[Application Case of Accurate Site Investigation with Life-Cycle Conceptual Site Model Development].

A life cycle conceptual site model (LC-CSM) can represent the actual spatial distribution and migration of pollution of a site very accurately and be beneficial in supporting decisions for accurate site remediation or risk management. A volatile chlorinated hydrocarbon contaminated site in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region was chosen as the study case. LC-CSMs were established following the site assessment, preliminary investigation, detailed investigation, and supplementary investigation of each stage. The application of field screening tests such as a membrane interface probe and the multi-electrode resistivity method assisted in identifying potential pollution sources and hot points. Concurrently, a large amount of vinyl chloride, the end product of chlorinated hydrocarbon degradation, was detected in some boreholes, indicating that pollutant biodegradation had occurred at this site. Some typical boreholes and cross-sections were chosen to analyze the biodegradation indicators and chemical fingerprints, combining the results of the comprehensive score of chlorinated hydrocarbon anaerobic biodegradability in groundwater reaching 22. It is judged that the site has strong anaerobic biodegradability. This step-by-step optimization forms an LC-CSM for site investigation, which provides scientific support for accurate site characterization.

[Screening of the Reduction/Stabilization Reagent for Cr(â ¥) Contaminated Soil in a Planting Site and Reaction Process Monitoring].

There are lots of problems in the domestic remediation of Cr (Ⅵ) contaminated soil field,such as lack of the key processing parameters,poor long-term effect and so on.The Cr (Ⅵ) heavy polluted surface soil was sampled from an electroplating site in North-China,and then treated with five different reducing reagents.At the same time,the on-line ORP probes and interval sampling test were chosen to monitor the reaction process,and to explore the reaction rate and effect.The results showed that No.4 reagent had the highest Cr (Ⅵ) reduction effect,reaching up to 99.5%,and the minimum soil Cr (Ⅵ) concentration could reach 2.4 mg·kg-1.The No.1 and No.4 reagents had relatively faster reducing rates.There were obvious difference in ORP and pH monitoring values between different reductants,for example,the No.1 reagent kept the ORP value stable at around -400 mV.The No.4 reagent gradually increased the value from -200 mV to 100 mV since 30h,and then kept stable.According to the pH difference among different reductants,the No.4 reagent was the best and kept the pH value at around 7.Taking together the final effect and process key parameters,the No.4 reagent was the best.The scale-up experiment was operated with process monitoring,and the ORP and conductivity values showed that the reduction reaction took about 160 h.This work would provide theoretical basis for controlling the maintenance condition and reaction process in soil Cr (Ⅵ) remediation.

Prevalence and Occupational and Environmental Risk Factors of Self-Reported Asthma: Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Survey in Seven Chinese Cities.

OBJECTIVE: Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases and associated with significant morbidity and mortality. However, few data on occupational and environmental risk factors of asthma are available, particularly in Asian adults. Based on a national cross-sectional survey, we assessed the prevalence and risk factors of asthma in Chinese adults. METHODS: A total of 9974 participants aged 15 years and over in seven Chinese cities were selected using a stratified four-stage random sampling. All participants were interviewed face-to-face in their homes using a standardized self-administered questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were adopted to determine various risk factors for asthma. RESULTS: The prevalence of self-reported lifetime asthma was 2.46% among the entire adult population, 3.02% among males and 1.93% among females. The prevalence varied by age group, ethnicity, marital status, education, and floor space per person (p < 0.05). After adjusting for socio-demographic variables and smoking, we found independent occupational and environmental determinants of asthma, including a clearance-related job (OR = 2.28, 95%CI: 1.07-4.89), occupational exposure to industrial or occupational poisonous gas (OR = 4.21, 95%CI: 2.43-7.30), having large amounts of carpet in the workplace (OR = 2.61, 95%CI: 1.20-5.69) and using coal for cooking (OR = 2.65, 95%CI: 1.26-5.57). CONCLUSIONS: Asthma is a serious public health problem in China. Our study provides important updated information on the prevalence of asthma and its associated risk factors, which may help us better understand the epidemiology of asthma and prevent this disorder.

MicroRNA-23b regulates nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell proliferation and metastasis by targeting E-cadherin.

MicroRNA-23b (miR-23b) is important in tumor proliferation and metastasis. In this study, it was suggested that the levels of miR-23b were increased in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tissues compared with the adjacent normal tissues. The present study aimed to explore the role of miR­23b upregulation in NPC. Functional studies demonstrated that inhibition of miR­23b could significantly suppress NPC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. An in vitro reporter assay suggested that E­cadherin is a direct target gene of miR­23b. Furthermore, the expression of miR­23b in NPC tissues was inversely correlated with that of E­cadherin. These findings provide evidence that miR­23b is key in promoting NPC cell proliferation, migration and invasion through targeting E­cadherin, and strongly suggests that an exogenous miR­23b inhibitor may have therapeutic value in treating NPC.

[Nasal coblation plasma surgery for the treatment of persistent allergic rhinitis: an evaluation of short-term outcomes].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of nasal coblation plasma surgery for the treatment of persistent allergic rhinitis (PAR). METHODS: One hundred patients with mite-sensitized moderate to severe PAR who underwent nasal coblation plasma surgery (inferior turbinoplasty plus nasal agger ablation) were enrolled in this study. There were 68 male and 32 female patients aged 16 to 62 years (mean, 36.3 years). The visual analogue scale (VAS) for global rhinitis symptoms, nasal provocation test (NPT), anterior rhinomanometry, and T&T olfactometry were used to assess the short-term outcomes, preoperatively and postoperatively at the end of three months after surgical procedure. SPSS19.0 software was applied for statistical analysis. RESULTS: At three months after treatment, the total nasal symptom VAS scores significantly decreased from 7.0 ± 2.0 to 2.5 ± 1.5 (X(-) ± s; t = 18.00, P = 0.0001). All patients were allergic to house dust mites with positive NPT before treatment. At three months from the coblation intervention, 88.0% of the patients changed from positive NPT to negative, while 12.0% remained as positive. There was a significant reduction in total nasal resistance, which diminished from 0.772 ± 0.224 to 0.221 ± 0.112 kPa·s·L(-1) after treatment (t = 22.00, P = 0.0001). Preoperative olfactory tests showed hyposmia in 31.0% of the patients, with 22 cases for slight and 9 cases for moderate disorder. Three months after treatment, 13.0% were diagnosed as hyposmia, with 7 cases for slight and 6 cases for moderate disorder (χ(2) = 10.44, P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Nasal coblation plasma surgery provides favorable short-term outcomes in terms of remarkable improvement in nasal symptoms, hyperreactivity of nasal mucosa, nasal flow and olfactory function in patients with moderate to severe PAR, but long-term effect needed further observation.

[Analysis of characteristics of dioxin contamination in the chlor-alkali site that uses graphite anode for production].

In order to find out the characteristics of dioxin contamination, we sampled and analyzed the soil and groundwater on a chlor-alkali factory site that uses graphite anode for production. The results show that the toxic equivalent quantity (TEQ) of dioxins in soil samples exceeds the U. S. EPA region screening value (RSL), with the chlorine hydrogen processing workshop, the electric tank workshop, the asbestos stack area, the sewage treatment plant and the oil depot were affected. The dioxin concentration limit of the groundwater sample doesn't exceed the drinking water standard of China. Considering the fingerprints characteristics of dioxin-contaminated concentration, dioxin isomers content and TEQ, the priority pollutants for control on this site are 2,3,7,8-TCDF, 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF, 1,2,3,4,7,8-HxCDF, OCDD and 2,3,7,8-TCDD. The results show that dioxin pollution is very serious in the chlor-alkali plant that uses graphite anode for production, and the environmental supervision is imperative.