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Phytoremediation offers a nature based solution (NBS) for contaminated soil remediation; however, its application under a brownfield redevelopment context has not been well studied. Moreover, climate change could impact large numbers of contaminated sites, yet there remains little research on the potential impacts for remediation. This study examined phytoremediation at a brownfield redevelopment in the San Francisco Bay area, where thousands of cleanup sites are vulnerable to rising sea levels. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to determine both primary and secondary impacts and the system's resilience to various sea level scenarios and hydroclimatic conditions was investigated. It was found that the phytoremediation project rendered only a small environmental footprint, and was associated with low cost and substantial socioeconomic benefits. For instance, it fitted well with the site redevelopment setting by offering attractive landscape features. Moreover, under a modeled moderate sea level rise scenario, the groundwater hydraulic gradient at the site decreased, which was coupled with greater natural biodegradation and reduced plume migration, and, therefore, lower life cycle impact. There was also minimal increase in the vapor intrusion risk with increased sea level. Overall, phytoremediation at the site was found to be resilient to a moderate sea level rise and other hydroclimatic effects induced by climate change. However, the system performance responded to increasing sea level rise in a non-linear manner. Under a high sea level rise scenario, the system is predicted to perform abruptly worse. Keywords: Remediation, Groundwater treatment, Climate change resilience, Life cycle assessment, Nature based solution

Mercury contamination in soil, water and air is associated with potential toxicity to humans and ecosystems. Industrial activities such as coal combustion have led to increased mercury (Hg) concentrations in different environmental media. This review critically evaluates recent developments in technological approaches for the remediation of Hg contaminated soil, water and air, with a focus on emerging materials and innovative technologies. Extensive research on various nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), nanosheets and magnetic nanocomposites, for mercury removal are investigated. This paper also examines other emerging materials and their characteristics, including graphene, biochar, metal organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), layered double hydroxides (LDHs) as well as other materials such as clay minerals and manganese oxides. Based on approaches including adsorption/desorption, oxidation/reduction and stabilization/containment, the performances of innovative technologies with the aid of these materials were examined. In addition, technologies involving organisms, such as phytoremediation, algae-based mercury removal, microbial reduction and constructed wetlands, were also reviewed, and the role of organisms, especially microorganisms, in these techniques are illustrated. Keywords: Hg(II), Elemental mercury, Methylmercury, Remediation techniques, Novel materials

Background Over a million gastric tubes are placed yearly for varying medical reasons including gastric decompression. In the operating room (OR), this is performed blindly, and position is confirmed by auscultation, aspiration, or palpation by a surgeon. Despite the known risks of malpositioned gastric tubes, there is limited data in anesthesia literature about the incidence of intraoperative malpositioned gastric tubes. In this study, we use Point-of-Care ultrasonography (POCUS) to confirm gastric tube placement in the OR. Methods Prospective observational study with a total of 149 subjects, all over 18 years of age, undergoing surgery with general endotracheal anesthesia and intraoperative blind placement of a gastric tube by an anesthesia provider. The primary objective of this study is to determine the incidence of malposition of blindly placed gastric tubes. Results In our analysis, we found that out of 149 patients 110 patients were successfully visualized; the incidence of malposition was 0.14 [95% CI: 0.08-0.21]. We did not find age, Body Mass Index, or sex to be associated with predisposing patients to intraoperative malposition of gastric tube. However, increasing years of experience of anesthesia provider correlated with higher malposition rates. Conclusions In summary, we demonstrated that the incidence of malposition of blindly gastric tubes was 14%. Given the attendant risks of malpositioned gastric tubes, this data should inform decision algorithms for the blind placement of gastric tubes.

Elevated soil lead (Pb) concentrations are a global concern owing to the toxic effects of this heavy metal. Solidification/stabilization (S/S) of soils using reagents like Portland cement (PC) is a common approach for the remediation of Pb contaminated sites. However, it has been reported that under long-term field conditions, the performance of PC treatments can diminish significantly. Therefore, novel reagents that provide longer-term stabilization performance are needed. In this study, four magnesium oxide (MgO) products of different reactivity values were applied (5 wt%) to a Pb contaminated clayey soil. The short-term (1–49 days) and long-term (25–100 years) temporal stabilization effects were investigated by laboratory incubation and accelerated ageing methods, respectively. The concentration of Pb in Toxicity Characterization Leaching Procure (TCLP) leachate was ~14 mg/L for the untreated soil; ~1.8 times higher than the TCLP regulatory level (5 mg/L). Only one day after treatment with MgO, the leachate concentration was reduced to below the regulatory level (a reduction of 69.4%–83.2%), regardless of the MgO type applied. However, in the long-term accelerated ageing experiments, only treatments using the most reactive MgO type could provide leachate concentrations that were consistently below the TCLP threshold throughout the 100 years of simulated ageing. The soil treated with the MgO of lowest reactivity was the first to exceed the regulatory level, at simulated year 75. It is thus demonstrated that MgO reactivity has a significant effect on its long-term effectiveness for contaminated soil stabilization. This is attributed to differences in their specific surface area and readiness to carbonate, which may facilitate the immobilization of Pb in the long term. It is also noteworthy that compared to PC, reactive MgO is more environmentally friendly owing to lower energy consumption and reduced CO2 emissions during its manufacture. Keywords: Soil pollution, Lead contamination, Remediation, Reactive magnesia, Reactivity, Accelerated ageing

Based on the “waste-treat-waste” concept, biochars were produced from cadmium (Cd)-contaminated rice straw (CRSBs) at 300, 500, and 700 °C (CRSB300, CRSB500, and CRSB700). The risks of the Cd remaining in CRSBs were evaluated and the optimal biochar pyrolysis temperature for Cd removal was investigated. It was observed that 41% of the total Cd in the raw rice straw was exchangeable, which may pose significant risks to crops and humans. Pyrolyzing at 300 °C did not significantly alter the Cd fractions, while the exchangeable fraction of Cd greatly dropped to 5.79% at 500 °C and further to 2.12% at 700 °C. Increasing the highest pyrolysis temperature resulted in CRSBs with higher pH values, greater surface area, and smaller pore sizes, thus providing more rapid and efficient removal of Cd from aqueous solutions. For Cd removal tests, increasing pyrolysis temperature (300–700 °C) increased the total (24.8–55.1 mg/g) and non-exchangeable (18.9–52.8 mg/g) Cd concentrations immobilized on the CRSBs and significantly decreased the exchangeable Cd fraction (23.7%–4.85%). It is suggested based on the study from aqueous solutions that CRSB700 was the most suitable for the remediation of Cd contaminated soil on site due to the lowest risks of remained Cd from feedstock, fastest and highest Cd removal, and most stable immobilization of Cd.

Conventional microbial sampling of air in hospitals is usually carried out using settle plates or impaction air samples. This provides little information about intermittent contamination events and is unhelpful for source attribution. Direct continuous bioaerosol sampling is an established technology used to characterise ambient external air. Portable instruments such as the Wideband Integrated Bioaerosol Sensor (WIBS) combine laser particle size and shape detection with signals of biological origin (fluorescence from amino acids and NAD(P)H) characteristic of viable bioaerosols. Monitoring is continuous for weeks at a time and data collected remotely over the internet. We present evidence of the utility of WIBS analysis in characterising air in hospitals in three different environments: operating theatres (plenum ventilated and ultraclean), a respiratory ward, and a specialist cystic fibrosis outpatients. The airborne particle profile was quantitatively and qualitatively different in each environment. Plumes of biologically-relevant airborne particles were detected and source investigation of failing conventional counts in an operating theatre aided by the continuous record. Nebulised drugs contributed a detectable effect on airborne particles which lasted for several hours on the ward despite air changes. A significant effect of plasma air treatment on airborne particles in the ward was detected by WIBS and not conventional cultures. Continuous monitoring may in future allow objective standard setting for airborne particles in different hospital environments and facilitate rapid detection of airborne infection risks.

The national policy debate over how to reduce carbon emissions while preserving the integrity of wholesale electricity markets heard a jarring message from the Northeast this summer. In a region known for first creating and then defending competition in its wholesale electricity market, the largest consuming state, Massachusetts, passed legislation that requires distribution utilities to purchase carbon-free electricity under long-term contracts for up to 30 percent of the state's electricity supply.

Long-term over-exploitation and unsustainable practices have caused severe groundwater depletion and deterioration across many regions throughout the world. This has triggered a series of negative impacts on human populations and the natural environment. To understand groundwater-related processes and explore ways to mitigate pertaining issues, large numbers of groundwater-related studies have been performed by the research community. In this study, all research papers published between 1978 and 2017 incorporating “groundwater” in the title, keywords, or abstract, were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WSCC). Of these, a total of 80,763 papers were identified as being groundwater-related publications. Our analysis revealed that groundwater research output increased significantly during this period, at average annual rate of 10.1%, exceeding the general trend for the WSCC (3.4%). Institutions based in developed countries have held predominance in publishing groundwater research, however, research output from developing countries, such as China and India, experienced much growth in recent years. Development trends were assessed among the research topics of groundwater depletion, contamination, remediation technology, and sustainable management, all of which experienced increased research output. Among sub-topics, groundwater depletion and sustainable management research have increased as a percentage of total groundwater studies, while studies of arsenic, chlorinated solvents, BTEX, bioremediation, and natural attenuation have dropped off in recent years. Additionally, as groundwater-related research output has increased rapidly, robust secondary analyses and meta-analyses are called for in order to make sense of the rapidly expanding body of groundwater research literature. Moreover, owing to the many complexities surround groundwater issues, greater interdisciplinary collaboration is also called for.

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is a natural mouse pathogen. LCMV Armstrong, an acutely resolved strain, and LCMV Clone13, a mutant that establishes chronic infection, have provided contrasting infection models that continue to inform the fundamental biology of T cell differentiation, regulation of exhaustion, and response to checkpoint blockade. Here, we describe LCMV Minnesota (LCMV-MN), which was transmitted to laboratory mice upon cohousing with pet shop mice and shares 80–95% amino acid homology with previously characterized LCMV strains. Infection of laboratory mice with purified LCMV-MN resulted in widely disseminated viral replication and viremia that was controlled within 15–30 days; which is of intermediate duration between LCMV Armstrong and Clone13. The magnitude of the LCMV-MN specific CD8+ T cell was maintained at much higher levels than that observed after LCMV Armstrong or Clone13 infections. LCMV-MN responding CD8+ T cells were further associated with significantly biased differentiation towards the recently described PD1+ CXCR5+ Tim-3lo stem-like CD8+ T cell population that was previously shown to be largely responsible for responsiveness to PD-1 inhibitory checkpoint blockade. In contrast to LCMV Clone13-induced responses, this subset persisted after resolution of LCMV-MN viremia, yet transcriptionally, phenotypically and functionally resembled PD1+ TCF1+ stem-like CD8+ T cells maintained by LCMV Clone13 infection. Together with existing models, LCMV-MN may contribute to a better understanding of the breadth of immune response in different chronic infections or tumor settings as well as the regulation of responsiveness to PD-1 blockade.

Cadmium (Cd) is an on-going environmental pollutant associated with hindered plant growth. In response, plants possess various strategies to alleviate Cd stress, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and chelation-mediated Cd detoxification. The present study examined the Cd defense mechanism of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), taking into account the effect of exogenous phosphorus (P) input. It was found that despite triggering antioxidant enzyme activity, Cd stress heightened lipid peroxidation levels. Exogenous P input partially mitigated the lipid peroxidation impact and decreased the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) antioxidant enzymes, revealing reduced ROS-scavenging activity. Importantly, notable relationships were determined between the amount of Cd uptake in the root and the amount of non-protein thiols (R2 = 0.914), glutathione (R2 = 0.805) and phytochelatins (R2 = 0.904) in proportion to the amount of exogenous P applied. The levels of amino acids proline and cysteine were also enhanced by exogenous P input showing their influence in alleviating Cd stress. Overall, it is reported that Cd detoxification in ryegrass plants can be stimulated by exogenous P input, which facilitates chelation-mediated Cd detoxification processes.

Light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) contaminated sites pose a risk to human health and the natural environment. Multi-phase extraction (MPE) is one of the most widely used technologies to remediate these sites. Thus, it is important to optimize MPE systems to improve their effectiveness and cost-efficiency. In this study, we developed a numerical model to optimize LNAPL mass removal by MPE, in which the aquifer domain was simplified as a cylinder with a single MPE extraction well located at the center. A dual-pump extraction system was applied to the model, which involved vacuum enhanced recovery to remove volatilized gaseous phase contaminants and a submerged pump to remove NAPL and contaminants in groundwater. After the model was validated with field data, the results showed that the contaminant extraction rate varied with the LNAPL thickness and submerged pump position. For benzene selected as the contaminant of concern, greater LNAPL extraction rates were achieved when the initial LNAPL thickness was large (>1.5 m) or in aquifers of high permeability (>2.45 × 10−10 m2). Importantly, it was discovered that in highly permeable coarse sand and gravel, the submerged pump ought to be placed within the LNAPL layer, whereas the pump should be placed below the water-NAPL interface in fine to medium sand aquifers. It was also found that an optimal liquid pumping rates exist, beyond which contaminant mass removal rates do not increase. Furthermore, it was found that in aquifers contaminated with thin LNAPL layers, mass transfer modelling that assumes equilibrium between the phases may greatly overestimate the accumulated mass of contaminants removed and, therefore, non-equilibrium modelling should be adopted. Finally, a cost analysis was carried out to compare the costs of remediating a contaminated site with MPE and by an alternative chemical oxidation approach. The MPE technology was found to be more cost effective when the initial thickness of LNAPL was relatively thin. In summary, the numerical model developed in this study is a useful tool for optimizing MPE system design.

Few studies have looked at the impact Level-of-Service (LOS) might have on the distances people walk to public transport. The relationship, if any, has implications for transit-oriented-development and the viability of different transit modes serving suburban areas. This paper examines pedestrian catchment areas and LOS across a light rail, a metro rail and two bus corridors in Dublin. Public transport users have been surveyed at 17 stops around the city and their trip origin identified. Catchment areas for bus services with high levels of service were found to be comparable and often greater than those for LRT or metro rail. 65% of all bus trip-origins are more than 500 m from stops. A standard distance analysis suggests natural catchment limits of over 1400 m for high quality bus, significantly greater than light rail and metro rail of similar service levels. The shape of transit catchment areas are also distinctive and appear to be most influenced by: network density, stopping patterns, urban gravity and quality of service. While further analysis is recommended, public transport users in Dublin city and suburbs appear more influenced by level-of-service than by modal type when deciding how far they are prepared to walk to public transport.

Glucarpidase, also known as carboxypeptidase G(2), is a Food and Drug Administration-approved enzyme used in targeted cancer strategies such as antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT). It is also used in drug detoxification when cancer patients have excessive levels of the anti-cancer agent methotrexate. The application of glucarpidase is limited by its potential immunogenicity and limited catalytic efficiency. To overcome these pitfalls, mutagenesis was applied to the glucarpidase gene of Pseudomonas sp. strain RS-16 to isolate three novels "biobetter" variants with higher specific enzyme activity. DNA sequence analysis of the genes for the variants showed that each had a single point mutation, resulting in the amino acid substitutions: I100 T, G123S and T239 A. K-m, V-max and K-cat measurements confirmed that each variant had increased catalytic efficiency relative to wild type glucarpidase.Additionally, circular dichroism studies indicated that they had a higher alpha-helical content relative to the wild type enzyme. However, three different software packages predicted that they had reduced protein stability, which is consistent with having higher activities as a tradeoff. The novel glucarpidase variants presented in this work could pave the way for more efficient drug detoxification and might allow dose escalation during chemotherapy. They also have the potential to increase the efficiency of ADEPT and to reduce the number of treatment cycles, thereby reducing the risk that patients will develop antibodies to glucarpidase.

The migration of U(VI) through the engineered barrier system (EBS) and into the natural environment in a geological repository for high-level radioactive waste depends on the chemical and physical environment of the repository. Modeling is widely used to understand the risk associated with migration of U(VI) for different barrier designs for repository sites. In this study, coupled thermal, hydrological, and chemical (THC) models were used to evaluate the risk of U(VI) migration at a proposed deep geological repository in northwestern China. The models incorporated two-site protolysis nonelectrostatic surface complexation, dissolution/precipitation of minerals and cation exchange as the major reactions controlling U(VI) migration. Modeling results showed that the main factors influencing U(VI) migration were pH, and the smectite content in the bentonite, as dissolution of the hydrous uranium oxide mineral schoepite is suppressed at higher pH values, and smectite is the most important adsorbent of dissolved U(VI). Therefore, an alkaline bentonite with a smectite volume fraction of >0.6 is suggested as the backfill material for this EBS. The THC model results also showed that in 100,000 years, U(VI) migration is constrained within EBS if the suggested bentonite is used as backfill in a repository that is hosted within Beishan granite. This study provides a feasible method for selecting a bentonite backfill and predicting the effect of environmental conditions on U(VI) migration.

Microplastics (MPs) are an emerging concern and potential risk to marine and terrestrial environments. Surface soils are reported to act as a sink. However, MP vertical mobility in the subsurface remains uncertain due to a lack of scientific data. This study focused on MP penetration in sand soil column experiments. Here we report the mobility of five different MPs, which consisted of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) particles of various sizes and densities. We observed that the smallest sized PE MPs (21 μm) had the greatest movement potential. Moreover, it was found that when these MPs were subjected to greater numbers of wet-dry cycles, the penetration depth significantly increased, with an apparent linear relationship between depth and wet-dry cycle number (r2 = 0.817). In comparison, increasing the volume of infiltration liquid or the surface MP concentration had only negligible or weak effects on migration depth (r2 = 0.169 and 0.312, respectively). Based on the observed wet-dry cycle trend, we forecast 100-year penetration depths using weather data for 347 cities across China. The average penetration depth was calculated as 5.24 m (95% CI = 2.78–7.70 m), with Beijing Municipality and Hebei, Henan and Hubei provinces being the most vulnerable to MP vertical dispersion. Our results suggest that soils may not only represent a sink for MPs, but also a feasible entryway to subsurface receptors, such as subterranean fauna or aquifers. Finally, research gaps are identified and suggested research directions are put forward to garner a better understanding MP vertical migration in soil.

The Green and Sustainable Remediation (GSR) movement demands informed, integrated, and holistic management of contaminated sites. As such, GSR may become increasingly relevant in developing countries such as China, where vast areas of contaminated land require clean-up. Among other efforts, the World Bank together with China's Foreign Economic Cooperation Office is facilitating GSR adoption through the development of a guideline on social-environmental management. However, there are no existing studies that have considered how the established remediation industry perceives its effectiveness in addressing the various social-environmental management aspects, or how certain aspects have rooted. Without this information, it may be difficult to guide social-environmental practice forward, or introduce GSR into developing remediation markets with any precision. Therefore, a questionnaire survey of remediation participators was undertaken with principal component analysis (PCA) applied to the data to help group the various aspects. The PCA extracted two components for environmental management, ascribed to: (1) on-site/local impacts; and, (2) widespread impacts, and three social management components, ascribed to: (1) community inclusion; (2) economic gain; and, (3) health, safety, and welfare. It was found that the aspects the industry are most familiar with historically are generally dealt with more effectively than those that have only recently been introduced by the GSR movement. In particular, bolstering the management of widespread environmental impacts and giving greater regard to the economic gain of remediation, may be beneficial. In developing countries, public engagement is often very limited, necessitating improvement in remediation policy and guidance.

Representative groundwater sampling is critical for establishing contaminant distributions, evaluating the effectiveness of remediation operations, monitoring the protection of human health and the environment, and sustainably managing groundwater resources. However, traditional low flow (low stress) or three-well-volume purge well sampling techniques can render high labor costs or high wastewater volumes. Newly developed passive samplers can only deal with limited analytical needs. A new High Stress Low Flow (HSLF) method is proposed involving dual pumping rates, which may significantly reduce purge time and wastewater production, while maintaining analytical needs, thus offering a new tool to promote green and sustainable remediation. A three-dimension numerical model was used to evaluate the potential benefits of the proposed HSLF approach. Compared to low flow sampling and three-well-volume purge methods, it was calculated that HSLF can reduce sampling time by up to 81.0% and 81.3%, respectively, and reduce wastewater production by up to 12.5% and 91.2%, respectively. The improvement achieved was affected by formation characteristics (e.g. hydraulic conductivity) and operation parameters (e.g. pumping rates and drawdown control). Further optimization and field testing is required to recognize the full potential of this newly proposed method.

A greener and sustainable pathway to the assembly of Fe, Cu -based adsorbent is described using Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) leaf extracts in presence of oxalic acid which avoids the use of toxic chemicals. Characterization of the synthesized mixed Fe, Cu oxides are carried out by SEM, TEM, XRD, FT-IR, XPS, and BET techniques; SEM and TEM results disclosed particle size ranging from 160 nm to 1 μm in presence of varying oxalic acid amounts of 0 and 0.1 mol/L. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies revealed that the sample comprised of Fe, Cu-based hybrid oxides and oxalates. The ensuing results from altered operational parameters namely initial pH, initial malachite green (MG) concentration, the sample dosage and the reaction temperature suggest that the MG adsorption capacity of synthesized materials could be well structured by simply varying the amount of oxalic acid. The optimal sample (S(3) sample) has a remarkably high maximum adsorptive capacity (~1399 mg/g) for aqueous MG removal at 303 K and natural pH (~ 6.58), which is superior to recently documented sorbents. The results demonstrate that the adsorption is spontaneous (i.e., ∆G < 0) via an endothermic process wherein the synthesized adsorbent displayed excellent characteristics: 1) maintained a high adsorption capacity under a wide range of pH conditions; 2) remained chemically stable under ambient storage environments to allow for extended stowage; and 3) portrayed high reusability with no waning effect after 4 adsorption/desorption cycles.

Lead contamination is widespread across China, posing a serious public health concern. In quantifying child lead exposure, established health risk assessment (HRA) approaches often take into account residential soil lead levels. However, this may not constitute a significant exposure source for children in urban mainland China, where the population mainly dwell in high-rise buildings without back or front yards. In this setting, children's playgrounds may represent a more probable exposure source. The present study analyzed lead levels in settled dust on playground equipment and in surficial soils at 71 playgrounds in Beijing, China. Our results reveal that the average playground dust lead concentration was 80.5 mg/kg, more than twice the average soil lead concentration of 36.2 mg/kg. It was found that there are differences in statistical and spatial distributions for lead in playground dust and soils. Lead levels in equipment dust were largely consistent across Beijing, with elevated levels detected at locations in the main city area, the newly developed Tongzhou District, and the rural counties. Whereas average soil lead concentrations were higher at playgrounds in the main city area than other areas of Beijing. Statistical analysis suggests that the lead content in dust and soil may derive from different natural and anthropogenic sources. Equipment dust lead may be associated with long-distance atmospheric transportation and deposition. Whereas lead in soil is more likely to be associated with local traffic. This study also found that, in certain areas of Beijing, the risk of blood lead levels (BLLs) exceeding safe levels was up to 6 times higher when based on dust exposure than when based on playground soil exposure. The results of this study suggests that HRA undertaken for children in urban mainland China should pay closer attention to children's playgrounds as a lead exposure source, and, in particular, playground equipment dust.

Lead in paint is a major public health concern and has drawn much attention from international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). However, there is limited research on lead-based paint, especially its use in toys, which poses an explicit health risk to vulnerable children. The present study sampled 100 different toys purchased from the three largest online shopping platforms in China: JD, Taobao (TB) and Tmall (TM). These selected toys have been sold nearly 3 million times in total, suggesting that they may have reached the dwellings of millions of children. It was found that the toys sold by JD and TM, which are considered organized sellers, had average lead concentrations of 25 mg/kg and 32 mg/kg, respectively, much lower than that of toys sold by unorganized sellers on the TB platform, at 219 mg/kg. Approximately 12% of the toys purchased from TB contained paint with total lead concentrations exceeding China's regulatory standard for paints in toy manufacturing, and nearly 36% of the toys purchased from TB exceeded the equivalent US regulatory standard and EU standard. These results suggest that further action is needed to verify the health and safety standards of toys sold by such unorganized sellers. Moreover, this study found that China's regulatory standard (90 mg/kg) based on soluble lead may underestimate the risk posed by lead in paints, and it is suggested that future regulatory thresholds for lead levels in paints for toy manufacture be based on total rather than soluble lead concentrations. The present study also explored various influencing factors on lead concentration, and found that lead concentrations were related to toy price, age group, color, and sales volume.

What makes a morally right action morally right and a morally wrong action morally wrong? For clarity's sake, let us divide the question. First, what makes a particular action the morally right action in some situation, that is, what makes it morally obligatory? Second, what makes a particular action a (but not the) morally right action in some situation, that is, what makes it morally permissible (and optional)? And third, what makes a morally wrong action morally wrong (that is, morally impermissible) in some situation?

DOI 10.1002/gas.21873 / © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 23 David O’Connor (doconnor@mlstrategies.com) is senior vice president of ML Strategies, LLC. The author wishes to recognize the research and writing assistance provided by James Dickerson and Patrick Regan, project analysts at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky, and Popeo, PC. New England Can Import Canadian Hydropower to Meet Environmental Goals

This study is the first to employ the on-line WIBS-4 (Wideband Integrated Bioaerosol Sensor) technique for the monitoring of bioaerosol emissions and non-fluorescing "dust" released from a composting/green waste site. The purpose of the research was to provide a "proof of principle" for using WIBS to monitor such a location continually over days and nights in order to construct comparative "bioaerosol site profiles". The real-time data obtained was then used to assess variations of the bioaerosol counts as a function of size, "shape", site location, working activity levels, time of day, relative humidity, wind speeds and wind directions. Three short campaigns were undertaken, one classified as a "light" workload period, another as a "heavy" workload period and finally a weekend when the site was closed. One main bioaerosol size regime was found to predominate: 0.5-3μm with morphologies ranging from elongated to ellipsoidal/spherical. The real-time number-concentration data provides a long-term "video" record of the site and were consistent with the Andersen sampling protocol performed that provides only a single "snapshot" for bioaerosol release. The number-concentration of fluorescent particles as a proportion of total particle counts amounted, on average, to ∼1% for the "light" workday period, ∼7% for the "heavy" workday period and ∼18% for the weekend. The bioaerosol release profiles at the weekend were considerably different from those monitored during the working weekdays.

Fungal spores as a prominent type of primary biological aerosol particles (PBAP) have been incorporated into the COSMO-ART (Consortium for Small-scale Modelling-Aerosols and Reactive Trace gases) regional atmospheric model. Two literature-based emission rates for fungal spores derived from fungal spore colony counts and chemical tracer measurements were used as a parameterization baseline for this study. A third, new emission parameterization for fluorescent biological aerosol particles (FBAP) was adapted to field measurements from four locations across Europe. FBAP concentrations can be regarded as a lower estimate of total PBAP concentrations. Size distributions of FBAP often show a distinct mode at approx. 3 μm, corresponding to a diameter range characteristic for many fungal spores. Previous studies for several locations have suggested that FBAP are in many cases dominated by fungal spores. Thus, we suggest that simulated FBAP and fungal spore concentrations obtained from the three different emission parameterizations can be compared to FBAP measurements. The comparison reveals that simulated fungal spore concentrations based on literature emission parameterizations are lower than measured FBAP concentrations. In agreement with the measurements, the model results show a diurnal cycle in simulated fungal spore concentrations, which may develop partially as a consequence of a varying boundary layer height between day and night. Temperature and specific humidity, together with leaf area index (LAI), were chosen to drive the new emission parameterization which is fitted to the FBAP observations. The new parameterization results in similar root mean square errors (RMSEs) and correlation coefficients compared to the FBAP observations as the previously existing fungal spore emission parameterizations, with some improvements in the bias. Using the new emission parameterization on a model domain covering western Europe, FBAP in the lowest model layer comprise a fraction of 15% of the total aerosol mass over land and reach average number concentrations of 26 L−1. The results confirm that fungal spores and biological particles may account for a major fraction of supermicron aerosol particle number and mass concentration over vegetated continental regions and should thus be explicitly considered in air quality and climate studies.

ObjectivesLow central venous pressure (LCVP)‐assisted hepatectomy is associated with decreased blood loss and lower transfusion rates. Concerns about its impact on renal function have prevented widespread application. This study was conducted to review the dynamics of renal function after LCVP‐assisted hepatectomy.MethodsA retrospective analysis of a prospective surgical database was carried out. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation. The RIFLE (risk–injury–failure–loss–end‐stage) criteria were used to define postoperative biochemical acute kidney injury (bAKI). Occurrences of clinically relevant AKI (cAKI) were identified in the study center postoperative database.ResultsDuring the period 2003–2012, 2116 LCVP‐assisted hepatectomies were performed. The median patient age was 61 years [interquartile range (IQR): 51–70 years] and 51% of patients were male. The median number of resected segments was two; resections involved from one to four segments. Median estimated blood loss was 300 ml (IQR: 200–600 ml). Rates of morbidity and 90‐day mortality were 21% and 2%, respectively. Low baseline eGFR (

In this issue of Blood, Petit et al demonstrate the clinical utility of a genetic classifier combined with end of induction minimal residual disease (MRD) assessment and presenting white blood cell (WBC) count in the effective risk stratification of pediatric patients with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL).1 The integration of these factors allowed the identification of 3 discrete clinical risk groups providing an opportunity for improved treatment allocation.

Aneurysms of the inferior vena cava (IVC) are uncommon. Symptomatic patients usually present with thrombosis and venous obstruction. Classification is based on location and the presence or absence of congenital IVC interruption. Treatment options include observation, open surgical resection, and endovascular modalities, of which coil embolization and stent graft placement have previously been described. We report the case of a patient with a 5.0-cm infrarenal IVC aneurysm and associated congenital stenosis who successfully underwent balloon angioplasty. Whereas management should be determined on an individual basis, balloon angioplasty is a plausible treatment for IVC aneurysms in the setting of congenital stenosis.

This study investigated the effects of CO-pretreatments on three bovine muscles: Psoas major (PM), Gluteus medius (GM) and Semitendinosus (ST) on colour stability and quality attributes under anaerobic conditions. Steaks were exposed to one of four pretreatments: 1% CO for 5 h, 5% CO for 5 h, 1% CO for 24 h, with 60% CO2, (balance N2) or untreated (control) and then vacuum packaged and displayed (28 days at 2 °C). CO pretreatments improved redness for colour labile muscles (PM and GM). The optimum CO pretreatment was 1% for 5 h as this induced surface redness while discolouring (a* = 12, C* = 16) by the use-by-date (28 days). CO pretreatments decreased protein oxidation (P 0.05). Applying a 1% CO pretreatment for 5 h effectively enhanced the colour of various muscles while not masking spoilage thus addressing consumer concerns.

Primary biological aerosol particles (PBAP) encompass many particle types that are derived from several biological kingdoms. These aerosol particles can be composed of both whole living units such as pollen, bacteria, and fungi, as well as from mechanically formed particles, such as plant debris. They constitute a significant proportion of the overall atmospheric particle load and have been linked with adverse health issues and climatic effects on the environment. Traditional methods for their analysis have focused on the direct capture of PBAP before subsequent laboratory analysis. These analysis types have generally relied on direct optical microscopy or incubation on agar plates, followed by time-consuming microbiological investigation. In an effort to address some of these deficits, real-time fluorescence monitors have come to prominence in the analysis of PBAP. These instruments offer significant advantages over traditional methods, including the measurement of concentrations, as well as the potential to simultaneously identify individual analyte particles in real-time. Due to the automated nature of these measurements, large data sets can be collected and analyzed with relative ease. This review seeks to highlight and discuss the extensive literature pertaining to the most commonly used commercially available real-time fluorescence monitors (WIBS, UV-APS and BioScout). It discusses the instruments operating principles, their limitations and advantages, and the various environments in which they have been deployed. The review provides a detailed examination of the ambient fluorescent aerosol particle concentration profiles that are obtained by these studies, along with the various strategies adopted by researchers to analyze the substantial data sets the instruments generate. Finally, a brief reflection is presented on the role that future instrumentation may provide in revolutionizing this area of atmospheric research. Keywords: PBAP; WIBS; UV-APS; BioScout; fluorescence; real-time; bioaerosols.