation in households on the bacterial cell concentrations and composition, water was sampled from 10 separate households after overnight stagnation and after flushing the taps. Cell concentrations, measured by flow cytometry, increased (2-3-fold) in all water samples after stagnation. This increase was also observed in adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP) concentrations (2-18-fold) and heterotrophic plate counts (4-580-fold). An observed increase in cell biovolume and ATP-per-cell concentrations furthermore suggests that the increase in cell concentrations was due to microbial growth. After 5 min flushing of the taps, cell concentrations and water temperature decreased to the level generally found in the drinking water network. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis also showed a change in the microbial composition after stagnation. This study showed that water stagnation in household pipes results in considerable microbial changes. While hygienic risk was not directly assessed, it emphasizes the need for the development of good material validation methods, recommendations and spot tests for in-house water installations. However, a simple mitigation strategy would be a short flushing of taps prior to use. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Towards metering tap water by Lorentz force velocimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasilyan, Suren; Ebert, Reschad; Weidner, Markus; Rivero, Michel; Halbedel, Bernd; Resagk, Christian; Fröhlich, Thomas

2015-11-01

In this paper, we present enhanced flow rate measurement by applying the contactless Lorentz Force Velocimetry (LFV) technique. Particularly, we show that the LFV is a feasible technique for metering the flow rate of salt water in a rectangular channel. The measurements of the Lorentz forces as a function of the flow rate are presented for different electrical conductivities of the salt water. The smallest value of conductivity is achieved at 0.06 S·m-1, which corresponds to the typical value of tap water. In comparison with previous results, the performance of LFV is improved by approximately 2 orders of magnitude by means of a high-precision differential force measurement setup. Furthermore, the sensitivity curve and the calibration factor of the flowmeter are provided based on extensive measurements for the flow velocities ranging from 0.2 to 2.5 m·s-1 and conductivities ranging from 0.06 to 10 S·m-1.

Calcium contained tap water phenomena: students misconception patterns of acids-bases concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liliasari, S.; Albaiti, A.; Wahyudi, A.

2018-05-01

Acids and bases concept is very important and fundamental concept in learning chemistry. It is one of the chemistry subjects considered as an abstract and difficult concept to understand. The aim of this research was to explore student’s misconception pattern about acids and bases phenomena in daily life, such as calcium contained tap water. This was a qualitative research with descriptive methods. Participants were 546 undergraduate students of chemistry education and chemistry program, and graduate students of chemistry education in West Java, Indonesia. The test to explore students’ misconception about this phenomena was essay test. The results showed that there were five patterns of students’ misconception in explaining the phenomena of calcium carbonate precipitation on heating tap water. Students used irrelevant concepts in explaining this phenomena, i.e. temporary hardness, coagulation, density, and phase concepts. No students had right answer in explaining this phenomena. This research contributes to design meaningful learning and to achieve better understanding.

Irrigation of continent catheterizable ileal pouches: tap water can replace sterile solutions because it is safe, easy, and economical.

PubMed

Birkhäuser, Frédéric D; Zehnder, Pascal; Roth, Beat; Schürch, Leander; Ochsner, Katharina; Willener, Rita; Thalmann, George N; Burkhard, Fiona C; Studer, Urs E

2011-04-01

Continent catheterizable ileal pouches require regular irrigations to reduce the risk of bacteriuria and urinary tract infections (UTIs). Our aim was to compare the UTI rate, patient friendliness, and costs of standard sterile irrigation versus irrigation with tap water. Twenty-three patients participated in a prospective randomized two-arm crossover single-center trial. Aseptic intermittent self-catheterization (ISC) combined with sterile sodium chloride (NaCl) 0.9% irrigation was compared with clean ISC and irrigation with tap water (H(2)O) during two study periods of 90 d each. Patients underwent daily pouch irrigations with NaCl 0.9% solution or tap water. Urine nitrite dipstick tests were evaluated daily; urine culture (UC) and patient friendliness were evaluated monthly. Costs were documented. A total of 3916 study days with nitrite testing and irrigation were analyzed, 1876 (48%) in the NaCl arm and 2040 (52%) in the H(2)O arm. In the NaCl arm, 418 study days (22%) with nitrite-positive dipsticks were recorded, 219 d (11%) in the H(2)O arm, significantly fewer (p=0.01). Of the 149 UCs, 96 (64%) were positive, 48 in each arm, revealing a total of 16 different germs. All patients preferred the H(2)O method. Monthly costs were up to 20 times lower in the H(2)O arm. Pouch irrigation with sterile NaCl 0.9% solution and tap water had comparable rates of positive UC. Irrigation with tap water significantly lowered the incidence of nitrite-positive study days and was substantially less costly and more patient friendly than NaCl irrigation. We therefore recommend the use of tap water (or bottled water) instead of sterile NaCl 0.9% solution for daily irrigation of continent catheterizable ileal pouches. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12610000618055, http://www.ANZCTR.org.au/ACTRN12610000618055.aspx. Copyright © 2011 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quantifying tap-to-household water quality deterioration in urban communities in Vellore, India: The impact of spatial assumptions.

PubMed

Alarcon Falconi, Tania M; Kulinkina, Alexandra V; Mohan, Venkata Raghava; Francis, Mark R; Kattula, Deepthi; Sarkar, Rajiv; Ward, Honorine; Kang, Gagandeep; Balraj, Vinohar; Naumova, Elena N

2017-01-01

Municipal water sources in India have been found to be highly contaminated, with further water quality deterioration occurring during household storage. Quantifying water quality deterioration requires knowledge about the exact source tap and length of water storage at the household, which is not usually known. This study presents a methodology to link source and household stored water, and explores the effects of spatial assumptions on the association between tap-to-household water quality deterioration and enteric infections in two semi-urban slums of Vellore, India. To determine a possible water source for each household sample, we paired household and tap samples collected on the same day using three spatial approaches implemented in GIS: minimum Euclidean distance; minimum network distance; and inverse network-distance weighted average. Logistic and Poisson regression models were used to determine associations between water quality deterioration and household-level characteristics, and between diarrheal cases and water quality deterioration. On average, 60% of households had higher fecal coliform concentrations in household samples than at source taps. Only the weighted average approach detected a higher risk of water quality deterioration for households that do not purify water and that have animals in the home (RR=1.50 [1.03, 2.18], p=0.033); and showed that households with water quality deterioration were more likely to report diarrheal cases (OR=3.08 [1.21, 8.18], p=0.02). Studies to assess contamination between source and household are rare due to methodological challenges and high costs associated with collecting paired samples. Our study demonstrated it is possible to derive useful spatial links between samples post hoc; and that the pairing approach affects the conclusions related to associations between enteric infections and water quality deterioration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Relation of dietary inorganic arsenic to serum matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) at different threshold concentrations of tap water arsenic

PubMed Central

Kurzius-Spencer, Margaret; Harris, Robin B.; Hartz, Vern; Roberge, Jason; Hsu, Chiu-Hsieh; O’Rourke, Mary Kay; Burgess, Jefferey L.

2015-01-01

Arsenic (As) exposure is associated with cancer, lung and cardiovascular disease, yet the mechanisms involved are not clearly understood. Elevated matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) levels are also associated with these diseases, as well as with exposure to water As. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of dietary components of inorganic As (iAs) intake on serum MMP-9 concentration at differing levels of tap water As. In a cross-sectional study of 214 adults, dietary iAs intake was estimated from 24-h dietary recall interviews using published iAs residue data; drinking and cooking water As intake from water samples and consumption data. Aggregate iAs intake (food plus water) was associated with elevated serum MMP-9 in mixed model regression, with and without adjustment for covariates. In models stratified by tap water As, aggregate intake was a significant positive predictor of serum MMP-9 in subjects exposed to water As ≤10 μg/l. Inorganic As from food alone was associated with serum MMP-9 in subjects exposed to tap water As ≤3 μg/l. Exposure to iAs from food and water combined, in areas where tap water As concentration is ≤10 μg/l, may contribute to As-induced changes in a biomarker associated with toxicity. PMID:25605447

The effectiveness of tap water iontophoresis for palmoplantar hyperhidrosis using a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday treatment regime.

PubMed

Siah, Tee Wei; Hampton, Philip J

2013-03-15

Primary focal hyperhidrosis is a benign condition of unknown etiology. Tap water iontophoresis has long been known to inhibit sweat production. The mechanism of reduced hyperhidrosis by iontophoresis is not completely clear. For operational convenience, our patients received their treatments at different intervals to those recommended by the manufacturer of the iontophoresis unit. We performed a retrospective audit to evaluate the effectiveness of tap water iontophoresis using this regimen. This new treatment regimen was effective at controlling palmoplantar hyperhidrosis. Minimal undesirable effects such as mild skin irritation and erythema were noted but none were severe enough to necessitate discontinuation of treatment. In conclusion, tap water iontophoresis is a safe and effective treatment of palmar and plantar hyperhidrosis when used on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for 4 weeks. Continued treatment is needed to maintain the effect and many patients go on to purchase their own machines. This technique should be considered prior to systemic or aggressive surgical intervention.

Perceptions of tap water temperatures, scald risk and prevention among parents and older people in social housing: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Durand, Mary Alison; Green, Judith; Edwards, Phil; Milton, Sarah; Lutchmun, Suzanne

2012-06-01

Young children and older people are particularly vulnerable to tap water scalding. For children, there are also socio-economic inequalities in risk. Evidence suggests that reducing tap water temperatures in social (public) housing through 'passive' means is effective in reducing risk. However, little is known about parents' or older people's perceptions of scald risk and prevention. This study aimed to document the views of parents and older residents in social housing in an inner-London borough about their tap water temperature, perceived scalding risk and scald prevention strategies. Analysis of twenty in-depth interviews with 11 parents and 10 people aged 65 years or older. Tap water was described as very hot, but participants did not consider themselves at risk, viewing scald prevention as a personal responsibility achieved with a range of everyday, routine strategies. Very hot water was preferred for health- and convenience-related reasons. However, it was felt that others, particularly children, could be scalded, and some concern was expressed about the environmental and financial impacts of excessively hot water. Those seeking to introduce engineering-based scald prevention interventions in social housing should emphasise the potential environmental and financial impacts of water temperature reduction, in addition to promoting safety benefits for vulnerable others. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Indoor Heating Drives Water Bacterial Growth and Community Metabolic Profile Changes in Building Tap Pipes during the Winter Season

PubMed Central

Zhang, Hai-Han; Chen, Sheng-Nan; Huang, Ting-Lin; Shang, Pan-Lu; Yang, Xiao; Ma, Wei-Xing

2015-01-01

The growth of the bacterial community harbored in indoor drinking water taps is regulated by external environmental factors, such as indoor temperature. However, the effect of indoor heating on bacterial regrowth associated with indoor drinking water taps is poorly understood. In the present work, flow cytometry and community-level sole-carbon-source utilization techniques were combined to explore the effects of indoor heating on water bacterial cell concentrations and community carbon metabolic profiles in building tap pipes during the winter season. The results showed that the temperature of water stagnated overnight (“before”) in the indoor water pipes was 15–17 °C, and the water temperature decreased to 4–6 °C after flushing for 10 min (“flushed”). The highest bacterial cell number was observed in water stagnated overnight, and was 5–11 times higher than that of flushed water. Meanwhile, a significantly higher bacterial community metabolic activity (AWCD590nm) was also found in overnight stagnation water samples. The significant “flushed” and “taps” values indicated that the AWCD590nm, and bacterial cell number varied among the taps within the flushed group (p < 0.01). Heatmap fingerprints and principle component analyses (PCA) revealed a significant discrimination bacterial community functional metabolic profiles in the water stagnated overnight and flushed water. Serine, threonine, glucose-phosphate, ketobutyric acid, phenylethylamine, glycerol, putrescine were significantly used by “before” water samples. The results suggested that water stagnated at higher temperature should be treated before drinking because of bacterial regrowth. The data from this work provides useful information on reasonable utilization of drinking water after stagnation in indoor pipes during indoor heating periods. PMID:26516885

Endemic cryptosporidiosis and exposure to municipal tap water in persons with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS): A case-control study

PubMed Central

Aragón, Tomás J; Novotny, Suzanne; Enanoria, Wayne; Vugia, Duc J; Khalakdina, Asheena; Katz, Mitchell H

2003-01-01

Background In persons with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), Cryptosporidium parvum causes a prolonged, severe diarrheal illness to which there is no effective treatment, and the risk of developing cryptosporidiosis from drinking tap water in non-outbreak settings remains uncertain. To test the hypothesis that drinking tap water was associated with developing cryptosporidiosis, we conducted a matched case-control study among persons with AIDS in San Francisco. Methods Among patients reported to the San Francisco AIDS Registry from May 1996 through September 1998, we compared patients who developed cryptosporidiosis to those who did not. Cases were individually matched to controls based on age, sex, race/ethnicity, CD4+ T lymphocyte count, date of CD4+ count, and date of case diagnosis. Population attributable fractions (PAFs) were calculated. Results The study consisted of 49 cases and 99 matched controls. In the multivariable analysis with adjustments for confounders, tap water consumption inside and outside the home at the highest exposure categories was associated with the occurrence of cryptosporidiosis (inside the home: odds ratio (OR), 6.76; 95% CI 1.37–33.5, and outside the home: OR 3.16; 95% CI 1.23–8.13). The PAF was 85%; that is, the proportion of cases of cryptosporidiosis in San Francisco AIDS patients attributable to tap water consumption could have been as high as 85%. Conclusions Although the results from this observational study cannot be considered definitive, until there is more data, we recommend persons with AIDS, especially those with compromised immune systems, consider avoiding tap water. PMID:12515584

Endemic cryptosporidiosis and exposure to municipal tap water in persons with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS): a case-control study.

PubMed

Aragón, Tomás J; Novotny, Suzanne; Enanoria, Wayne; Vugia, Duc J; Khalakdina, Asheena; Katz, Mitchell H

2003-01-06

In persons with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), Cryptosporidium parvum causes a prolonged, severe diarrheal illness to which there is no effective treatment, and the risk of developing cryptosporidiosis from drinking tap water in non-outbreak settings remains uncertain. To test the hypothesis that drinking tap water was associated with developing cryptosporidiosis, we conducted a matched case-control study among persons with AIDS in San Francisco. Among patients reported to the San Francisco AIDS Registry from May 1996 through September 1998, we compared patients who developed cryptosporidiosis to those who did not. Cases were individually matched to controls based on age, sex, race/ethnicity, CD4+ T lymphocyte count, date of CD4+ count, and date of case diagnosis. Population attributable fractions (PAFs) were calculated. The study consisted of 49 cases and 99 matched controls. In the multivariable analysis with adjustments for confounders, tap water consumption inside and outside the home at the highest exposure categories was associated with the occurrence of cryptosporidiosis (inside the home: odds ratio (OR), 6.76; 95% CI 1.37-33.5, and outside the home: OR 3.16; 95% CI 1.23-8.13). The PAF was 85%; that is, the proportion of cases of cryptosporidiosis in San Francisco AIDS patients attributable to tap water consumption could have been as high as 85%. Although the results from this observational study cannot be considered definitive, until there is more data, we recommend persons with AIDS, especially those with compromised immune systems, consider avoiding tap water.

Preference for tap, bottled, and recycled water: Relations to PTC taste sensitivity and personality.

PubMed

Harmon, Daniel; Gauvain, Mary; Z Reisz; Arthur, Isaac; Story, S Drew

2018-02-01

This study investigated people's preferences for different water sources and factors that predict such preferences using a blind taste test. Water preferences of 143 participants for one name-brand bottled water, one groundwater-sourced tap water, and one indirect potable reuse (IDR) water were assessed. For predictors of water preference, we measured each participant's PTC taste sensitivity and assessed two personality traits (Neuroticism, Openness to Experience). We also explored participants' descriptions of each water source. Results indicate a preference for water treated with Reverse Osmosis (RO) (bottled and IDR water) over groundwater-sourced water, which had higher pH levels and lower concentrations of Ca and HCO 3 - . PTC taste sensitivity did not predict preferences, while Openness to Experience and Neuroticism predicted preference for IDR water. Positive relations between Openness to Experience and preferences for bottled and IDR water were moderated by gender and were stronger among females. Participants described water primarily by its taste and texture. Findings suggest that (1) tap water treated by RO is equally preferable to some bottled water, (2) personality traits may affect water preferences, and (3) prior findings of gender differences in preferences for bottled water may reflect personality characteristics. Efforts to increase acceptance for sustainable water alternatives, such as IDR, may be more successful by assuring consumers about taste and addressing personality traits that encourage or inhibit use. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pharmaceuticals in Tap Water: Human Health Risk Assessment and Proposed Monitoring Framework in China

PubMed Central

Leung, Ho Wing; Jin, Ling; Wei, Si; Tsui, Mirabelle Mei Po; Zhou, Bingsheng; Jiao, Liping; Cheung, Pak Chuen; Chun, Yiu Kan

2013-01-01

Background: Pharmaceuticals are known to contaminate tap water worldwide, but the relevant human health risks have not been assessed in China. Objectives: We monitored 32 pharmaceuticals in Chinese tap water and evaluated the life-long human health risks of exposure in order to provide information for future prioritization and risk management. Methods: We analyzed samples (n = 113) from 13 cities and compared detected concentrations with existing or newly-derived safety levels for assessing risk quotients (RQs) at different life stages, excluding the prenatal stage. Results: We detected 17 pharmaceuticals in 89% of samples, with most detectable concentrations (92%) at < 50 ng/L. Caffeine (median–maximum, nanograms per liter: 24.4–564), metronidazole (1.8–19.3), salicylic acid (16.6–41.2), clofibric acid (1.2–3.3), carbamazepine (1.3–6.7), and dimetridazole (6.9–14.7) were found in ≥ 20% of samples. Cities within the Yangtze River region and Guangzhou were regarded as contamination hot spots because of elevated levels and frequent positive detections. Of the 17 pharmaceuticals detected, 13 showed very low risk levels, but 4 (i.e., dimetridazole, thiamphenicol, sulfamethazine, and clarithromycin) were found to have at least one life-stage RQ ≥ 0.01, especially for the infant and child life stages, and should be considered of high priority for management. We propose an indicator-based monitoring framework for providing information for source identification, water treatment effectiveness, and water safety management in China. Conclusion: Chinese tap water is an additional route of human exposure to pharmaceuticals, particularly for dimetridazole, although the risk to human health is low based on current toxicity data. Pharmaceutical detection and application of the proposed monitoring framework can be used for water source protection and risk management in China and elsewhere. PMID:23665928

Pharmaceuticals in tap water: human health risk assessment and proposed monitoring framework in China.

PubMed

Leung, Ho Wing; Jin, Ling; Wei, Si; Tsui, Mirabelle Mei Po; Zhou, Bingsheng; Jiao, Liping; Cheung, Pak Chuen; Chun, Yiu Kan; Murphy, Margaret Burkhardt; Lam, Paul Kwan Sing

2013-07-01

Pharmaceuticals are known to contaminate tap water worldwide, but the relevant human health risks have not been assessed in China. We monitored 32 pharmaceuticals in Chinese tap water and evaluated the life-long human health risks of exposure in order to provide information for future prioritization and risk management. We analyzed samples (n = 113) from 13 cities and compared detected concentrations with existing or newly-derived safety levels for assessing risk quotients (RQs) at different life stages, excluding the prenatal stage. We detected 17 pharmaceuticals in 89% of samples, with most detectable concentrations (92%) at < 50 ng/L. Caffeine (median-maximum, nanograms per liter: 24.4-564), metronidazole (1.8-19.3), salicylic acid (16.6-41.2), clofibric acid (1.2-3.3), carbamazepine (1.3-6.7), and dimetridazole (6.9-14.7) were found in ≥ 20% of samples. Cities within the Yangtze River region and Guangzhou were regarded as contamination hot spots because of elevated levels and frequent positive detections. Of the 17 pharmaceuticals detected, 13 showed very low risk levels, but 4 (i.e., dimetridazole, thiamphenicol, sulfamethazine, and clarithromycin) were found to have at least one life-stage RQ ≥ 0.01, especially for the infant and child life stages, and should be considered of high priority for management. We propose an indicator-based monitoring framework for providing information for source identification, water treatment effectiveness, and water safety management in China. Chinese tap water is an additional route of human exposure to pharmaceuticals, particularly for dimetridazole, although the risk to human health is low based on current toxicity data. Pharmaceutical detection and application of the proposed monitoring framework can be used for water source protection and risk management in China and elsewhere.

Perineal tap water burns in the elderly: at what cost?

PubMed

Potter, Michael D E; Maitz, Peter K M; Kennedy, Peter J; Goltsman, David

2017-11-01

Burn injuries are expensive to treat. Burn injuries have been found to be difficult to treat in elderly patients than their younger counterparts. This is likely to result in higher financial burden on the healthcare system; however, no population-specific study has been conducted to ascertain the inpatient treatment costs of elderly patients with hot tap water burns. Six elderly patients (75-92 years) were admitted for tap water burns at Concord Hospital during 2010. All costs incurred during their hospitalization were followed prospectively, and were apportioned into 'direct' and 'indirect' costs. Direct costs encompassed directly measurable costs, such as consumables used on the ward or in theatres, and indirect costs included hospital overheads, such as bed and theatre costs. Three males and three females admitted with burns to the buttocks, legs or feet. Total burn surface area (TBSA) ranged from 9-21% (mean 12.8%). Length of stay ranged from 26-98 days (mean 46 days). One patient died, and four required surgical management or grafting. Total inpatient costs ranged from $69 782.33 to $254 652.70 per patient (mean $122 800.20, standard deviation $67 484.46). TBSA was directly correlated with length of stay (P < 0.01) and total cost (P < 0.01). Hot water burns among the elderly are associated with high treatment costs, which are proportional to the size of the burn. The cost of treating this cohort is higher than previously reported in a general Australian burn cohort. © 2016 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Polarization Resistance Measurement in Tap Water: The Influence of Rust Electrochemical Activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasyliev, Georgii

2017-08-01

Corrosion rate of mild steel in tap water during 4300 h was estimated by LPR and weight-loss methods coupled with OCP measurements. The LPR results were found to be overestimated compared to the weight-loss data within initial 2000 h of exposure. The electrochemical activity of the rust separated from the metal surface was studied by cycling voltammetry using a home-built powder graphite electrode. High redox currents corresponding to the initial 2000 h of exposure were detected. Rust composition was characterized with IR and XRD, and the highest amounts of electrochemically active β- and γ-FeOOH were again detected for the initial 2000 h. Current consumption in rust transformation processes during LPR measurement in the galvanostatic mode accounts for overestimation of the corrosion rate. The time dependence of rust electrochemical activity correlates with OCP variation with time. During initial 2000 h, OCP values are shifted by 50 mV to cathodic side. For the period of a higher rust electrochemical activity, the use of a reduced B is suggested to increase accuracy of LPR technique in tap water.

Isolation and identification of methylobacterium species from the tap water in hospitals in Japan and their antibiotic susceptibility.

PubMed

Furuhata, Katsunori; Kato, Yuko; Goto, Keiichi; Hara, Motonobu; Yoshida, Shin-ichi; Fukuyama, Masafumi

2006-01-01

Contamination of tap water by Methylobacterium species has become a serious concern in hospitals. This study was planned to examine the distribution of Methylobacterium species inhabiting tap water used in Japanese hospitals and antibiotic sensitivity of the isolates in 2004. Species identification of 58 isolates was performed based on the homology of a partial sequence of 16S rDNA. The dominant Methylobacterium species in hospital water were M. aquaticum and M. fujisawaense. To examine the biochemical properties of these isolates, a carbon source utilization was tested using an API50CH kit. The phenotypic character varied widely, and was not necessarily consistent with the results of phylogenic analysis based on the partial 16S rDNA sequence, suggesting that the biochemical properties are not suitable for identification of Methylobacterium species. The isolates were also subjected to antibiotic sensitivity tests. They were resistant to 8 antibiotics, but highly sensitive to imipenem (MIC90 = 1 microg/ml) and tetracycline (MIC90 = 8 microg/ml). These findings concerning the isolates revealed the presence of Methylobacterium species with resistance to multiple antibiotics in hospital tap water.

Magnesium-to-calcium ratio in tap water, and its relationship to geological features and the incidence of calcium-containing urinary stones.

PubMed

Kohri, K; Kodama, M; Ishikawa, Y; Katayama, Y; Takada, M; Katoh, Y; Kataoka, K; Iguchi, M; Kurita, T

1989-11-01

We examined the relationship among magnesium and calcium content in tap water, the geological features and urinary stone incidence in Japan. The magnesium-to-calcium ratio in tap water correlated negatively with the incidence of urolithiasis. There was no correlation between calcium and magnesium concentration in tap water and urinary stone incidence. Geological features in Japan were classified into 5 groups. The magnesium-to-calcium ratio in the basalt areas was higher than in the other areas, while ratio in the granite areas was low. In the sedimentary rock areas calcium and magnesium concentrations were high; the magnesium-to-calcium ratio in these areas was between those of the basalt and granite areas. The limestone areas had a much higher calcium concentration. The incidence of urinary stones in the sedimentary rock and basalt areas was lower than that of the granite areas, while that in the limestone areas was the highest. Thus, the incidence of urinary stone is related to the magnesium-to-calcium ratio in tap water and the geological area.

Reduction in pesticide residue levels in olives by ozonated and tap water treatments and their transfer into olive oil.

PubMed

Kırış, Sevilay; Velioglu, Yakup Sedat

2016-01-01

The effects of different wash times (2 and 5 min) with tap and ozonated water on the removal of nine pesticides from olives and the transfer ratios of these pesticides during olive oil production were determined. The reliability of the analytical methods was also tested. The applied methods of analysis were found to be suitable based on linearity, trueness, repeatability, selectivity and limit of quantification all the pesticides tested. All tap and ozonated water wash cycles removed a significant quantity of the pesticides from the olives, with a few exceptions. Generally, extending the wash time increased the pesticide reduction with ozonated water, but did not make significant differences with tap water. During olive oil processing, depending on the processing technique and physicochemical properties of the pesticides, eight of nine pesticides were concentrated into olive oil (processing factor > 1) with almost no significant difference between treatments. Imidacloprid did not pass into olive oil. Ozonated water wash for 5 min reduced chlorpyrifos, β-cyfluthrin, α-cypermethrin and imidacloprid contents by 38%, 50%, 55% and 61% respectively in olives.

Spatio-temporal variation in the tap water isotope ratios of Salt Lake City: a novel indicator of urban water system structure and dynamics.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jameel, M. Y.; Bowen, G. J.

2015-12-01

Public water supply systems are the life-blood of urban areas. How we use urban water systems affects more than human health and well-being. Our water use can alter a city's energy balance, including how much solar energy is absorbed as heat or reflected back into space. The severity of these effects, and the need to better understand connections between climate, water extraction, water use, and water use impacts, is strongest in areas of climatic aridity and substantial land-use change, such as the rapidly urbanizing areas of Utah. We have gathered and analyzed stable water isotope data from a series of semi-annual hydrological surveys (spring and fall, 2013 and 2014) in urban tap water sampled across the Salt Lake Valley. Our study has led to four major findings thus far: 1) Clear and substantial variation in tap water isotopic composition in space and time that can be linked to different water sources and management practices within the urban area, 2) There is a strong correlation between the range of observed isotope values and the population of water districts, reflecting use of water from multiple local and non-local sources in districts with high water demand, 3) Water isotopes reflect significant and variable loss of water due to evaporation of surface water resources and 4) Overall, tap water contains lower concentrations of the heavy H and O isotopes than does precipitation within the basin, reflecting the connection between city water supplies and mountain water sources. Our results highlight the utility of isotopic data as an indicator of heterogeneities within urban water systems, management practices and their variation across a major metropolitan area, and effects of climate variability on urban water supplies

Exposure of children to metals via tap water ingestion at home: Contamination and exposure data from a nationwide survey in France.

PubMed

Le Bot, Barbara; Lucas, Jean-Paul; Lacroix, Françoise; Glorennec, Philippe

2016-09-01

29 inorganic compounds (Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Gd, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nd, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr, Tl, U, V and Zn) were measured in the tap water of 484 representative homes of children aged 6months to 6years in metropolitan France in 2008-2009. Parents were asked whether their children consumed tap water. Sampling design and sampling weights were taken into account to estimate element concentrations in tap water supplied to the 3,581,991 homes of 4,923,058 children aged 6months to 6years. Median and 95th percentiles of concentrations in tap water were in μg/L: Al: <10, 48.3, As: 0.2, 2.1; B: <100, 100; Ba: 30.7, 149.4; Ca: 85,000, 121,700; Cd: <0.5, <0.5; Ce: <0.5, <0.5; Co: <0.5, 0.8; Cr: <5, <5; Cu: 70, 720; K: 2210, 6740; Fe: <20, 46; Mn: <5, <5; Mo: <0.5, 1.5; Na: 14,500, 66,800; Ni: <2, 10.2; Mg: 6500, 21,200; Pb: <1, 5.4; Sb: <0.5, <0.5; Se: <1, 6.7; Sr: 256.9, 1004; Tl: <0.5, <0.5; U: <0.5, 2.4; V: <1, 1; Zn: 53, 208. Of the 2,977,123 young children drinking tap water in France, some were drinking water having concentrations above the 2011 World Health Organization drinking-water quality guidelines: respectively 498 (CI 95%: 0-1484) over 700μg/L of Ba; 121,581 (CI 95%: 7091-236,070) over 50mg/L of Na; 2044 (CI 95%: 0-6132) over 70μg/L of Ni, and 78,466 (17,171-139,761) over 10μg/L of Pb. Since it is representative, this tap water contamination data can be used for integrated exposure assessment, in conjunction with diet and environmental (dust and soil) exposure data. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimization of adenovirus 40 and 41 recovery from tap water using small disk filters.

PubMed

McMinn, Brian R

2013-11-01

Currently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Information Collection Rule (ICR) for the primary concentration of viruses from drinking and surface waters uses the 1MDS filter, but a more cost effective option, the NanoCeram® filter, has been shown to recover comparable levels of enterovirus and norovirus from both matrices. In order to achieve the highest viral recoveries, filtration methods require the identification of optimal concentration conditions that are unique for each virus type. This study evaluated the effectiveness of 1MDS and NanoCeram filters in recovering adenovirus (AdV) 40 and 41 from tap water, and optimized two secondary concentration procedures the celite and organic flocculation method. Adjustments in pH were made to both virus elution solutions and sample matrices to determine which resulted in higher virus recovery. Samples were analyzed by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Most Probable Number (MPN) techniques and AdV recoveries were determined by comparing levels of virus in sample concentrates to that in the initial input. The recovery of adenovirus was highest for samples in unconditioned tap water (pH 8) using the 1MDS filter and celite for secondary concentration. Elution buffer containing 0.1% sodium polyphosphate at pH 10.0 was determined to be most effective overall for both AdV types. Under these conditions, the average recovery for AdV40 and 41 was 49% and 60%, respectively. By optimizing secondary elution steps, AdV recovery from tap water could be improved at least two-fold compared to the currently used methodology. Identification of the optimal concentration conditions for human AdV (HAdV) is important for timely and sensitive detection of these viruses from both surface and drinking waters. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Evaluation of on-line concentration coupled to liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for the quantification of neonicotinoids and fipronil in surface water and tap water.

PubMed

Montiel-León, Juan Manuel; Duy, Sung Vo; Munoz, Gabriel; Amyot, Marc; Sauvé, Sébastien

2018-04-01

A study was initiated to investigate a fast and reliable method for the determination of selected systemic insecticides in water matrixes and to evaluate potential sources of bias in their analysis. Acetamiprid, clothianidin, desnitro-imidacloprid, dinotefuran, fipronil, imidacloprid, nitenpyram, thiacloprid, and thiamethoxam were amenable to analysis via on-line sample enrichment hyphenated to ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The selection of on-line solid-phase extraction parameters was dictated by a multicriterion desirability approach. A 2-mL on-line injection volume with a 1500 μL min -1 loading flow rate met the objectives sought in terms of chromatographic requirements, extraction efficiency, sensitivity, and precision. A total analysis time of 8 min per sample was obtained with method limits of detection in the range of 0.1-5 ng L -1 for the scope of targeted analytes. Automation at the sample concentration step yielded intraday and interday precisions in the range of 1-23 and 2-26%, respectively. Factors that could affect the whole method accuracy were further evaluated in matrix-specific experiments. The impact of the initial filtration step on analyte recovery was evaluated in ultra-pure water, tap water, and surface water. Out of the nine membranes tested, glass fiber filters and polyester filters appeared as the most appropriate materials. Sample storage stability was also investigated across the three matrix types; the targeted analytes displayed suitable stability during 28 days at either 4 °C or - 20 °C, with little deviations (± 10%) with respect to the initial T 0 concentration. Method applicability was demonstrated in a range of tap water and surface water samples from the province of Québec, Canada. Results from the present survey indicated a predominance of thiamethoxam (< 0.5-10 and 3-61 ng L -1 in tap water and river water, respectively), clothianidin (< 0.5-6 and 2-88 ng L -1 in

In vitro bioanalysis of drinking water from source to tap.

PubMed

Rosenmai, Anna Kjerstine; Lundqvist, Johan; le Godec, Théo; Ohlsson, Åsa; Tröger, Rikard; Hellman, Björn; Oskarsson, Agneta

2018-08-01

The presence of chemical pollutants in sources of drinking water is a key environmental problem threatening public health. Efficient removal of pollutants in drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) is needed as well as methods for assessment of the total impact of all present chemicals on water quality. In the present study we have analyzed the bioactivity of water samples from source to tap, including effects of various water treatments in a DWTP, using a battery of cell-based bioassays, covering health-relevant endpoints. Reporter gene assays were used to analyze receptor activity of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), estrogen receptor (ER), androgen receptor (AR), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) and induction of oxidative stress by the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). DNA damage was determined by Comet assay. Grab water samples were concentrated by HLB or ENV solid phase extraction and the water samples assayed at a relative enrichment factor of 50. The enrichment procedure did not induce any bioactivity. No bioactivity was detected in Milli-Q water or drinking water control samples. Induction of AhR, ER and Nrf2 activities was revealed in source to tap water samples. No cytotoxicity, PPARα or AR antagonist activity, or DNA damage were observed in any of the water samples. A low AR agonist activity was detected in a few samples of surface water, but not in the samples from the DWTP. The treatment steps at the DWTP, coagulation, granulated activated carbon filtration, UV disinfection and NH 2 Cl dosing had little or no effect on the AhR, Nrf2 and ER bioactivity. However, nanofiltration and passage through the distribution network drastically decreased AhR activity, while the effect on Nrf2 activity was more modest and no apparent effect was observed on ER activity. The present results suggest that bioassays are useful tools for evaluation of the efficiency of different treatment steps in DWTPs in reducing toxic

Legionella species diversity and dynamics from surface reservoir to tap water: from cold adaptation to thermophily

PubMed Central

Lesnik, René; Brettar, Ingrid; Höfle, Manfred G

2016-01-01

Water samples of the Drinking Water Supply System (DWSS) of the city of Braunschweig were analysed for its Legionella species composition using genus-specific PCR amplicons and single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) fingerprint analyses based on 16S rRNA genes. These analyses comprised the whole supply chain including raw water, treatment process and large-scale storage, and a seasonal study of finished drinking water sampled monthly from cold and hot tap water. Treatment of raw water had a major impact on Legionella species by reducing their diversity and abundances. The Legionella species composition of the tap water was highly distinct from that of both source waters. In cold water, 8–14 different phylotypes of Legionella (PTLs) were observed per sample with relative abundances ranging from >1% to 53%. In hot water, L. pneumophila was present during all seasons at high relative abundances (8–40%) accompanied by 5–14 other PTLs of which 6 PTLs were in common with cold water. This thermophilic Legionella community, including L. pneumophila, was able to grow in the hot water above 50 °C. Such thermophilic Legionella populations are of general relevance for drinking water management and public health, but also for the ecology and evolution of the genus Legionella. PMID:26528838

Legionella species diversity and dynamics from surface reservoir to tap water: from cold adaptation to thermophily.

PubMed

Lesnik, René; Brettar, Ingrid; Höfle, Manfred G

2016-05-01

Water samples of the Drinking Water Supply System (DWSS) of the city of Braunschweig were analysed for its Legionella species composition using genus-specific PCR amplicons and single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) fingerprint analyses based on 16S rRNA genes. These analyses comprised the whole supply chain including raw water, treatment process and large-scale storage, and a seasonal study of finished drinking water sampled monthly from cold and hot tap water. Treatment of raw water had a major impact on Legionella species by reducing their diversity and abundances. The Legionella species composition of the tap water was highly distinct from that of both source waters. In cold water, 8-14 different phylotypes of Legionella (PTLs) were observed per sample with relative abundances ranging from >1% to 53%. In hot water, L. pneumophila was present during all seasons at high relative abundances (8-40%) accompanied by 5-14 other PTLs of which 6 PTLs were in common with cold water. This thermophilic Legionella community, including L. pneumophila, was able to grow in the hot water above 50 °C. Such thermophilic Legionella populations are of general relevance for drinking water management and public health, but also for the ecology and evolution of the genus Legionella.

Water budget analysis and management for Bangkok Metropolis, Thailand.

PubMed

Singkran, Nuanchan

2017-09-01

The water budget of the Bangkok Metropolis system was analyzed using a material flow analysis model. Total imported flows into the system were 80,080 million m 3 per year (Mm 3 y -1 ) including inflows from the Chao Phraya and Mae Klong rivers and rainwater. Total exported flows out of the system were 78,528 Mm 3 y -1 including outflow into the lower Chao Phraya River and tap water (TW) distributed to suburbs. Total rates of stock exchange (1,552 Mm 3 y -1 ) were found in the processes of water recycling, TW distribution, domestic use, swine farming, aquaculture, and paddy fields. Only 21% of the total amount of wastewater (1,255 Mm 3 y -1 ) was collected, with insufficient treatment capacity of about 415 Mm 3 y -1 . Domestic and business (industrial and commercial sectors) areas were major point sources, whereas paddy fields were a major non-point source of wastewater. To manage Bangkok's water budget, critical measures have to be considered. Wastewater treatment capacity and efficiency of wastewater collection should be improved. On-site wastewater treatment plants for residential areas should be installed. Urban planning and land use zoning are suggested to control land use activities. Green technology should be supported to reduce wastewater from farming.

Plasma-activation of tap water using DBD for agronomy applications: Identification and quantification of long lifetime chemical species and production/consumption mechanisms.

PubMed

Judée, F; Simon, S; Bailly, C; Dufour, T

2018-04-15

Cold atmospheric plasmas are weakly ionized gases that can be generated in ambient air. They produce energetic species (e.g. electrons, metastables) as well as reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species, UV radiations and local electric field. Their interaction with a liquid such as tap water can hence change its chemical composition. The resulting "plasma-activated liquid" can meet many applications, including medicine and agriculture. Consequently, a complete experimental set of analytical techniques dedicated to the characterization of long lifetime chemical species has been implemented to characterize tap water treated using cold atmospheric plasma process and intended to agronomy applications. For that purpose, colorimetry and acid titrations are performed, considering acid-base equilibria, pH and temperature variations induced during plasma activation. 16 species are quantified and monitored: hydroxide and hydronium ions, ammonia and ammonium ions, orthophosphates, carbonate ions, nitrite and nitrate ions and hydrogen peroxide. The related consumption/production mechanisms are discussed. In parallel, a chemical model of electrical conductivity based on Kohlrausch's law has been developed to simulate the electrical conductivity of the plasma-activated tap water (PATW). Comparing its predictions with experimental measurements leads to a narrow fitting, hence supporting the self-sufficiency of the experimental set, I.e. the fact that all long lifetime radicals of interest present in PATW are characterized. Finally, to evaluate the potential of cold atmospheric plasmas for agriculture applications, tap water has been daily plasma-treated to irrigate lentils seeds. Then, seedlings lengths have been measured and compared with untreated tap water, showing an increase as high as 34.0% and 128.4% after 3 days and 6 days of activation respectively. The interaction mechanisms between plasma and tap water are discussed as well as their positive synergy on

Pollution by Nonylphenol in river, tap water, and aquatic in an acid rain-plagued city in southwest China.

PubMed

Jie, Yu; Jie, Zhou; Ya, Luo; Xuesong, Yang; Jing, Yang; Yu, Yang; Jiaqi, Yang; Jie, Xu

2017-06-01

Nonylphenol (NP) has provoked much environmental concern because of their weak estrogenic activities; however, few data are available on the environmental levels of the chemical in China. Environmental or river samples were assayed for NP by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique. The concentration for NP measured in Xiangjiang River, ranging from 0.174 to 3.411 μg/L with a mean value of 1.73 μg/L, was lower than the Water Quality Criteria for NP of the US (6.6 μg/L); however, the NP concentration was maintained at a higher level compare to the developed countries and other civil cities. NP concentration in downstream water was markedly higher than that both in midstream and upstream water. Tissue accumulation of NP was observed in aquatics. A ratio of mean concentration of NP in aquatic (chlamys farreri and hemiculter leucisculus) to that in river water was 241 and 1087, respectively. The presence of NP in tap water in two urban districts of Zunyi was common with a detectable rate reached 100.0%. Mean NP concentration in terminal tap water in Huichuan district was six times as high as Honghuagang district, which was above Standards for the Drinking Water Quality for Phenols of China (2 μg/L). The pollution of NP in Xiangjiang River, tap water, and aquatic in Zunyi belongs to moderate or severe level in the world.

The First Association of a Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis Death with Culturable Naegleria fowleri in Tap Water from a U.S. Treated Public Drinking Water System

PubMed Central

Cope, Jennifer R.; Ratard, Raoult C.; Hill, Vincent R.; Sokol, Theresa; Causey, Jonathan Jake; Yoder, Jonathan S.; Mirani, Gayatri; Mull, Bonnie; Mukerjee, Kimberly A.; Narayanan, Jothikumar; Doucet, Meggie; Qvarnstrom, Yvonne; Poole, Charla N.; Akingbola, Olugbenga A.; Ritter, Jana; Xiong, Zhenggang; da Silva, Alexandre; Roellig, Dawn; Van Dyke, Russell; Stern, Harlan; Xiao, Lihua; Beach, Michael J.

2015-01-01

Background Naegleria fowleri is a climate-sensitive, thermophilic ameba found in warm, freshwater lakes and rivers. Primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which is almost universally fatal, occurs when N. fowleri–containing water enters the nose, typically during swimming, and N. fowleri migrates to the brain via the olfactory nerve. In August 2013, a 4-year-old child died of meningoencephalitis of unknown etiology in a Louisiana hospital. Methods Clinical and environmental testing and a case investigation were initiated to determine the cause of death and to identify potential exposures. Results Based on testing of CSF and brain specimens, the child was diagnosed with PAM. His only reported water exposure was tap water; in particular, tap water that was used to supply water to a lawn water slide on which the child had played extensively prior to becoming ill. Water samples were collected from both the home and the water distribution system that supplied the home and tested; N. fowleri were identified in water samples from both the home and the water distribution system. Conclusions This case is the first reported PAM death associated with culturable N. fowleri in tap water from a U.S. treated drinking water system. This case occurred in the context of an expanding geographic range for PAM beyond southern tier states with recent case reports from Minnesota, Kansas, and Indiana. This case also highlights the role of adequate disinfection throughout drinking water distribution systems and the importance of maintaining vigilance when operating drinking water systems using source waters with elevated temperatures. PMID:25595746

Molecular characterization of natural biofilms from household taps with different materials: PVC, stainless steel, and cast iron in drinking water distribution system.

PubMed

Lin, Wenfang; Yu, Zhisheng; Chen, Xi; Liu, Ruyin; Zhang, Hongxun

2013-09-01

Microorganism in drinking water distribution system may colonize in biofilms. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene diversities were analyzed in both water and biofilms grown on taps with three different materials (polyvinyl chloride (PVC), stainless steel, and cast iron) from a local drinking water distribution system. In total, five clone libraries (440 sequences) were obtained. The taxonomic composition of the microbial communities was found to be dominated by members of Proteobacteria (65.9-98.9 %), broadly distributed among the classes Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria. Other bacterial groups included Firmicutes, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, and Deinococcus-Thermus. Moreover, a small proportion of unclassified bacteria (3.5-10.6 %) were also found. This investigation revealed that the bacterial communities in biofilms appeared much more diversified than expected and more care should be taken to the taps with high bacterial diversity. Also, regular monitor of outflow water would be useful as potentially pathogenic bacteria were detected. In addition, microbial richness and diversity in taps ranked in the order as: PVC < stainless steel < cast iron. All the results interpreted that PVC would be a potentially suitable material for use as tap component in drinking water distribution system.

Reduction of enteric infectious disease in rural China by providing deep-well tap water.

PubMed Central

Wang, Z. S.; Shepard, D. S.; Zhu, Y. C.; Cash, R. A.; Zhao, R. J.; Zhu, Z. X.; Shen, F. M.

1989-01-01

Enteric infectious disease (EID), defined here as bacillary dysentery, viral hepatitis A, El Tor cholera, or acute watery diarrhoea, is an important public health problem in most developing countries. This study assessed the impact on EID of providing deep-well tap water (DWTW) through household taps in rural China. For this purpose, we compared the incidence of EID in six study villages (population, 10,290) in Qidong County that had DWTW with that in six control villages (population 9397) that had only surface water. Both the bacterial counts and chemical properties of the DWTW met established hygiene standards for drinking water. The incidence of EID in the study region was 38.6% lower than in the control region; however, the introduction of DWTW supplies did not significantly affect the incidence of bacillary dysentery. These results indicate that the construction and use of DWTW systems with household taps is associated with decreased incidences of El Tor cholera, viral hepatitis A, and acute watery diarrhoea. Since high construction costs have led many authorities to question the value of DWTW, we carried out a cost-benefit analysis of the programme. The cost of constructing a DWTW system averaged US $36,000 at 1983 prices, or US $10.50 per capita. The combined capital and operating costs of a DWTW system were US $1.46 per capita per annum over its 20-year estimated life. The benefits derived from reductions in cost of illness and savings in time to fetch water were 2.2 times the costs at present values Capital outlays were recouped in a 3.6-year payback period and the provision of DWTW proved highly beneficial in both economic and social terms. PMID:2501042

Contamination of hospital tap water: the survival and persistence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on conventional and 'antimicrobial' outlet fittings.

PubMed

Hutchins, C F; Moore, G; Thompson, K-A; Webb, J; Walker, J T

2017-10-01

Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections have been linked to contaminated hospital taps, highlighting the potential for tap outlet fittings (OF) to harbour biofilm. P. aeruginosa may be transferred to OFs via contaminated cleaning cloths. Suggested interventions include flushing regimens and alternative OF designs. To investigate the transfer of P. aeruginosa from a contaminated cleaning cloth to conventional and 'antimicrobial/antibiofilm' OFs and to determine whether this contamination persists and/or leads to contamination of tap water. Microfibre cloths contaminated with P. aeruginosa (10 8  cfu/mL) were used to wipe four different types of OF [one of conventional design (OF-A) and three marketed as 'antimicrobial' and/or 'antibiofilm' (OF- B, -C and -D)]. OFs were inserted into an experimental water distribution system for up to 24 h. Survival was assessed by culture. Single and multiple water samples were collected and cultured for P. aeruginosa. The median number of P. aeruginosa transferred from cloth to OF was 5.7 × 10 5  cfu (OF-A), 1.9 × 10 6  cfu (OF-B), 1.4 × 10 5  cfu (OF-C) and 2.9 × 10 6  cfu (OF-D). Numbers declined on all OFs during the 24 h period with log reductions ranging from 3.5 (OF-C) to 5.2 (OF-B; P > 0.05). All water samples delivered immediately after OF contamination contained P. aeruginosa at ≥10 cfu per 100 mL. Contamination of water delivered from OF-A persisted despite continued flushing. Water delivered from OF-B did not contain P. aeruginosa beyond the first flush. Contaminated cleaning cloths may transfer P. aeruginosa to OFs, leading to contamination of tap water. Although not removing the potential for contamination, 'antimicrobial/antibiofilm' OFs may prevent P. aeruginosa from continually contaminating water delivered from the outlet. Copyright © 2017 The Healthcare Infection Society. All rights reserved.

Haitian Tap-Taps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sterling, Joan

2011-01-01

In the small island country of Haiti, colorful taxis transport the natives to the market. Although the taxis may be crowded with people, goods, and even livestock, it is considered a luxury to ride rather than go on foot. The children's picture book, "Tap-Tap," is a wonderful introduction to the culture of this land. The name…

Observation of Isotope Ratios (δ2H, δ18O, 87Sr/86Sr) of Tap Water in Urban Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mancuso, C. J.; Tipple, B. J.; Ehleringer, J. R.

2014-12-01

Urban environments are centers for rapidly growing populations. In order to meet the culinary water needs of these areas, municipal water departments use water from multiple locations and/or sources, often piped differentially to different locations within a municipality. This practice creates isotopically distinct locations within an urban area and therefore provides insight to urban water management practices. In our study we selected urban locations in the Salt Lake Valley, UT (SLV) and San Francisco Bay Area, CA (SFB) where we hypothesized geographically distinct water isotopic ratio differences existed. Within the SLV, municipal waters come from the same mountainous region, but are derived from different geologically distinct watersheds. In contrast, SFB waters are derived from regionally distinct water sources. We hypothesized that the isotope ratios of tap waters would differ based upon known municipal sources. To test this, tap water samples were collected throughout the urban regions in SLV and SFB and analyzed for δ2H, δ18O and 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios. Seasonal collections were also made to assess if isotope ratios differed throughout the year. Within SLV and SFB, different regions were characterized by distinct paired δ18O and 87Sr/86Sr values. These different realms also agreed with known differences in municipal water supplies within the general geographic region. Waters from different cities within Marin County showed isotopic differences, consistent with water derived from different local reservoirs. Seasonal variation was observed in paired δ18O and 87Sr/86Sr values of tap water for some locations within SLV and SFB, indicating management decisions to shift from one water source to another depending on demand and available resources. Our study revealed that the δ18O and 87Sr/86Sr values of tap waters in an urban region can exhibit significant differences despite close spatial proximity if districts differ in their use of local versus

The first association of a primary amebic meningoencephalitis death with culturable Naegleria fowleri in tap water from a US treated public drinking water system.

PubMed

Cope, Jennifer R; Ratard, Raoult C; Hill, Vincent R; Sokol, Theresa; Causey, Jonathan Jake; Yoder, Jonathan S; Mirani, Gayatri; Mull, Bonnie; Mukerjee, Kimberly A; Narayanan, Jothikumar; Doucet, Meggie; Qvarnstrom, Yvonne; Poole, Charla N; Akingbola, Olugbenga A; Ritter, Jana M; Xiong, Zhenggang; da Silva, Alexandre J; Roellig, Dawn; Van Dyke, Russell B; Stern, Harlan; Xiao, Lihua; Beach, Michael J

2015-04-15

Naegleria fowleri is a climate-sensitive, thermophilic ameba found in warm, freshwater lakes and rivers. Primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which is almost universally fatal, occurs when N. fowleri-containing water enters the nose, typically during swimming, and migrates to the brain via the olfactory nerve. In August 2013, a 4-year-old boy died of meningoencephalitis of unknown etiology in a Louisiana hospital. Clinical and environmental testing and a case investigation were initiated to determine the cause of death and to identify potential exposures. Based on testing of cerebrospinal fluid and brain specimens, the child was diagnosed with PAM. His only reported water exposure was tap water; in particular, tap water that was used to supply water to a lawn water slide on which the child had played extensively prior to becoming ill. Water samples were collected from both the home and the water distribution system that supplied the home and tested; N. fowleri was identified in water samples from both the home and the water distribution system. This case is the first reported PAM death associated with culturable N. fowleri in tap water from a US treated drinking water system. This case occurred in the context of an expanding geographic range for PAM beyond southern states, with recent case reports from Minnesota, Kansas, and Indiana. This case also highlights the role of adequate disinfection throughout drinking water distribution systems and the importance of maintaining vigilance when operating drinking water systems using source waters with elevated temperatures. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2015. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

TW Hydrae Family of Stars

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-04-19

A sky map taken by NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, shows the location of the TW Hydrae family, or association, of stars, which lies about 175 light-years from Earth and is centered in the Hydra constellation.

Treatment of primary hyperhidrosis with tap water iontophoresis in paediatric patients: a retrospective analysis.

PubMed

Dogruk Kacar, Seval; Ozuguz, Pinar; Eroglu, Selma; Polat, Serap; Karaca, Semsettin

2014-12-01

Primary hyperhidrosis is an under-recognized condition in children and adolescents. Iontophoresis is the second line of treatment for palmoplantar hyperhidrosis following topical treatment. The studies evaluating the efficacy of iontophoresis in children are limited. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and reliability of tap water iontophoresis in children with primary hyperhidrosis. Twenty-one patients aged under 18 years, who received iontophoresis for primary palmoplantar hyperhidrosis, were included in the study. In our clinic, tap water iontophoresis was administered at regular intervals, starting with five times per week and decreased to once a week on fifth week. Then maintenance sessions once a week for 6 weeks are recommended. The presence of excessive sweating was scored by visual analogue scale (VAS): "0" as continuation of excessive sweating and "10" as the absence of excessive sweating. The demographic and clinical data were collected from files. Also, patients fulfilled a questionnaire for efficacy on follow-up visit. Nineteen patients completed the whole 21 sessions. The mean VAS score was 5.89 ± 1.49 at the end of the 15th session and 6.36 ± 2.06 at the end of the treatment. Side effects were well tolerated. Only seven patients were still free of excessive sweating on third months after treatment. The mean satisfaction score was 4.95 ± 2.38, as measured by VAS where 0 indicated dissatisfaction and 10 indicated high satisfaction. Tap water iontophoresis is an effective method of treatment for primary palmoplantar and axillary hyperhidrosis in paediatric patients. But there are still unanswered questions about the mechanism of action, ideal session intervals and protocols for maximum efficacy.

Tap water iontophoresis in the treatment of pediatric hyperhidrosis.

PubMed

Dagash, Haitham; McCaffrey, Sinead; Mellor, Katie; Roycroft, Agnes; Helbling, Ingrid

2017-02-01

The treatment options for localized hyperhidrosis include antiperspirants, anticholinergics, iontophoresis, botulinum toxin and surgery. Tap water iontophoresis (TWI) involves immersing the affected area in tap water and passing a small electrical current through the area. Our aim was to assess the success of this therapy in a pediatric cohort. Retrospective case note review of all patients younger than 18years who underwent TWI between 2002 and 2015. Demographic data, number of treatment sessions, side effects and overall success were analyzed. Individuals undergo 7 treatments over 4weeks. A positive outcome was determined as an improvement in symptoms. Pre- and posttreatment hyperhidrosis disease severity scale (HDSS) was measured. Data are presented as mean (range). Statistical analysis was by paired t-test. A P value of <0.05 was regarded as significant. There were 43 patients (30 females) with a mean age of 15 (8-17) years. Palmar and/or plantar hyperhidrosis (PPH) was present in 39/43 (91%) patients. Axillary hyperhidrosis (AH) was present in 19/43 (44%) patients. All patients (with the exception of one) underwent 7 sessions (5-7). Side effects included paresthesia (88%), pruritus (26%), pain (26%), erythema (14%), dryness (12%) as well as vesicle formation and abrasions in one patient (2%). A positive outcome was found in 84% (36/43) of patients. There was a significant reduction in mean HDSS (pre 3.5 vs. post 2; P=0.0001). TWI is a safe and effective modality of treatment for both PPH and AH in the pediatric population, with minimal side effects. Pediatric surgeons should offer this treatment option before considering more invasive surgical procedures. IV: Retrospective study. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Abdominal tap

MedlinePlus

Peritoneal tap; Paracentesis; Ascites - abdominal tap; Cirrhosis - abdominal tap; Malignant ascites - abdominal tap ... abdominal cavity ( most often cancer of the ovaries ) Cirrhosis of the liver Damaged bowel Heart disease Infection ...

An evaluation of microbial and chemical contamination sources related to the deterioration of tap water quality in the household water supply system.

PubMed

Lee, Yoonjin

2013-09-06

The predominant microorganisms in samples taken from shower heads in residences in the Korean city "N" were Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Sphingomonas paucimobilis, Acidovorax temperans, and Microbacterium lacticum. Legionella was not detected in this case. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) vinylacetate, NN-DMA, cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, epichlorohydrin, and styrene were measured in five types of plastic pipes: PVC, PB, PP, PE, and cPVC. The rate of multiplication of the heterotrophic plate count (HPC) attached on the copper pipe in contact with hot tap water was higher than the rate for the copper pipe in contact with cold tap water. Biofilm accumulation on stainless steel pipes with added acetate (3 mg/L) was 2.56 times higher than the non-supplemented condition. Therefore, the growth of HPC in the pipe system was affected by the type and availability of nutrients and depended on variables such as heating during the hot water supply.

Spitzer Spectroscopy of the Transition Object TW Hya

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-24

results bear on our understanding of the evolutionary state of the TW Hya disk . Subject headings: (stars:) circumstellar matter — (stars:) planetary systems... protoplanetary disks — stars: pre-main sequence — (stars: individual) TW Hya 1. Introduction Spectroscopy with the Spitzer Space Telescope has...region of the disk . (2) If a planet has formed with a mass sufficient to open a gap (∼ 1MJ), gas will be cleared in the vicinity of its orbit, but gap

Deep-Sea Water Containing Selenium Provides Intestinal Protection against Duodenal Ulcers through the Upregulation of Bcl-2 and Thioredoxin Reductase 1

PubMed Central

Yang, Chih-Ching; Yao, Chien-An; Lin, Yi-Ruu; Yang, Jyh-Chin; Chien, Chiang-Ting

2014-01-01

Deep-sea water (DSW), which is rich in micronutrients and minerals and with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities, may be developed as marine drugs to provide intestinal protection against duodenal ulcers. We determined several characteristics in the modified DSW. We explored duodenal pressure, oxygenation, microvascular blood flow, and changes in pH and oxidative redox potential (ORP) values within the stomach and duodenum in response to tap water (TW, hardness: 2.48 ppm), DSW600 (hardness: 600 ppm), and DSW1200 (hardness: 1200 ppm) in Wistar rats and analyzed oxidative stress and apoptosis gene expressions by cDNA and RNA microarrays in the duodenal epithelium. We compared the effects of drinking DSW, MgCl2, and selenium water on duodenal ulcers using pathologic scoring, immunohistochemical analysis, and Western blotting. Our results showed DSW has a higher pH value, lower ORP value, higher scavenging H2O2 and HOCl activity, higher Mg2+ concentrations, and micronutrients selenium compared with TW samples. Water infusion significantly increased intestinal pressure, O2 levels, and microvascular blood flow in DSW and TW groups. Microarray showed DSW600, DSW1200, selenium water upregulated antioxidant and anti-apoptotic genes and downregulated pro-apoptotic gene expression compared with the TW group. Drinking DSW600, DSW1200, and selenium water but not Mg2+ water significantly enhanced Bcl-2 and thioredoxin reductase 1 expression. Bax/Bcl-2/caspase 3/poly-(ADP-ribose)-polymerase signaling was activated during the pathogenesis of duodenal ulceration. DSW drinking reduced ulcer area as well as apoptotic signaling in acetic acid-induced duodenal ulcers. DSW, which contains selenium, provides intestinal protection against duodenal ulcers through the upregulation of Bcl-2 and thioredoxin reductase 1. PMID:24984066

Hot tap thermowell installation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Romero, C. A.

1971-01-01

System permits valve housings or other fillings to be installed in live steam lines or water pipes without interrupting their operation, thus eliminating current tapping restrictions. Two basic assemblies for installation under pressure are described.

Effects of drinking water quality on urinary parameters in men with and without urinary tract stones.

PubMed

Mirzazadeh, Majid; Nouran, Mina Ghadimi; Richards, Kyle A; Zare, Mariam

2012-03-01

There is some controversy regarding the impact of water hardness on stone risk. Our study addresses this issue in a controlled setting. Fifteen stone-former (SF) and 14 non-stone-former (NSF) males participated in this study in 3 intervals of 2 days each. Subjects collected a 24-hour urine sample while consuming a self-selected diet. They were then administered controlled diets. During the first 2 days, patients consumed water of minimal hardness (WMH), followed by tap water (TW) with moderate hardness on days 3 and 4, and mineral water (MW) on the final 2 days. Calcium (Ca), phosphorus, uric acid, oxalate, citrate, magnesium (Mg), sodium, potassium, and creatinine (Cr) content were measured in 24-hour urine samples on days 2, 4, and 6. Differences in water hardness and analytes were statistically significant among the different water types (P < .05). Urinary output in both groups increased during intervention with all 3 varieties of water (P < .05). Specific gravity of urine decreased in both groups drinking WMH and TW (P < .05) but not with MW. Mg/g Cr level was higher in NSF at baseline (P < .01), WMH (P < .05), and TW (P < .05). With the increase in drinking water hardness, Ca/g Cr ratio increased in SF but not in NSF (P < .05). NSF had significantly higher urinary Mg/g Cr excretion rate before intervention than SF (P < .01). Increasing drinking water hardness while controlling for all other factors increased Ca/g Cr ratio in SF, rendering them at least theoretically more inclined to stone formation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Outbreak of drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii ST219 caused by oral care using tap water from contaminated hand hygiene sinks as a reservoir.

PubMed

Umezawa, Kazuo; Asai, Satomi; Ohshima, Toshio; Iwashita, Hideo; Ohashi, Maya; Sasaki, Mika; Kaneko, Akihiro; Inokuchi, Sadaki; Miyachi, Hayato

2015-11-01

An outbreak of amikacin- and ciprofloxacin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii ST219 in Tokai University hospital's emergency intensive care unit was caused by its colonization in water systems and subsequent spread through oral care using tap water. The outbreak was successfully controlled after replacement of the water system and implementation as of daily cleaning of water taps and oral care with a dry method. It is important to strictly manage the water system in critical care areas. Copyright © 2015 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fecal indicators and zoonotic pathogens in household drinking water taps fed from rainwater tanks in Southeast Queensland, Australia.

PubMed

Ahmed, W; Hodgers, L; Sidhu, J P S; Toze, S

2012-01-01

In this study, the microbiological quality of household tap water samples fed from rainwater tanks was assessed by monitoring the numbers of Escherichia coli bacteria and enterococci from 24 households in Southeast Queensland (SEQ), Australia. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was also used for the quantitative detection of zoonotic pathogens in water samples from rainwater tanks and connected household taps. The numbers of zoonotic pathogens were also estimated in fecal samples from possums and various species of birds by using qPCR, as possums and birds are considered to be the potential sources of fecal contamination in roof-harvested rainwater (RHRW). Among the 24 households, 63% of rainwater tank and 58% of connected household tap water (CHTW) samples contained E. coli and exceeded Australian drinking water guidelines of <1 CFU E. coli per 100 ml water. Similarly, 92% of rainwater tanks and 83% of CHTW samples also contained enterococci. In all, 21%, 4%, and 13% of rainwater tank samples contained Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., and Giardia lamblia, respectively. Similarly, 21% of rainwater tank and 13% of CHTW samples contained Campylobacter spp. and G. lamblia, respectively. The number of E. coli (P = 0.78), Enterococcus (P = 0.64), Campylobacter (P = 0.44), and G. lamblia (P = 0.50) cells in rainwater tanks did not differ significantly from the numbers observed in the CHTW samples. Among the 40 possum fecal samples tested, Campylobacter spp., Cryptosporidium parvum, and G. lamblia were detected in 60%, 13%, and 30% of samples, respectively. Among the 38 bird fecal samples tested, Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., C. parvum, and G. lamblia were detected in 24%, 11%, 5%, and 13% of the samples, respectively. Household tap water samples fed from rainwater tanks tested in the study appeared to be highly variable. Regular cleaning of roofs and gutters, along with pruning of overhanging tree branches, might also prove effective in reducing animal fecal

Fecal Indicators and Zoonotic Pathogens in Household Drinking Water Taps Fed from Rainwater Tanks in Southeast Queensland, Australia

PubMed Central

Hodgers, L.; Sidhu, J. P. S.; Toze, S.

2012-01-01

In this study, the microbiological quality of household tap water samples fed from rainwater tanks was assessed by monitoring the numbers of Escherichia coli bacteria and enterococci from 24 households in Southeast Queensland (SEQ), Australia. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was also used for the quantitative detection of zoonotic pathogens in water samples from rainwater tanks and connected household taps. The numbers of zoonotic pathogens were also estimated in fecal samples from possums and various species of birds by using qPCR, as possums and birds are considered to be the potential sources of fecal contamination in roof-harvested rainwater (RHRW). Among the 24 households, 63% of rainwater tank and 58% of connected household tap water (CHTW) samples contained E. coli and exceeded Australian drinking water guidelines of <1 CFU E. coli per 100 ml water. Similarly, 92% of rainwater tanks and 83% of CHTW samples also contained enterococci. In all, 21%, 4%, and 13% of rainwater tank samples contained Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., and Giardia lamblia, respectively. Similarly, 21% of rainwater tank and 13% of CHTW samples contained Campylobacter spp. and G. lamblia, respectively. The number of E. coli (P = 0.78), Enterococcus (P = 0.64), Campylobacter (P = 0.44), and G. lamblia (P = 0.50) cells in rainwater tanks did not differ significantly from the numbers observed in the CHTW samples. Among the 40 possum fecal samples tested, Campylobacter spp., Cryptosporidium parvum, and G. lamblia were detected in 60%, 13%, and 30% of samples, respectively. Among the 38 bird fecal samples tested, Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., C. parvum, and G. lamblia were detected in 24%, 11%, 5%, and 13% of the samples, respectively. Household tap water samples fed from rainwater tanks tested in the study appeared to be highly variable. Regular cleaning of roofs and gutters, along with pruning of overhanging tree branches, might also prove effective in reducing animal fecal

Quality control of bottled and vended water in California: A review and comparison to tap water

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Darby, J.L.; Allen, L.

1994-04-01

Current regulations and compliance for quality control of bottled and vended water in California are compared with that of the tap water industry in this research. Over 35% of the bottled water sold in the US is consumed in California where a third of the residents use such water as a primary source of drinking water. California is one of several states that regulates bottled water more rigorously than the federal government. In California, water quality standards for the two industries are comparable except that many of the organic standards for bottled water are applicable only to the source water,more » a concern due to potential organic contamination during processing. Reporting requirements, significantly less stringent for bottled water, allow considerable latitude in assessing risks and make assessment of compliance difficult. Based on available statistics, compliance for the two industries is comparable; the majority of violations posed no health risks. For both industries, small systems comprised the majority of violations whereas large systems had excellent compliance rates.« less

An Evaluation of Microbial and Chemical Contamination Sources Related to the Deterioration of Tap Water Quality in the Household Water Supply System

PubMed Central

Lee, Yoonjin

2013-01-01

The predominant microorganisms in samples taken from shower heads in residences in the Korean city “N” were Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Sphingomonas paucimobilis, Acidovorax temperans, and Microbacterium lacticum. Legionella was not detected in this case. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) vinylacetate, NN-DMA, cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, epichlorohydrin, and styrene were measured in five types of plastic pipes: PVC, PB, PP, PE, and cPVC. The rate of multiplication of the heterotrophic plate count (HPC) attached on the copper pipe in contact with hot tap water was higher than the rate for the copper pipe in contact with cold tap water. Biofilm accumulation on stainless steel pipes with added acetate (3 mg/L) was 2.56 times higher than the non-supplemented condition. Therefore, the growth of HPC in the pipe system was affected by the type and availability of nutrients and depended on variables such as heating during the hot water supply. PMID:24018837

Pseudo-outbreak of Cupriavidus pauculus infection at an outpatient clinic related to rinsing culturette swabs in tap water.

PubMed

Balada-Llasat, Joan-Miquel; Elkins, Camille; Swyers, Lettie; Bannerman, Tammy; Pancholi, Preeti

2010-07-01

Cupriavidus pauculus is a water microorganism rarely isolated from clinical specimens. We describe a pseudo-outbreak in which multiple strains that were associated with moistening of culturette swabs with tap water were isolated from a single clinic before collecting the patient specimen.

Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Hydration Status Among US Adults and the Role of Tap Water and Other Beverage Intake

PubMed Central

Gortmaker, Steven L.; Long, Michael W.; Cradock, Angie L.; Kenney, Erica L.

2017-01-01

Objectives. To evaluate whether differences in tap water and other beverage intake explain differences in inadequate hydration among US adults by race/ethnicity and income. Methods. We estimated the prevalence of inadequate hydration (urine osmolality ≥ 800 mOsm/kg) by race/ethnicity and income of 8258 participants aged 20 to 74 years in the 2009 to 2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Using multivariable regression models, we estimated associations between demographic variables, tap water intake, and inadequate hydration. Results. The prevalence of inadequate hydration among US adults was 29.5%. Non-Hispanic Blacks (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.44; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.17, 1.76) and Hispanics (AOR = 1.42; 95% CI = 1.21, 1.67) had a higher risk of inadequate hydration than did non-Hispanic Whites. Lower-income adults had a higher risk of inadequate hydration than did higher-income adults (AOR = 1.23; 95% CI = 1.04, 1.45). Differences in tap water intake partially attenuated racial/ethnic differences in hydration status. Differences in total beverage and other fluid intake further attenuated sociodemographic disparities. Conclusions. Racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in inadequate hydration among US adults are related to differences in tap water and other beverage intake. Policy action is needed to ensure equitable access to healthy beverages. PMID:28727528

Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Hydration Status Among US Adults and the Role of Tap Water and Other Beverage Intake.

PubMed

Brooks, Carolyn J; Gortmaker, Steven L; Long, Michael W; Cradock, Angie L; Kenney, Erica L

2017-09-01

To evaluate whether differences in tap water and other beverage intake explain differences in inadequate hydration among US adults by race/ethnicity and income. We estimated the prevalence of inadequate hydration (urine osmolality ≥ 800 mOsm/kg) by race/ethnicity and income of 8258 participants aged 20 to 74 years in the 2009 to 2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Using multivariable regression models, we estimated associations between demographic variables, tap water intake, and inadequate hydration. The prevalence of inadequate hydration among US adults was 29.5%. Non-Hispanic Blacks (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.44; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.17, 1.76) and Hispanics (AOR = 1.42; 95% CI = 1.21, 1.67) had a higher risk of inadequate hydration than did non-Hispanic Whites. Lower-income adults had a higher risk of inadequate hydration than did higher-income adults (AOR = 1.23; 95% CI = 1.04, 1.45). Differences in tap water intake partially attenuated racial/ethnic differences in hydration status. Differences in total beverage and other fluid intake further attenuated sociodemographic disparities. Racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in inadequate hydration among US adults are related to differences in tap water and other beverage intake. Policy action is needed to ensure equitable access to healthy beverages.

Determination of selected pharmaceuticals in tap water and drinking water treatment plant by high-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometer in Beijing, China.

PubMed

Cai, Mei-Quan; Wang, Rong; Feng, Li; Zhang, Li-Qiu

2015-02-01

A simultaneous determination method of 14 multi-class pharmaceuticals using solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer (HPLC-MS/MS) was established to measure the occurrence and distribution of these pharmaceuticals in tap water and a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) in Beijing, China. Target compounds included seven anti-inflammatory drugs, two antibacterial drugs, two lipid regulation drugs, one antiepileptic drug, and one hormone. Limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantitation (LOQs) ranged from 0.01 to 1.80 ng/L and 0.05 to 3.00 ng/L, respectively. Intraday and inter-day precisions, recoveries of different matrices, and matrix effects were also investigated. Of the 14 pharmaceutical compounds selected, nine were identified in tap water of Beijing downtown with the concentration up to 38.24 ng/L (carbamazepine), and the concentration levels of detected pharmaceuticals in tap water (<5 ng/L for most pharmaceuticals) were lower than previous studies in other countries. In addition, ten and six pharmaceuticals were measured in raw water and finished water at the concentration ranged from 0.10 to 16.23 and 0.13 to 17.17 ng/L, respectively. Five compounds were detected most frequently in DWTP, namely antipyrine, carbamazepine, isopropylantipyrine, aminopyrine, and bezafibrate. Ibuprofen was found to be the highest concentration pharmaceutical during DWTP, up to 53.30 ng/L. DWTP shows a positive effect on the removal of most pharmaceuticals with 81.2-99.5 % removal efficiencies, followed by carbamazepine with 55.4 % removal efficiency, but it has no effect for removing ibuprofen and bezafibrate.

A Gap in TW Hydrae's Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-01-01

Located a mere 176 light-years away, TW Hydrae is an 8-million-year-old star surrounded by a nearly face-on disk of gas and dust. Recent observations have confirmed the existence of a gap within that disk a particularly intriguing find, since gaps can sometimes signal the presence of a planet.Gaps and PlanetsNumerical simulations have shown that newly-formed planets orbiting within dusty disks can clear the gas and dust out of their paths. This process results in pressure gradients that can be seen in the density structure of the disk, in the form of visible gaps, rings, or spirals.For this reason, finding a gap in a protoplanetary disk can be an exciting discovery. Previous observations of the disk around TW Hydrae had indicated that there might be a gap present, but they were limited in their resolution; despite TW Hydraes relative nearness, attempting to observe the dim light scattered off dust particles in a disk surrounding a distant, bright star is difficult!But a team led by Valerie Rapson (Rochester Institute of Technology, Dudley Observatory) recently set out to follow up on this discovery using a powerful tool: the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI).New ObservationsComparison of the actual image of TW Hydraes disk from GPI (right) to a simulated scattered-light image from a model of a ~0.2 Jupiter-mass planet orbiting in the disk at ~21 AU (left) in two different bands (top: J, bottom: K1).[Adapted from Rapson et al. 2015]GPI is an instrument on the Gemini South Telescope in Chile. Its near-infrared imagers, equipped with extreme adaptive optics, allowed it to probe the disk from ~80 AU all the way in to ~10 AU from the central star, with an unprecedented resolution of ~1.5 AU.These observations from GPI allowed Rapson and collaborators to unambiguously confirm the presence of a gap in TW Hydraes disk. The gap lies at a distance of ~23 AU from the central star (roughly the same distance as Uranus to the Sun), and its ~5 AU wide.Modeled PossibilitiesThere are a

Occurrence of cardiovascular drugs in the sewage-impacted Vistula River and in tap water in the Warsaw region (Poland).

PubMed

Giebułtowicz, Joanna; Stankiewicz, Albert; Wroczyński, Piotr; Nałęcz-Jawecki, Grzegorz

2016-12-01

In recent years, cardiovascular diseases were the second most common cause of death worldwide. Therefore, the consumption of drugs used to treat cardiovascular diseases is high. So far, there were no such comprehensive reports regarding the presence of cardiovascular drugs in surface and tap waters, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe. The aim of our study was to determine the presence of 30 pharmaceutically active compounds and some of their metabolites, at specific points of the Vistula River and in tap water samples in the Warsaw region. The analysis was performed using the liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry method, coupled to solid-phase extraction. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first time where the presence of ciprofibrate in the environment was investigated. Cardiovascular drugs found at the highest concentrations (reaching 1 μg/L or higher) in surface water were beta-blockers, sartans and diuretics. In tap water samples, trace amounts of pharmaceuticals were detected, for almost all target compounds. This highlights their inadequate elimination by the treatment facility used in the Warsaw region. The presence of cardiovascular compounds in the aquatic environment could have a long-term effect even at a low exposure level, since synergy effects amongst pharmaceuticals may occur.

[Study on chlorinated disinfection byproducts and the relevant health risk in tap water of J City].

PubMed

Li, Xiao-ling; Liu, Rui; Lan, Ya-qiong; Yu, Su-lin; Wen, Xiao-gang; Chen, Liu-jun; Zhang, Yong-ming

2013-09-01

J City lies in the downstream of Taihu Lake and its water source was micro-polluted by the well-developed industry and agriculture inside the city and in the upper stream. Tap water of J City is characterized as high concentrations of organics and ammonia nitrogen, and chlorinated disinfection byproducts (CDBPs), which has drawn many public concerns for the health risk. Tap water was sampled in May, August, October of 2012 and January of 2013. Four trihalomethanes (THMs) and five haloacetic acids (HAAs) were determined with the gas chromatography. Results revealed that THMs accounted for 88.1% of the sum of THMs and HAAs, with higher concentrations in May, August and January (39.34, 50.37 and 28.02 microg x L(-1), respectively) while obviously lower in October (19.19 microg x L(-1)), which were significantly higher than that of HAAs (2.58-4.02 microg x L(-1)). After boiled for three minutes, THMs were removed over 92.3% but HAAs were largely increased. The health risk of CDBPs was then calculated based on the health risk assessment model recommended by the USEPA. The health risk caused by carcinogenic CDBPs was within a range of 3.1 x 10(-6) - 7. 3 x 10(-6) in the tap water, all over the recommended level of 1 x 10(-6), but after boiled, the value significantly decreased to 7.9 x 10(-7), which is below the recommended level. The health risk caused by non-carcinogenic CDBPs absolutely increased from 2.1 x 10(-11) to 3.4 x 10(-9) after boiled, which is below the reference value of 10(-5).

AN INTEGRATED RESEARCH AGENDA TO EVALUATE TAP WATER DISINFECTION BYPRODUCTS AND HUMAN HEALTH: PART 1

EPA Science Inventory

An Integrated Research Agenda to Evaluate Tap Water Disinfection Byproducts and Human Health: Part I

Michele Lynberg1, David Ashley 2, Pauline Mendola3, J. R. Nuckols4, Kenneth Cantor5, Benjamin Blount 2, Philip Singer6, Charles Wilkes7, Lorraine Backer1, and Peter Langlo...

Chemical quality of tap water in Madrid: multicase control cancer study in Spain (MCC-Spain).

PubMed

Fernández-Navarro, Pablo; Villanueva, Cristina M; García-Pérez, Javier; Boldo, Elena; Goñi-Irigoyen, Fernando; Ulibarrena, Enrique; Rantakokko, Panu; García-Esquinas, Esther; Pérez-Gómez, Beatriz; Pollán, Marina; Aragonés, Nuria

2017-02-01

Chronic consumption of water, which contains contaminants, may give rise to adverse health effects. The Madrid region, covered by the population-based multicase-control (MCC-Spain) study, includes two drinking water supply areas. The different sources of the water, coupled together with the possible differences in water management, mean that there may be differences in drinking water quality. In the context of the MCC study, our aims were to describe contaminant concentrations in tap water drawn from various sampling points distributed around the region, assess these concentrations by reference to guideline values and study possible differences between the two supply areas. Tap water samples were collected from 34 sampling points in 7 towns in the Madrid region (19-29 April 2010), and 23 contaminants (metals, nitrates, disinfection by-product and Mutagen X levels) were quantified. We undertook a descriptive analysis of the contaminant concentrations in the water and compared them between the two water supply areas (Wilcoxon test). We created maps representing the distribution of the concentrations observed at water sampling points and assessed the correlations (Spearman's coefficient) between the different parameters measured. The concentrations of the contaminants were below guideline values. There were differences between the two supply areas in concentration of nitrates (p value = 0.0051) and certain disinfection by-products. While there were positive correlations (rho >0.70) among some disinfection by-products, no correlations were found in metals or nitrates. The differences in nitrate levels could be linked to differences in farming/industrial activities in the catchment areas and in disinfection by-products might be related to the existence of different treatment systems or bromine content in source waters.

Testing our scenario of a failed wind in TW Hya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canizares, Claude

2017-09-01

We recently discovered variability in X-ray indicators of accretion in the CTTS TW Hya. We seek to use this to understand the physics of accretion in our upcoming HST observations. We have been granted 7 HST orbits to monitor the C IV 155 nm doublet in TW Hya, the closest CTTS, to correlate i) the hot wind ii) the cool wind iii) the photometric period iv) the accretion. In existing HETGS data of TW Hya we see variability in emission lines from the accretion shock on the star. However, the densities in Ne IX and O VII indicate that today's shock models are incomplete. A hot wind is the most promising candidate for this missing component.

AmeriFlux US-Tw3 Twitchell Alfalfa

DOE Data Explorer

Baldocchi, Dennis [University of California, Berkeley

2016-01-01

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-Tw3 Twitchell Alfalfa. Site Description - The Twitchell Alfalfa site is an alfalfa field owned by the state of California and leased to third parties for farming. The tower was installed on May 24, 2013. This site and the surrounding region are part of the San Joaquin - Sacramento River Delta drained beginning in the 1850's and subsequently used for agriculture. The field has been alfalfa for X years…., Crop rotation occurs every 5-6 years. The site is harvested by mowing and bailing several times per year. The field is fallow typically between November and February. The site is irrigated by periodically-flooded ditches surrounding the field. The site is irrigated by raising, and subsequently lowering the water table??

Physics on Tap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wheeler, Andrew P. S.

2012-01-01

This article aims to describe how to visualize surface tension effects in liquid jets. A simple experiment is proposed using the liquid jet flow from a mains water tap/faucet. Using a modern digital camera with a high shutter speed, it is possible to visualize the instabilities (capillary waves) that form within the jet due to the action of…

A fiber-coupled 9xx module with tap water cooling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schleuning, D.; Anthon, D.; Chryssis, A.; Ryu, G.; Liu, G.; Winhold, H.; Fan, L.; Xu, Z.; Tanbun-Ek, T.; Lehkonen, S.; Acklin, B.

2016-03-01

A novel, 9XX nm fiber-coupled module using arrays of highly reliable laser diode bars has been developed. The module is capable of multi-kW output power in a beam parameter product of 80 mm-mrad. The module incorporates a hard-soldered, isolated stack package compatible with tap-water cooling. Using extensive, accelerated multi-cell life-testing, with more than ten million device hours of test, we have demonstrated a MTTF for emitters of >500,000 hrs. In addition we have qualified the module in hard-pulse on-off cycling and stringent environmental tests. Finally we have demonstrated promising results for a next generation 9xx nm chip design currently in applications and qualification testing

The Effect of Different Boiling and Filtering Devices on the Concentration of Disinfection By-Products in Tap Water

PubMed Central

Carrasco-Turigas, Glòria; Villanueva, Cristina M.; Goñi, Fernando; Rantakokko, Panu; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J.

2013-01-01

Disinfection by-products (DBPs) are ubiquitous contaminants in tap drinking water with the potential to produce adverse health effects. Filtering and boiling tap water can lead to changes in the DBP concentrations and modify the exposure through ingestion. Changes in the concentration of 4 individual trihalomethanes (THM4) (chloroform (TCM), bromodichloromethane (BDCM), dibromochloromethane (DBCM), and bromoform (TBM)), MX, and bromate were tested when boiling and filtering high bromine-containing tap water from Barcelona. For filtering, we used a pitcher-type filter and a household reverse osmosis filter; for boiling, an electric kettle, a saucepan, and a microwave were used. Samples were taken before and after each treatment to determine the change in the DBP concentration. pH, conductivity, and free/total chlorine were also measured. A large decrease of THM4 (from 48% to 97%) and MX concentrations was observed for all experiments. Bromine-containing trihalomethanes were mostly eliminated when filtering while chloroform when boiling. There was a large decrease in the concentration of bromate with reverse osmosis, but there was a little effect in the other experiments. These findings suggest that the exposure to THM4 and MX through ingestion is reduced when using these household appliances, while the decrease of bromate is device dependent. This needs to be considered in the exposure assessment of the epidemiological studies. PMID:23476675

Assessment of the Extraction Methods for Monitoring Phthalate Emerging Contaminants in Groundwater and Tap Water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cotto, I.; Padilla, I. Y.; De Jesús, N. H.; Torres, P. M.

2015-12-01

Trace organic contaminants such as phthalates, among other chemicals of emerging concerns, have not historically been considered as pollutants but are being detected in water, posing a potential risk to public health and the environment. One of the most common phthalates of particular concern is di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a plasticizer normally found in plastics and consumer products, including: cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, food packages, water bottles, and wiring cables. DEHP has been associated with preterm birth, a major cause of neonatal mortality and health complications. This study aims at monitoring the presence and concentration of DEHP and other phthalates in groundwater and tap water systems in Puerto Rico, which has one of the highest rates of preterm birth in the U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests a liquid-liquid extraction method that uses methylene chloride as the preferred organic solvent for the extractions. This work presents modified EPA methods that reduce the volume of sample and solvent used, lower the time of analysis, increase productivity, and decrease hazards and waste. Distribution coefficient of DEHP between methylene chloride and water are estimated and related to sample extraction efficiency. Research results indicate that DEHP is in fact distributed between water and methylene chloride with a distribution coefficient average value of 1.24. The study concludes that the sample and solvent volumes have influence on the efficiency but have not an effect on the distribution coefficient. The tests show higher extraction efficiencies for lower DEHP concentrations and higher extraction volumes. Results from the water analysis show presence of DEHP in 55% of groundwater and 44% of tap water samples, indicating a potential exposure through water.

The δ2H and δ18O of tap water from 349 sites in the United States and selected territories

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coplen, Tyler B.; Landwehr, Jurate M.; Qi, Haiping; Lorenz, Jennifer M.

2013-01-01

Because the stable isotopic compositions of hydrogen (δ2H) and oxygen (δ18O) of animal (including human) tissues, such as hair, nail, and urine, reflect the δ2H and δ18O of water and food ingested by an animal or a human and because the δ2H and δ18O of environmental waters vary geographically, δ2H and δ18O values of tap water samples collected in 2007-2008 from 349 sites in the United States and three selected U.S. territories have been measured in support of forensic science applications, creating one of the largest databases of tap water δ2H and δ18O values to date. The results of replicate isotopic measurements for these tap water samples confirm that the expanded uncertainties (U = 2μc) obtained over a period of years by the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory from δ2H and δ18O dual-inlet mass spectrometric measurements are conservative, at ±2‰ and ±0.2 ‰, respectively. These uncertainties are important because U.S. Geological Survey data may be needed for forensic science applications, including providing evidence in court cases. Half way through the investigation, an isotope-laser spectrometer was acquired, enabling comparison of dual-inlet isotope-ratio mass spectrometric results with isotope-laser spectrometric results. The uncertainty of the laser-based δ2H measurement results for these tap water samples is comparable to the uncertainty of the mass spectrometric method, with the laser-based method having a slightly lower uncertainty. However, the δ18O uncertainty of the laser-based method is more than a factor of ten higher than that of the dual-inlet isotoperatio mass spectrometric method.

Spectroscopic Investigation of TW Dra: Improved Stellar and System Parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tkachenko, A.; Lehmann, H.; Mkrtichian, D.

2010-12-01

We investigate the Algol-type system TW Dra by means of the new computer program Shellspec07_inverse which is specially designed for the fine-tuning of stellar and system parameters of eclipsing binaries. We derive precise atmospheric and system parameters of TW Dra with an accuracy comparable to that expected from photometric data, and give a short comparison of our results with previous determinations.

AmeriFlux US-Tw1 Twitchell Wetland West Pond

DOE Data Explorer

Baldocchi, Dennis [University of California, Berkeley

2016-01-01

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-Tw1 Twitchell Wetland West Pond. Site Description - The Twitchell Wetland site is a 7.4-acre restored wetland on Twitchell Island, that is managed by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). In the fall of 1997, the site was permanently flooded to a depth of approximately 25 cm. The wetland was almost completely covered by cattails and tules by the third growing season. A flux tower equipped to analyze energy, H2O, CO2, and CH4 fluxes was installed on May 17, 2012.

Airborne exposure to trihalomethanes from tap water in homes with refrigeration-type and evaporative cooling systems.

PubMed

Kerger, Brent D; Suder, David R; Schmidt, Chuck E; Paustenbach, Dennis J

2005-03-26

This study evaluates airborne concentrations of common trihalomethane compounds (THM) in selected living spaces of homes supplied with chlorinated tap water containing >85 ppb total THM. Three small homes in an arid urban area were selected, each having three bedrooms, a full bath, and approximately 1000 square feet; two homes had standard (refrigeration-type) central air conditioning and the third had a central evaporative cooling system ("swamp cooler"). A high-end water-use pattern was used at each home in this exposure simulation. THM were concurrently measured on 4 separate test days in tap water and air in the bathroom, living room, the bedroom closest to the bathroom, and outside using Summa canisters. Chloroform (trichloromethane, TCM), bromodichloromethane (BDCM), and dibromochloromethane (DBCM) concentrations were quantified using U.S. EPA Method TO-14. The apparent volatilization fraction consistently followed the order: TCM > BDCM > DBCM. Relatively low airborne THM concentrations (similar to outdoors) were found in the living room and bedroom samples for the home with evaporative cooling, while the refrigeration-cooled homes showed significantly higher THM levels (three- to fourfold). This differential remained after normalizing the air concentrations based on estimated THM throughput or water concentrations. These findings indicate that, despite higher throughput of THM-containing water in homes using evaporative coolers, the higher air exchange rates associated with these systems rapidly clears THM to levels similar to ambient outdoor concentrations.

Evaluation of biochemical urinary stone composition and its relationship to tap water hardness in Qom province, central Iran.

PubMed

Moslemi, Mohammad Kazem; Saghafi, Hossein; Joorabchin, Seyed Mohammad Amin

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the biochemical stone composition in general population of Qom province, central Iran, and its relationship with high tap water hardness. In a prospective study, from March 2008 to July 2011, biochemical analysis of urinary stones in patients living in Qom province for at least 5 years was performed. Stones were retrieved by spontaneous passage, endoscopic or open surgery, and after extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy. Demographic findings and the drinking water supply of patients were evaluated and compared with biochemical stone analysis. Stone analysis was performed in 255 patients. The most dominant composition of urinary stones was calcium oxalate (73%), followed by uric acid (24%), ammonium urate (2%), and cystine (1%). The peak incidence of urinary stone was in patients in their forties. Overall male to female ratio was 4.93:1. The dominant stone composition in inhabitants of central Iran, where tap water hardness is high, was calcium oxalate stones. On the basis of this study, biochemical urinary stone composition of Qom does not differ from other regions of Iran with lower water hardness.

Stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes of tap water reveal structure of the San Francisco Bay Area's water system and adjustments during a major drought.

PubMed

Tipple, Brett J; Jameel, Yusuf; Chau, Thuan H; Mancuso, Christy J; Bowen, Gabriel J; Dufour, Alexis; Chesson, Lesley A; Ehleringer, James R

2017-08-01

Water availability and sustainability in the Western United States is a major flashpoint among expanding communities, growing industries, and productive agricultural lands. This issue came to a head in 2015 in the State of California, when the State mandated a 25% reduction in urban water use following a multi-year drought that significantly depleted water resources. Water demands and challenges in supplying water are only expected to intensify as climate perturbations, such as the 2012-2015 California Drought, become more common. As a consequence, there is an increased need to understand linkages between urban centers, water transport and usage, and the impacts of climate change on water resources. To assess if stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios could increase the understanding of these relationships within a megalopolis in the Western United States, we collected and analyzed 723 tap waters across the San Francisco Bay Area during seven collection campaigns spanning 21 months during 2013-2015. The San Francisco Bay Area was selected as it has well-characterized water management strategies and the 2012-2105 California Drought dramatically affected its water resources. Consistent with known water management strategies and previously collected isotope data, we found large spatiotemporal variations in the δ 2 H and δ 18 O values of tap waters within the Bay Area. This is indicative of complex water transport systems and varying municipality-scale management decisions. We observed δ 2 H and δ 18 O values of tap water consistent with waters originating from snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada Mountains, local precipitation, ground water, and partially evaporated reservoir sources. A cluster analysis of the isotope data collected in this study grouped waters from 43 static sampling sites that were associated with specific water utility providers within the San Francisco Bay Area and known management practices. Various management responses to the drought, such as

76 FR 1149 - T.W. Phillips Pipeline Corp.; Notice of Filing

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-07

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. AC11-19-000] T.W. Phillips Pipeline Corp.; Notice of Filing December 30, 2010. Take notice that on December 17, 2010, T.W. Phillips Pipeline Corp. submitted a request for a waiver of the reporting requirement to file the FERC Form 2-A for...

Histological study on the effect of electrolyzed reduced water-bathing on UVB radiation-induced skin injury in hairless mice.

PubMed

Yoon, Kyung Su; Huang, Xue Zhu; Yoon, Yang Suk; Kim, Soo-Ki; Song, Soon Bong; Chang, Byung Soo; Kim, Dong Heui; Lee, Kyu Jae

2011-01-01

Electrolyzed reduced water (ERW), functional water, has various beneficial effects via antioxidant mechanism in vivo and in vitro. However there is no study about beneficial effects of ERW bathing. This study aimed to determine the effect of ERW bathing on the UVB-induced skin injury in hairless mice. For this purpose, mice were irradiated with UVB to cause skin injury, followed by individually taken a bath in ERW (ERW-bathing) and tap water (TW-bathing) for 21 d. We examined cytokines profile in acute period, and histological and ultrastructural observation of skin in chronic period. We found that UVB-mediated skin injury of ERW-bathing group was significantly low compared to TW control group in the early stage of experiment. Consistently, epidermal thickening as well as the number of dermal mast cell was significantly lowered in ERW-bathing group. Defection of corneocytes under the scanning electron microscope was less observed in ERW-bathing group than in TW-bathing group. Further, the level of interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and IL-12p70 in ERW group decreased whereas those of IL-10 increased. Collectively, our data indicate that ERW-bathing significantly reduces UVB-induced skin damage through influencing pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokine balance in hairless mice. This suggests that ERW-bathing has a positive effect on acute UVB-mediated skin disorders. This is the first report on bathing effects of ERW in UVB-induced skin injury.

Microcystins from tap water could be a risk factor for liver and colorectal cancer: a risk intensified by global change.

PubMed

Martínez Hernández, Juan; López-Rodas, V; Costas, E

2009-05-01

An increasing number of people drink water from fresh water supply reservoirs. However, with the global change a lot of reservoirs become eutrophic, which facilitates the occurrence of toxin-producing cyanobacterial blooms. Microcystins (powerful hepatotoxic water-soluble heptapeptides) are the most important cyanobacterial toxins affecting humans. High doses of microcystins produce hepatic necrosis. Consequently, WHO Guidelines limit microcystins to 1 ppb in drinking waters. However, microcystins are present frequently in tap water at lower doses. Here, we hypothesized that chronic consume of tap water containing low doses of microcystins may be a risk factor for liver and colorectal cancer. Two kinds of evidences support this hypothesis. On one hand some epidemiological data (mainly in China). On the other hand, the molecular mechanism of microcystins toxicity (inhibition of protein phosphatases PP1 and PP2) is just like okadaic acid (a potent tumor promoter). Cancer risk from drinking water is certainly less than smoking, occupational exposures or some foods. But it is significant and with a rapid increase of toxic cyanobacterial blooms by eutrophycation, become more frequent.

TW-01, a piperazinedione-derived compound, inhibits Ras-mediated cell proliferation and angioplasty-induced vascular restenosis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lin, Chao-Feng

Purpose: Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and restenosis. This study investigated piperazinedione derived compound TW-01-mediated inhibitory effects on VSMC proliferation and intimal hyperplasia. Methods: Cell proliferation was determined using [{sup 3}H]-thymidine incorporation and MTT assay; cell cycle distribution was measured using flow cytometry; proteins and mRNA expression were determined using western blotting and RT-PCR analyses; DNA binding activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), as measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA); in vivo effects of TW-01 were determined using balloon angioplasty in the rat. Results: TW-01 significantly inhibited cell proliferation. At themore » concentrations used, no cytotoxic effects were observed. Three predominant signaling pathways were inhibited by TW-01: (a) extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation and its downstream effectors of c-fos, c-jun, and c-myc; (b) DNA binding activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB); and, (c) Akt/protein kinase B (PKB) and cell cycle progression. Furthermore, TW-01 also inhibited Ras activation, a shared upstream event of each of these signaling cascades. In vascular injury studies, oral administration of TW-01 significantly suppressed intimal hyperplasia induced by balloon angioplasty. Conclusion: The present study suggests that TW-01 might be a potential candidate for atherosclerosis treatment. - Highlights: • TW-01significantly inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. • TW-01 inhibits ERK, Akt and Ras pathway and DNA binding activity of NF-κB. • TW-01 significantly suppresses intimal hyperplasia induced by balloon angioplasty. • TW-01 might be a potential candidate for atherosclerosis treatment.« less

Prevention of enzymatic browning of Chinese yam (Dioscorea spp.) using electrolyzed oxidizing water.

PubMed

Jia, Guo-Liang; Shi, Jing-Ying; Song, Zhan-Hua; Li, Fa-De

2015-04-01

In this study, the effects of electrolyzed oxidizing water (EOW) on the prevention of enzymatic browning of fresh-cut "Jiu Jinhuang" Chinese yam were investigated. The yams were immersed in the inhibitors for 25 min at 20 °C. Compared with the tap water (TW) treatment, the chromatic attributes were significantly different after 72 h of storage (P < 0.05). The activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO, EC 1.10.3.1), peroxidase (POD, EC 1.11.1.7), and L -phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL, EC 4.3.1.5) were inhibited when measured at 24 h. The contents of phenolic acids, including gallic and chlorogenic acid, in the group treated with the slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) were higher than those treated with TW and neutral electrolyzed water (NEW). The group treated with NEW had the highest total phenol content (P < 0.05, at 24 h), while the group treated with SAEW had the highest flavonoid content (P < 0.05) during storage. Without being treated with inhibitors, the Km and Vmax values of yam PPO were 0.0044 mol/L and 0.02627 U/min, respectively, and the Ki of samples treated with SAEW and citric acid (CA) were 15.6607 and 2.3969 μmol/L, respectively. These results indicate that EOW is beneficial as a browning inhibitor. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

AmeriFlux US-Tw4 Twitchell East End Wetland

DOE Data Explorer

Baldocchi, Dennis [University of California, Berkeley

2016-01-01

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-Tw4 Twitchell East End Wetland. Site Description - The Twitchell East End Wetland is a newly constructed restored wetland on Twitchell Island, CA. This site and the surrounding region are part of the San Joaquin - Sacramento River Delta drained beginning in the 1850's and subsequently used for agriculture. The site was previously a corn field. The wetland was designed to have a mix of vegetated and open water channels and ponds (due to surface elevation differences). Flooding of the wetland was done gradually beginning in January, 2014. Berms wind throughout the wetland to allow vehicle access. Tule and Cattail plant material from a nearby wetland were spread along the berms immediately prior to flooding to facilitate plant establishment and stabilization of the berms from wind/water erosion. The tower was installed on November 25, 2013.

The influence of TAP1 and TAP2 gene polymorphisms on TAP function and its inhibition by viral immune evasion proteins.

PubMed

Praest, P; Luteijn, R D; Brak-Boer, I G J; Lanfermeijer, J; Hoelen, H; Ijgosse, L; Costa, A I; Gorham, R D; Lebbink, R J; Wiertz, E J H J

2018-06-04

Herpesviruses encode numerous immune evasion molecules that interfere with the immune system, particularly with certain stages in the MHC class I antigen presentation pathway. In this pathway, the transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) is a frequent target of viral immune evasion strategies. This ER-resident transporter is composed of the proteins TAP1 and TAP2, and plays a crucial role in the loading of viral peptides onto MHC class I molecules. Several variants of TAP1 and TAP2 occur in the human population, some of which are linked to autoimmune disorders and susceptibility to infections. Here, we assessed the influence of naturally occurring TAP variants on peptide transport and MHC class I expression. In addition, we tested the inhibitory capacity of three viral immune evasion proteins, the TAP inhibitors US6 from human cytomegalovirus, ICP47 from herpes simplex virus type 1 and BNLF2a from Epstein-Barr virus, for a series of TAP1 and TAP2 variants. Our results suggest that these TAP polymorphisms have no or limited effect on peptide transport or MHC class I expression. Furthermore, our study indicates that the herpesvirus-encoded TAP inhibitors target a broad spectrum of TAP variants; inhibition of TAP is not affected by the naturally occurring polymorphisms of TAP tested in this study. Our findings suggest that the long-term coevolution of herpesviruses and their host did not result in selection of inhibitor-resistant TAP variants in the human population. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Identification of yellow-pigmented bacteria isolated from hospital tap water in Japan and their chlorine resistance.

PubMed

Furuhata, Katsunori; Kato, Yuko; Goto, Keiichi; Saitou, Keiko; Sugiyama, Jun-Ichi; Hara, Motonobu; Fukuyama, Masahumi

2007-06-01

Twenty-five yellow chromogenic strains isolated from hospital tap water samples collected nationwide were identified by partial 16S rDNA sequencing. In addition, the chlorine resistance of the isolates was experimentally investigated. The results showed that of the strains tested, 12 strains (48.0%) were Sphingomonas ursincola/natatoria, which was most frequently identified, followed by 2 strains (8.0%) of Mycobacterium frederiksbergense and 1 strain (4.0%) each of Sphingomonas adhaesiva, Sphingopyxis witflariensis and Porphyrobacter donghaensis. The other strains were not identified clearly but they belonged to the order of Alphaproteobacteria. On the other hand, the identification results by sequencing and biochemical property testing were not consistent in any of the strains, showing that it was difficult to accurately identify the yellow chromogenic bacteria in tap water based on only their biochemical properties. When the 25 isolates were exposed to 0.1 mg/l residual free chlorine for 1 minute, 22 isolates (88.0%) survived. When the CT (Concentration Time) value killing 99.99% of the bacteria was investigated in 6 of these survivors, M. frederiksbergense (Y-1 strain) was most resistant to chlorine with the CT value of 32 mg x min/l, followed by S. ursincola/natatoria (Y-7 strain) with the CT value of 3.3 mg x min/l. The CT values of Y-5 (Sphingomonas sp.), Y-27 (S. ursincola/natatoria) and Y-21 (Asticacaulis sp.) were within the range of 0.9-0.1 mg x min /l. Of the 6 strains, S. adhaesiva (Y-10) showed the weakest resistance with the CT value of 0.03 mg x min/l. It was clarified that most yellow chromogenic bacteria isolated from hospital tap water were Sphingomonas spp., and these bacteria were experimentally resistant to chlorine.

Comparison of soymilk, powdered milk, Hank's balanced salt solution and tap water on periodontal ligament cell survival.

PubMed

Moazami, Fariborz; Mirhadi, Hosein; Geramizadeh, Bita; Sahebi, Safoura

2012-04-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of soymilk, powdered milk, and Hank's balanced salt solution (HBSS) to maintain human periodontal ligament (PDL) cell viability in vitro. PDL cells were obtained from extracted healthy third molars and cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagles medium (DMEM). The cultures were exposed for 1, 2, 4, and 8 h to experimental solutions (tap water served as negative control and DMEM as positive control) at 37°C. The viable cells were then counted using the trypan blue exclusion technique. Data were analyzed by using one-way anova, post hoc Scheffe and two-way anova test. Statistical analysis showed that HBSS, powdered baby formula, and soymilk maintain cell viability equally well in different periods of times. Tap water cannot keep cells viable as well as other solutions. Soymilk and powdered baby formula can be recommended as suitable storage media for avulsed teeth for up to 8 h. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Risk Assessment of Exposure to Lead in Tap Water among Residents of Seri Kembangan, Selangor State, Malaysia

PubMed Central

C. S., Lim; M. S., Shaharuddin; W. Y., Sam

2013-01-01

Introduction: A cross sectional study was conducted to estimate risk of exposure to lead via tap water ingestion pathway for the population of Seri Kembangan (SK). Methodology: By using purposive sampling method, 100 respondents who fulfilled the inclusive criteria were selected from different housing areas of SK based on geographical population distribution. Residents with filtration systems installed were excluded from the study. Questionnaires were administered to determine water consumption-related information and demographics. Two water samples (first-flushed and fully-flushed samples) were collected from kitchen tap of each household using HDPE bottles. A total of 200 water samples were collected and lead concentrations were determined using a Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (GFAAS). Results: Mean lead concentration in first-flushed samples was 3.041± SD 6.967µg/L and 1.064± SD 1.103µg/L for fully-flushed samples. Of the first-flushed samples, four (4) had exceeded the National Drinking Water Quality Standard (NDWQS) lead limit value of 10µg/L while none of the fully-flushed samples had lead concentration exceeded the limit. There was a significant difference between first-flushed samples and fully-flushed samples and flushing had elicited a significant change in lead concentration in the water (Z = -5.880, p<0.05). It was also found that lead concentration in both first-flushed and fully flushed samples was not significantly different across nine (9) areas of Seri Kembangan (p>0.05). Serdang Jaya was found to have the highest lead concentration in first-flushed water (mean= 10.44± SD 17.83µg/L) while Taman Universiti Indah had the highest lead concentration in fully-flushed water (mean=1.45± SD 1.83µg/L). Exposure assessment found that the mean chronic daily intake (CDI) was 0.028± SD 0.034µgday-1kg-1. None of the hazard quotient (HQ) value was found to be greater than 1. Conclusion: The overall quality of water supply in SK

Risk assessment of exposure to lead in tap water among residents of Seri Kembangan, Selangor state, Malaysia.

PubMed

Lim, C S; Shaharuddin, M S; Sam, W Y

2012-11-21

A cross sectional study was conducted to estimate risk of exposure to lead via tap water ingestion pathway for the population of Seri Kembangan (SK). By using purposive sampling method, 100 respondents who fulfilled the inclusive criteria were selected from different housing areas of SK based on geographical population distribution. Residents with filtration systems installed were excluded from the study. Questionnaires were administered to determine water consumption-related information and demographics. Two water samples (first-flushed and fully-flushed samples) were collected from kitchen tap of each household using HDPE bottles. A total of 200 water samples were collected and lead concentrations were determined using a Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (GFAAS). Mean lead concentration in first-flushed samples was 3.041± SD 6.967µg/L and 1.064± SD 1.103µg/L for fully-flushed samples. Of the first-flushed samples, four (4) had exceeded the National Drinking Water Quality Standard (NDWQS) lead limit value of 10µg/L while none of the fully-flushed samples had lead concentration exceeded the limit. There was a significant difference between first-flushed samples and fully-flushed samples and flushing had elicited a significant change in lead concentration in the water (Z = -5.880, p<0.05). It was also found that lead concentration in both first-flushed and fully flushed samples was not significantly different across nine (9) areas of Seri Kembangan (p>0.05). Serdang Jaya was found to have the highest lead concentration in first-flushed water (mean= 10.44± SD 17.83µg/L) while Taman Universiti Indah had the highest lead concentration in fully-flushed water (mean=1.45± SD 1.83µg/L). Exposure assessment found that the mean chronic daily intake (CDI) was 0.028± SD 0.034µgday-1kg-1. None of the hazard quotient (HQ) value was found to be greater than 1. The overall quality of water supply in SK was satisfactory because most of the

Identification, toxicity and control of iodinated disinfection byproducts in cooking with simulated chlor(am)inated tap water and iodized table salt.

PubMed

Pan, Yang; Zhang, Xiangru; Li, Yu

2016-01-01

Chlorine/chloramine residuals are maintained in drinking water distribution systems to prevent microbial contamination and microorganism regrowth. During household cooking processes (e.g., soup making), the residual chlorine/chloramines in tap water may react with the iodide in iodized table salt to form hypoiodous acid, which could react with remaining natural organic matter in tap water and organic matter in food to generate iodinated disinfection byproducts (I-DBPs). However, I-DBPs formed during cooking with chloraminated/chlorinated tap water are almost completely new to researchers. In this work, by adopting precursor ion scan of m/z 127 using ultra performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry, many new polar I-DBPs formed during cooking with chloraminated/chlorinated tap water were detected and proposed with structures, of which 3-iodo-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 3-iodo-4-hydroxybenzoic acid, 3-iodo-4-hydroxy-5-methylbenzoic acid, diiodoacetic acid, 3,5-diiodo-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 3,5-diiodo-4-hydroxybenzoic acid, 2,6-diiodo-4-nitrophenol, 2,4-diiodo-6-nitrophenol, and 2,4,6-triiodophenol were confirmed with standard compounds. With the aid of ultra fast liquid chromatography/ion trap-time of flight-mass spectrometry, molecular formula identification of five new I-DBPs (C8H5O4I, C7H4NO4I, C8H5O5I, C7H4NO5I, and C8H6O3I2) was achieved. A developmental toxicity with a recently developed sensitive bioassay was conducted for the newly identified I-DBPs, suggesting that phenolic I-DBPs (except for iodinated carboxyphenols) were about 50-200 times more developmentally toxic than aliphatic I-DBPs. The major I-DBPs in a baseline simulated cooking water sample were determined to be from 0.72 to 7.63 μg/L. Polar I-DBPs formed under various disinfection and cooking conditions were compared, and suggestions for controlling their formation were provided. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of biochemical urinary stone composition and its relationship to tap water hardness in Qom province, central Iran

PubMed Central

Moslemi, Mohammad Kazem; Saghafi, Hossein; Joorabchin, Seyed Mohammad Amin

2011-01-01

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the biochemical stone composition in general population of Qom province, central Iran, and its relationship with high tap water hardness. Materials and methods In a prospective study, from March 2008 to July 2011, biochemical analysis of urinary stones in patients living in Qom province for at least 5 years was performed. Stones were retrieved by spontaneous passage, endoscopic or open surgery, and after extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy. Demographic findings and the drinking water supply of patients were evaluated and compared with biochemical stone analysis. Results Stone analysis was performed in 255 patients. The most dominant composition of urinary stones was calcium oxalate (73%), followed by uric acid (24%), ammonium urate (2%), and cystine (1%). The peak incidence of urinary stone was in patients in their forties. Overall male to female ratio was 4.93:1. Conclusion The dominant stone composition in inhabitants of central Iran, where tap water hardness is high, was calcium oxalate stones. On the basis of this study, biochemical urinary stone composition of Qom does not differ from other regions of Iran with lower water hardness. PMID:22163171

Assessment of drinking water quality at the tap using fluorescence spectroscopy.

PubMed

Heibati, Masoumeh; Stedmon, Colin A; Stenroth, Karolina; Rauch, Sebastien; Toljander, Jonas; Säve-Söderbergh, Melle; Murphy, Kathleen R

2017-11-15

Treated drinking water may become contaminated while travelling in the distribution system on the way to consumers. Elevated dissolved organic matter (DOM) at the tap relative to the water leaving the treatment plant is a potential indicator of contamination, and can be measured sensitively, inexpensively and potentially on-line via fluorescence and absorbance spectroscopy. Detecting elevated DOM requires potential contamination events to be distinguished from natural fluctuations in the system, but how much natural variation to expect in a stable distribution system is unknown. In this study, relationships between DOM optical properties, microbial indicator organisms and trace elements were investigated for households connected to a biologically-stable drinking water distribution system. Across the network, humic-like fluorescence intensities showed limited variation (RSD = 3.5-4.4%), with half of measured variation explained by interactions with copper. After accounting for quenching by copper, fluorescence provided a very stable background signal (RSD < 2.2%) against which a ∼2% infiltration of soil water would be detectable. Smaller infiltrations would be detectable in the case of contamination by sewage with a strong tryptophan-like fluorescence signal. These findings indicate that DOM fluorescence is a sensitive indicator of water quality changes in drinking water networks, as long as potential interferents are taken into account. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Hohlraum energetics scaling to 520 TW on the National Ignition Facilitya)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kline, J. L.; Callahan, D. A.; Glenzer, S. H.; Meezan, N. B.; Moody, J. D.; Hinkel, D. E.; Jones, O. S.; MacKinnon, A. J.; Bennedetti, R.; Berger, R. L.; Bradley, D.; Dewald, E. L.; Bass, I.; Bennett, C.; Bowers, M.; Brunton, G.; Bude, J.; Burkhart, S.; Condor, A.; Di Nicola, J. M.; Di Nicola, P.; Dixit, S. N.; Doeppner, T.; Dzenitis, E. G.; Erbert, G.; Folta, J.; Grim, G.; Glenn, S.; Hamza, A.; Haan, S. W.; Heebner, J.; Henesian, M.; Hermann, M.; Hicks, D. G.; Hsing, W. W.; Izumi, N.; Jancaitis, K.; Jones, O. S.; Kalantar, D.; Khan, S. F.; Kirkwood, R.; Kyrala, G. A.; LaFortune, K.; Landen, O. L.; Lagin, L.; Larson, D.; Pape, S. Le; Ma, T.; MacPhee, A. G.; Michel, P. A.; Miller, P.; Montincelli, M.; Moore, A. S.; Nikroo, A.; Nostrand, M.; Olson, R. E.; Pak, A.; Park, H. S.; Patel, J. P.; Pelz, L.; Ralph, J.; Regan, S. P.; Robey, H. F.; Rosen, M. D.; Ross, J. S.; Schneider, M. B.; Shaw, M.; Smalyuk, V. A.; Strozzi, D. J.; Suratwala, T.; Suter, L. J.; Tommasini, R.; Town, R. P. J.; Van Wonterghem, B.; Wegner, P.; Widmann, K.; Widmayer, C.; Wilkens, H.; Williams, E. A.; Edwards, M. J.; Remington, B. A.; MacGowan, B. J.; Kilkenny, J. D.; Lindl, J. D.; Atherton, L. J.; Batha, S. H.; Moses, E.

2013-05-01

Indirect drive experiments have now been carried out with laser powers and energies up to 520 TW and 1.9 MJ. These experiments show that the energy coupling to the target is nearly constant at 84% ± 3% over a wide range of laser parameters from 350 to 520 TW and 1.2 to 1.9 MJ. Experiments at 520 TW with depleted uranium hohlraums achieve radiation temperatures of ˜330 ± 4 eV, enough to drive capsules 20 μm thicker than the ignition point design to velocities near the ignition goal of 370 km/s. A series of three symcap implosion experiments with nearly identical target, laser, and diagnostics configurations show the symmetry and drive are reproducible at the level of ±8.5% absolute and ±2% relative, respectively.

Monitoring of Emerging and Legacy Contaminants in Groundwater and Tap Water of the Karst Region in Northern Puerto Rico for Assessment of Sources and Fate and Transport Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padilla, I. Y.; Cotto, I.; Torres, P. M.

2014-12-01

The karst aquifer region of northern Puerto Rico is the area with the highest groundwater extraction in the island. Urban and industrial development has led to extensive contamination of the groundwater in the region. Of particular concern, is the presence of emerging and legacy organic contaminants, such as phthalates and chlorinated organic compounds (CVOCs), because there high risk for exposure and adverse health impact. Variable sources and the heterogeneous and dynamic conditions of karst groundwater systems, limits the ability to properly assess and manage the water quality of these precious water resources. This work develops a monitoring and water analysis scheme to assess spatial-temporal exposure of hazardous contaminants trough karst water in northern Puerto Rico. Groundwater and tap water are sampled in the region and analyzed for phthalates, CVOCs, and common ions. Detections and concentrations of phthalates and CVOCs are determined by using modified EPA methods, which rely on liquid-liquid extractions and gas chromatography techniques. The modified methods have reduced the volume of samples and solvent waste, decreased the time of analysis, increased analysis outcomes, and lower potential for hazardous exposure. Results show intermittent presence of di-ethyl, di-butyl and di (2-ethyl hexyl) phthalates in 36% of the groundwater and 53% of tap water samples, with detected concentrations ranging between 0.1-88.7 μg/L. These results indicate that karst groundwater can serve as a route of exposure for phthalates, but there are additional disperse sources in the water system. CVOCs are detected in groundwater at much higher frequencies (50%) than phthalates, and include trichloromethane (TCM), carbon tetrachloride (CT), trichloroethylene (TCE), and tetrachloroethylene (TCE). CVOCs, except for TCM, are found at lower frequencies on tap water (5.8%) than groundwater (27%). TCM is detected more frequently and at higher concentrations in tap water (56.8%) than

X-Ray Spectroscopy of the Nearby, Classical T Tauri Star TW Hydrae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kastner, Joel H.; Huenemoerder, David P.; Schulz, Norbert S.; Weintraub, David A.

1999-11-01

We present ASCA and ROSAT X-ray observations of the classical T Tauri star TW Hya, the namesake of a small association that, at a distance of ~50 pc, represents the nearest known region of recent star formation. Analysis of ASCA and ROSAT spectra indicates characteristic temperatures of ~1.7 and ~9.7 MK for the X-ray-emitting region(s) of TW Hya, with emission lines of highly ionized Fe dominating the spectrum at energies of ~1 keV. The X-ray data show variations in X-ray flux on timescales of <~1 hr as well as indications of changes in the X-ray-absorbing column on timescales of several years, suggesting that flares and variable obscuration are responsible for the large-amplitude optical variability of TW Hya on short and long timescales, respectively. Comparison with model calculations suggests that TW Hya produces sufficient hard X-ray flux to produce significant ionization of molecular gas within its circumstellar disk; such X-ray ionization may regulate both protoplanetary accretion and protoplanetary chemistry.

Design of Restoration Method Based on Compressed Sensing and TwIST Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Fei; Piao, Yan

2018-04-01

In order to improve the subjective and objective quality of degraded images at low sampling rates effectively,save storage space and reduce computational complexity at the same time, this paper proposes a joint restoration algorithm of compressed sensing and two step iterative threshold shrinkage (TwIST). The algorithm applies the TwIST algorithm which used in image restoration to the compressed sensing theory. Then, a small amount of sparse high-frequency information is obtained in frequency domain. The TwIST algorithm based on compressed sensing theory is used to accurately reconstruct the high frequency image. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm achieves better subjective visual effects and objective quality of degraded images while accurately restoring degraded images.

A Novel Liquid-Liquid Extraction for the Determination of Sertraline in Tap Water and Waste Water at Trace Levels by GC-MS.

PubMed

Koçoğlu, Elif Seda; Bakırdere, Sezgin; Keyf, Seyfullah

2017-09-01

A simple, green and fast analytical method was developed for the determination of sertraline in tap and waste water samples at trace levels by using supportive liquid-liquid extraction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Different parameters affecting extraction efficiency such as types and volumes of extraction and supporter solvents, extraction period, salt type and amount were optimized to get lower detection limits. Ethyl acetate was selected as optimum extraction solvent. In order to improve the precision, anthracene-D10 was used as an internal standard. The calibration plot of sertraline was linear from 1.0 to 1000 ng/mL with a correlation coefficient of 0.999. The limit of detection value under the optimum conditions was found to be 0.43 ng/mL. In real sample measurements, spiking experiments were performed to check the reliability of the method for these matrices. The spiking experiments yielded satisfactory recoveries of 91.19 ± 2.48%, 90.48 ± 5.19% and 95.46 ± 6.56% for 100, 250 and 500 ng/mL sertraline for tap water, and 85.80 ± 2.15% and 92.43 ± 4.02% for 250 and 500 ng/mL sertraline for waste water.

DPSSL pumped 20-TW Ti:sapphire laser system for DD fusion experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sekine, T.; Hatano, Y.; Takeuchi, Y.; Kawashima, T.

2016-03-01

A diode-pumped solid-state laser (DPSSL) pumped 20-TW output Ti:sapphire laser system has been developed. A diode-pumped Nd:glass laser with output energy of 12.7 J in 527 nm was used as a pump source for a 20-TW Ti:sapphire amplifier. A CeLiB6O10 nonlinear optical crystal was used as a frequency doubler of the Nd:glass DPSSL[1]. Figure 1 shows typical output pulse energy of the 20-TW amplifier as a function of pumping energy and a near field pattern. A 1.65 J pulse energy was obtained by 4.5 J pump energy. The amplified seed pulse is compressed to typically 60 fs as shown in Fig. 1 by a vacuumed pulse compressor with 80% of transmissivity. Encircled energy ratio, into a circled with 8 μm diameter area, of far field pattern focused by off-axis parabolic mirror with F# of 3 is numerically evaluated to 40% at TW class output condition. Then focal intensity would reach to 1018W/cm2. This all- DPSSL system contributes for stable and continual investigation of laser induced plasma experiment. We have succeeded continual and high efficient generation of DD fusion neutron from CD nano-particles by cluster fusion scheme using the 20-TW laser. A yield of ∼105 neutrons per shot was stably observed during continuous 100 shots with repetition rate of 0.1Hz.

Multistate Evaluation of an Ultrafiltration-Based Procedure for Simultaneous Recovery of Enteric Microbes in 100-Liter Tap Water Samples▿

PubMed Central

Hill, Vincent R.; Kahler, Amy M.; Jothikumar, Narayanan; Johnson, Trisha B.; Hahn, Donghyun; Cromeans, Theresa L.

2007-01-01

Ultrafiltration (UF) is increasingly being recognized as a potentially effective procedure for concentrating and recovering microbes from large volumes of water and treated wastewater. Because of their very small pore sizes, UF membranes are capable of simultaneously concentrating viruses, bacteria, and parasites based on size exclusion. In this study, a UF-based water sampling procedure was used to simultaneously recover representatives of these three microbial classes seeded into 100-liter samples of tap water collected from eight cities covering six hydrologic areas of the United States. The UF-based procedure included hollow-fiber UF as the primary step for concentrating microbes and then used membrane filtration for bacterial culture assays, immunomagnetic separation for parasite recovery and quantification, and centrifugal UF for secondary concentration of viruses. Water samples were tested for nine water quality parameters to investigate whether water quality data correlated with measured recovery efficiencies and molecular detection levels. Average total method recovery efficiencies were 71, 97, 120, 110, and 91% for φX174 bacteriophage, MS2 bacteriophage, Enterococcus faecalis, Clostridium perfringens spores, and Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts, respectively. Real-time PCR and reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) for seeded microbes and controls indicated that tap water quality could affect the analytical performance of molecular amplification assays, although no specific water quality parameter was found to correlate with reduced PCR or RT-PCR performance. PMID:17483281

Occurrence, Source, and Human Infection Potential of Cryptosporidium and Giardia spp. in Source and Tap Water in Shanghai, China▿

PubMed Central

Feng, Yaoyu; Zhao, Xukun; Chen, Jiaxu; Jin, Wei; Zhou, Xiaonong; Li, Na; Wang, Lin; Xiao, Lihua

2011-01-01

Genotyping studies on the source and human infection potential of Cryptosporidium oocysts in water have been almost exclusively conducted in industrialized nations. In this study, 50 source water samples and 30 tap water samples were collected in Shanghai, China, and analyzed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method 1623. To find a cost-effective method to replace the filtration procedure, the water samples were also concentrated by calcium carbonate flocculation (CCF). Of the 50 source water samples, 32% were positive for Cryptosporidium and 18% for Giardia by Method 1623, whereas 22% were positive for Cryptosporidium and 10% for Giardia by microscopy of CCF concentrates. When CCF was combined with PCR for detection, the occurrence of Cryptosporidium (28%) was similar to that obtained by Method 1623. Genotyping of Cryptosporidium in 17 water samples identified the presence of C. andersoni in 14 water samples, C. suis in 7 water samples, C. baileyi in 2 water samples, C. meleagridis in 1 water sample, and C. hominis in 1 water sample. Therefore, farm animals, especially cattle and pigs, were the major sources of water contamination in Shanghai source water, and most oocysts found in source water in the area were not infectious to humans. Cryptosporidium oocysts were found in 2 of 30 tap water samples. The combined use of CCF for concentration and PCR for detection and genotyping provides a less expensive alternative to filtration and fluorescence microscopy for accurate assessment of Cryptosporidium contamination in water, although the results from this method are semiquantitative. PMID:21498768

Transporters associated with antigen processing (TAP) in sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax, L.): molecular cloning and characterization of TAP1 and TAP2.

PubMed

Pinto, Rute D; Pereira, Pedro J B; dos Santos, Nuno M S

2011-11-01

The transporters associated with antigen processing (TAP), play an important role in the MHC class I antigen presentation pathway. In this work, sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) TAP1 and TAP2 genes and transcripts were isolated and characterized. Only the TAP2 gene is structurally similar to its human orthologue. As other TAP molecules, sea bass TAP1 and TAP2 are formed by one N-terminal accessory domain, one core membrane-spanning domain and one canonical C-terminal nucleotide-binding domain. Homology modelling of the sea bass TAP dimer predicts that its quaternary structure is in accordance with that of other ABC transporters. Phylogenetic analysis segregates sea bass TAP1 and TAP2 into each subfamily cluster of transporters, placing them in the fish class and suggesting that the basic structure of these transport-associated proteins is evolutionarily conserved. Furthermore, the present data provides information that will enable more studies on the class I antigen presentation pathway in this important fish species. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

NASA/UK TAP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

The purpose of the Technology Applications Program (TAP) is to provide problem solving information and assistance to both the public and private sectors in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, with emphasis primarily in the public sector. The TAP accesses over 1200 online computer databases, including files from the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia. During the 1985 to 1986 contract period, TAP responded to 645 inquiries which resulted in an increase of 16 percent over the 1984 to 1985 contract period. The activities of TAP for the 1985 to 1986 contract period are summarized.

New Insights into the Changes of the Proteome and Microbiome of Shrimp ( Litopenaeus vannamei) Stored in Acidic Electrolyzed Water Ice.

PubMed

Zhao, Li; Zhang, Zhaohuan; Wang, Meng; Sun, Jiangping; Li, Huan; Malakar, Pradeep K; Liu, Haiquan; Pan, Yingjie; Zhao, Yong

2018-05-16

Acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) ice is a novel technique for prolonging the shelf life of foods, but there is limited knowledge of its preservation mechanism. A proteomics approach and 16S rRNA-based Illumina sequencing were employed to investigate the changes of key proteins and bacterial communities in shrimp stored in AEW ice and tap water ice (TW ice) for 7 days. Compared with TW ice, AEW ice markedly retards the degradation of myofibrillar proteins in shrimp, including myosin, actin, and tropomyosin. Moreover, sarcoplasmatic proteins that participate in the carbohydrate catabolic process and amino acid metabolism were also influenced. Furthermore, the growth of spoilage bacteria, which includes the genera Psychrobacter, Shewanella, and Flavobacterium, was significantly inhibited by AEW ice, and the inhibition rates at day 7 were 71.6, 47.8, and 100%, respectively ( p < 0.05). Further correlation analysis showed the links between spoilage bacteria and protein changes can be broken by AEW ice treatment. Collectively, our findings indicated AEW ice can improve the quality of shrimp via previously undescribed mechanisms, which retarded the degradation of myofibrillar proteins and inhibited the growth of spoilage bacteria.

Volumetric Two-photon Imaging of Neurons Using Stereoscopy (vTwINS)

PubMed Central

Song, Alexander; Charles, Adam S.; Koay, Sue Ann; Gauthier, Jeff L.; Thiberge, Stephan Y.; Pillow, Jonathan W.; Tank, David W.

2017-01-01

Two-photon laser scanning microscopy of calcium dynamics using fluorescent indicators is a widely used imaging method for large scale recording of neural activity in vivo. Here we introduce volumetric Two-photon Imaging of Neurons using Stereoscopy (vTwINS), a volumetric calcium imaging method that employs an elongated, V-shaped point spread function to image a 3D brain volume. Single neurons project to spatially displaced “image pairs” in the resulting 2D image, and the separation distance between images is proportional to depth in the volume. To demix the fluorescence time series of individual neurons, we introduce a novel orthogonal matching pursuit algorithm that also infers source locations within the 3D volume. We illustrate vTwINS by imaging neural population activity in mouse primary visual cortex and hippocampus. Our results demonstrate that vTwINS provides an effective method for volumetric two-photon calcium imaging that increases the number of neurons recorded while maintaining a high frame-rate. PMID:28319111

Randomised controlled trial of thermostatic mixer valves in reducing bath hot tap water temperature in families with young children in social housing: A protocol

PubMed Central

Kendrick, Denise; Stewart, Jane; Coupland, Carol; Hayes, Michael; Hopkins, Nick; McCabe, Debbie; Murphy, Robert; O'Donnell, George; Phillips, Ceri; Radford, David; Ryan, Jackie; Smith, Sherie; Groom, Lindsay; Towner, Elizabeth

2008-01-01

Background Each year in the UK 2000 children attend emergency departments and 500 are admitted to hospital following a bath water scald. The long term effects can include disability, disfigurement or psychological harm and repeated skin grafts may be required as the child grows. The costs of treating a severe scald are estimated at 250,000 GBP. Children living in the most deprived wards are at greatest risk of thermal injuries; hospital admission rates are three times that for children living in the least deprived wards. Domestic hot water, which is usually stored at around 60 degrees Celsius, can result in a second-degree burn after 3 seconds and a third-degree burn after 5 seconds. Educational strategies to encourage testing of tap water temperature and reduction of hot water thermostat settings have largely proved unsuccessful. Legislation in the USA mandating pre-setting hot water heater thermostats at 49 degrees Celsius was effective in reducing scald injuries, suggesting passive measures may have a greater impact. Thermostatic mixer valves (TMVs), recently developed for the domestic market, fitted across the hot and cold water supply pipes of the bath, allow delivery of water set at a fixed temperature from the hot bath tap. These valves therefore offer the potential to reduce scald injuries. Design/Methods A pragmatic, randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of TMVs in reducing bath hot tap water temperatures in the homes of families with young children in rented social housing. Two parallel arms include an intervention group and a control group where the intervention will be deferred. The intervention will consist of fitting a TMV (set at 44 degrees Celsius) by a qualified plumber and provision of educational materials. The control arm will not receive a TMV or the educational materials for the study duration but will be offered the intervention after collection of follow-up data 12 months post randomisation. The primary outcome measure will

More than just tapping: index finger-tapping measures procedural learning in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Da Silva, Felipe N; Irani, Farzin; Richard, Jan; Brensinger, Colleen M; Bilker, Warren B; Gur, Raquel E; Gur, Ruben C

2012-05-01

Finger-tapping has been widely studied using behavioral and neuroimaging paradigms. Evidence supports the use of finger-tapping as an endophenotype in schizophrenia, but its relationship with motor procedural learning remains unexplored. To our knowledge, this study presents the first use of index finger-tapping to study procedural learning in individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (SCZ/SZA) as compared to healthy controls. A computerized index finger-tapping test was administered to 1169 SCZ/SZA patients (62% male, 88% right-handed), and 689 healthy controls (40% male, 93% right-handed). Number of taps per trial and learning slopes across trials for the dominant and non-dominant hands were examined for motor speed and procedural learning, respectively. Both healthy controls and SCZ/SZA patients demonstrated procedural learning for their dominant hand but not for their non-dominant hand. In addition, patients showed a greater capacity for procedural learning even though they demonstrated more variability in procedural learning compared to healthy controls. Left-handers of both groups performed better than right-handers and had less variability in mean number of taps between non-dominant and dominant hands. Males also had less variability in mean tap count between dominant and non-dominant hands than females. As expected, patients had a lower mean number of taps than healthy controls, males outperformed females and dominant-hand trials had more mean taps than non-dominant hand trials in both groups. The index finger-tapping test can measure both motor speed and procedural learning, and motor procedural learning may be intact in SCZ/SZA patients. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rapid and ratiometric detection of hypochlorite with real application in tap water: molecules to low cost devices (TLC sticks).

PubMed

Goswami, Shyamaprosad; Manna, Abhishek; Paul, Sima; Quah, Ching Kheng; Fun, Hoong-Kun

2013-12-25

We have designed a chemodosimeter DPNO (weak fluorescence) which can be oxidized to HPNO (strong blue fluorescence) by OCl(-) with high selectivity and sensitivity in a ratiometric approach with a noticeably lower detection limit. The sensor could be useful for the detection of hypochlorites in tap water.

Synthesis and characterization of triazole based supramolecule for interaction with cefuroxime in tap water and blood plasma.

PubMed

Ahmed, Farid; Perveen, Samina; Shah, Kiramat; Shah, Muhammad Raza; Ahmed, Shakil

2018-01-01

In this study a new calix[4]arene triazole 5 was successfully synthesized using click reaction and characterized through UV-visible, FT-IR, 1 H NMR spectroscopes and Mass Spectrometry. The supramolecular interaction of compound 5 towards commonly used drugs has been carried out using UV-Visible spectroscopy. The supramolecule 5 showed characteristic enhancement in the absorbance intensity after mixing with Cefuroxime at pH (2-12). Compound 5 displayed considerably good interactions with cefuroxime in the presence of other drugs. Compound 5 exhibits linear relationship with cefuroxime concentration in the range of (10-80µM) with regression value of 0.9954. The standard deviation for 50µM Cefuroxime was found to be 0.01 and the limit of detection for cefuroxime was calculated to be 2µM. Job's plot experiments showed 1:1 (5: cefuroxime) binding stoichiometry between compound 5 and cefuroxime. Supramolecule 5 displayed fairly good spectrophotometric recognition of Cefuroxime in human blood plasma and tap water thus showing that the ingredients of tap water and plasma sample was inert in the recognition of cefuroxime. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Simultaneous Determination of 13 Priority Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Tehran’s Tap Water and Water for Injection Samples Using Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Micro Extraction Method and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

PubMed Central

Sadeghi, Ramezan; Kobarfard, Farzad; Yazdanpanah, Hassan; Eslamizad, Samira; Bayate, Mitra

2016-01-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are classified as persistent and carcinogenic organic pollutants. PAHs contamination has been reported in water. Many of relevant regulatory bodies such as EU and EPA have regulated the limit levels for PAHs in drinking water. In this study, 13 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in tap water samples of Tehran and water for injection. Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction procedure combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used for the extraction and determination of PAHs in the samples. Under the optimized conditions, the range of extraction recoveries and relative standard deviations (RSDs) of PAHs in water using internal standard (anthracene-d10) were in the range of 71-90% and 4-16%, respectively. Limit of detection for different PAHs were between 0.03 and 0.1 ngmL-1. The concentration of PAHs in all tap water as well as water for injection samples were lower than the limit of quantification of PAHs. This is the first study addressing the occurrence of PAHs in water for injection samples in Iran using dispersive liquid-liquid micro extraction procedure combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. PMID:27642318

Freely Chosen Index Finger Tapping Frequency Is Increased in Repeated Bouts of Tapping.

PubMed

Hansen, Ernst Albin; Ebbesen, Brian Duborg; Dalsgaard, Ane; Mora-Jensen, Mark Holten; Rasmussen, Jakob

2015-01-01

Healthy individuals (n = 40) performed index finger tapping at freely chosen frequency during repeated bouts and before and after near-maximal muscle action consisting of 3 intense flexions of the index finger metacarpal phalangeal joint. One experiment showed, unexpectedly, that a bout of tapping increased the tapping frequency in the subsequent bout. Thus, a cumulating increase of 8.2 ± 5.4% (p < .001) occurred across 4 bouts, which were all separated by 10 min rest periods. Follow-up experiments revealed that tapping frequency was still increased in consecutive bouts when rest periods were extended to 20 min. Besides, near-maximal muscle activation, followed by 5 min rest, did not affect the tapping frequency. In conclusion, freely chosen tapping frequency was increased in repeated bouts of tapping, which were separated by 10-20 min rest periods. The observed phenomenon is suggested to be termed repeated bout rate enhancement.

Removal of 16 pesticide residues from strawberries by washing with tap and ozone water, ultrasonic cleaning and boiling.

PubMed

Lozowicka, Bozena; Jankowska, Magdalena; Hrynko, Izabela; Kaczynski, Piotr

2016-01-01

The effects of washing with tap and ozone water, ultrasonic cleaning and boiling on 16 pesticide (ten fungicides and six insecticides) residue levels in raw strawberries were investigated at different processing times (1, 2 and 5 min). An analysis of these pesticides was conducted using gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorous and electron capture detection (GC-NPD/ECD). The processing factor (PF) for each pesticide in each processing technique was determined. Washing with ozonated water was demonstrated to be more effective (reduction from 36.1 to 75.1 %) than washing with tap water (reduction from 19.8 to 68.1 %). Boiling decreased the residues of the most compounds, with reductions ranging from 42.8 to 92.9 %. Ultrasonic cleaning lowered residues for all analysed pesticides with removal of up to 91.2 %. The data indicated that ultrasonic cleaning and boiling were the most effective treatments for the reduction of 16 pesticide residues in raw strawberries, resulting in a lower health risk exposure. Calculated PFs for alpha-cypermethrin were used to perform an acute risk assessment of dietary exposure. To investigate the relationship between the levels of 16 pesticides in strawberry samples and their physicochemical properties, a principal component analysis (PCA) was performed. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Tapping mode SPM local oxidation nanolithography with sub-10 nm resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishimura, S.; Ogino, T.; Takemura, Y.; Shirakashi, J.

2008-03-01

Tapping mode SPM local oxidation nanolithography with sub-10 nm resolution is investigated by optimizing the applied bias voltage (V), scanning speed (S) and the oscillation amplitude of the cantilever (A). We fabricated Si oxide wires with an average width of 9.8 nm (V = 17.5 V, S = 250 nm/s, A = 292 nm). In SPM local oxidation with tapping mode operation, it is possible to decrease the size of the water meniscus by enhancing the oscillation amplitude of cantilever. Hence, it seems that the water meniscus with sub-10 nm dimensions could be formed by precisely optimizing the oxidation conditions. Moreover, we quantitatively explain the size (width and height) of Si oxide wires with a model based on the oxidation ratio, which is defined as the oxidation time divided by the period of the cantilever oscillation. The model allows us to understand the mechanism of local oxidation in tapping mode operation with amplitude modulation. The results imply that the sub-10 nm resolution could be achieved using tapping mode SPM local oxidation technique with the optimization of the cantilever dynamics.

Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks of metal(oid)s in tap water from Ilam city, Iran.

PubMed

Fakhri, Yadolah; Saha, Narottam; Ghanbari, Sahebeh; Rasouli, Milad; Miri, Ali; Avazpour, Moayed; Rahimizadeh, Aziz; Riahi, Seyed-Mohammad; Ghaderpoori, Mansour; Keramati, Hassan; Moradi, Bigard; Amanidaz, Nazak; Mousavi Khaneghah, Amin

2018-04-20

One of the most important pathways for exposure to metals is drinking water ingestion. Chronic or acute exposure to metals can endanger the health of the exposed population, and hence, estimation of human health risks is crucial. In the current study for the first time, the concentrations of Mercury (Hg), Arsenic (As), Zinc (Zn), Lead (Pb) and Cobalt (Co) in 120 collected tap water samples (2015, July-November) from Ilam city, Iran were investigated using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Also, the metal-induced carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks for consumers exposed to tap drinking water were calculated. The average (range) concentrations of Hg, Zn, As, Pb and Co were defined as 0.40 ± 0.10 μg/L (ND-0.9 μg/L), 5014 ± 5707 μg/L (2900.00-5668.33 μg/L), 21.008 ± 2.876 μg/L (3.5-62 μg/L), 30.38 ± 5.56 μg/L (6-87 μg/L), and 11.34 ± 1.61 μg/L (0.1-50 μg/L), respectively. Average concentrations of all examined metals were significantly higher than WHO and national standard recommended limits. The ranking order of metals concentrations in the tap drinking water was Zn > Pb > As > Co > Hg. Except for Hg and Co, at least one age group consumers were at considerable non-carcinogenic risks induced by Zn, As and Pb [Target Hazard Quotient (THQ > 1)]. The rank order of age groups consumers based on THQ and Incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) was <1 years >1-9 years > 20 + years > 10-19 years. The calculated ILCR for As in all age groups were higher than 10 -3 value. All age groups of consumers in Ilam city, especially infants (<1 years) and children (1-10 years), are at considerable non-carcinogenic and carcinogenesis risk. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A method for improving reliability and relevance of LCA reviews: the case of life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of tap and bottled water.

PubMed

Fantin, Valentina; Scalbi, Simona; Ottaviano, Giuseppe; Masoni, Paolo

2014-04-01

The purpose of this study is to propose a method for harmonising Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) literature studies on the same product or on different products fulfilling the same function for a reliable and meaningful comparison of their life-cycle environmental impacts. The method is divided in six main steps which aim to rationalize and quicken the efforts needed to carry out the comparison. The steps include: 1) a clear definition of the goal and scope of the review; 2) critical review of the references; 3) identification of significant parameters that have to be harmonised; 4) harmonisation of the parameters; 5) statistical analysis to support the comparison; 6) results and discussion. This approach was then applied to the comparative analysis of the published LCA studies on tap and bottled water production, focussing on Global Warming Potential (GWP) results, with the aim to identify the environmental preferable alternative. A statistical analysis with Wilcoxon's test confirmed that the difference between harmonised GWP values of tap and bottled water was significant. The results obtained from the comparison of the harmonised mean GWP results showed that tap water always has the best environmental performance, even in case of high energy-consuming technologies for drinking water treatments. The strength of the method is that it enables both performing a deep analysis of the LCA literature and obtaining more consistent comparisons across the published LCAs. For these reasons, it can be a valuable tool which provides useful information for both practitioners and decision makers. Finally, its application to the case study allowed both to supply a description of systems variability and to evaluate the importance of several key parameters for tap and bottled water production. The comparative review of LCA studies, with the inclusion of a statistical decision test, can validate and strengthen the final statements of the comparison. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All

Disinfection of Mycobacterium avium subspecies hominissuis in drinking tap water using ultraviolet germicidal irradiation.

PubMed

Schiavano, Giuditta Fiorella; De Santi, Mauro; Sisti, Maurizio; Amagliani, Giulia; Brandi, Giorgio

2017-09-13

Nontuberculous mycobacteria are resistant to conventional water treatments, and are opportunistic human pathogen, particularly in hospitalized patients. The aim of this investigation was to assess the effectiveness of an ultraviolet UV-C lamp treatment against Mycobacterium avium subspecies hominissuis in drinking tap water. Ultraviolet treatments (0-192 mJ/cm 2 ) were performed using UV lamp immerged onto cylindrical glass tubes containing artificially contaminated water. The results showed that susceptibility to UV varied considerably according to the strains and the diameter of the tube. With a dose of 32 mJ/cm 2 , a significant inactivation (p < .05) of 3 log (99.9%) or more was obtained in only 5 of the 14 strains. To obtain a complete inactivation of all strains an irradiation of 192 mJ/cm 2 was needed, a dose that is much higher than the limits recommended by the international standards for UV disinfection of drinking water. In conclusion, it may be difficult to standardize a UV dose for the elimination of waterborne mycobacteria.

On the formation of TW Crv optical radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimansky, V. V.; Mitrofanova, A. A.; Borisov, N. V.; Fabrika, S. N.; Galeev, A. I.

2016-10-01

We present the analysis of the optical radiation of the young pre-cataclysmic variable TW Crv. Spectroscopic and photometric observations were obtained at the SAO RAS 6-m BTA telescope and at the Russian-Turkish RTT-150 telescope. The light curves of the system posses nearly sinusoidal shapes with the amplitudes of Δ m > 0.m7, what is typical for young pre-cataclysmic variables with sdO-subdwarfs and orbit inclinations of less than 45◦. The optical spectrum contains dominant radiation of the hot subdwarf with the HI and He II absorption lines and strong emission lines, which are formed in the atmosphere of the secondary owing to the reflection effects. Radial velocities of the cool star were measured by analyzing the λλ 4630-4650 Å Bowen blend, which for the first time allowed to determine the component masses. A numerical simulation of the light curves and spectra of TW Crv, obtaining a complete set of systems fundamental parameters was carried out. The hot star parameters prompt its belonging to the sdOsubdwarf class at the stage of transition to the cooling white dwarf sequence. The absence of its observable planetary nebula is caused by a long-lasting evolution of the system after the common envelope state. The secondary component has a luminosity excess, which is typical for other young sdO-subdwarf precataclysmic variables. Its position on the " age-luminosity excess" diagram points at the accuracy of the obtained set of TW Crv fundamental parameters and at the similarity of its evolutionary and physical conditions with that of other BE UMa-type objects.

Strong tW scattering at the LHC

DOE PAGES

Dror, Jeff Asaf; Farina, Marco; Salvioni, Ennio; ...

2016-01-13

Deviations of the top electroweak couplings from their Standard Model values imply that certain amplitudes for the scattering of third generation fermions and longitudinally polarized vector bosons or Higgses diverge quadratically with momenta. This high-energy growth is a genuine signal of models where the top quark is strongly coupled to the sector responsible for electroweak symmetry breaking. We propose to profit from the high energies accessible at the LHC to enhance the sensitivity to non-standard top-Z couplings, which are currently very weakly constrained. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach, we perform a detailed analysis of tW → tW scattering, which can be probed at the LHC via pp→more » $$t\\bar{t}$$Wj. By recasting a CMS analysis at 8 TeV, we derive the strongest direct bounds to date on the Ztt couplings. We also design a dedicated search at 13 TeV that exploits the distinctive features of the $$t\\bar{t}$$Wj signal. Lastly, we present other scattering processes in the same class that could provide further tests of the top-Higgs sector.« less

Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope study of the well-known Algol-type binary TW Dra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Wen-Ping; Qian, Sheng-Bang; Zejda, Miloslav; Zhu, Li-Ying; Li, Lin-Jia

2016-06-01

By using the Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope (LUT) from 2014 December 2 to December 4, the first near-UV light curve of the well-known Algol-type binary TW Dra is reported, which is analyzed with the 2013 version of the W-D code. Our solutions confirmed that TW Dra is a semi-detached binary system where the secondary component fills its Roche lobe. The mass ratio and a high inclination are obtained (q = 0.47, i = 86.68°). Based on 589 available data spanning more than one century, the complex period changes are studied. Secular increase and three cyclical changes are found in the corresponding orbital period analysis. The secular increase changes reveal mass transfer from the secondary component to the primary one at a rate of 6.8 × 10-7 M ⊙ yr-1. One large cyclical change of 116.04 yr may be caused by disturbance of visual component ADS 9706B orbiting TW Dra (ADS 9706A), while the other two cyclical changes with shorter periods of 22.47 and 37.27 yr can be explained as the result of two circumbinary companions that are orbiting around TW Dra, where the two companions are in simple 3 : 5 orbit-rotation resonances. TW Dra itself is a basic binary in a possible sextuple system with the configuration (1 + 1) + (1 + 1) + (1 + 1), which further suggests that multiplicity may be a fairly common phenomenon in close binary systems.

NEW EVIDENCE SUPPORTING MEMBERSHIP FOR TW NOR IN LYNGA 6 AND THE CENTAURUS SPIRAL ARM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Majaess, Daniel; Turner, David; Moni Bidin, Christian

2011-11-10

The putative association between the 10{sub .}{sup d}8 classical Cepheid TW Nor and the open cluster Lynga 6 has generated considerable debate in the literature. New JHK{sub s} photometry in tandem with existing radial velocities for Lynga 6 stars implies cluster membership for TW Nor and establishes the variable as a high-weight calibrator for classical Cepheid relations. Fundamental mean parameters determined for Lynga 6 are: d = 1.91 {+-} 0.10 kpc, E(J - H) = 0.38 {+-} 0.02, and log {tau} = 7.9 {+-} 0.1. The Benedict et al./Turner Galactic VI{sub c} Wesenheit function was revised using TW Nor's newmore » parameters: W{sub VI,0} (- 3.37 {+-} 0.08)log P{sub 0} - 2.48 {+-} 0.08. TW Nor/Lynga 6 lie beyond the Sagittarius-Carina spiral arm and occupy the Centaurus arm, along with innumerable young Cepheids and clusters (e.g., VW Cen and VVV CL070).« less

Occurrence of antidepressant residues in the sewage-impacted Vistula and Utrata rivers and in tap water in Warsaw (Poland).

PubMed

Giebułtowicz, Joanna; Nałęcz-Jawecki, Grzegorz

2014-06-01

Antidepressants, even at low concentrations, can reveal some adverse effects on aquatic life due to disturbing homeostasis throughout the central and peripheral nervous system both in vertebrates and invertebrates. To date there have not been any reports regarding the presence of these pharmaceuticals in surface and tap waters in Eastern Europe. Therefore the aim of this study was to determine the presence of 21 antidepressant pharmaceuticals at specific points of the main Polish river - the Vistula, a smaller river of the Warsaw region - the Utrata, as well as in tap water samples of Warsaw. Samples were collected twice at one month intervals and analysed using solid-phase extraction (SPE) technique coupled with the liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation-tandem mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS) method operated under the multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM). This is the first study where active compounds such as moclobemid or trazodone in the environment have been investigated. Environmental risk assessment of antidepressants in Poland was estimated on the basis of annuals sale data extracted from the NFZ (Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia-National Health Service) base of reimbursed pharmaceuticals(1). Predicted environmental concentration (PEC) of target pharmaceuticals were compared with their measured concentration (MEC). Moreover, the application of the EMEA/CHMP guideline for environmental risk assessment of the antidepressants was discussed. The highest concentration of antidepressants was observed in the small river Utrata. In tap water only trace amounts of antidepressants including citalopram (up to 1.5ng/l), mianserin (up to 0.9ng/l), sertraline (<3.1ng/l), moclobemid (up to 0.3ng/l) and venlafaxine (up to 1.9ng/l) were detected. However this highlights their inadequate elimination in the drinking waste treatment facility. The presence of antidepressants in drinking water and the aquatic environment could have long-term effects even at low exposure level

Hydrophysical Evaluation of Wells TW-B, TW-7, UE-6d, U-2gg PSE 3A, U-10L 1, and UE-6e in Yucca Flat

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pohlmann, Karl; Healey, John; Lyles, Bred

This study evaluated six wells in Yucca Flat in support of the Underground Test Area (UGTA) Activity conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). Accessibility and groundwater sampling conditions were assessed and if conditions permitted, samples were collected for tritium analysis. Four of the wells, TW-B, UE-6d, UE-6e, and TW-7 were sampled in support of UGTA responses to recommendations made by the Yucca Flat/Climax Mine External Peer Review Committee (Navarro, 2016). In addition to its role in support of these responses, TW-7 was included because it is listed in the NNSS Integratedmore » Groundwater Sampling Plan (DOE, 2014) as a required sampling location, although it had not been sampled since 1994. U-2gg PSE 3A and U-10L 1 were evaluated to determine whether deteriorating well conditions can be addressed so that these wells can be used as additional sampling points in Yucca Flat.« less

Assessment of trace elements in terminal tap water of Hunan Province, South China, and the potential health risks.

PubMed

Li, Mansha; Du, Yong; Chen, Lv; Liu, Lulu; Duan, Yanying

2018-05-02

A total of 116 terminal tap water (TTW) samples from Xiangjiang, Zijiang, Yuanjiang, and Lishui river basins of Hunan province were collected and concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Mn, Zn, Fe, Al, and Cu were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The results showed that 10% of the water samples exceeded the limit level of Cd established by World Health Organization (WHO) of 0.003 mg L -1 . Three percent of the samples had Fe level and 1% had As level above the WHO limits of 0.3 and 0.01 mg L -1 , respectively. Multivariate statistic approach (cluster analysis and principal component analysis) results revealed that anthropogenic activities and pipeline corrosion were major sources of TTW contamination in Hunan province. The individual and total hazard quotient values estimated by deterministic and probabilistic approaches were both less than 1. However, the mean cancer risk values of Cd were 2.2 × 10 -4 and 1.4 × 10 -4 for Xiangjiang and Yuanjiang river basin, respectively, both greater than 10 -4 . The 95th percentile value of cancer risk for Cr was slightly greater than 10 -4 in Xiangjiang river basins. Long-term exposure to Cd and Cr through tap water consumption poses moderate carcinogenic health risks to the local residents.

Finger-tapping motion analysis in cervical myelopathy by magnetic-sensor tapping device.

PubMed

Miwa, Toshitada; Hosono, Noboru; Mukai, Yoshihiro; Makino, Takahiro; Kandori, Akihiko; Fuji, Takeshi

2013-08-01

Case-control study. The purpose of this study is to determine finger motion of patients with cervical myelopathy during finger-tapping cycles. A major symptom of patients with compressive cervical myelopathy is finger clumsiness. Therefore, understanding finger motion is prerequisite in assessing the severity of myelopathy. The popular grip-and-release test evaluates only the number of motion cycles, which is insufficient to fully describe complex finger motion. Forty-three patients with cervical myelopathy and 41 healthy controls tapped their index fingers against their thumbs as rapidly as possible for 30 seconds and the motion was recorded by a magnetic-sensor coil attached to the nail surface. Output signals were stored in a computer, which automatically calculated tapping frequency, distance moved, ratio of opening/closing velocity and the SD of the tapping interval. The SD of the tapping interval was significantly greater and all other measures were significantly smaller in patients with cervical myelopathy, than in healthy controls. All indices significantly improved after surgical decompression of the cervical spine. Distance moved (Pearson correlation coefficient: r=0.590, P<0.001) and the SD of the tapping interval (r=-0.451; P=0.002) were significantly correlated with the Japanese Orthopedic Association score (neurological scale). The quantitative evaluation of finger paralysis was performed by this tapping device. Speed and regularity in repetitive motion of fingers were correlated with the severity of cervical myelopathy.

Description of durancin TW-49M, a novel enterocin B-homologous bacteriocin in carrot-isolated Enterococcus durans QU 49.

PubMed

Hu, C-B; Zendo, T; Nakayama, J; Sonomoto, K

2008-09-01

To characterize the novel bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus durans. Enterococcus durans QU 49 was isolated from carrot and expressed bactericidal activity over 20-43 degrees C. Bacteriocins were purified to homogeneity using the three-step purification method, one of which, termed durancin TW-49M, was an enterocin B-homologous peptide with most identical residues occurring in the N-terminus. Durancin TW-49M was more tolerant in acidic than in alkali. DNA sequencing analysis revealed durancin TW-49M was translated as a prepeptide of the double-glycine type. Durancin TW-49M and enterocin B expressed similar antimicrobial spectra, in which no significant variation due to the diversity in their C-termini was observed. Durancin TW-49M, a novel nonpediocin-like class II bacteriocin, was characterized to the amino acid and genetic levels. The diverse C-terminal parts of durancin TW-49M and enterocin B were hardly to be suggested as the place determining the target cell specificity. This is the first and comprehensive study of a novel bacteriocin produced by Ent. durans. The high homology at the N-terminal halves between durancin TW-49M and enterocin B makes them suitable to study the structure-function relationship of bacteriocins and their immunity proteins.

Disk Accretion in the 10 Myr Old T Tauri Stars TW Hydrae and Hen 3-600A.

PubMed

Muzerolle; Calvet; Briceño; Hartmann; Hillenbrand

2000-05-20

We have found that two members of the TW Hydrae association, TW Hydrae and Hen 3-600A, are still actively accreting, based on the ballistic infall signature of their broad Halpha emission profiles. We present the first quantitative analysis of accretion in these objects and conclude that the same accretion mechanisms which operate in the well-studied 1 Myr old T Tauri stars can and do occur in older (10 Myr) stars. We derive the first estimates of the disk mass accretion rate in TW Hya and Hen 3-600A, which are 1-2 orders of magnitude lower than the average rates in 1 Myr old objects. The decrease in accretion rates over 10 Myr, as well as the low fraction of TW Hya association objects still accreting, points to significant disk evolution, possibly linked to planet formation. Given the multiplicity of the Hen 3-600 system and the large UV excess of TW Hya, our results show that accretion disks can be surprisingly long lived in spite of the presence of companions and significant UV ionizing flux.

Elution Is a Critical Step for Recovering Human Adenovirus 40 from Tap Water and Surface Water by Cross-Flow Ultrafiltration

PubMed Central

Shi, Hang; Xagoraraki, Irene; Bruening, Merlin L.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT This paper examines the recovery of the enteric adenovirus human adenovirus 40 (HAdV 40) by cross-flow ultrafiltration and interprets recovery values in terms of physicochemical interactions of virions during sample concentration. Prior to ultrafiltration, membranes were either blocked by exposure to calf serum (CS) or coated with a polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM). HAdV 40 is a hydrophobic virus with a point of zero charge between pH 4.0 and pH 4.3. In accordance with predictions from the extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theory, the preelution recovery of HAdV (rpre) from deionized water was higher with PEM-coated membranes (rprePEM = 74.8% ± 9.7%) than with CS-blocked membranes (rpreCS = 54.1% ± 6.2%). With either membrane type, the total virion recovery after elution (rpost) was high for both deionized water (rpostPEM = 99.5% ± 6.6% and rpostCS = 98.8% ± 7.7%) and tap water (rpostPEM = 89% ± 15% and rpostCS = 93.7% ± 6.9%). The nearly 100% recoveries suggest that the polyanion (sodium polyphosphate) and surfactant (Tween 80) in the eluent disrupt electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions between the virion and the membrane. Addition of EDTA to the eluent greatly improved the elution efficacy (rpostCS = 88.6% ± 4.3% and rpostPEM = 87.0% ± 6.9%) with surface water, even when the organic carbon concentration in the water was high (9.4 ± 0.1 mg/liter). EDTA likely disrupts cation bridging between virions and particles in the feed water matrix or the fouling layer on the membrane surface. For complex water matrices, the eluent composition is the most important factor for achieving high virion recovery. IMPORTANCE Herein we present the results of a comprehensive physicochemical characterization of HAdV 40, an important human pathogen. The data on HAdV 40 surface properties enabled rigorous modeling to gain an understanding of the energetics of virion-virion and virion-filter interactions. Cross-flow filtration for concentration and recovery

Photoionization models for the wind from TW Vir

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kallman, T.

1985-01-01

Line profiles are examined for the resonance doublets of the ions C IV, Si IV, and N V in the spectrum of the dwarf nova TW Virginis as observed by Cordova and Mason (1982). Line strengths depend on the abundances of the scattering ions and hence on the physical characteristics in the stellar wind. Results of the study show that the observed UV line ratios from TW Vir cannot be produced by photoionization by either an unattenuated single bremsstrahlung or by a single blackbody spectrum. Satisfactory values of the abundance ratios can be produced by bremsstrahlung spectra extending into the X-ray region which have low-energy cutoffs near the N IV threshold energy at 77 eV and have fluxes corresponding to an ionization parameter xi-sub-br of about 10. A finding that the flux in the soft X-ray bremsstrahlung component must exceed the EUV blackbody flux by at least an order of magnitude has implications for theories of the continuum emission from cataclysmic variables.

Ultrasensitive and selective gold film-based detection of mercury (II) in tap water using a laser scanning confocal imaging-surface plasmon resonance system in real time.

PubMed

Zhang, Hongyan; Yang, Liquan; Zhou, Bingjiang; Liu, Weimin; Ge, Jiechao; Wu, Jiasheng; Wang, Ying; Wang, Pengfei

2013-09-15

An ultrasensitive and selective detection of mercury (II) was investigated using a laser scanning confocal imaging-surface plasmon resonance system (LSCI-SPR). The detection limit was as low as 0.01ng/ml for Hg(2+) ions in ultrapure and tap water based on a T-rich, single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)-modified gold film, which can be individually manipulated using specific T-Hg(2+)-T complex formation. The quenching intensity of the fluorescence images for rhodamine-labeled ssDNA fitted well with the changes in SPR. The changes varied with the Hg(2+) ion concentration, which is unaffected by the presence of other metal ions. The coefficients obtained for ultrapure and tap water were 0.99902 and 0.99512, respectively, for the linear part over a range of 0.01-100ng/ml. The results show that the double-effect sensor has potential for practical applications with ultra sensitivity and selectivity, especially in online or real-time monitoring of Hg(2+) ions pollution in tap water with the further improvement of portable LSCI-SPR instrument. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Self-Advancing Step-Tap Drills

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pettit, Donald R.; Camarda, Charles J.; Penner, Ronald K.; Franklin, Larry D.

2007-01-01

Self-advancing tool bits that are hybrids of drills and stepped taps make it possible to form threaded holes wider than about 1/2 in. (about 13 mm) without applying any more axial force than is necessary for forming narrower pilot holes. These self-advancing stepped-tap drills were invented for use by space-suited astronauts performing repairs on reinforced carbon/carbon space-shuttle leading edges during space walks, in which the ability to apply axial drilling forces is severely limited. Self-advancing stepped-tap drills could also be used on Earth for making wide holes without applying large axial forces. A self-advancing stepped-tap drill (see figure) includes several sections having progressively larger diameters, typically in increments between 0.030 and 0.060 in. (between about 0.8 and about 1.5 mm). The tip section, which is the narrowest, is a pilot drill bit that typically has a diameter between 1/8 and 3/16 in. (between about 3.2 and about 4.8 mm). The length of the pilot-drill section is chosen, according to the thickness of the object to be drilled and tapped, so that the pilot hole is completed before engagement of the first tap section. Provided that the cutting-edge geometry of the drill bit is optimized for the material to be drilled, only a relatively small axial force [typically of the order of a few pounds (of the order of 10 newtons)] must be applied during drilling of the pilot hole. Once the first tap section engages the pilot hole, it is no longer necessary for the drill operator to apply axial force: the thread engagement between the tap and the workpiece provides the axial force to advance the tool bit. Like the pilot-drill section, each tap section must be long enough to complete its hole before engagement of the next, slightly wider tap section. The precise values of the increments in diameter, the thread pitch, the rake angle of the tap cutting edge, and other geometric parameters of the tap sections must be chosen, in consideration of

A Clonal Lineage of Fusarium oxysporum Circulates in the Tap Water of Different French Hospitals

PubMed Central

Sautour, Marc; Gautheron, Nadine; Laurent, Julie; Aho, Serge; Bonnin, Alain; Sixt, Nathalie; Hartemann, Philippe; Dalle, Frédéric; Steinberg, Christian

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Fusarium oxysporum is typically a soilborne fungus but can also be found in aquatic environments. In hospitals, water distribution systems may be reservoirs for the fungi responsible for nosocomial infections. F. oxysporum was previously detected in the water distribution systems of five French hospitals. Sixty-eight isolates from water representative of all hospital units that were previously sampled and characterized by translation elongation factor 1α sequence typing were subjected to microsatellite analysis and full-length ribosomal intergenic spacer (IGS) sequence typing. All but three isolates shared common microsatellite loci and a common two-locus sequence type (ST). This ST has an international geographical distribution in both the water networks of hospitals and among clinical isolates. The ST dominant in water was not detected among 300 isolates of F. oxysporum that originated from surrounding soils. Further characterization of 15 isolates by vegetative compatibility testing allowed us to conclude that a clonal lineage of F. oxysporum circulates in the tap water of the different hospitals. IMPORTANCE We demonstrated that a clonal lineage of Fusarium oxysporum inhabits the water distribution systems of several French hospitals. This clonal lineage, which appears to be particularly adapted to water networks, represents a potential risk for human infection and raises questions about its worldwide distribution. PMID:27663024

Prevalence of pathogenic free-living amoeba and other protozoa in natural and communal piped tap water from Queen Elizabeth protected area, Uganda.

PubMed

Sente, Celsus; Erume, Joseph; Naigaga, Irene; Mulindwa, Julius; Ochwo, Sylvester; Magambo, Phillip Kimuda; Namara, Benigna Gabriela; Kato, Charles Drago; Sebyatika, George; Muwonge, Kevin; Ocaido, Michael

2016-08-03

Pathogenic water dwelling protozoa such as Acanthamoeba spp., Hartmannella spp., Naegleria spp., Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. are often responsible for devastating illnesses especially in children and immunocompromised individuals, yet their presence and prevalence in certain environment in sub-Saharan Africa is still unknown to most researchers, public health officials and medical practitioners. The objective of this study was to establish the presence and prevalence of pathogenic free-living amoeba (FLA), Cryptosporidium and Giardia in Queen Elizabeth Protected Area (QEPA). Samples were collected from communal taps and natural water sites in QEPA. Physical water parameters were measured in situ. The samples were processed to detect the presence of FLA trophozoites by xenic cultivation, Cryptosporidium oocysts by Ziehl-Neelsen stain and Giardia cysts by Zinc Sulphate floatation technique. Parasites were observed microscopically, identified, counted and recorded. For FLA, genomic DNA was extracted for amplification and sequencing. Both natural and tap water sources were contaminated with FLA, Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. All protozoan parasites were more abundant in the colder rainy season except for Harmannella spp. and Naegleria spp. which occurred more in the warmer months. The prevalence of all parasites was higher in tap water than in natural water samples. There was a strong negative correlation between the presence of Acanthamoeba spp., Hartmannella spp., Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. with Dissolved Oxygen (DO) (P < 0.05). The presence of Cryptosporidium spp. showed a significant positive correlation (P < 0.05) with conductivity, pH and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS); whereas the presence of Giardia spp. had only a strong positive correlation with TDS. Molecular genotyping of FLA produced 7 Acanthamoeba, 5 Echinamoeba, 2 Hartmannella, 1 Bodomorpha, 1 Nuclearia and 1 Cercomonas partial sequences. All water collection sites were

Lead and Copper Tap Sample Site Plan Instructions

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be used by public water systems in Wyoming and on EPA R8 Tribal Lands as a guide for how to properly complete their lead and copper tap sample site plans to comply with the Lead and Copper Rule.

Occurrence of immunosuppressive drugs and their metabolites in the sewage-impacted Vistula and Utrata Rivers and in tap water from the Warsaw region (Poland).

PubMed

Giebułtowicz, Joanna; Nałęcz-Jawecki, Grzegorz

2016-04-01

Immunosuppresive therapy following organ transplant frequently includes treatment with tacrolimus and mycophenolic acid derivatives. These pharmaceuticals may enter the environment through wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents and may have a potentially harmful effect on aquatic biota. Tacrolimus, mycophenolic acid and their metabolites were measured at specific points of a large Polish river (Vistula), a smaller river (Utrata) and in tap water samples from the Warsaw region. Analysis was performed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, after solid phase extraction for water samples, or QuEChERS extraction for sediments. Residues of tacrolimus were below quantitation limits in both water and sediment samples. However, in water samples mycophenolic acid concentrations were measured at up to 180 ng L(-1) downstream of WWTP outfalls. No immunosuppressive drugs were detected in tap water. Concentrations of mycophenolic acid exceeded the predicted no effect concentration (PNEC) value in some Polish surface water, and risk calculations predicted at least twice higher concentrations in some other countries of the European Union. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of these immunosuppressive drug concentrations in the environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biomechanical loading on the upper extremity increases from single key tapping to directional tapping.

PubMed

Qin, Jin; Trudeau, Matthieu; Katz, Jeffrey N; Buchholz, Bryan; Dennerlein, Jack T

2011-08-01

Musculoskeletal disorders associated with computer use span the joints of the upper extremity. Computing typically involves tapping in multiple directions. Thus, we sought to describe the loading on the finger, wrist, elbow and shoulder joints in terms of kinematic and kinetic difference across single key switch tapping to directional tapping on multiple keys. An experiment with repeated measures design was conducted. Six subjects tapped with their right index finger on a stand-alone number keypad placed horizontally in three conditions: (1) on single key switch (the number key 5); (2) left and right on number key 4 and 6; (3) top and bottom on number key 8 and 2. A force-torque transducer underneath the keypad measured the fingertip force. An active-marker infrared motion analysis system measured the kinematics of the fingertip, hand, forearm, upper arm and torso. Joint moments for the metacarpophalangeal, wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints were estimated using inverse dynamics. Tapping in the top-bottom orientation introduced the largest biomechanical loading on the upper extremity especially for the proximal joint, followed by tapping in the left-right orientation, and the lowest loading was observed during single key switch tapping. Directional tapping on average increased the fingertip force, joint excursion, and peak-to-peak joint torque by 45%, 190% and 55%, respectively. Identifying the biomechanical loading patterns associated with these fundamental movements of keying improves the understanding of the risks of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders for computer keyboard users. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

TAPS for Pupils

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Earle, Sarah

2018-01-01

By placing the Focused Assessment approach within the TAPS pyramid framework, schools are beginning to find a number of ways in which learning in science can be enhanced for pupils. The quotations in this article provide examples of the ways in which science subject leaders (SSL) describe the impact of TAPS on their pupils.

Water Works.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van De Walle, Carol

1988-01-01

Describes a two-day field trip, along with follow-up classroom activities and experiments which relate to water resources and water quality. Discusses how trips to a lake and water treatment facilities can enhance appreciation of water. (TW)

49 CFR 192.151 - Tapping.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Tapping. 192.151 Section 192.151 Transportation... BY PIPELINE: MINIMUM FEDERAL SAFETY STANDARDS Design of Pipeline Components § 192.151 Tapping. (a) Each mechanical fitting used to make a hot tap must be designed for at least the operating pressure of...

A Clonal Lineage of Fusarium oxysporum Circulates in the Tap Water of Different French Hospitals.

PubMed

Edel-Hermann, Véronique; Sautour, Marc; Gautheron, Nadine; Laurent, Julie; Aho, Serge; Bonnin, Alain; Sixt, Nathalie; Hartemann, Philippe; Dalle, Frédéric; Steinberg, Christian

2016-11-01

Fusarium oxysporum is typically a soilborne fungus but can also be found in aquatic environments. In hospitals, water distribution systems may be reservoirs for the fungi responsible for nosocomial infections. F. oxysporum was previously detected in the water distribution systems of five French hospitals. Sixty-eight isolates from water representative of all hospital units that were previously sampled and characterized by translation elongation factor 1α sequence typing were subjected to microsatellite analysis and full-length ribosomal intergenic spacer (IGS) sequence typing. All but three isolates shared common microsatellite loci and a common two-locus sequence type (ST). This ST has an international geographical distribution in both the water networks of hospitals and among clinical isolates. The ST dominant in water was not detected among 300 isolates of F. oxysporum that originated from surrounding soils. Further characterization of 15 isolates by vegetative compatibility testing allowed us to conclude that a clonal lineage of F. oxysporum circulates in the tap water of the different hospitals. We demonstrated that a clonal lineage of Fusarium oxysporum inhabits the water distribution systems of several French hospitals. This clonal lineage, which appears to be particularly adapted to water networks, represents a potential risk for human infection and raises questions about its worldwide distribution. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Eco-friendly LC-MS/MS method for analysis of multi-class micropollutants in tap, fountain, and well water from northern Portugal.

PubMed

Barbosa, Marta O; Ribeiro, Ana R; Pereira, Manuel F R; Silva, Adrián M T

2016-11-01

Organic micropollutants present in drinking water (DW) may cause adverse effects for public health, and so reliable analytical methods are required to detect these pollutants at trace levels in DW. This work describes the first green analytical methodology for multi-class determination of 21 pollutants in DW: seven pesticides, an industrial compound, 12 pharmaceuticals, and a metabolite (some included in Directive 2013/39/EU or Decision 2015/495/EU). A solid-phase extraction procedure followed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (offline SPE-UHPLC-MS/MS) method was optimized using eco-friendly solvents, achieving detection limits below 0.20 ng L -1 . The validated analytical method was successfully applied to DW samples from different sources (tap, fountain, and well waters) from different locations in the north of Portugal, as well as before and after bench-scale UV and ozonation experiments in spiked tap water samples. Thirteen compounds were detected, many of them not regulated yet, in the following order of frequency: diclofenac > norfluoxetine > atrazine > simazine > warfarin > metoprolol > alachlor > chlorfenvinphos > trimethoprim > clarithromycin ≈ carbamazepine ≈ PFOS > citalopram. Hazard quotients were also estimated for the quantified substances and suggested no adverse effects to humans. Graphical Abstract Occurrence and removal of multi-class micropollutants in drinking water, analyzed by an eco-friendly LC-MS/MS method.

Concentration of enteric viruses from tap water using an anion exchange resin-based method.

PubMed

Pérez-Méndez, A; Chandler, J C; Bisha, B; Goodridge, L D

2014-09-01

Detecting low concentrations of enteric viruses in water is needed for public health-related monitoring and control purposes. Thus, there is a need for sensitive, rapid and cost effective enteric viral concentration methods compatible with downstream molecular detection. Here, a virus concentration method based on adsorption of the virus to an anion exchange resin and direct isolation of nucleic acids is presented. Ten liter samples of tap water spiked with different concentrations (10-10,000 TCID50/10 L) of human adenovirus 40 (HAdV-40), hepatitis A virus (HAV) or rotavirus (RV) were concentrated and detected by real time PCR or real time RT-PCR. This method improved viral detection compared to direct testing of spiked water samples where the ΔCt was 12.1 for AdV-40 and 4.3 for HAV. Direct detection of RV in water was only possible for one of the three replicates tested (Ct of 37), but RV detection was improved using the resin method (all replicates tested positive with an average Ct of 30, n=3). The limit of detection of the method was 10 TCID50/10 L for HAdV-40 and HAV, and 100 TCID50/10 L of water for RV. These results compare favorably with detection limits reported for more expensive and laborious methods. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The impacts of irrigation with transferred and saline reclaimed water in the soil biological quality of two citrus species: Adaptations to low water availability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bastida, Felipe; Abadía, Joaquín; García, Carlos; Torres, Irene; Ruiz Navarro, Antonio; José Alarcón, Juan; Nicolás, Emilio

2017-04-01

Mediterranean agroecosystems are limited by the availability of water and hence it is fundamental to find new water sources for sustainable agriculture in the face of climate change. Here, the effects of irrigation with water from different sources were analyzed in the soil microbial community and plant status of grapefruit and mandarin trees in a Mediterranean agro-ecosystem located in south-east of Spain. Four irrigation treatments were evaluated: i) water with an average electrical conductivity (EC) of 1.1 dS m-1 from the "Tagus-Segura" water-transfer canal (TW); ii) reclaimed water (EC = 3.21 dS m-1) from a wastewater-treatment-plant (RW); iii) irrigation with TW, except in the second stage of fruit development, when RW was applied (TWc); and iv) irrigation with RW except in the second stage, when TW was used (RWc). Phospholipid fatty acids indicated that microbial biomass was greater under grapefruit than under mandarin. In the case of grapefruit, TW showed a lower bacterial biomass than RW, RWc, and TWc, while RW showed the lowest values in the mandarin soil. In grapefruit soil, β-glucosidase and cellobiohydrolase activities, related to C cycling, were greater in RW and TWc than in TW and RWc. In mandarin soil, the greatest activity of these enzymes was found in TWc. The saline stress induced lower net photosynthesis (A) and stomatal conductance (gs) in plants of RW, RWc and TWc in comparison with TW. The annual use of reclaimed water or the combined irrigation with TWc positively influenced the soil biological quality of a grapefruit agro-ecosystem. Conversely, the mandarin soil community was more sensitive to the annual irrigation with RW.

Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy and Coronagraphic Imaging of the TW Hydrae Circumstellar Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberge, Aki; Weinberger, Alycia J.; Malumuth, Eliot M.

2005-04-01

We present the first spatially resolved spectrum of scattered light from the TW Hydrae protoplanetary disk. This nearly face-on disk is optically thick, surrounding a classical T Tauri star in the nearby 10 Myr old TW Hya association. The spectrum was taken with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) STIS CCD, providing resolution R~360 over the wavelength range 5250-10300 Å. Spatially resolved spectroscopy of circumstellar disks is difficult because of the high contrast ratio between the bright star and faint disk. Our novel observations provide optical spectra of scattered light from the disk between 40 and 155 AU from the star. The scattered light has the same color as the star (gray scattering) at all radii except the innermost region. This likely indicates that the scattering dust grains are larger than about 1 μm all the way out to large radii. From the spectroscopic data, we also obtained radial profiles of the integrated disk brightness at two position angles, over almost the same region as previously observed in HST WFPC2 and NICMOS coronagraphic images (35 to 173 AU from the star). The profiles have the same shape as the earlier ones, but show a small azimuthal asymmetry in the disk not previously noted. Our STIS broadband coronagraphic images of TW Hya confirm the reality of this asymmetry, and show that the disk surface brightness inside 140 AU has a sinusoidal dependence on azimuthal angle. The maximum brightness occurs at a position angle of 233.6d+/-5.7d east of north. This might be caused by the combination of forward scattering and an increase in inclination in the inner region of the disk, suggesting that the TW Hya disk has a warp like that seen in the β Pictoris debris disk.

Citizen science shows systematic changes in the temperature difference between air and inland waters with global warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weyhenmeyer, Gesa A.; Mackay, Murray; Stockwell, Jason D.; Thiery, Wim; Grossart, Hans-Peter; Augusto-Silva, Pétala B.; Baulch, Helen M.; de Eyto, Elvira; Hejzlar, Josef; Kangur, Külli; Kirillin, Georgiy; Pierson, Don C.; Rusak, James A.; Sadro, Steven; Woolway, R. Iestyn

2017-03-01

Citizen science projects have a long history in ecological studies. The research usefulness of such projects is dependent on applying simple and standardized methods. Here, we conducted a citizen science project that involved more than 3500 Swedish high school students to examine the temperature difference between surface water and the overlying air (Tw-Ta) as a proxy for sensible heat flux (QH). If QH is directed upward, corresponding to positive Tw-Ta, it can enhance CO2 and CH4 emissions from inland waters, thereby contributing to increased greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. The students found mostly negative Tw-Ta across small ponds, lakes, streams/rivers and the sea shore (i.e. downward QH), with Tw-Ta becoming increasingly negative with increasing Ta. Further examination of Tw-Ta using high-frequency temperature data from inland waters across the globe confirmed that Tw-Ta is linearly related to Ta. Using the longest available high-frequency temperature time series from Lake Erken, Sweden, we found a rapid increase in the occasions of negative Tw-Ta with increasing annual mean Ta since 1989. From these results, we can expect that ongoing and projected global warming will result in increasingly negative Tw-Ta, thereby reducing CO2 and CH4 transfer velocities from inland waters into the atmosphere.

Postoperative socket irrigation with drinking tap water reduces the risk of inflammatory complications following surgical removal of third molars: a multicenter randomized trial.

PubMed

Ghaeminia, H; Hoppenreijs, Th J M; Xi, T; Fennis, J P; Maal, T J; Bergé, S J; Meijer, G J

2017-01-01

The primary aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of postoperative irrigation of the socket with drinking tap water on inflammatory complications following lower third molar removal. A multicenter randomized controlled trial was carried out from June 2013 to June 2014. In one arm of the study, patients were instructed to irrigate the tooth socket and surgical site with a Monoject® Curved 412 Tip Syringe (Tyco/healthcare-Kendall, Mansfield, MA, USA) with tap water. In a second arm of the study, the standard postoperative instructions did not include irrigation instructions. The incidences of alveolar osteitis and wound infection were recorded for each group and analyzed by the Fisher's exact test. A total of 280 patients with 333 mandibular third molars were analyzed. According to the intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis, inflammatory complications occurred in 18 cases in the Monoject® group (11.4 %) compared to 34 cases (19.1 %) in the control group (p = 0.04). These complications were associated with significant worse outcomes regarding quality of life, pain, and trismus and caused significantly more missed days of work or study. Female gender, age >26, bone removal, deep impacted third molars, less experienced surgeons, and a high amount of debris at the surgical site were also identified as risk factors for developing inflammatory complications following lower third molar removal. Irrigation of the surgical site with drinking tap water using a curved syringe following removal of third molars is effective in reducing the risk of inflammatory complications. Water is a very accessible, cost-effective irrigant without side effects and the results from this study have proven that it can be used to reduce the risk of inflammatory complications and associated morbidity following lower third molar removal.

When urban taps run dry: Sachet water consumption and health effects in low income neighborhoods of Accra, Ghana

PubMed Central

Stoler, Justin; Fink, Günther; Weeks, John R.; Otoo, Richard Appiah; Ampofo, Joseph A.; Hill, Allan G.

2011-01-01

Intraurban differentials in safe drinking water in developing cities have been exacerbated by rapid population growth that exceeds expansion of local water infrastructure. In Accra, Ghana, municipal water is rationed to meet demand, and the gap in water services is increasingly being filled by private water vendors selling packaged “sachet” water. Sachets extend drinking water coverage deeper into low-income areas and alleviate the need for safe water storage, potentially introducing a health benefit over stored tap water. We explore correlates of using sachets as the primary drinking water source for 2,093 women in 37 census areas classified as slums by UN-Habitat, and links between sachet water and reported diarrhea episodes in a subset of 810 children under five. We find that neighborhood rationing exerts a strong effect on a household's likelihood of buying sachet water, and that sachet customers tend to be the poorest of the poor. Sachet use is also associated with higher levels of self-reported overall health in women, and lower likelihood of diarrhea in children. We conclude with implications for sachet regulation in Accra and other sub-Saharan cities facing drinking water shortages. PMID:22018970

"Bottled or Tap?" A Controversy for Science, Economics, and Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lapham, Steven S.

2009-01-01

Every year, Americans spend billions of dollars on bottled water. They purchase a bottle from the vending machine or buy a case at the grocery, no longer considering the water that's freely available from their taps. As consumers and as citizens, however, Americans should pause to study the personal and public consequences of this choice. In this…

Biofilm Composition and Threshold Concentration for Growth of Legionella pneumophila on Surfaces Exposed to Flowing Warm Tap Water without Disinfectant

PubMed Central

Bakker, Geo L.; Italiaander, Ronald; Veenendaal, Harm R.; Wullings, Bart A.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Legionella pneumophila in potable water installations poses a potential health risk, but quantitative information about its replication in biofilms in relation to water quality is scarce. Therefore, biofilm formation on the surfaces of glass and chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) in contact with tap water at 34 to 39°C was investigated under controlled hydraulic conditions in a model system inoculated with biofilm-grown L. pneumophila. The biofilm on glass (average steady-state concentration, 23 ± 9 pg ATP cm−2) exposed to treated aerobic groundwater (0.3 mg C liter−1; 1 μg assimilable organic carbon [AOC] liter−1) did not support growth of the organism, which also disappeared from the biofilm on CPVC (49 ± 9 pg ATP cm−2) after initial growth. L. pneumophila attained a level of 4.3 log CFU cm−2 in the biofilms on glass (1,055 ± 225 pg ATP cm−2) and CPVC (2,755 ± 460 pg ATP cm−2) exposed to treated anaerobic groundwater (7.9 mg C liter−1; 10 μg AOC liter−1). An elevated biofilm concentration and growth of L. pneumophila were also observed with tap water from the laboratory. The Betaproteobacteria Piscinibacter and Methyloversatilis and amoeba-resisting Alphaproteobacteria predominated in the clones and isolates retrieved from the biofilms. In the biofilms, the Legionella colony count correlated significantly with the total cell count (TCC), heterotrophic plate count, ATP concentration, and presence of Vermamoeba vermiformis. This amoeba was rarely detected at biofilm concentrations of <100 pg ATP cm−2. A threshold concentration of approximately 50 pg ATP cm−2 (TCC = 1 × 106 to 2 × 106 cells cm−2) was derived for growth of L. pneumophila in biofilms. IMPORTANCE Legionella pneumophila is the etiologic agent in more than 10,000 cases of Legionnaires' disease that are reported annually worldwide and in most of the drinking water-associated disease outbreaks reported in the United States. The organism proliferates in biofilms

Biofilm Composition and Threshold Concentration for Growth of Legionella pneumophila on Surfaces Exposed to Flowing Warm Tap Water without Disinfectant.

PubMed

van der Kooij, Dick; Bakker, Geo L; Italiaander, Ronald; Veenendaal, Harm R; Wullings, Bart A

2017-03-01

Legionella pneumophila in potable water installations poses a potential health risk, but quantitative information about its replication in biofilms in relation to water quality is scarce. Therefore, biofilm formation on the surfaces of glass and chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) in contact with tap water at 34 to 39°C was investigated under controlled hydraulic conditions in a model system inoculated with biofilm-grown L. pneumophila The biofilm on glass (average steady-state concentration, 23 ± 9 pg ATP cm -2 ) exposed to treated aerobic groundwater (0.3 mg C liter -1 ; 1 μg assimilable organic carbon [AOC] liter -1 ) did not support growth of the organism, which also disappeared from the biofilm on CPVC (49 ± 9 pg ATP cm -2 ) after initial growth. L. pneumophila attained a level of 4.3 log CFU cm -2 in the biofilms on glass (1,055 ± 225 pg ATP cm -2 ) and CPVC (2,755 ± 460 pg ATP cm -2 ) exposed to treated anaerobic groundwater (7.9 mg C liter -1 ; 10 μg AOC liter -1 ). An elevated biofilm concentration and growth of L. pneumophila were also observed with tap water from the laboratory. The Betaproteobacteria Piscinibacter and Methyloversatilis and amoeba-resisting Alphaproteobacteria predominated in the clones and isolates retrieved from the biofilms. In the biofilms, the Legionella colony count correlated significantly with the total cell count (TCC), heterotrophic plate count, ATP concentration, and presence of Vermamoeba vermiformis This amoeba was rarely detected at biofilm concentrations of <100 pg ATP cm -2 A threshold concentration of approximately 50 pg ATP cm -2 (TCC = 1 × 10 6 to 2 × 10 6 cells cm -2 ) was derived for growth of L. pneumophila in biofilms. IMPORTANCE Legionella pneumophila is the etiologic agent in more than 10,000 cases of Legionnaires' disease that are reported annually worldwide and in most of the drinking water-associated disease outbreaks reported in the United States. The organism proliferates in biofilms on surfaces

A new grafting technique for tympanoplasty: tympanoplasty with a boomerang-shaped chondroperichondrial graft (TwBSCPG).

PubMed

Dündar, Rıza; Soy, Fatih Kemal; Kulduk, Erkan; Muluk, Nuray Bayar; Cingi, Cemal

2014-10-01

The aim of this study was to introduce a new grafting technique in tympanoplasty that involves use of a boomerang-shaped chondroperichondrial graft (BSCPG). The anatomical and functional results were evaluated. A new tympanoplasty with boomerang-shaped chondroperichondrial graft (TwBSCPG) technique was used in 99 chronic otitis media patients with central or marginal perforation of the tympanic membrane and a normal middle ear mucosa. All 99 patients received chondroperichondrial cartilage grafts with a boomerang-shaped cartilage island left at the anterior and inferior parts. Postoperative follow-ups were conducted at months 1, 6, and 12. Preoperative and postoperative audiological examinations were performed and air-bone gaps were calculated according to the pure-tone averages (PTAs) of the patients. In the preoperative period, most (83.8%) air-bone gaps were ≥ 16 dB; after operating using the TwBSCPG technique, the air-bone gaps decreased to 0-10 dB in most patients (77.8%). In the TwBSCPG patients, the mean preoperative air-bone gap was 22.02 ± 6.74 dB SPL. Postoperatively, the mean postoperative air-bone gap was 8.70 ± 5.74 dB SPL. The TwBSCPG technique therefore decreased the postoperative air-bone gap compared to that preoperatively (p = 0.000, z = -8.645). At the 1-month follow-up, there were six graft perforations and one graft retraction. At the 6-month follow-up, there were nine graft perforations and three graft retractions. At 12 months, there were seven graft perforations and four graft retractions. During the first year after the boomerang tympanoplasty surgery, graft lateralization was not detected in any patient. Retractions were grade 1 according to the Sade classification and were localized to the postero-superior quadrant of the tympanic membrane. The TwBSCPG technique has benefits with respect to postoperative anatomical and audiological results. It prevents perforation of the tympanic membrane at the anterior quadrant and avoids graft

Lead and tap water

MedlinePlus

... EPA) to set and enforce standards to protect public drinking water systems. The Agency requires water suppliers to produce annual water quality reports. These reports include information about lead amounts. The reports are available to ...

Potential aquaculture probiont Lactococcus lactis TW34 produces nisin Z and inhibits the fish pathogen Lactococcus garvieae.

PubMed

Sequeiros, Cynthia; Garcés, Marisa E; Vallejo, Marisol; Marguet, Emilio R; Olivera, Nelda L

2015-04-01

Bacteriocin-producing Lactococcus lactis TW34 was isolated from marine fish. TW34 bacteriocin inhibited the growth of the fish pathogen Lactococcus garvieae at 5 AU/ml (minimum inhibitory concentration), whereas the minimum bactericidal concentration was 10 AU/ml. Addition of TW34 bacteriocin to L. garvieae cultures resulted in a decrease of six orders of magnitude of viable cells counts demonstrating a bactericidal mode of action. The direct detection of the bacteriocin activity by Tricine-SDS-PAGE showed an active peptide with a molecular mass ca. 4.5 kDa. The analysis by MALDI-TOF-MS detected a strong signal at m/z 2,351.2 that corresponded to the nisin leader peptide mass without the initiating methionine, whose sequence STKDFNLDLVSVSKKDSGASPR was confirmed by MS/MS. Sequence analysis of nisin structural gene confirmed that L. lactis TW34 was a nisin Z producer. This nisin Z-producing strain with probiotic properties might be considered as an alternative in the prevention of lactococcosis, a global disease in aquaculture systems.

Spontaneous eye blinks are entrained by finger tapping.

PubMed

Cong, D-K; Sharikadze, M; Staude, G; Deubel, H; Wolf, W

2010-02-01

We studied the mutual cross-talk between spontaneous eye blinks and continuous, self-paced unimanual and bimanual tapping. Both types of motor activities were analyzed with regard to their time-structure in synchronization-continuation tapping tasks which involved different task instructions, namely "standard" finger tapping (Experiment 1), "strong" tapping (Experiment 2) requiring more forceful finger movements, and "impulse-like" tapping (Experiment 3) where upward-downward finger movements had to be very fast. In a further control condition (Experiment 4), tapping was omitted altogether. The results revealed a prominent entrainment of spontaneous blink behavior by the manual tapping, with bimanual tapping being more effective than unimanual tapping, and with the "strong" and "impulse-like" tapping showing the largest effects on blink timing. Conversely, we found no significant effects of the tapping on the timing of the eye blinks across all experiments. The findings suggest a functional overlap of the motor control structures responsible for voluntary, rhythmic finger movements and eye blinking behavior.

Rapid detection of total and viable Legionella pneumophila in tap water by immunomagnetic separation, double fluorescent staining and flow cytometry.

PubMed

Keserue, Hans-Anton; Baumgartner, Andreas; Felleisen, Richard; Egli, Thomas

2012-11-01

We developed a rapid detection method for Legionella pneumophila (Lp) by filtration, immunomagnetic separation, double fluorescent staining, and flow cytometry (IMS-FCM method). The method requires 120 min and can discriminate 'viable' and 'membrane-damaged' cells. The recovery is over 85% of spiked Lp SG 1 cells in 1 l of tap water and detection limits are around 50 and 15 cells per litre for total and viable Lp, respectively. The method was compared using water samples from house installations in a blind study with three environmental laboratories performing the ISO 11731 plating method. In 53% of the water samples from different taps and showers significantly higher concentrations of Lp were detected by flow cytometry. No correlation to the plate culture method was found. Since also 'viable but not culturable' (VNBC) cells are detected by our method, this result was expected. The IMS-FCM method is limited by the specificity of the used antibodies; in the presented case they target Lp serogroups 1-12. This and the fact that no Lp-containing amoebae are detected may explain why in 21% of all samples higher counts were observed using the plate culture method. Though the IMS-FCM method is not yet fit to completely displace the established plating method (ISO 11731) for routine Lp monitoring, it has major advantages to plating and can quickly provide important insights into the ecology of this pathogen in water distribution systems. © 2012 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology © 2012 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

11. Detail of Bed Plate Showing Name of Manufacturer (T.W. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

11. Detail of Bed Plate Showing Name of Manufacturer (T.W. Phillips Manufacturing Co.), Looking Southwest - Heckert Oil Pumping Jack, 0.6 mile North of Connoquenessing Creek, 0.15 mile East of Powder Mill Creek, Renfrew, Butler County, PA

Redshifted X-rays from the material accreting onto TW Hydrae: Evidence of a low-latitude accretion spot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Argiroffi, C.; Drake, J. J.; Bonito, R.; Orlando, S.; Peres, G.; Miceli, M.

2017-10-01

Context. High resolution spectroscopy, providing constraints on plasma motions and temperatures, is a powerful means to investigate the structure of accretion streams in classical T Tauri stars (CTTS). In particular, the accretion shock region, where the accreting material is heated to temperatures of a few million degrees as it continues its inward bulk motion, can be probed by X-ray spectroscopy. Aims: In an attempt to detect for the first time the motion of this X-ray-emitting post-shock material, we searched for a Doppler shift in the deep Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating observation of the CTTS TW Hya. This test should unveil the nature of this X-ray emitting plasma component in CTTS and constrain the accretion stream geometry. Methods: We searched for a Doppler shift in the X-ray emission from TW Hya with two different methods: by measuring the position of a selected sample of emission lines and by fitting the whole TW Hya X-ray spectrum, allowing the line-of-sight velocity to vary. Results: We found that the plasma at T 2 - 4 MK has a line-of-sight velocity of 38.3 ± 5.1 km s-1 with respect to the stellar photosphere. This result definitively confirms that this X-ray-emitting material originates in the post-shock region, at the base of the accretion stream, and not in coronal structures. The comparison of the observed velocity along the line of sight, 38.3 ± 5.1 km s-1, with the inferred intrinsic velocity of the post shock of TW Hya, vpost ≈ 110 - 120 km s-1, indicates that the footpoints of the accretion streams on TW Hya are located at low latitudes on the stellar surface. Conclusions: Our results indicate that complex magnetic field geometries, such as those of TW Hya, permit low-latitude accretion spots. Moreover, since on TW Hya the redshift of the soft X-ray emission is very similar to that of the narrow component of the C iv resonance doublet at 1550 Å, then the plasma at 2 - 4 MK and that at 0.1 MK likely originate in the same post

Citizen science shows systematic changes in the temperature difference between air and inland waters with global warming

PubMed Central

Weyhenmeyer, Gesa A.; Mackay, Murray; Stockwell, Jason D.; Thiery, Wim; Grossart, Hans-Peter; Augusto-Silva, Pétala B.; Baulch, Helen M.; de Eyto, Elvira; Hejzlar, Josef; Kangur, Külli; Kirillin, Georgiy; Pierson, Don C.; Rusak, James A.; Sadro, Steven; Woolway, R. Iestyn

2017-01-01

Citizen science projects have a long history in ecological studies. The research usefulness of such projects is dependent on applying simple and standardized methods. Here, we conducted a citizen science project that involved more than 3500 Swedish high school students to examine the temperature difference between surface water and the overlying air (Tw-Ta) as a proxy for sensible heat flux (QH). If QH is directed upward, corresponding to positive Tw-Ta, it can enhance CO2 and CH4 emissions from inland waters, thereby contributing to increased greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. The students found mostly negative Tw-Ta across small ponds, lakes, streams/rivers and the sea shore (i.e. downward QH), with Tw-Ta becoming increasingly negative with increasing Ta. Further examination of Tw-Ta using high-frequency temperature data from inland waters across the globe confirmed that Tw-Ta is linearly related to Ta. Using the longest available high-frequency temperature time series from Lake Erken, Sweden, we found a rapid increase in the occasions of negative Tw-Ta with increasing annual mean Ta since 1989. From these results, we can expect that ongoing and projected global warming will result in increasingly negative Tw-Ta, thereby reducing CO2 and CH4 transfer velocities from inland waters into the atmosphere. PMID:28262715

Lower extremity kinetics in tap dance.

PubMed

Mayers, Lester; Bronner, Shaw; Agraharasamakulam, Sujani; Ojofeitimi, Sheyi

2010-01-01

Tap dance is a unique performing art utilizing the lower extremities as percussion instruments. In a previous study these authors reported decreased injury prevalence among tap dancers compared to other dance and sports participants. No biomechanical analyses of tap dance exist to explain this finding. The purpose of the current pilot study was to provide a preliminary overview of normative peak kinetic and kinematic data, based on the hypothesis that tap dance generates relatively low ground reaction forces and joint forces and moments. Six professional tap dancers performed four common tap dance sequences that produced data captured by the use of a force platform and a five-camera motion analysis system. The mean vertical ground reaction force for all sequences was found to be 2.06+/-0.55 BW. Mean peak sagittal, frontal, and transverse plane joint moments (hip, knee, and ankle) ranged from 0.07 to 2.62 N.m/kg. These small ground reaction forces and joint forces and moments support our hypothesis, and may explain the relatively low injury incidence in tap dancers. Nevertheless, the analysis is highly complex, and other factors remain to be studied and clarified.

Entry of Yersinia pestis into the viable but nonculturable state in a low-temperature tap water microcosm.

PubMed

Pawlowski, David R; Metzger, Daniel J; Raslawsky, Amy; Howlett, Amy; Siebert, Gretchen; Karalus, Richard J; Garrett, Stephanie; Whitehouse, Chris A

2011-03-16

Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, has caused several pandemics throughout history and remains endemic in the rodent populations of the western United States. More recently, Y. pestis is one of several bacterial pathogens considered to be a potential agent of bioterrorism. Thus, elucidating potential mechanisms of survival and persistence in the environment would be important in the event of an intentional release of the organism. One such mechanism is entry into the viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state, as has been demonstrated for several other bacterial pathogens. In this study, we showed that Y. pestis became nonculturable by normal laboratory methods after 21 days in a low-temperature tap water microcosm. We further show evidence that, after the loss of culturability, the cells remained viable by using a variety of criteria, including cellular membrane integrity, uptake and incorporation of radiolabeled amino acids, and protection of genomic DNA from DNase I digestion. Additionally, we identified morphological and ultrastructural characteristics of Y. pestis VBNC cells, such as cell rounding and large periplasmic spaces, by electron microscopy, which are consistent with entry into the VBNC state in other bacteria. Finally, we demonstrated resuscitation of a small number of the non-culturable cells. This study provides compelling evidence that Y. pestis persists in a low-temperature tap water microcosm in a viable state yet is unable to be cultured under normal laboratory conditions, which may prove useful in risk assessment and remediation efforts, particularly in the event of an intentional release of this organism.

Entry of Yersinia pestis into the Viable but Nonculturable State in a Low-Temperature Tap Water Microcosm

PubMed Central

Pawlowski, David R.; Metzger, Daniel J.; Raslawsky, Amy; Howlett, Amy; Siebert, Gretchen; Karalus, Richard J.; Garrett, Stephanie; Whitehouse, Chris A.

2011-01-01

Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, has caused several pandemics throughout history and remains endemic in the rodent populations of the western United States. More recently, Y. pestis is one of several bacterial pathogens considered to be a potential agent of bioterrorism. Thus, elucidating potential mechanisms of survival and persistence in the environment would be important in the event of an intentional release of the organism. One such mechanism is entry into the viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state, as has been demonstrated for several other bacterial pathogens. In this study, we showed that Y. pestis became nonculturable by normal laboratory methods after 21 days in a low-temperature tap water microcosm. We further show evidence that, after the loss of culturability, the cells remained viable by using a variety of criteria, including cellular membrane integrity, uptake and incorporation of radiolabeled amino acids, and protection of genomic DNA from DNase I digestion. Additionally, we identified morphological and ultrastructural characteristics of Y. pestis VBNC cells, such as cell rounding and large periplasmic spaces, by electron microscopy, which are consistent with entry into the VBNC state in other bacteria. Finally, we demonstrated resuscitation of a small number of the non-culturable cells. This study provides compelling evidence that Y. pestis persists in a low-temperature tap water microcosm in a viable state yet is unable to be cultured under normal laboratory conditions, which may prove useful in risk assessment and remediation efforts, particularly in the event of an intentional release of this organism. PMID:21436885

An Environmental Friendly Procedure for Photometric Determination of Hypochlorite in Tap Water Employing a Miniaturized Multicommuted Flow Analysis Setup

PubMed Central

Borges, Sivanildo S.; Reis, Boaventura F.

2011-01-01

A photometric procedure for the determination of ClO− in tap water employing a miniaturized multicommuted flow analysis setup and an LED-based photometer is described. The analytical procedure was implemented using leucocrystal violet (LCV; 4,4′,4′′-methylidynetris (N,N-dimethylaniline), C25H31N3) as a chromogenic reagent. Solenoid micropumps employed for solutions propelling were assembled together with the photometer in order to compose a compact unit of small dimensions. After control variables optimization, the system was applied for the determination of ClO− in samples of tap water, and aiming accuracy assessment samples were also analyzed using an independent method. Applying the paired t-test between results obtained using both methods, no significant difference at the 95% confidence level was observed. Other useful features include low reagent consumption, 2.4 μg of LCV per determination, a linear response ranging from 0.02 up to 2.0 mg L−1  ClO−, a relative standard deviation of 1.0% (n = 11) for samples containing 0.2 mg L−1  ClO−, a detection limit of 6.0 μg L−1  ClO−, a sampling throughput of 84 determinations per hour, and a waste generation of 432 μL per determination. PMID:21747732

Self-advancing step-tap tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pettit, Donald R. (Inventor); Penner, Ronald K. (Inventor); Franklin, Larry D. (Inventor); Camarda, Charles J. (Inventor)

2008-01-01

Methods and tool for simultaneously forming a bore in a work piece and forming a series of threads in said bore. In an embodiment, the tool has a predetermined axial length, a proximal end, and a distal end, said tool comprising: a shank located at said proximal end; a pilot drill portion located at said distal end; and a mill portion intermediately disposed between said shank and said pilot drill portion. The mill portion is comprised of at least two drill-tap sections of predetermined axial lengths and at least one transition section of predetermined axial length, wherein each of said at least one transition section is sandwiched between a distinct set of two of said at least two drill-tap sections. The at least two drill-tap sections are formed of one or more drill-tap cutting teeth spirally increasing along said at least two drill-tap sections, wherein said tool is self-advanced in said work piece along said formed threads, and wherein said tool simultaneously forms said bore and said series of threads along a substantially similar longitudinal axis.

Gaining Momentum, Losing Ground. Tapping America's Potential (TAP) Progress Report, 2008. Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tapping America's Potential, 2008

2008-01-01

In July 2005, Business Roundtable and fifteen of America's most prominent business organizations--Tapping America's Potential, the TAP coalition--issued a report stating that "one of the pillars of American economic prosperity--U.S. scientific and technological superiority--is beginning to atrophy even as other nations are developing their own…

Analysis of black fungal biofilms occurring at domestic water taps. II: potential routes of entry.

PubMed

Heinrichs, Guido; Hübner, Iris; Schmidt, Carsten K; de Hoog, G Sybren; Haase, Gerhard

2013-06-01

Formation of tenacious and massive black biofilms was occasionally observed at the water-air interphase of water taps and in associated habitats at several locations in Germany. Exophiala lecanii-corni was proven to be the dominant component of these biofilms. Water utility companies were interested to understand by which route fungi building these black biofilms enter their habitat at affected sites in domestic sanitary. A wide variety of fungi is known to be common in wet indoor environments, as well as in the drinking water resources. Two possible routes of entry are therefore considered as follows: (a) distribution by the drinking water system or (b) a retrograde route of colonisation. Previous compositional analysis revealed that the black constituents of biofilms primarily belong to the herpotrichiellaceous black yeast and relatives. Therefore, a systematic search for black fungi in the drinking water system was performed using Sabouraud's glucose agar medium with chloramphenicol and erythritol-chloramphenicol agar as isolation media. Cadophora malorum was the dominant fungus in the investigated drinking water systems, and samples taken from the house connections (n = 50; 74 %, <200 cfu/L), followed by a so far undescribed Alternaria sp. (28 %; <10 cfu/L) and E. castellanii (26 %; <10 cfu/L). Of note, C. malorum was not present in any previously analysed biofilm. Since E. lecanii-corni was not found in any water sample from the distribution system tested, but represented the most abundant species in dark biofilms previously analysed, a retrograde route of contamination in case of E. lecanii-corni can be assumed.

Traffic Aware Planner (TAP) Flight Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maris, John M.; Haynes, Mark A.; Wing, David J.; Burke, Kelly A.; Henderson, Jeff; Woods, Sharon E.

2014-01-01

NASA's Traffic Aware Planner (TAP) is a cockpit decision support tool that has the potential to achieve significant fuel and time savings when it is embedded in the data-rich Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) airspace. To address a key step towards the operational deployment of TAP and the NASA concept of Traffic Aware Strategic Aircrew Requests (TASAR), a system evaluation was conducted in a representative flight environment in November, 2013. Numerous challenges were overcome to achieve this goal, including the porting of the foundational Autonomous Operations Planner (AOP) software from its original simulation-based, avionics-embedded environment to an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) platform. A flight-test aircraft was modified to host the EFB, the TAP application, an Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) processor, and a satellite broadband datalink. Nine Evaluation Pilots conducted 26 hours of TAP assessments using four route profiles in the complex eastern and north-eastern United States airspace. Extensive avionics and video data were collected, supplemented by comprehensive inflight and post-flight questionnaires. TAP was verified to function properly in the live avionics and ADS-B environment, characterized by recorded data dropouts, latency, and ADS-B message fluctuations. Twelve TAP-generated optimization requests were submitted to ATC, of which nine were approved, and all of which resulted in fuel and/or time savings. Analysis of subjective workload data indicated that pilot interaction with TAP during flight operations did not induce additional cognitive loading. Additionally, analyses of post-flight questionnaire data showed that the pilots perceived TAP to be useful, understandable, intuitive, and easy to use. All program objectives were met, and the next phase of TAP development and evaluations with partner airlines is in planning for 2015.

Enterocin TW21, a novel bacteriocin from dochi-isolated Enterococcus faecium D081821.

PubMed

Chang, S-Y; Chen, Y-S; Pan, S-F; Lee, Y-S; Chang, C-H; Chang, C-H; Yu, B; Wu, H-C

2013-09-01

Purification and characterization of a novel bacteriocin produced by strain Enterococcus faecium D081821. Enterococcus faecium D081821, isolated from the traditional Taiwanese fermented food dochi (fermented black beans), was previously found to produce a bacteriocin against Listeria monocytogenes and some Gram-positive bacteria. This bacteriocin, termed enterocin TW21, was purified from culture supernatant by ammonium sulfate precipitation, Sep-Pak C18 cartridge, ion-exchange and gel filtration chromatography. Mass spectrometry analysis showed the mass of the peptide to be approximately 5300·6 Da. The N-terminal amino acid sequencing yielded a partial sequence NH2 -ATYYGNGVYxNTQK by Edman degradation, and it contains the consensus class IIa bacteriocin motif YGNGV in the N-terminal region. The open reading frame (ORF) encoding the bacteriocin was identified from the draft genome sequence of Enterococcus faecium D081821, and sequence analysis of this peptide indicated that enterocin TW21 is a novel bacteriocin. Enterococcus faecium D081821 produced a bacteriocin named enterocin TW21, the molecular weight and amino acid sequence both revealed it to be a novel bacteriocin. A new member of class IIa bacteriocin was identified. This bacteriocin shows great inhibitory ability against L. monocytogenes and could be applied as a natural food preservative. © 2013 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

The efficiency of the heat pump water heater, during DHW tapping cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gużda, Arkadiusz; Szmolke, Norbert

2017-10-01

This paper discusses one of the most effective systems for domestic hot water (DHW) production based on air-source heat pump with an integrated tank. The operating principle of the heat pump is described in detail. Moreover, there is an account of experimental set-up and results of the measurements. In the experimental part, measurements were conducted with the aim of determining the energy parameters and measures of the economic efficiency related to the presented solution. The measurements that were conducted are based on the tapping cycle that is similar to the recommended one in EN-16147 standard. The efficiency of the air source heat pump during the duration of the experiment was 2.43. In the end of paper, authors conducted a simplified ecological analysis in order to determine the influence of operation of air-source heat pump with integrated tank on the environment. Moreover the compression with the different source of energy (gas boiler with closed combustion chamber and boiler fired by the coal) was conducted. The heat pump is the ecological friendly source of the energy.

Changes in river water temperature between 1980 and 2012 in Yongan watershed, eastern China: Magnitude, drivers and models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Dingjiang; Hu, Minpeng; Guo, Yi; Dahlgren, Randy A.

2016-02-01

Climate warming is expected to have major impacts on river water quality, water column/hyporheic zone biogeochemistry and aquatic ecosystems. A quantitative understanding of spatio-temporal air (Ta) and water (Tw) temperature dynamics is required to guide river management and to facilitate adaptations to climate change. This study determined the magnitude, drivers and models for increasing Tw in three river segments of the Yongan watershed in eastern China. Over the 1980-2012 period, Tw in the watershed increased by 0.029-0.046 °C yr-1 due to a ∼0.050 °C yr-1 increase of Ta and changes in local human activities (e.g., increasing developed land and population density and decreasing forest area). A standardized multiple regression model was developed for predicting annual Tw (R2 = 0.88-0.91) and identifying/partitioning the impact of the principal drivers on increasing Tw:Ta (76 ± 1%), local human activities (14 ± 2%), and water discharge (10 ± 1%). After normalizing water discharge, climate warming and local human activities were estimated to contribute 81-95% and 5-19% of the observed rising Tw, respectively. Models forecast a 0.32-1.76 °C increase in Tw by 2050 compared with the 2000-2012 baseline condition based on four future scenarios. Heterogeneity of warming rates existed across seasons and river segments, with the lower flow river and dry season demonstrating a more pronounced response to climate warming and human activities. Rising Tw due to changes in climate, local human activities and hydrology has a considerable potential to aggravate river water quality degradation and coastal water eutrophication in summer. Thus it should be carefully considered in developing watershed management strategies in response to climate change.

Fluctuations of ground-water levels in Lee County, Florida, in 1975 water year

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Donnell, T. H.

1977-01-01

During the 1975 water year, rainfall was about average at Page Field, Florida, and from 20-25 percent below average at Lehigh Acres and Sanibel Island. Water levels were monitored in 57 observation wells in Lee County, Florida. Of the 23 wells that tap the water-table aquifer, one record high and 5 record low water levels were established. Record low water levels were established in 5 of 20 wells that tap the sandstone aquifer and in 1 of 10 wells that tap the upper Hawthorn aquifer. A record high water level was established in 1 of 3 wells that tap the lower Hawthorn aquifer. (Woodard-USGS)

Assessment of leg muscle activity using toe tapping in patients with Parkinson's disease: comparison of two types of toe tapping.

PubMed

Taniguchi, Seira; Peper, Ferdinand; Shimokawa, Tetsuya

2018-05-01

[Purpose] This study investigates two types of toe tapping, i.e., "closed," with both feet on the floor, and "open," in which the foot does not touch the ground, and evaluates their usefulness in combination with monitoring of muscle activity during toe tapping. [Subjects and Methods] The study enrolled 11 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and 9 controls (Controls). The tibialis anterior (TA) and gastrocnemius (GS) muscle activity during toe tapping was measured using surface electromyography. [Results] In closed tapping, the minima in GS activation with the first tap was significantly higher in patients with PD than in Controls. In open tapping, the coefficient of variation (CV) of local maxima in TA activation was significantly higher in patients with PD than in Controls. In both types of tapping, the CV of extrema in GS activities increased with disease duration, but this may be due to the long-term administration of Levodopa, which itself tends to cause excessive GS activities. [Conclusion] Closed tapping is suitable for the assessment of GS activity and can detect excessive activities, which is observed as visible movement. Open tapping, on the other hand, is suitable for assessment of TA activity.

Comparing microbial water quality in an intermittent and continuous piped water supply.

PubMed

Kumpel, Emily; Nelson, Kara L

2013-09-15

Supplying piped water intermittently is a common practice throughout the world that increases the risk of microbial contamination through multiple mechanisms. Converting an intermittent supply to a continuous supply has the potential to improve the quality of water delivered to consumers. To understand the effects of this upgrade on water quality, we tested samples from reservoirs, consumer taps, and drinking water provided by households (e.g. from storage containers) from an intermittent and continuous supply in Hubli-Dharwad, India, over one year. Water samples were tested for total coliform, Escherichia coli, turbidity, free chlorine, and combined chlorine. While water quality was similar at service reservoirs supplying the continuous and intermittent sections of the network, indicator bacteria were detected more frequently and at higher concentrations in samples from taps supplied intermittently compared to those supplied continuously (p < 0.01). Detection of E. coli was rare in continuous supply, with 0.7% of tap samples positive compared to 31.7% of intermittent water supply tap samples positive for E. coli. In samples from both continuously and intermittently supplied taps, higher concentrations of total coliform were measured after rainfall events. While source water quality declined slightly during the rainy season, only tap water from intermittent supply had significantly more indicator bacteria throughout the rainy season compared to the dry season. Drinking water samples provided by households in both continuous and intermittent supplies had higher concentrations of indicator bacteria than samples collected directly from taps. Most households with continuous supply continued to store water for drinking, resulting in re-contamination, which may reduce the benefits to water quality of converting to continuous supply. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reflex Augmentation of a Tap-Elicited Eyeblink: The Effects of Tone Frequency and Tap Intensity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Michelle E.; And Others

1986-01-01

Describes two experiments that examined whether the amplitude of the human eyeblink by a mild tap between the eyebrows can be increased if a brief tone is presented simultaneously with the tap and how these effects change from newborn infants to adults. (HOD)

Characterization of large area ZnS(Ag) detector for gross alpha and beta activity measurements in tap water plants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lunardon, M.; Cester, D.; Mistura, G.

2015-07-01

In this work we present the characterization of a large area 200 x 200 mm{sup 2} EJ-444 scintillation detector to be used for monitoring gross alpha and beta activity in tap water plants. Specific tests were performed to determine the best setup to readout the light from the detector side in order to have the possibility to stack many detectors and get a compact device with total active area of the order of 1 m{sup 2}. Alpha/Beta discrimination, efficiency and homogeneity tests were carried out with alpha and beta sources. Background from ambient radioactivity was measured as well. Alpha/beta real-timemore » monitoring in drinking water is a goal of the EU project TAWARA{sub R}TM. (authors)« less

Kinematics of the tooth tapping movement.

PubMed

Widmalm, S E; Hedegård, B

1977-07-01

Electrical activity in the masseter muscles and tooth contact vibrations were recorded simultaneously from subjects tapping their teeth slowly into maximal intercuspidation and again with maximal frequency. High speed cinephotography was also used with four of the ten subjects. Three main parts could be distinguished on the obtained graphical representation of the tooth tapping movement: tooth contact phase (TCP), opening phase (OP) and closing phase (CP). Tapping frequency was increased by decreasing the jaw opening degree and the durations of TCP, OP and CP. The jaw velocity immediately before tooth contact, which may be of significance for the reflex response, was however not increased. The average jaw speed was nevertheless increased from 10 to 15 cm/s since the turning from OP to CP was more abrupt in high than in low frequency tapping. The duration of electrical activity after tooth contact was significantly shorter at tapping with high than with low frequency. The teeth maintained contact without detectable rebound between each open-close cycle. The OP started about 100 ms after the cessation of electrical activity both at low and high tapping frequency. The time between end of electrical activity and the start of a new OP was supposed to be dependent upon the relaxation time of the masseter muscles.

Conceptual design of 100 TW solid state laser system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McMordie, J.A.

1995-12-31

Currently the main solid state laser facilities used for plasma physics research in the United Kingdom are the VULCAN laser at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and the HELEN facility at the Atomic Weapons Establishment. In the future it is proposed to replace HELEN with a new 100 TW facility to come on line early in the next century. A brief review is given of the VULCAN and HELEN. Then the authors discuss the design for the HELEN replacement.

Revisiting TW Hydrae association in light of Gaia-DR1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teixeira, R.; Gonoretzky, E. R.; Ducourant, C.; Galli, P. A. B.; Krone-Martins, A. G. O.

2018-04-01

TW Hydrae is a very young and nearby association with about 30 known members which is an excellent target for studies on stellar evolution since several of its members present a particular interest (planetary system, brown dwarfs, etc.). With the new data from TGAS and the Gaia DR1 eventually combined with others astrometric data we intend to improve our kinematic knowledge of this association.

Effective Dose Radon 222 of the Tap Water in Children and Adults People; Minab City, Iran

PubMed Central

Fakhri, Yadolah; Kargosha, Morteza; Langarizadeh, Ghazaleh; Zandsalimi, Yahya; Amirhajeloo, Leila Rasouli; Moradi, Mahboobeh; Moradi, Bigard; Mirzaei, Maryam

2016-01-01

222Rn is a radioactive, odorless, and colorless element which has a half-life of 3.83 days. One of 222Rn main resources are Groundwater (wells, springs, etc.). Hence, the use of groundwater with high concentration of 222Rn can increase the risk of lung and stomach cancers. Concentration of 222Rn in tap water of Minab city in two temperatures 5 and 15 ºC was measured by radon meter model RTM1668-2. The effective dose was calculated by equations proposed by UNSCEAR. Geometric mean concentration of 222Rn in drinking water was found to be 0.78±0.06 and 0.46±0.04 Bq/l at 5 and 15 °C (p value<0.05), respectively. The effective doses were 0.006 and 0.003 mSv/y for adults, and 0.011 and 0.007 mSv/y for the children, respectively (p value<0.05). Besides, the effective dose for adult through inhaling 222Rn at 5 and 15 °C were estimated 0.0021 and 0.0012mSv/y, respectively. Geometric mean concentration in 222Rn drinking water and effective dose received from drinking water and inhalation of 222Rn is lower than WHO and EPA standard limits. Increasing temperature of drinking water will decrease the effective dose received. Annual Effective dose received from inhalation and consumption of 222Rn in drinking water in children is more than adults. PMID:26573047

Effective Dose Radon 222 of the Tap Water in Children and Adults People; Minab City, Iran.

PubMed

Fakhri, Yadolah; Kargosha, Morteza; Langarizadeh, Ghazaleh; Zandsalimi, Yahya; Rasouli Amirhajeloo, Leila; Moradi, Mahboobeh; Moradi, Bigard; Mirzaei, Maryam

2015-09-01

(222)Rn is a radioactive, odorless, and colorless element which has a half-life of 3.83 days. One of (222)Rn main resources are Groundwater (wells, springs, etc.). Hence, the use of groundwater with high concentration of (222)Rn can increase the risk of lung and stomach cancers. Concentration of (222)Rn in tap water of Minab city in two temperatures 5 and 15 ºC was measured by radon meter model RTM1668-2. The effective dose was calculated by equations proposed by UNSCEAR. Geometric mean concentration of (222)Rn in drinking water was found to be 0.78±0.06 and 0.46±0.04 Bq/l at 5 and 15 ̊C (p value<0.05), respectively. The effective doses were 0.006 and 0.003 mSv/y for adults, and 0.011 and 0.007 mSv/y for the children, respectively (p value<0.05). Besides, the effective dose for adult through inhaling (222)Rn at 5 and 15 ̊C were estimated 0.0021 and 0.0012mSv/y, respectively. Geometric mean concentration in (222)Rn drinking water and effective dose received from drinking water and inhalation of (222)Rn is lower than WHO and EPA standard limits. Increasing temperature of drinking water will decrease the effective dose received. Annual Effective dose received from inhalation and consumption of (222)Rn in drinking water in children is more than adults.

A highly selective electrochemical sensor based on molecularly imprinted polypyrrole-modified gold electrode for the determination of glyphosate in cucumber and tap water.

PubMed

Zhang, Chao; She, Yongxin; Li, Tengfei; Zhao, Fengnian; Jin, Maojun; Guo, Yirong; Zheng, Lufei; Wang, Shanshan; Jin, Fen; Shao, Hua; Liu, Haijin; Wang, Jing

2017-12-01

An electrochemical sensor based on molecularly imprinted polypyrrole (MIPPy) was developed for selective and sensitive detection of the herbicide glyphosate (Gly) in cucumber and tap water samples. The sensor was prepared via synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymers on a gold electrode in the presence of Gly as the template molecule and pyrrole as the functional monomer by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The sensor preparation conditions including the ratio of template to functional monomers, number of CV cycles in the electropolymerization process, the method of template removal, incubation time, and pH were optimized. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the DPV peak currents of hexacyanoferrate/hexacyanoferrite changed linearly with Gly concentration in the range from 5 to 800 ng mL -1 , with a detection limit of 0.27 ng mL -1 (S/N = 3). The sensor was used to detect the concentration of Gly in cucumber and tap water samples, with recoveries ranging from 72.70 to 98.96%. The proposed sensor showed excellent selectivity, good stability and reversibility, and could detect the Gly in real samples rapidly and sensitively. Graphical abstract Schematic illustration of the experimental procedure to detect Gly using the MIPPy electrode.

Evaluation of primary stability of self-tapping and non-self-tapping dental implants. A 12-week clinical study.

PubMed

Marković, Aleksa; Calvo-Guirado, José Luís; Lazić, Zoran; Gómez-Moreno, Gerardo; Ćalasan, Dejan; Guardia, Javier; Čolic, Snježana; Aguilar-Salvatierra, Antonio; Gačić, Bojan; Delgado-Ruiz, Rafael; Janjić, Bojan; Mišić, Tijana

2013-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between surgical techniques and implant macro-design (self-tapping/non-self-tapping) for the optimization of implant stability in the low-density bone present in the posterior maxilla using resonance frequency analysis (RFA). A total of 102 implants were studied. Fifty-six self-tapping BlueSkyBredent® (Bredent GmbH&Co.Kg®, Senden, Germany) and 56 non-self-tapping Standard Plus Straumann® (Institut Straumann AG®, Waldenburg, Switzerland) were placed in the posterior segment of the maxilla. Implants of both types were placed in sites prepared with either lateral bone-condensing or with bone-drilling techniques. Implant stability measurements were performed using RFA immediately after implant placement and weekly during a 12-week follow-up period. Both types of implants placed after bone condensing achieved significantly higher stability immediately after surgery, as well as during the entire 12-week observation period compared with those placed following bone drilling. After bone condensation, there were no significant differences in primary stability or in implant stability after the first week between both implant types. From 2 to 12 postoperative weeks, significantly higher stability was shown by self-tapping implants. After bone drilling, self-tapping implants achieved significantly higher stability than non-self-tapping implants during the entire follow-up period. The outcomes of the present study indicate that bone drilling is not an effective technique for improving implant stability and, following this technique, the use of self-tapping implants is highly recommended. Implant stability optimization in the soft bone can be achieved by lateral bone-condensing technique, regardless of implant macro-design. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Dynamics of Flowing Waters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mattingly, Rosanna L.

1987-01-01

Describes a series of activities designed to help students understand the dynamics of flowing water. Includes investigations into determining water discharge, calculating variable velocities, utilizing flood formulas, graphing stream profiles, and learning about the water cycle. (TW)

Preliminary human health risk assessment of arsenic and fluoride in tap water from Zacatecas, México.

PubMed

Martínez-Acuña, Mónica I; Mercado-Reyes, Marisa; Alegría-Torres, Jorge A; Mejía-Saavedra, José J

2016-08-01

Zacatecas state is located in the central area of Mexico, where the underground water contains elevated quantities of natural arsenic and fluoride. In order to estimate health risk associated with human exposure to these pollutants, tap water samples from the southern-central region of the state were analyzed. Ninety percent of the samples exceeded the levels of arsenic established by the World Health Organization (WHO) of 0.01 mg/L and 43 % exceeded the limit established by the NOM-127-SSA1(1) of 0.025 mg/L. Forty-three percent of the samples had fluoride levels above the Mexican regulation limit of 1.5 mg/L (NOM-127-SSA1). We used WHO and EPA's health risk assessment method, we estimated 80 % of the inhabitants of sites studied could be exposed to arsenic levels higher than those recommended by EPA and the WHO, 22 % could be exposed to fluoride levels higher than those recommended by EPA, and 16 % of the local population may be in risk of suffering dental fluorosis.

Experimental Study on Environment Friendly Tap Hole Clay for Blast Furnace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siva kumar, R.; Mohammed, Raffi; Srinivasa Rao, K.

2018-03-01

Blast furnace (BF) is the best possible route of iron production available. Blast furnace is a high pressure vessel where iron ore is melted and liquid iron is produced. The liquid iron is tapped through the hole in Blast Furnace called tap hole. The tapped liquid metal flowing through the tap hole is plugged using a clay called tap hole clay. Tap hole clay (THC) is a unshaped refractory used to plug the tap hole. The tap hole clay extruded through the tap hole using a gun. The tap hole clay is designed to expand and plug the tap hole. The tap hole filled with clay is drilled using drill bit and the hole made through the tap hole to tap the liquid metal accumulated inside the furnace. The number of plugging and drilling varies depending on the volume of the furnace. The tap hole clay need to have certain properties to avoid problems during plugging and drilling. In the present paper tap hole clay properties in industrial use was tested and studied. The problems were identified related to tap hole clay manufacturing. Experiments were conducted in lab scale to solve the identified problems. The present composition was modified with experimental results. The properties of the modified tap hole clay were found suitable and useful for blast furnace operation with lab scale experimental results.

Testing our scenario of a failed wind for TW Hya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guenther, Hans

2017-08-01

Young, accreting low-mass stars show strong, broad and asymmetric FUV emission lines. When multiple observations of the same wavelength region exist, we often see that the flux and profile of these lines change strongly between the observations. Observationally, this is poorly characterized, and theoretically, neither the lines profiles nor their variability can be explained. In 2011 we tried to remedy this situation by monitoring the classical Tauri star TW Hya for 10 orbits with HST/COS. At the time, the literature suggested that the variability could be due to a hot stellar wind and thus we distributed the observations over one month, which would have been the appropriate time scale. As it turns out, this assumption appears to have been wrong. The data we received clearly shows that no hot wind is present and that all variability happens on much shorter time scales. In this proposal, we show that we have done a thorough analysis of the existing data and we have a model to explain it. Now, we ask for additional monitoring of TW Hya to cover the time scale of a few hours - as we now know this is the relevant time scale to understand the variability.

Effects of immersion in cool water on lung-exhaled nitric oxide at rest and during exercise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pendergast, D. R.; Krasney, J. A.; DeRoberts, D.; Farhi, L. E. (Principal Investigator)

1999-01-01

Lung nitric oxide (NO) has been postulated to relax airway and vascular smooth muscle at rest and during exercise. As a cold environment is a common cause of respiratory distress, lung exhaled NO was measured during skin and core body cooling at rest and during a progressive cycle exercise. Ten healthy male subjects were immersed in water at a water temperature (Tw) which was thermal neutral (35 degrees C) at 30 degrees C Tw, at which only skin temperature is decreased; and at 20 degrees C Tw, at which the core temperature is decreased (0.05 degrees C). At rest, V(O), and V(E) increased while exhaled NO concentration [NO] and the rate of expiration of NO (V(NO)) decreased with decreased Tw. V(O2) and ventilation (V(E)) increased with workload (W) and the values at all Tw were not different, whereas, [NO] decreased with W and the values during exercise were progressively less at all Ws as Tw declined. These results indicate that lung NO output is reduced in a graded fashion during body cooling at rest and during exercise. This suggests that lower lung NO may contribute to airway obstruction in cold environments and NO may contribute to regulation of lung heat and water exchange.

Transportation Air Pollution Studies (TAPS) System

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-03-01

This report describes the Transportation Air Pollution Studies (TAPS) Data Base and the Software System which has been developed in association with it. : The TAPS Data Base will be used to store the transportation air pollution data (including emiss...

Getting back on tap: the policy context and cost of ensuring access to low-cost drinking water in Massachusetts schools.

PubMed

Cradock, Angie L; Wilking, Cara L; Olliges, Sarah A; Gortmaker, Steven L

2012-09-01

Adequate water intake may have important health benefits for schoolchildren. Layers of federal, state, and local policy are relevant to provision of water within schools. Recently passed state and federal laws require free drinking-water access for students during mealtimes. To review Massachusetts local district wellness policies related to water access, provide estimates of costs for three water-provision strategies, and discuss implications for policy relevant to adequate drinking-water access. Legal research was conducted using the LexisNexis legal database and government websites. Local wellness policies were double-coded using existing research tools. Costs of three water-delivery options were estimated using a 10-year school-district perspective. Prior to 2010, most Massachusetts public school district wellness policies (92%-94%) did not address access to free drinking water. Ten-year costs per school for providing water during mealtimes to students, including dispenser unit, installation, water testing, water, cups, and labor, range between $12,544 and $27,922 (depending on water-delivery option) assuming the average Massachusetts school enrollment. Water-provision strategies relying on tap water are more economical than bottled water in the long term. Policy recommendations and cost considerations deserve attention at the local, state, and federal levels. Recommendations are discussed to ensure access to safe, free drinking water for all students. Copyright © 2012 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Physico-chemical Analysis, Microbial Isolation, Sensitivity Test of the Isolates and Solar Disinfection of Water Running in Community Taps and River Kandutura in Nakuru North Sub-county, Kenya

PubMed Central

Waithaka, Paul N; Maingi, John Muthini; Nyamache, Anthony Kebira

2015-01-01

Nakuru North sub-county is a peri-urban area which has both dry and wet seasons. Its residents rely mostly on untreated water sources for daily water needs due to unreliable water supply from the urban council. However, this water has not been evaluated on its quality despite residents solely depending on it. This study was aimed at determining the physico-chemical and bacteriological quality of water drawn from River Kandutura and water taps in Nakuru North sub-county. In addition, the study was aimed at carrying out sensitivity test of the isolates to antibiotics and determining effectiveness of solar disinfection in water treatment. A total of 510 water samples; river (255) and taps (255) were collected and analyzed between January and December 2013. Antimicrobial sensitivity test was carried out using Kirby Bauer disk diffusion test. Out of five hundred and ten (510) samples examined for microorganisms, 36.86 % (188/510) were positive for E. coli, Shigella and Salmonella. Water used by Nakuru North sub-county residents is highly contaminated thus posing public health risk. Solar disinfection experiment indicated a possibility of effective decontamination of water up on exposure to sun light for 3-5 h. E. coli showed the highest resistance (26.3 %) followed by Salmonella (17.4 %) while Shigella showed the least (17.1 %). However, there was no significant deference (p=0.98) in resistance among total coliforms, Total heterotrophic and Salmonella at 0.05 level of significant. There is a need to enforce laws and policies on proper waste disposal as part of water pollution control. PMID:26464611

Advanced analysis of finger-tapping performance: a preliminary study.

PubMed

Barut, Cağatay; Kızıltan, Erhan; Gelir, Ethem; Köktürk, Fürüzan

2013-06-01

The finger-tapping test is a commonly employed quantitative assessment tool used to measure motor performance in the upper extremities. This task is a complex motion that is affected by external stimuli, mood and health status. The complexity of this task is difficult to explain with a single average intertap-interval value (time difference between successive tappings) which only provides general information and neglects the temporal effects of the aforementioned factors. This study evaluated the time course of average intertap-interval values and the patterns of variation in both the right and left hands of right-handed subjects using a computer-based finger-tapping system. Cross sectional study. Thirty eight male individuals aged between 20 and 28 years (Mean±SD = 22.24±1.65) participated in the study. Participants were asked to perform single-finger-tapping test for 10 seconds of test period. Only the results of right-handed (RH) 35 participants were considered in this study. The test records the time of tapping and saves data as the time difference between successive tappings for further analysis. The average number of tappings and the temporal fluctuation patterns of the intertap-intervals were calculated and compared. The variations in the intertap-interval were evaluated with the best curve fit method. An average tapping speed or tapping rate can reliably be defined for a single-finger tapping test by analysing the graphically presented data of the number of tappings within the test period. However, a different presentation of the same data, namely the intertap-interval values, shows temporal variation as the number of tapping increases. Curve fitting applications indicate that the variation has a biphasic nature. The measures obtained in this study reflect the complex nature of the finger-tapping task and are suggested to provide reliable information regarding hand performance. Moreover, the equation reflects both the variations in and the general

Vaccination and the TAP-independent antigen processing pathways.

PubMed

López, Daniel; Lorente, Elena; Barriga, Alejandro; Johnstone, Carolina; Mir, Carmen

2013-09-01

The cytotoxic CD8(+) T lymphocyte-mediated cellular response is important for the elimination of virus-infected cells and requires the prior recognition of short viral peptide antigens previously translocated to the endoplasmic reticulum by the transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP). However, individuals with nonfunctional TAP complexes or infected cells with TAP molecules blocked by specific viral proteins, such as the cowpoxvirus, a component of the first source of early empirical vaccination against smallpox, are still able to present several HLA class I ligands generated by the TAP-independent antigen processing pathways to specific cytotoxic CD8(+) T lymphocytes. Currently, bioterrorism and emerging infectious diseases have renewed interest in poxviruses. Recent works that have identified HLA class I ligands and epitopes in virus-infected TAP-deficient cells have implications for the study of both the effectiveness of early empirical vaccination and the analysis of HLA class I antigen processing in TAP-deficient subjects.

INL’s TAP Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2017-06-22

The starting point for many consumer products is the industrial manufacture of platform chemicals. The recent boom in domestic shale gas production makes it possible to envision a new resource for chemical manufacturing. Catalysts are the accelerants behind most industrial chemical reactions. A sophisticated research technique using a Temporal Analysis of Products (or TAP) reactor can now help. By shedding light on a catalyst’s fundamental step-by-step process, a TAP reactor can help chemists and chemical engineers understand why a new catalyst works better in the lab than in the chemical plant.

TAP polymorphism in patients with Behçet's disease.

PubMed Central

González-Escribano, M F; Morales, J; García-Lozano, J R; Castillo, M J; Sánchez-Román, J; Núñez-Roldán, A; Sánchez, B

1995-01-01

OBJECTIVE--To determine if susceptibility to Behçet's disease (BD) is associated with polymorphism of HLA-DRB1, HLA-DQB1, DQB1, and TAP1 and TAP2 genes. METHODS--Fifty eight Spanish BD patients and 116 ethnically matched unrelated healthy subjects were typed at the HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 loci using polymerase chain reaction/sequence specific oligotyping (PCR/SSO). TAP1 and TAP2 alleles were assigned using amplification refractory mutation system-PCR. RESULTS--TAP1C was absent in BD patients, but was found in 12.1% of control subjects (pcorr < 0.05; relative risk = 0.06). Additionally, a linkage disequilibrium between HLA-DQB1*0501 and TAP2B was observed in BD patients (delta = 0.095, pcorr < 0.02), but not in the control group (delta = -0.0031, p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS--The complete absence of TAP1C alleles in BD patients may indicate that TAP1 polymorphism is not without some significance in the development of BD. Furthermore, the existence of a linkage disequilibrium between HLA-DQB1*0501 and TAP2B in our patients suggests that the gene conferring susceptibility for BD is inherited as an extended haplotype in the population studied. PMID:7794046

Tapping Water from the Atmosphere: The Bureau of Reclamation's Project Skywater (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harper, K.

2010-12-01

. The Atmospheric Water Resources Program could provide the answer by analyzing reclamation projects’ needs for additional water, the availability of related hydrologic and hydrometeorologic data, and the possibility of obtaining reasonably successful results by tapping into the knowledge and skills of its engineers, hydrometeorologists, and hydrologists. But as far as BuRec was concerned, this program—eventually dubbed Project Skywater—would do more than exploit the atmosphere as a water reservoir. It would provide the bureau with a vehicle to expand its portfolio to the entire nation. And as the eastern part of the nation experienced drought conditions in the mid-1960s, the opportunity was ripe for the picking. Therefore, the story of Skywater’s genesis provides an interesting case study in the intersection of water science, technology, and politics at the highest levels of federal government.

Tapping methane hydrates for unconventional natural gas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruppel, Carolyn

2007-01-01

Methane hydrate is an icelike form of concentrated methane and water found in the sediments of permafrost regions and marine continental margins at depths far shallower than conventional oil and gas. Despite their relative accessibility and widespread occurrence, methane hydrates have never been tapped to meet increasing global energy demands. With rising natural gas prices, production from these unconventional gas deposits is becoming economically viable, particularly in permafrost areas already being exploited for conventional oil and gas. This article provides an overview of gas hydrate occurrence, resource assessment, exploration, production technologies, renewability, and future challenges.

Microbial quality of drinking water from microfiltered water dispensers.

PubMed

Sacchetti, R; De Luca, G; Dormi, A; Guberti, E; Zanetti, F

2014-03-01

A comparison was made between the microbial quality of drinking water obtained from Microfiltered Water Dispensers (MWDs) and that of municipal tap water. A total of 233 water samples were analyzed. Escherichia coli (EC), enterococci (ENT), total coliforms (TC), Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and heterotrophic plate count (HPC) at 22 °C and 37 °C were enumerated. In addition, information was collected about the principal structural and functional characteristics of each MWD in order to study the various factors that might influence the microbial quality of the water. EC and ENT were not detected in any of the samples. TC were never detected in the tap water but were found in 5 samples taken from 5 different MWDs. S. aureus was found in a single sample of microfiltered water. P. aeruginosa was found more frequently and at higher concentrations in the samples collected from MWDs. The mean HPCs at 22 °C and 37 °C were significantly higher in microfiltered water samples compared to those of the tap water. In conclusion, the use of MWDs may increase the number of bacteria originally present in tap water. It is therefore important to monitor the quality of the dispensed water over time, especially if it is destined for vulnerable users. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Microbiological evaluation of water during the 2011 flood crisis in Thailand.

PubMed

Chaturongkasumrit, Yuphakhun; Techaruvichit, Punnida; Takahashi, Hajime; Kimura, Bon; Keeratipibul, Suwimon

2013-10-01

In 2011, a severe flood occurred in Thailand, covering nearly half the country in water for several months. The contamination of floodwater and subsequent contamination of water for human consumption could have potentially led to a widespread health crisis. However, to date, no study has been conducted to determine the safety of the waters used for human consumption in Thailand during the severe flood. Therefore, we conducted microbiological analysis of 4 kinds of water (floodwater, river water, tap water, and filtered tap water) collected from industrial and residential areas that were damaged due to flooding. Higher net levels of bacteria were found in water with a higher turbidity. No clear trend was observed in the pH value of all 4 water samples. The level of total bacterial contamination in the water samples was estimated by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Eleven of the 12 tap water samples and all of the filtered tap water samples had a total bacterial load that exceeded the Thai water quality standards. One of the tap water samples and one of the filtered tap water samples were found to be positive for Shigella sp., although none of the floodwater samples showed detectable levels of this pathogen as determined by PCR analysis. One of the samples of floodwater was also found to be positive for Leptospira sp., but none of the tap water or filtered tap water samples were positive. Most of the tap water samples and all filtered tap water samples were found to be contaminated with Vibrio cholerae. Bacterial contamination in water samples was also analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis. These results revealed that several microorganisms were transferred via floodwater to different areas in the central part of Thailand and cross-contaminated between floodwater and water for human consumption. © 2013.

Investigation of healthcare-acquired infections associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms in taps in neonatal units in Northern Ireland.

PubMed

Walker, J T; Jhutty, A; Parks, S; Willis, C; Copley, V; Turton, J F; Hoffman, P N; Bennett, A M

2014-01-01

In December 2011 and early 2012 four neonates died from Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteraemia in hospitals in Northern Ireland. To assess whether P. aeruginosa was associated with the neonatal unit taps and whether waterborne isolates were consistent with patient isolates. Thirty taps and eight flow straighteners from the relevant hospitals were categorized and dismantled into 494 components and assessed for aerobic colony and P. aeruginosa counts using non-selective and selective agars. P. aeruginosa isolates were typed by variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) analysis. Selected tap components were subjected to epifluorescence and scanning electron microscopy to visualize biofilm. The highest P. aeruginosa counts were from the flow straighteners, metal support collars and the tap bodies surrounding these two components. Complex flow straighteners had a significantly higher P. aeruginosa count than other types of flow straighteners (P < 0.05). Highest aerobic colony counts were associated with integrated mixers and solenoids (P < 0.05), but there was not a strong correlation (r = 0.33) between the aerobic colony counts and P. aeruginosa counts. Representative P. aeruginosa tap isolates from two hospital neonatal units had VNTR profiles consistent with strains from the tap water and infected neonates. P. aeruginosa was predominantly found in biofilms in flow straighteners and associated components in the tap outlets and was a possible source of the infections observed. Healthcare providers should be aware that water outlets can be a source of P. aeruginosa contamination and should take steps to reduce such contamination, monitor it and have strategies to minimize risk to susceptible patients. Copyright © 2013 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exercising divers' thermal protection as a function of water temperature.

PubMed

Pendergast, David R; Mollendorf, Joseph

2011-01-01

Physiological adjustments and passive thermal insulation are not sufficient to protect divers in the cold and warm waters experienced by sport, professional and military divers. In a previous study of resting subjects, divers were protected by actively heated/cooled water that perfused a six-zone (head, torso, arms, hands, legs and feet) tube suit. Subsequently a self-contained diver thermal protection system (DTPS) was developed and used in this study to test male divers (n = 8) wearing a 6-mm foam neoprene wetsuit in water temperatures (T(W)) of 10 degrees C-39 degrees C at 4 feet in depth. The DTPS is a scuba backpack containing five thermoelectric devices that heat/cool water to 30 degrees C, six pumps that circulate the water through a six-zone tube suit via two manifolds, and an electronic controller. Skin temperatures (T(S), n = 17) and core temperature (T(C), capsule) were measured. The DTPS and each zone of the tube suit were also instrumented. Divers were tested with the DTPS operational (protected) and turned off (unprotected) for 90 minutes. In the unprotected condition, T(S) decreased and approached T(W), while T(C) trended to decrease over the exposure time. Mean T(S) as a function of T(W) was T(S) = 0.44 T(W) + 21.23 degrees C while unprotected, but T(S) = 0.19 T(W) + 27.1 degrees C when the diver was protected. The average total heating/cooling power required to protect the diver was 166 +/- 78W, 86 +/- 95W, 9 +/- 75W, 72 +/- 45W, 135 +/- 73W, 279 +/- 87W and 336 +/- 95W at 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 39 degrees C water temperatures, respectively. This power requirement was nominally split 4%, 22%, 22%, 14%, 25% and 13% for head, torso, arms, hands, legs and feet, respectively. While unprotected, divers T(S) and T(C) did not remain within acceptable limits in T(W) below 25 degrees C or above 30 degrees C. When using the DTPS, however, they did remain within acceptable limits, and the divers reported they were comfortable.

49 CFR 192.627 - Tapping pipelines under pressure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Tapping pipelines under pressure. 192.627 Section... NATURAL AND OTHER GAS BY PIPELINE: MINIMUM FEDERAL SAFETY STANDARDS Operations § 192.627 Tapping pipelines under pressure. Each tap made on a pipeline under pressure must be performed by a crew qualified to make...

Genotyping, physiological features and proteolytic activities of a potentially pathogenic Acanthamoeba sp. isolated from tap water in Brazil.

PubMed

Magliano, Ana C M; da Silva, Flávia Maia; Teixeira, Marta M G; Alfieri, Silvia C

2009-11-01

Acanthamoeba spp., known to cause keratitis and granulomatous encephalitis in humans, are frequently isolated from a variety of water sources. Here we report for the first time the characterization of an Acanthamoeba sp. (ACC01) isolated from tap water in Brazil. This organism is currently being maintained in an axenic growth medium. Phylogenetic analysis based on SSU rRNA gene sequences positioned the new isolate in genotype T4, closest to the keratitis-causing isolate, A. polyphaga ATCC 30461 ( approximately 99% similarity). Acanthamoeba ACC01 and A. polyphaga 30461 both grew at 37 degrees C and were osmotically resistant, multiplying in hyperosmolar medium. Both isolates secreted comparable amounts of proteolytic enzymes, including serine peptidases that were optimally active at a near neutral/alkaline pH and resolved identically in gelatin gels. Incubation of gels at pH 4.0 with 2mM DTT also indicated the secretion of similar cysteine peptidases. Altogether, the results point to the pathogenic potential of Acanthamoeba ACC01.

BIOMECHANICAL EVALUATION OF THE INFLUENCE OF CERVICAL SCREWS TAPPING AND DESIGN.

PubMed

Silva, Patricia; Rosa, Rodrigo César; Shimano, Antonio Carlos; Albuquerque de Paula, Francisco José; Volpon, José Batista; Aparecido Defino, Helton Luiz

2009-01-01

To assess if the screw design (self-drilling/self-tapping) and the pilot hole tapping could affect the insertion torque and screw pullout strength of the screw used in anterior fixation of the cervical spine. Forty self-tapping screws and 20 self-drilling screws were inserted into 10 models of artificial bone and 10 cervical vertebrae of sheep. The studied parameters were the insertion torque and pullout strength. The following groups were created: Group I-self-tapping screw insertion after pilot hole drilling and tapping; Group II-self-tapping screw insertion after pilot hole drilling without tapping; Group III-self-drilling screw insertion without drilling and tapping. In Groups I and II, the pilot hole had 14.0 mm in depth and was made with a 3mmn drill, while tapping was made with a 4mm tap. The insertion torque was measured and the pullout test was performed. The comparison between groups was made considering the mean insertion torque and the maximum mean pullout strength with the variance analysis (ANOVA; p≤ 0.05). Previous drilling and tapping of pilot hole significantly decreased the insertion torque and the pullout strength. The insertion torque and pullout strength of self-drilling screws were significantly higher when compared to self-tapping screws inserted after pilot hole tapping.

Computerized measures of finger tapping: reliability, malingering and traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Hubel, Kerry A; Yund, E William; Herron, Timothy J; Woods, David L

2013-01-01

We analyzed computerized finger tapping metrics in four experiments. Experiment 1 showed tapping-rate differences associated with hand dominance, digits, sex, and fatigue that replicated those seen in a previous, large-scale community sample. Experiment 2 revealed test-retest correlations (r = .91) that exceeded those reported in previous tapping studies. Experiment 3 investigated subjects simulating symptoms of traumatic brain injury (TBI); 62% of malingering subjects produced abnormally slow tapping rates. A tapping-rate malingering index, based on rate-independent tapping patterns, provided confirmatory evidence of malingering in 48% of the subjects with abnormal tapping rates. Experiment 4 compared tapping in 24 patients with mild TBI (mTBI) and a matched control group; mTBI patients showed slowed tapping without evidence of malingering. Computerized finger tapping measures are reliable measures of motor speed, useful in detecting subjects performing with suboptimal effort, and are sensitive to motor abnormalities following mTBI.

A study of DNA damage in buccal cells of consumers of well- and/or tap-water using the comet assay: Assessment of occupational exposure to genotoxicants.

PubMed

Vazquez Boucard, Celia; Lee-Cruz, Larisa; Mercier, Laurence; Ramírez Orozco, Martín; Serrano Pinto, Vania; Anguiano, Gerardo; Cazares, Linette; Díaz, Daniel

2017-10-01

Because of concerns that natural aquifers in the region of Todos Santos (Baja California Sur, Mexico) might be contaminated by organochlorine pesticides and heavy metals, a case-control study was conducted among consumers and non-consumers of well- and/or tap-water to determine risks to human health. This study was based on a genotoxic evaluation of buccal cells using the Comet assay technique. Levels of DNA damage in the consumers group were significantly higher than those of the control group. However, occupational exposure to genotoxicants showed to be the critical factor rather than water consumption. Taking into account the professions of well- and/or tap-water consumers, agricultural workers exposed directly (those who fumigated) or indirectly (those not involved in fumigating) to agrochemicals showed greater genetic damage than controls. This difference persisted even when age, and whether the person smoked or consumed alcoholic drinks were considered. These factors were not associated with the level of genetic damage observed. Chemical analyses of organochlorine pesticides and heavy metals were carried out to evaluate the water quality of wells, faucets, and surface water of canals consumed by the population and/or used for irrigation. High concentrations of α and β endosulfan were detected in water of surface canals. Although our inventory of agrochemicals employed in the region showed the use of products considered carcinogenic and/or mutagenic, they were not detected by the analytical techniques used. Heavy metals (arsenic, mercury, and lead) were detected in water of some wells used for irrigation and human consumption. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 58:619-627, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PREDICTIVE MODELING OF ACOUSTIC SIGNALS FROM THERMOACOUSTIC POWER SENSORS (TAPS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dumm, Christopher M.; Vipperman, Jeffrey S.

2016-06-30

Thermoacoustic Power Sensor (TAPS) technology offers the potential for self-powered, wireless measurement of nuclear reactor core operating conditions. TAPS are based on thermoacoustic engines, which harness thermal energy from fission reactions to generate acoustic waves by virtue of gas motion through a porous stack of thermally nonconductive material. TAPS can be placed in the core, where they generate acoustic waves whose frequency and amplitude are proportional to the local temperature and radiation flux, respectively. TAPS acoustic signals are not measured directly at the TAPS; rather, they propagate wirelessly from an individual TAPS through the reactor, and ultimately to a low-powermore » receiver network on the vessel’s exterior. In order to rely on TAPS as primary instrumentation, reactor-specific models which account for geometric/acoustic complexities in the signal propagation environment must be used to predict the amplitude and frequency of TAPS signals at receiver locations. The reactor state may then be derived by comparing receiver signals to the reference levels established by predictive modeling. In this paper, we develop and experimentally benchmark a methodology for predictive modeling of the signals generated by a TAPS system, with the intent of subsequently extending these efforts to modeling of TAPS in a liquid sodium environmen« less

Frankincense tapping reduces the carbohydrate storage of Boswellia trees.

PubMed

Mengistu, Tefera; Sterck, Frank J; Fetene, Masresha; Bongers, Frans

2013-06-01

Carbohydrates fixed by photosynthesis are stored in plant organs in the form of starch or sugars. Starch and sugars sum to the total non-structural carbohydrate pool (TNC) and may serve as intermediate pools between assimilation and utilization. We examined the impact of tapping on TNC concentrations in stem-wood, bark and root tissues of the frankincense tree (Boswellia papyrifera (Del.) Hochst) in two natural woodlands of Ethiopia. Two tapping treatments, one without tapping (control) and the other with tapping at 12 incisions, are applied on experimental trees. Trees are tapped in the leafless dry period, diminishing their carbon storage pools. If storage pools are not refilled by assimilation during the wet season, when crowns are in full leaf, tapping may deplete the carbon pool and weaken Boswellia trees. The highest soluble sugar concentrations were in the bark and the highest starch concentrations in the stem-wood. The stem-wood contains 12 times higher starch than soluble sugar concentrations. Hence, the highest TNC concentrations occurred in the stem-wood. Moreover, wood volume was larger than root or bark volumes and, as a result, more TNC was stored in the stem-wood. As predicted, tapping reduced the TNC concentrations and pool sizes in frankincense trees during the dry season. During the wet season, these carbon pools were gradually filled in tapped trees, but never to the size of non-tapped trees. We conclude that TNC is dynamic on a seasonal time scale and offers resilience against stress, highlighting its importance for tree carbon balance. But current resin tapping practices are intensive and may weaken Boswellia populations, jeopardizing future frankincense production.

Conceptual design of a 15-TW pulsed-power accelerator for high-energy-density–physics experiments

DOE PAGES

Spielman, R. B.; Froula, D. H.; Brent, G.; ...

2017-06-21

We have developed a conceptual design of a 15-TW pulsed-power accelerator based on the linear-transformer-driver (LTD) architecture described by Stygar [W. A. Stygar et al., Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 18, 110401 (2015)]. The driver will allow multiple, high-energy-density experiments per day in a university environment and, at the same time, will enable both fundamental and integrated experiments that are scalable to larger facilities. In this design, many individual energy storage units (bricks), each composed of two capacitors and one switch, directly drive the target load without additional pulse compression. Ten LTD modules in parallel drive the load. Each modulemore » consists of 16 LTD cavities connected in series, where each cavity is powered by 22 bricks connected in parallel. This design stores up to 2.75 MJ and delivers up to 15 TW in 100 ns to the constant-impedance, water-insulated radial transmission lines. The transmission lines in turn deliver a peak current as high as 12.5 MA to the physics load. To maximize its experimental value and flexibility, the accelerator is coupled to a modern, multibeam laser facility (four beams with up to 5 kJ in 10 ns and one beam with up to 2.6 kJ in 100 ps or less) that can provide auxiliary heating of the physics load. The lasers also enable advanced diagnostic techniques such as x-ray Thomson scattering and multiframe and three-dimensional radiography. In conclusion, the coupled accelerator-laser facility will be the first of its kind and be capable of conducting unprecedented high-energy-density-physics experiments.« less

Conceptual design of a 15-TW pulsed-power accelerator for high-energy-density–physics experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Spielman, R. B.; Froula, D. H.; Brent, G.

We have developed a conceptual design of a 15-TW pulsed-power accelerator based on the linear-transformer-driver (LTD) architecture described by Stygar [W. A. Stygar et al., Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 18, 110401 (2015)]. The driver will allow multiple, high-energy-density experiments per day in a university environment and, at the same time, will enable both fundamental and integrated experiments that are scalable to larger facilities. In this design, many individual energy storage units (bricks), each composed of two capacitors and one switch, directly drive the target load without additional pulse compression. Ten LTD modules in parallel drive the load. Each modulemore » consists of 16 LTD cavities connected in series, where each cavity is powered by 22 bricks connected in parallel. This design stores up to 2.75 MJ and delivers up to 15 TW in 100 ns to the constant-impedance, water-insulated radial transmission lines. The transmission lines in turn deliver a peak current as high as 12.5 MA to the physics load. To maximize its experimental value and flexibility, the accelerator is coupled to a modern, multibeam laser facility (four beams with up to 5 kJ in 10 ns and one beam with up to 2.6 kJ in 100 ps or less) that can provide auxiliary heating of the physics load. The lasers also enable advanced diagnostic techniques such as x-ray Thomson scattering and multiframe and three-dimensional radiography. In conclusion, the coupled accelerator-laser facility will be the first of its kind and be capable of conducting unprecedented high-energy-density-physics experiments.« less

A large community outbreak of gastroenteritis associated with consumption of drinking water contaminated by river water, Belgium, 2010.

PubMed

Braeye, T; DE Schrijver, K; Wollants, E; van Ranst, M; Verhaegen, J

2015-03-01

SUMMARY On 6 December 2010 a fire in Hemiksem, Belgium, was extinguished by the fire brigade with both river water and tap water. Local physicians were asked to report all cases of gastroenteritis. We conducted a retrospective cohort study among 1000 randomly selected households. We performed a statistical and geospatial analysis. Human stool samples, tap water and river water were tested for pathogens. Of the 1185 persons living in the 528 responding households, 222 (18·7%) reported symptoms of gastroenteritis during the time period 6-13 December. Drinking tap water was significantly associated with an increased risk for gastroenteritis (relative risk 3·67, 95% confidence interval 2·86-4·70) as was place of residence. Campylobacter sp. (2/56), norovirus GI and GII (11/56), rotavirus (1/56) and Giardia lamblia (3/56) were detected in stool samples. Tap water samples tested positive for faecal indicator bacteria and protozoa. The results support the hypothesis that a point-source contamination of the tap water with river water was the cause of the multi-pathogen waterborne outbreak.

A highly selective fluorescent probe for the detection of hypochlorous acid in tap water and living cells.

PubMed

Wang, Xiao; Zhou, Yanmei; Xu, Chenggong; Song, Haohan; Li, Li; Zhang, Junli; Guo, Meixia

2018-06-03

A turn-on fluorescent probe (DAME) for sensing hypochlorous acid (HClO) with excellent selectivity was presented. The fluorescent probe was composed of coumarin derivative as the fluorophore and dimethylcarbamothioic chloride group with a sulfide moiety as modulator. Additionally, the sulfide moiety would be oxidized by HClO, and then free dye of coumarin derivate was released and exhibited significant fluorescence. In addition, the probe could respond to HClO in solutions within 60 s and the limit of detection was down to 34.75 nM. Moreover, the probe was used for the detection of HClO in tap water through the home-made test paper. And confocal images confirmed that probe DAME could be used for recognizing HClO in living cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

NHEXAS PHASE I ARIZONA STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR COLLECTION, STORAGE AND SHIPMENT OF DRINKING AND TAP WATER SAMPLES FOR VOCS (EPA METHOD 524.2) (UA-F-18.1)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to describe the collection, storage, and shipment of tap and drinking water samples for analysis by EPA method 524.2 (revision 4.0) for the NHEXAS Arizona project. This SOP provides a brief description of the sample containers, collection, preservation...

Track-weighted functional connectivity (TW-FC): a tool for characterizing the structural-functional connections in the brain.

PubMed

Calamante, Fernando; Masterton, Richard A J; Tournier, Jacques-Donald; Smith, Robert E; Willats, Lisa; Raffelt, David; Connelly, Alan

2013-04-15

MRI provides a powerful tool for studying the functional and structural connections in the brain non-invasively. The technique of functional connectivity (FC) exploits the intrinsic temporal correlations of slow spontaneous signal fluctuations to characterise brain functional networks. In addition, diffusion MRI fibre-tracking can be used to study the white matter structural connections. In recent years, there has been considerable interest in combining these two techniques to provide an overall structural-functional description of the brain. In this work we applied the recently proposed super-resolution track-weighted imaging (TWI) methodology to demonstrate how whole-brain fibre-tracking data can be combined with FC data to generate a track-weighted (TW) FC map of FC networks. The method was applied to data from 8 healthy volunteers, and illustrated with (i) FC networks obtained using a seeded connectivity-based analysis (seeding in the precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex, PCC, known to be part of the default mode network), and (ii) with FC networks generated using independent component analysis (in particular, the default mode, attention, visual, and sensory-motor networks). TW-FC maps showed high intensity in white matter structures connecting the nodes of the FC networks. For example, the cingulum bundles show the strongest TW-FC values in the PCC seeded-based analysis, due to their major role in the connection between medial frontal cortex and precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex; similarly the superior longitudinal fasciculus was well represented in the attention network, the optic radiations in the visual network, and the corticospinal tract and corpus callosum in the sensory-motor network. The TW-FC maps highlight the white matter connections associated with a given FC network, and their intensity in a given voxel reflects the functional connectivity of the part of the nodes of the network linked by the structural connections traversing that voxel. They

Astronomy on Tap: Public Outreach Events in Bars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rice, E. L.; Levine, B. W.

2016-12-01

Astronomy on Tap public outreach events are as easy to organise or as elaborate as you would like them to be. In addition to communicating cutting-edge research and fundamental concepts to the public, Astronomy on Tap events showcase the passion, creativity and diversity of scientists, facilitate personal and meaningful interactions between scientists and the general public, and offer networking and professional development opportunities for scientists. Astronomy on Tap organisers provide a growing cadre of resources for starting similar events, which have so far taken place in twenty locations around the world, mainly in the United States but also in Canada, Chile, and Taiwan, reaching a total of almost 15 000 people. Through this reflection on the Astronomy on Tap project we invite you to consider whether you could adopt aspects of the Astronomy on Tap model for existing outreach programmes, or even organise a new satellite event in your location.

Finger tapping ability in healthy elderly and young adults.

PubMed

Aoki, Tomoko; Fukuoka, Yoshiyuki

2010-03-01

The maximum isometric force production capacity of the fingers decreases with age. However, little information is available on age-related changes in dynamic motor capacity of individual fingers. The purpose of this study was to compare the dynamic motor function of individual fingers between elderly and young adults using rapid single-finger and double-finger tapping. Fourteen elderly and 14 young adults performed maximum frequency tapping by the index, middle, ring, or little finger (single-finger tapping) and with alternate movements of the index-middle, middle-ring, or ring-little finger-pair (double-finger tapping). The maximum pinch force between the thumb and each finger, tactile sensitivity of each fingertip, and time taken to complete a pegboard test were also measured. Compared with young subjects, the older subjects had significantly slower tapping rates in all fingers and finger-pairs in the tapping tasks. The age-related decline was also observed in the tactile sensitivities of all fingers and in the pegboard test. However, there was no group difference in the pinch force of any finger. The tapping rate of each finger did not correlate with the pinch force or tactile sensitivity for the corresponding finger in the elderly subjects. Maximum rate of finger tapping was lower in the elderly adults compared with the young adults. The decline of finger tapping ability in elderly adults seems to be less affected by their maximum force production capacities of the fingers as well as tactile sensitivities at the tips of the fingers.

Drugs of abuse, cytostatic drugs and iodinated contrast media in tap water from the Madrid region (central Spain):A case study to analyse their occurrence and human health risk characterization.

PubMed

Mendoza, A; Zonja, B; Mastroianni, N; Negreira, N; López de Alda, M; Pérez, S; Barceló, D; Gil, A; Valcárcel, Y

2016-01-01

This work analyses the presence of forty-eight emerging pollutants, including twenty-five drugs of abuse and metabolites, seventeen cytostatic drugs and six iodinated contrast media, in tap water from the Madrid Region. Analysis of the target compounds in the tap water was performed by means of (on-line or off-line) solid-phase extraction followed by analysis by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. A preliminary human health risk characterization was undertaken for each individual compound and for different groups of compounds with a common mechanism of action found in tap water. The results of the study showed the presence of eight out of the twenty-five drugs of abuse and metabolites analysed, namely, the cocainics cocaine and benzoylecgonine, the amphetamine-type stimulants ephedrine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and methamphetamine, the opioid methadone and its metabolite 2-ethylene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine and, finally caffeine at concentrations ranging from 0.11 to 502 ng L(-1). Four out of the six analysed iodinated contrast media, namely, diatrizoate, iohexol, iomeprol and iopromide, were detected in at least one sample, with concentration values varying between 0.4 and 5 ng L(-1). Cytostatic compounds were not detected in any sample. Caffeine was the substance showing the highest concentrations, up to 502 ng L(-1), mainly in the drinking water sampling point located in Madrid city. Among the other drugs of abuse, the most abundant compounds were cocaine and benzoylecgonine, detected at concentrations ranging from 0.11 to 86 ng L(-1) and from 0.11 to 53 ng L(-1), respectively. Regarding iodinated contrast media, iohexol was the most ubiquitous and abundant compound, with a frequency of detection of 100% and concentrations from 0.5 to 5.0 ng L(-1) in basically the same range in all sampling points. Taking into account the results and types of treatment applied, ozonisation plus granular activated carbon filtration appears to be

Drinking water consumption patterns among adults-SMS as a novel tool for collection of repeated self-reported water consumption.

PubMed

Säve-Söderbergh, Melle; Toljander, Jonas; Mattisson, Irene; Åkesson, Agneta; Simonsson, Magnus

2018-03-01

Studies have shown that the average drinking water consumption ranges between 0.075 and 3 L/day for adults with both national and regional differences. For exposure assessment of drinking water hazards, country-specific drinking water consumption data including sources of the consumed water may therefore be warranted. To estimate the amount and source of drinking water consumed among adults in Sweden, we collected self-reported estimates using both traditional methods (telephone interviews, web questionnaire) and a novel method (Short Message Service, SMS questionnaires) in a population from an average sized Swedish municipality. Monthly SMS questionnaires were sent out during one year to obtain longitudinal information as well. SMS showed to be a promising tool for collecting self-reported consumption, as most citizens could participate and the method showed high response rate. Data collected via the SMS questionnaire shows an average consumption of cold tap water of 4.9 glasses/24 h (one glass=200 ml), while the average estimates of cold tap water collected by the traditional methods range from 4.5 to 7.0 glasses/24 h. For statistical distributions, the mean daily consumption of cold tap water for the population was best fitted to a gamma distribution. About 70% of the cold tap water is consumed at home. Based on the results from the SMS study, we suggest using 1 l/day for the average adult population and 2.5 l/day for high consumers for risk assessment of cold tap water consumption. As 46% of the tap water consumed is heated, we suggest using 1.85 l/day for total tap water consumption.

Drinking water consumption patterns among adults—SMS as a novel tool for collection of repeated self-reported water consumption

PubMed Central

Säve-Söderbergh, Melle; Toljander, Jonas; Mattisson, Irene; Åkesson, Agneta; Simonsson, Magnus

2018-01-01

Studies have shown that the average drinking water consumption ranges between 0.075 and 3 L/day for adults with both national and regional differences. For exposure assessment of drinking water hazards, country-specific drinking water consumption data including sources of the consumed water may therefore be warranted. To estimate the amount and source of drinking water consumed among adults in Sweden, we collected self-reported estimates using both traditional methods (telephone interviews, web questionnaire) and a novel method (Short Message Service, SMS questionnaires) in a population from an average sized Swedish municipality. Monthly SMS questionnaires were sent out during one year to obtain longitudinal information as well. SMS showed to be a promising tool for collecting self-reported consumption, as most citizens could participate and the method showed high response rate. Data collected via the SMS questionnaire shows an average consumption of cold tap water of 4.9 glasses/24 h (one glass=200 ml), while the average estimates of cold tap water collected by the traditional methods range from 4.5 to 7.0 glasses/24 h. For statistical distributions, the mean daily consumption of cold tap water for the population was best fitted to a gamma distribution. About 70% of the cold tap water is consumed at home. Based on the results from the SMS study, we suggest using 1 l/day for the average adult population and 2.5 l/day for high consumers for risk assessment of cold tap water consumption. As 46% of the tap water consumed is heated, we suggest using 1.85 l/day for total tap water consumption. PMID:28612838

Estimation method of finger tapping dynamics using simple magnetic detection system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kandori, Akihiko; Sano, Yuko; Miyashita, Tsuyoshi; Okada, Yoshihisa; Irokawa, Masataka; Shima, Keisuke; Tsuji, Toshio; Yokoe, Masaru; Sakoda, Saburo

2010-05-01

We have developed the simple estimation method of a finger tapping dynamics model for investigating muscle resistance and stiffness during tapping movement in normal subjects. We measured finger tapping movements of 207 normal subjects using a magnetic finger tapping detection system. Each subject tapped two fingers in time with a metronome at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 Hz. The velocity and acceleration values for both the closing and opening tapping data were used to estimate a finger tapping dynamics model. Using the frequency response of the ratio of acceleration to velocity of the mechanical impedance parameters, we estimated the resistance (friction coefficient) and compliance (stiffness). We found two dynamics models for the maximum open position and tap position. In the maximum open position, the extensor muscle resistance was twice as high as the flexor muscle resistance and males had a higher spring constant. In the tap position, the flexor muscle resistance was much higher than the extensor muscle resistance. This indicates that the tapping dynamics in the maximum open position are controlled by the balance of extensor and flexor muscle friction resistances and the flexor stiffness, and the flexor friction resistance is the main component in the tap position. It can be concluded that our estimation method makes it possible to understand the tapping dynamics.

Estimation method of finger tapping dynamics using simple magnetic detection system.

PubMed

Kandori, Akihiko; Sano, Yuko; Miyashita, Tsuyoshi; Okada, Yoshihisa; Irokawa, Masataka; Shima, Keisuke; Tsuji, Toshio; Yokoe, Masaru; Sakoda, Saburo

2010-05-01

We have developed the simple estimation method of a finger tapping dynamics model for investigating muscle resistance and stiffness during tapping movement in normal subjects. We measured finger tapping movements of 207 normal subjects using a magnetic finger tapping detection system. Each subject tapped two fingers in time with a metronome at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 Hz. The velocity and acceleration values for both the closing and opening tapping data were used to estimate a finger tapping dynamics model. Using the frequency response of the ratio of acceleration to velocity of the mechanical impedance parameters, we estimated the resistance (friction coefficient) and compliance (stiffness). We found two dynamics models for the maximum open position and tap position. In the maximum open position, the extensor muscle resistance was twice as high as the flexor muscle resistance and males had a higher spring constant. In the tap position, the flexor muscle resistance was much higher than the extensor muscle resistance. This indicates that the tapping dynamics in the maximum open position are controlled by the balance of extensor and flexor muscle friction resistances and the flexor stiffness, and the flexor friction resistance is the main component in the tap position. It can be concluded that our estimation method makes it possible to understand the tapping dynamics.

Quantification of Finger-Tapping Angle Based on Wearable Sensors

PubMed Central

Djurić-Jovičić, Milica; Jovičić, Nenad S.; Roby-Brami, Agnes; Popović, Mirjana B.; Kostić, Vladimir S.; Djordjević, Antonije R.

2017-01-01

We propose a novel simple method for quantitative and qualitative finger-tapping assessment based on miniature inertial sensors (3D gyroscopes) placed on the thumb and index-finger. We propose a simplified description of the finger tapping by using a single angle, describing rotation around a dominant axis. The method was verified on twelve subjects, who performed various tapping tasks, mimicking impaired patterns. The obtained tapping angles were compared with results of a motion capture camera system, demonstrating excellent accuracy. The root-mean-square (RMS) error between the two sets of data is, on average, below 4°, and the intraclass correlation coefficient is, on average, greater than 0.972. Data obtained by the proposed method may be used together with scores from clinical tests to enable a better diagnostic. Along with hardware simplicity, this makes the proposed method a promising candidate for use in clinical practice. Furthermore, our definition of the tapping angle can be applied to all tapping assessment systems. PMID:28125051

Quantification of Finger-Tapping Angle Based on Wearable Sensors.

PubMed

Djurić-Jovičić, Milica; Jovičić, Nenad S; Roby-Brami, Agnes; Popović, Mirjana B; Kostić, Vladimir S; Djordjević, Antonije R

2017-01-25

We propose a novel simple method for quantitative and qualitative finger-tapping assessment based on miniature inertial sensors (3D gyroscopes) placed on the thumb and index-finger. We propose a simplified description of the finger tapping by using a single angle, describing rotation around a dominant axis. The method was verified on twelve subjects, who performed various tapping tasks, mimicking impaired patterns. The obtained tapping angles were compared with results of a motion capture camera system, demonstrating excellent accuracy. The root-mean-square (RMS) error between the two sets of data is, on average, below 4°, and the intraclass correlation coefficient is, on average, greater than 0.972. Data obtained by the proposed method may be used together with scores from clinical tests to enable a better diagnostic. Along with hardware simplicity, this makes the proposed method a promising candidate for use in clinical practice. Furthermore, our definition of the tapping angle can be applied to all tapping assessment systems.

Effects of aging on control of timing and force of finger tapping.

PubMed

Sasaki, Hirokazu; Masumoto, Junya; Inui, Nobuyuki

2011-04-01

The present study examined whether the elderly produced a hastened or delayed tap with a negative or positive constant intertap interval error more frequently in self-paced tapping than in the stimulus-synchronized tapping for the 2 N target force at 2 or 4 Hz frequency. The analysis showed that, at both frequencies, the percentage of the delayed tap was larger in the self-paced tapping than in the stimulus-synchronized tapping, whereas the hastened tap showed the opposite result. At the 4 Hz frequency, all age groups had more variable intertap intervals during the self-paced tapping than during the stimulus-synchronized tapping, and the variability of the intertap intervals increased with age. Thus, although the increase in the frequency of delayed taps and variable intertap intervals in the self-paced tapping perhaps resulted from a dysfunction of movement timing in the basal ganglia with age, the decline in timing accuracy was somewhat improved by an auditory cue. The force variability of tapping at 4 Hz further increased with age, indicating an effect of aging on the control of force.

Brain activity during bilateral rapid alternate finger tapping measured with magnetoencephalography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuda, Hiroshi; Odagaki, Masato; Hiwaki, Osamu; Kodabashi, Atsushi; Fujimoto, Toshiro

2009-04-01

Using magnetoencephalography (MEG), brain regions involved in an alternate bimanual tapping task by index fingers triggered with spontaneous timing were investigated. The tapping mode in which both index fingers moved simultaneously was interlaced during the task. The groups of the alternate tapping (AL mode) and the simultaneous tapping (SI mode) were extracted from the successive alternating taps with a histogram of intervals between the right and left index fingers. MEG signals in each mode were averaged separately before and after the tapping initiation of the dominant index finger. The activities of the contralateral sensorimotor cortex before and after the tapping initiation in the AL mode were larger than that in the SI mode. The result indicates that the activity of the contralateral sensorimotor cortex depends on the degree of achievement in the difficult motor task such as the voluntary alternate tapping movements.

Predicting Complex Organic Molecule Emission from TW Hya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vissapragada, Shreyas; Walsh, Catherine

2017-01-01

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has significantly increased our ability to observe the rich chemical inventory of star and planet formation. ALMA has recently been used to detect CH3OH (methanol) and CH3CN (methyl cyanide) in protoplanetary disks; these molecules may be vital indicators of the complex organic ice reservoir in the comet-forming zone. We have constructed a physiochemical model of TW Hya, a well-studied protoplanetary disk, to explore the different formation mechanisms of complex ices. By running our model through a radiative transfer code and convolving with beam sizes appropriate for ALMA, we have obtained synthetic observations of methanol and methyl cyanide. Here, we compare and comment on these synthetic observations, and provide astrochemical justification for their spatial distributions.

Metagenomic analysis reveals significant changes of microbial compositions and protective functions during drinking water treatment.

PubMed

Chao, Yuanqing; Ma, Liping; Yang, Ying; Ju, Feng; Zhang, Xu-Xiang; Wu, Wei-Min; Zhang, Tong

2013-12-19

The metagenomic approach was applied to characterize variations of microbial structure and functions in raw (RW) and treated water (TW) in a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) at Pearl River Delta, China. Microbial structure was significantly influenced by the treatment processes, shifting from Gammaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria in RW to Alphaproteobacteria in TW. Further functional analysis indicated the basic metabolic functions of microorganisms in TW did not vary considerably. However, protective functions, i.e. glutathione synthesis genes in 'oxidative stress' and 'detoxification' subsystems, significantly increased, revealing the surviving bacteria may have higher chlorine resistance. Similar results were also found in glutathione metabolism pathway, which identified the major reaction for glutathione synthesis and supported more genes for glutathione metabolism existed in TW. This metagenomic study largely enhanced our knowledge about the influences of treatment processes, especially chlorination, on bacterial community structure and protective functions (e.g. glutathione metabolism) in ecosystems of DWTPs.

Pedestal cleaning for high laser pulse contrast ratio with a 100 TW class laser system.

PubMed

Fourmaux, S; Payeur, S; Buffechoux, S; Lassonde, P; St-Pierre, C; Martin, F; Kieffer, J C

2011-04-25

Laser matter interaction at relativistic intensities using 100 TW class laser systems or higher is becoming more and more widespread. One of the critical issues of such laser systems is to let the laser pulse interact at high intensity with the solid target and avoid any pre-plasma. Thus, a high Laser Pulse Contrast Ratio (LPCR) parameter is of prime importance. We present the LPCR characterization of a high repetition 100 TW class laser system. We demonstrate that the generated Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE) degrades the overall LPCR performance. We propose a simple way to clean the pulse after the first amplification stage by introducing a solid state saturable absorber which results in a LPCR improvement to better than 10(10) with only a 30% energy loss at a 10 Hz repetition rate. We finally correlated this cleaning method with experimental results.

An experimental study on the influence of water stagnation and temperature change on water quality in a full-scale domestic drinking water system.

PubMed

Zlatanović, Lj; van der Hoek, J P; Vreeburg, J H G

2017-10-15

The drinking water quality changes during the transport through distribution systems. Domestic drinking water systems (DDWSs), which include the plumbing between the water meter and consumer's taps, are the most critical points in which water quality may be affected. In distribution networks, the drinking water temperature and water residence time are regarded as indicators of the drinking water quality. This paper describes an experimental research on the influence of stagnation time and temperature change on drinking water quality in a full-scale DDWS. Two sets of stagnation experiments, during winter and summer months, with various stagnation intervals (up to 168 h of stagnation) were carried out. Water and biofilms were sampled at two different taps, a kitchen and a shower tap. Results from this study indicate that temperature and water stagnation affect both chemical and microbial quality in DDWSs, whereas microbial parameters in stagnant water appear to be driven by the temperature of fresh water. Biofilm formed in the shower pipe contained more total and intact cells than the kitchen pipe biofilm. Alphaproteobacteria were found to dominate in the shower biofilm (78% of all Proteobacteria), while in the kitchen tap biofilm Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria were evenly distributed. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

NHEXAS PHASE I ARIZONA STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR COLLECTION, STORAGE AND SHIPMENT OF DRINKING AND TAP WATER SAMPLES FOR TRACE METALS (EPA METHOD 200.8) (UA-F-16.1)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to describe how to collect, store, and ship tap and drinking water samples for analysis by EPA Method 200.8 (revision 4.4) for the NHEXAS Arizona project. This SOP provides a brief description of the sample containers, collection, preservation, storage...

Antibacterial effect of electrolyzed water on oral bacteria.

PubMed

Lee, Sung-Hoon; Choi, Bong-Kyu

2006-08-01

This study investigated the antibacterial effect of electrolyzed water on oral bacteria both in vitro and in vivo. Tap water was electrolyzed in a water vessel using platinum cell technology. The electrolyzed tap water (called Puri-water) was put in contact with five major periodontopathogens or toothbrushes contaminated with these bacteria for 30 sec. In addition, Puri-water was used as a mouthwash for 30 sec in 16 subjects and the antibacterial effect on salivary bacteria was evaluated. Puri-water significantly reduced the growth of all periodontopathogens in culture and on toothbrushes, and that of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in saliva, when compared to the effect of tap water. It also significantly reduced mutans streptococci growing on mitis salivarius-bacitracin agar. Our results demonstrate that the electrolyzed tap water is effective as a mouthwash and for toothbrush disinfection.

Genetic Variants in TAP Are Associated with High-Grade Cervical Neoplasia

PubMed Central

Einstein, Mark H.; Leanza, Suzanne; Chiu, Lydia G.; Schlecht, Nicolas F.; Goldberg, Gary L.; Steinberg, Bettie M.; Burk, Robert D.

2018-01-01

Purpose The transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) is essential in assembling MHC-I proteins. Human papillomavirus (HPV) evades immune recognition by decreasing class I MHC cell surface expression through down-regulation of TAP1 levels. Consistent with heterogeneity in MHC expression is the individual variability in clearing detectable HPV infections. Genetic polymorphisms in TAP genes may affect protein structure, function, and the ability to clear HPV infection. Experimental Design Case-control study of women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) II or III (n = 114) and women without high-grade CIN (n = 366). Five nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in TAP1 and TAP2 were genotyped using DNA collected in cervicovaginal lavage samples using microsphere array technology (Luminex ×MAP). HPV typing was done using a PCR-based system with MY09/MY11 primers. TAP1 and TAP2 SNPs were validated by direct sequencing. Results Differences in allele distribution between women with high-grade cervical neoplasia and women without was seen for TAP1 I333V (P = 0.02) and TAP1 D637G (p = 0.01).The odds ratios (OR) for CIN III were significantly lower among carriers of the TAP1 I333V polymorphism (OR, 0.28; 95% confidence interval, 0.1-0.8), and TAP1 D637G polymorphism (OR, 0.27; 95% confidence interval, 0.1-0.7). These associations remained significant even after restricting the evaluation to women who were positive for high-risk HPV types. Conclusions In addition to the down-regulation of MHC-1 by oncogenic HPV, HPV pathogenesis might be facilitated by polymorphisms in the TAP proteins. Identifying TAP polymorphisms may potentially be used to identify women less susceptible to progression to high-grade CIN and cervical cancer. PMID:19188174

Abnormal maximal finger tapping in abstinent cannabis users.

PubMed

Flavel, Stanley C; White, Jason M; Todd, Gabrielle

2013-11-01

To investigate movement speed and rhythmicity in abstinent cannabis users, we hypothesized that abstinent cannabis users exhibit decreased maximal finger tapping frequency and increased variability of tapping compared with non-drug users. The study involved 10 healthy adult cannabis users and 10 age-matched and gender-matched controls with no history of illicit drug use. Subjects underwent a series of screening tests prior to participation. Subjects were then asked to tap a strain gauge as fast as possible with the index finger of their dominant hand (duration 5 s). The average intertap interval did not significantly differ between groups, but the coefficient of variation of the intertap interval was significantly greater in the cannabis group than in controls (p=0.011). The cannabis group also exhibited a slow tapping frequency at the beginning of the task. Rhythmicity of finger tapping is abnormal in individuals with a history of cannabis use. The abnormality appears to be long lasting and adds to the list of functional changes present in abstinent cannabis users. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

High Dispersion Line Profile Studies of TW HYA and Other Pre-Main Sequence Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linsky, Jeffrey L.

1984-07-01

We propose to extend our study of line profiles in T Tauri stars by obtaining a 16 hour SWP-HI spectrum of TW Hya and 6-8 hour LWP-HI spectra of TW Hya, AK Sco, CoD -35 10525 and CoD -33 10685. High dispersion spectra of pre-main sequence (PMS) stars provide unique information on line widths, shifts, and asymmetries, as well as evidence for mass outflow, circumstellar absorption, and diagnostics for the temperature structure of the outer atmosphere layers of these complex yet incredibly important objects. We have previously obtained and studied line profiles in RU Lupi and the prototype star T Tau. RU Lupi has line profiles that are dominated by the wind expansion, for example the MgII and FeII multiplet UV1 profiles are unique in that they have a classical P Cygni shape, whereas T Tau has more symmetric emission profiles indicative of a chromosphere and hotter layers not dominated by expansion. TW Hya is different from these two previously studied stars in that it may be the brightest known example of a post-T Tauri star, and hence less active and older than the other PMS stars. We intend to compare its line profiles with those of RU Lupi and T Tauri in order to understand the differences in the non-thermal mass motions, wind expansion, and thermal structures of these three very different T Tau stars. The requested LWPHI spectra are to obtain MgII and FeII multiplet UV1. profiles of 4 different T Tauri objects so as to infer the expansion and thermal structure in their chromospheric layers.

Spectral and Temporal Characteristics of LS PEG and TW PIC Using XMM-NEWTON Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talebpour Sheshvan, Nasrin; Balman, Solen

2016-07-01

We report the analysis of archival XMM-Newton X-ray observations of LS Peg and TW Pic. These are Cataclysmic Variables (CVs) suggested as Intermediate Polars (IPs), but unconfirmed in the X-rays. Identification of several periodic oscillations in the optical band hint them as IPs. Unlike the previous spectral analysis on the EPIC-MOS data by fitting a hot optically thin plasma emission model with a single temperature for LS Peg, we simultaneously fitted all EPIC spectrum (pn+MOS) using a composite model of absorption for interstellar medium (tbabs) with two different partial covering absorbers (pcfabs) including a multitemperature plasma emission component (cevmkl) and a Gaussian emission line at 6.4 keV. TW Pic is best modeled in a similar manner with only one partial covering absorber and an extra Gaussian emission line at 6.7 keV. LS Peg has a maximum plasma temperature of ˜14.8 keV with an X-ray luminosity of ˜5×10^{32}ergs ^{-1} translating to an accretion rate of ˜1.27×10^{-10}M _{⊙}yr ^{-1}. TW Pic shows kT _{max} ˜38.7 keV with an X-ray luminosity around 1.6×10^{33}ergs ^{-1} at an accretion rate of ˜4×10^{-10}M _{⊙}yr ^{-1}. In addition, we discuss orbital modulations in the X-rays and power spectral analysis, and derive the EPIC pn spectra for orbital minimum and orbital maximum phases for both sources. We elaborate on the geometry of accretion and absorption in the X-ray emitting regions of both sources with articulation on the magnetic nature.

Effects of age, task, and frequency on variability of finger tapping.

PubMed

Sommervoll, Yngve; Ettema, Gertjan; Vereijken, Beatrix

2011-10-01

The goal was to assess whether prior studies might have overestimated performance variability in older adults in dual task conditions by relying on primary motor tasks that are not constant with aging. 30 younger and 31 older adults performed a bimanual tapping task at four different frequencies in isolation or concurrently with a secondary task. Results showed that performance of younger and older adults was not significantly different in performing the tapping task at all frequencies and with either secondary task, as indicated by mean tapping performance and low number of errors in the secondary tasks. Both groups showed increased variability as tapping frequency increased and with the presence of a secondary task. Tapping concurrently while reading words increased tapping variability more than tapping concurrently while naming colours. Although older participants' performances were overall more variable, no interaction effects with age were found and at the highest frequencies of tapping, younger and older participants did not differ in performance.

Occurrence of bisphenol A in surface water, drinking water and plasma from Malaysia with exposure assessment from consumption of drinking water.

PubMed

Santhi, V A; Sakai, N; Ahmad, E D; Mustafa, A M

2012-06-15

This study investigated the level of bisphenol A (BPA) in surface water used as potable water, drinking water (tap and bottled mineral water) and human plasma in the Langat River basin, Malaysia. BPA was present in 93% of the surface water samples at levels ranging from below limit of quantification (LOQ; 1.3 ng/L) to 215 ng/L while six fold higher levels were detected in samples collected near industrial and municipal sewage treatment plant outlets. Low levels of BPA were detected in most of the drinking water samples. BPA in tap water ranged from 3.5 to 59.8 ng/L with the highest levels detected in samples collected from taps connected to PVC pipes and water filter devices. Bottled mineral water had lower levels of BPA (3.3±2.6 ng/L) although samples stored in poor storage condition had significantly higher levels (11.3±5.3 ng/L). Meanwhile, only 17% of the plasma samples had detectable levels of BPA ranging from 0.81 to 3.65 ng/mL. The study shows that BPA is a ubiquitous contaminant in surface, tap and bottled mineral water. However, exposure to BPA from drinking water is very low and is less than 0.01% of the tolerable daily intake (TDI). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PEERING INTO THE GIANT-PLANET-FORMING REGION OF THE TW HYDRAE DISK WITH THE GEMINI PLANET IMAGER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rapson, Valerie A.; Kastner, Joel H.; Millar-Blanchaer, Maxwell A.

2015-12-20

We present Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) adaptive optics near-infrared images of the giant-planet-forming regions of the protoplanetary disk orbiting the nearby (D = 54 pc), pre-main-sequence (classical T Tauri) star TW Hydrae. The GPI images, which were obtained in coronagraphic/polarimetric mode, exploit starlight scattered off small dust grains to elucidate the surface density structure of the TW Hya disk from ∼80 AU to within ∼10 AU of the star at ∼1.5 AU resolution. The GPI polarized intensity images unambiguously confirm the presence of a gap in the radial surface brightness distribution of the inner disk. The gap is centered near ∼23 AU,more » with a width of ∼5 AU and a depth of ∼50%. In the context of recent simulations of giant-planet formation in gaseous, dusty disks orbiting pre-main-sequence stars, these results indicate that at least one young planet with a mass ∼0.2 M{sub J} could be present in the TW Hya disk at an orbital semimajor axis similar to that of Uranus. If this (proto)planet is actively accreting gas from the disk, it may be readily detectable by GPI or a similarly sensitive, high-resolution infrared imaging system.« less

A tap water turbidity crisis in Tel Aviv, Israel, due to technical failure: toxicological and risk management issues.

PubMed

Winston, Gary; Lerman, Shlomo; Goldberger, Shalom; Collins, Malcolm; Leventhal, Alex

2003-06-01

Herein, we report on the actual events linked to an ammonia spillage into the main waterline of the Tel-Aviv metropolitan area and its surrounding municipalities. Based upon a large magnitude increase of unknown origin in the turbidity and ammonia levels of the main drinking water supply, area residents were warned of possible serious contamination and advised to refrain from drinking tap water until further notice. Turbidity was later linked only to CaCO3, which was precipitated from the water due to the rise in pH caused by the excessive ammonia levels. The source of the ammonia (a malfunction of the measurement buoy in the ammonia tank) was not identified until several days after the warning was issued. The toxicological implications of the turbidity and ammonia elevations are considered and reconciled with the management strategies that followed. Of consequence to the management of this crisis was the approach of Ministry of Health officials to regard the ammonia, from the onset, as an indicator of several possible sources of origin rather than as a contaminant. Decision-making policies were hampered by ineffective communication between the national water supplier and government health officials. An outcome of this crisis was a heightened awareness of the potential of a water crisis occurring during peace time and not only in association with terrorist activities, to which Israeli citizens are highly sensitized. Finally, the present paper may serve to guide municipal environmental and health officials more appropriately in the event of similar drinking water crises in Israel or elsewhere.

The Transfer Achievement Program (TAP): Information Packet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Segura, Armando; Noseworthy, Victoria

Santa Barbara City College (California) created the Transfer Achievement Program (TAP) to deliver an integrated and cohesive set of services to underrepresented students to help increase their transfer rate to four-year institutions. TAP provides students with a developmental map of transfer-related activities through the use of the Transfer Task…

Fixture For Drilling And Tapping A Curved Workpiece

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Espinosa, P. S.; Lockyer, R. T.

1992-01-01

Simple fixture guides drilling and tapping of holes in prescribed locations and orientations on workpiece having curved surface. Tool conceived for use in reworking complexly curved helicopter blades made of composite materials. Fixture is block of rigid foam with epoxy filler, custom-fitted to surface contour, containing bushings and sleeves at drilling and tapping sites. Bushings changed, so taps and drills of various sizes accommodated. In use, fixture secured to surface by hold-down bolts extending through sleeves and into threads in substrate.

Parieto-occipital lobe epilepsy caused by a POLG1 compound heterozygous A467T/W748S genotype.

PubMed

Roshal, David; Glosser, David; Zangaladze, Andro

2011-06-01

We describe a 16-year-old woman with a rare POLG1 A467T/W748S genotype, with a wide range of neurological manifestations, including focal parieto-occipital lobe seizures, migraine headaches, cerebellar ataxia, sensory-motor axonal neuropathy, and impairment of visual perception and cognitive function. Treatment of epilepsy in patients with a POLG1 compound heterozygous A467T/W748S genotype is very challenging; the epilepsy may preferentially respond to sodium channel blockers. The POLG1-related syndrome has a variable clinical course, and disease morbidity and mortality may be correlated with the genotype. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The real water consumption behind drinking water: the case of Italy.

PubMed

Niccolucci, V; Botto, S; Rugani, B; Nicolardi, V; Bastianoni, S; Gaggi, C

2011-10-01

The real amount of drinking water available per capita is a topic of great interest for human health and the economic and political management of resources. The global market of bottled drinking water, for instance, has shown exponential growth in the last twenty years, mainly due to reductions in production costs and investment in promotion. This paper aims to evaluate how much freshwater is actually consumed when water is drunk in Italy, which can be considered a mature bottled-water market. A Water Footprint (WF) calculation was used to compare the alternatives: bottled and tap water. Six Italian brands of water sold in PET bottles were inventoried, analysed and compared with the public tap water of the city of Siena, as representative of the Italian context. Results showed that more than 3 L of water were needed to provide consumers with 1.50 L of drinking water. In particular, a volume of 1.50 L of PET-bottled water required an extra virtual volume of 1.93 L of water while an extra 2.13 L was necessary to supply the same volume of tap water. These values had very different composition and origin. The WF of tap water was mainly due to losses of water during pipeline distribution and usage, while WF of bottled water was greatly influenced by the production of plastic materials. When the contribution of cooling water was added to the calculation, the WF of bottled water rose from 3.43 to 6.92 L. Different strategies to reduce total water footprint are discussed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Health Risk Assessment Related to Waterborne Pathogens from the River to the Tap

PubMed Central

Jacob, Pauline; Henry, Annabelle; Meheut, Gaëlle; Charni-Ben-Tabassi, Nadine; Ingrand, Valérie; Helmi, Karim

2015-01-01

A two-year monitoring program of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts, Giardia duodenalis cysts, Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens spores and adenovirus was conducted in three large rivers in France used for recreational activities and as a resource for drinking water production. Fifty-liter river water and one thousand-liter tap water samples were concentrated using hollow-fiber ultrafiltration and analyzed by molecular biology or laser-scanning cytometry. In order to evaluate watershed land use influence on microorganism concentration changes, occurrence and seasonality of microorganisms were studied. The highest concentrations of protozoan parasites and C. perfringens were found for one of the three sites, showing a high proportion of agricultural territories, forests and semi-natural environments, which may be partly attributable to soil leaching due to rainfall events. On the contrary, the highest concentrations of adenoviruses were found at the two other sites, probably due to strong urban activities. Health risk assessment was evaluated for each waterborne pathogen regarding exposure during recreational activities (for a single or five bathing events during the summer). The calculated risk was lower than 0.5% for parasites and varied from 1% to 42% for adenovirus. A theoretical assessment of microorganism removal during the drinking water treatment process was also performed, and it showed that an absence of microorganisms could be expected in finished drinking water. This hypothesis was confirmed since all tested tap water samples were negative for each studied microorganism, resulting in a risk for drinking water consumption lower than 0.01% for parasites and lower than 0.5% for adenovirus. PMID:25764059

Tapping the Sugar Maple--Learning and Appreciating

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malone, Charles

1976-01-01

The article discusses how to tap a maple tree. Tapping a maple tree to produce maple syrup can: (1) lead to better understanding in many subject areas, (2) develop skills through participation in a rewarding activity, and (3) help students appreciate the many important roles that trees play in our environment and daily lives. (NQ)

Paired Synchronous Rhythmic Finger Tapping without an External Timing Cue Shows Greater Speed Increases Relative to Those for Solo Tapping

PubMed Central

Okano, Masahiro; Shinya, Masahiro; Kudo, Kazutoshi

2017-01-01

In solo synchronization-continuation (SC) tasks, intertap intervals (ITI) are known to drift from the initial tempo. It has been demonstrated that people in paired and group contexts modulate their action timing unconsciously in various situations such as choice reaction tasks, rhythmic body sway, and hand clapping in concerts, which suggests the possibility that ITI drift is also affected by paired context. We conducted solo and paired SC tapping experiments with three tempos (75, 120, and 200 bpm) and examined whether tempo-keeping performance changed according to tempo and/or the number of players. Results indicated that those tapping in the paired conditions were faster, relative to those observed in the solo conditions, for all tempos. For the faster participants, the degree of ITI drift in the solo conditions was strongly correlated with that in the paired conditions. Regression analyses suggested that both faster and slower participants adapted their tap timing to that of their partners. A possible explanation for these results is that the participants reset the phase of their internal clocks according to the faster beat between their own tap and the partners’ tap. Our results indicated that paired context could bias the direction of ITI drift toward decreasing. PMID:28276461

Paired Synchronous Rhythmic Finger Tapping without an External Timing Cue Shows Greater Speed Increases Relative to Those for Solo Tapping.

PubMed

Okano, Masahiro; Shinya, Masahiro; Kudo, Kazutoshi

2017-03-09

In solo synchronization-continuation (SC) tasks, intertap intervals (ITI) are known to drift from the initial tempo. It has been demonstrated that people in paired and group contexts modulate their action timing unconsciously in various situations such as choice reaction tasks, rhythmic body sway, and hand clapping in concerts, which suggests the possibility that ITI drift is also affected by paired context. We conducted solo and paired SC tapping experiments with three tempos (75, 120, and 200 bpm) and examined whether tempo-keeping performance changed according to tempo and/or the number of players. Results indicated that those tapping in the paired conditions were faster, relative to those observed in the solo conditions, for all tempos. For the faster participants, the degree of ITI drift in the solo conditions was strongly correlated with that in the paired conditions. Regression analyses suggested that both faster and slower participants adapted their tap timing to that of their partners. A possible explanation for these results is that the participants reset the phase of their internal clocks according to the faster beat between their own tap and the partners' tap. Our results indicated that paired context could bias the direction of ITI drift toward decreasing.

Technical Assistance Plan (TAP)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

A Technical Assistance Plan (TAP) enables community groups to retain the services of an independent technical advisor and to provide resources for a community group to help inform other community members about site decisions.

Herschel-PACS observation of the 10 Myr old T Tauri disk TW Hya. Constraining the disk gas mass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thi, W.-F.; Mathews, G.; Ménard, F.; Woitke, P.; Meeus, G.; Riviere-Marichalar, P.; Pinte, C.; Howard, C. D.; Roberge, A.; Sandell, G.; Pascucci, I.; Riaz, B.; Grady, C. A.; Dent, W. R. F.; Kamp, I.; Duchêne, G.; Augereau, J.-C.; Pantin, E.; Vandenbussche, B.; Tilling, I.; Williams, J. P.; Eiroa, C.; Barrado, D.; Alacid, J. M.; Andrews, S.; Ardila, D. R.; Aresu, G.; Brittain, S.; Ciardi, D. R.; Danchi, W.; Fedele, D.; de Gregorio-Monsalvo, I.; Heras, A.; Huelamo, N.; Krivov, A.; Lebreton, J.; Liseau, R.; Martin-Zaidi, C.; Mendigutía, I.; Montesinos, B.; Mora, A.; Morales-Calderon, M.; Nomura, H.; Phillips, N.; Podio, L.; Poelman, D. R.; Ramsay, S.; Rice, K.; Solano, E.; Walker, H.; White, G. J.; Wright, G.

2010-07-01

Planets are formed in disks around young stars. With an age of ~10 Myr, TW Hya is one of the nearest T Tauri stars that is still surrounded by a relatively massive disk. In addition a large number of molecules has been found in the TW Hya disk, making TW Hya the perfect test case in a large survey of disks with Herschel-PACS to directly study their gaseous component. We aim to constrain the gas and dust mass of the circumstellar disk around TW Hya. We observed the fine-structure lines of [O i] and [C ii] as part of the open-time large program GASPS. We complement this with continuum data and ground-based 12 CO 3-2 and 13CO 3-2 observations. We simultaneously model the continuum and the line fluxes with the 3D Monte-Carlo code MCFOST and the thermo-chemical code ProDiMo to derive the gas and dust masses. We detect the [O i] line at 63 μm. The other lines that were observed, [O i] at 145 μm and [C ii] at 157 μm, are not detected. No extended emission has been found. Preliminary modeling of the photometric and line data assuming [ 12CO] /[ 13CO] = 69 suggests a dust mass for grains with radius <1 mm of ~1.9 × 10-4 M⊙ (total solid mass of 3 × 10-3 M⊙) and a gas mass of (0.5-5) × 10-3 M⊙. The gas-to-dust mass may be lower than the standard interstellar value of 100. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by Principal Investigator consortia. It is open for proposals for observing time from the worldwide astronomical community.Appendix is only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Analgesic Effect Of Bilateral Subcostal Tap Block After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy.

PubMed

Khan, Karima Karam; Khan, Robyna Irshad

2018-01-01

Pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy is mild to moderate in intensity. Several modalities are employed for achieving safe and effective postoperative analgesia, the benefits of which adds to the early recovery of the patients. As a part of multimodal analgesia, various approaches of Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block has been used for management of parietal and incisional components of pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This study was designed to compare the analgesic efficacy of two different approaches of ultrasound guided TAP block, i.e., Subcostal-TAP block technique with ultrasound guided Posterior-TAP block for postoperative pain management in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anaesthesia. In this double blinded randomized controlled study, consecutive nonprobability sampling was done and a total of 126 patients admitted for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy fulfilling the inclusion criteria were selected. After induction of general anaesthesia, patients were randomized through draw method and received either ultrasound guided posterior TAP block with 0.375% bupivacaine (20ml volume) on each side of the abdomen or subcostal TAP block bilaterally with the same. Up to 24 hours postoperatively, static and dynamic numeric rating pain scores were assessed. We found statistically significant difference in mean static pain scores over 24 hours postoperatively in subcostal TAP group, suggesting improved analgesia. However, mean dynamic postoperative pain scores were comparable between the two groups. Whereas, patients in both groups were satisfied with pain management. Ultrasound guided subcostal TAP block provides better postoperative analgesia as compared to the Posterior TAP block in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Otherwise both of the approaches improve patient outcomes towards early recovery and discharge from hospital.

The neural substrates of impaired finger tapping regularity after stroke.

PubMed

Calautti, Cinzia; Jones, P Simon; Guincestre, Jean-Yves; Naccarato, Marcello; Sharma, Nikhil; Day, Diana J; Carpenter, T Adrian; Warburton, Elizabeth A; Baron, Jean-Claude

2010-03-01

Not only finger tapping speed, but also tapping regularity can be impaired after stroke, contributing to reduced dexterity. The neural substrates of impaired tapping regularity after stroke are unknown. Previous work suggests damage to the dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) and prefrontal cortex (PFCx) affects externally-cued hand movement. We tested the hypothesis that these two areas are involved in impaired post-stroke tapping regularity. In 19 right-handed patients (15 men/4 women; age 45-80 years; purely subcortical in 16) partially to fully recovered from hemiparetic stroke, tri-axial accelerometric quantitative assessment of tapping regularity and BOLD fMRI were obtained during fixed-rate auditory-cued index-thumb tapping, in a single session 10-230 days after stroke. A strong random-effect correlation between tapping regularity index and fMRI signal was found in contralesional PMd such that the worse the regularity the stronger the activation. A significant correlation in the opposite direction was also present within contralesional PFCx. Both correlations were maintained if maximal index tapping speed, degree of paresis and time since stroke were added as potential confounds. Thus, the contralesional PMd and PFCx appear to be involved in the impaired ability of stroke patients to fingertap in pace with external cues. The findings for PMd are consistent with repetitive TMS investigations in stroke suggesting a role for this area in affected-hand movement timing. The inverse relationship with tapping regularity observed for the PFCx and the PMd suggests these two anatomically-connected areas negatively co-operate. These findings have implications for understanding the disruption and reorganization of the motor systems after stroke. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thermal Analyzer for Planetary Soil (TAPS): an in Situ Instrument for Mineral and Volatile-element Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gooding, J. L.; Ming, D. W.; Gruener, J. E.; Gibbons, F. L.; Allton, J. H.

1993-01-01

Thermal Analyzer for Planetary Soil (TAPS) offers a specific implementation for the generic thermal analyzer/evolved-gas analyzer (TA/EGA) function included in the Mars Environmental Survey (MESUR) strawman payload; applications to asteroids and comets are also possible. The baseline TAPS is a single-sample differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), backed by a capacitive-polymer humidity sensor, with an integrated sampling mechanism. After placement on a planetary surface, TAPS acquires 10-50 mg of soil or sediment and heats the sample from ambient temperature to 1000-1300 K. During heating, DSC data are taken for the solid and evolved gases are swept past the water sensor. Through ground based data analysis, multicomponent DSC data are deconvolved and correlated with the water release profile to quantitatively determine the types and relative proportions of volatile-bearing minerals such as clays and other hydrates, carbonates, and nitrates. The rapid-response humidity sensors also achieve quantitative analysis of total water. After conclusion of soil-analysis operations, the humidity sensors become available for meteorology. The baseline design fits within a circular-cylindrical volume less than 1000 cm(sup 3), occupies 1.2 kg mass, and consumes about 2 Whr of power per analysis. Enhanced designs would acquire and analyze multiple samples and employ additional microchemical sensors for analysis of CO2, SO2, NO(x), and other gaseous species. Atmospheric pumps are also being considered as alternatives to pressurized purge gas.

Thermal Analyzer for Planetary Soil (TAPS): an in situ instrument for mineral and volatile-element measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gooding, J. L.; Ming, D. W.; Gruener, J. E.; Gibbons, F. L.; Allton, J. H.

Thermal Analyzer for Planetary Soil (TAPS) offers a specific implementation for the generic thermal analyzer/evolved-gas analyzer (TA/EGA) function included in the Mars Environmental Survey (MESUR) strawman payload; applications to asteroids and comets are also possible. The baseline TAPS is a single-sample differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), backed by a capacitive-polymer humidity sensor, with an integrated sampling mechanism. After placement on a planetary surface, TAPS acquires 10-50 mg of soil or sediment and heats the sample from ambient temperature to 1000-1300 K. During heating, DSC data are taken for the solid and evolved gases are swept past the water sensor. Through ground based data analysis, multicomponent DSC data are deconvolved and correlated with the water release profile to quantitatively determine the types and relative proportions of volatile-bearing minerals such as clays and other hydrates, carbonates, and nitrates. The rapid-response humidity sensors also achieve quantitative analysis of total water. After conclusion of soil-analysis operations, the humidity sensors become available for meteorology. The baseline design fits within a circular-cylindrical volume less than 1000 cm3, occupies 1.2 kg mass, and consumes about 2 Whr of power per analysis. Enhanced designs would acquire and analyze multiple samples and employ additional microchemical sensors for analysis of CO2, SO2, NO(x), and other gaseous species. Atmospheric pumps are also being considered as alternatives to pressurized purge gas.