Evaluation of an Ozone Chamber as a Routine Method to Decontaminate Firefighters’ PPE

Ozone chambers have emerged as an alternative method to decontaminate firefighters’ Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from toxic fire residues. This work evaluated the efficiency of using an ozone chamber to clean firefighters’ PPE. This was achieved by studying the degradation of pyrene and 9-methylanthracene polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The following experiments were performed: (i) insufflating ozone into PAH solutions (homogeneous setup), and (ii) exposing pieces of PPE impregnated with the PAHs to an ozone atmosphere for up to one hour (heterogeneous setup). The ozonolysis products were assessed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC), and Mass Spectrometry (MS) analysis. In the homogeneous experiments, compounds of a higher molecular weight were produced due to the incorporation of oxygen into the PAH structures. Some of these new compounds included 4-oxapyren-5-one (m/z 220) and phenanthrene-4,5-dicarboxaldehyde (m/z 234) from pyrene; or 9-anthracenecarboxaldehyde (m/z 207) and hydroxy-9,10-anthracenedione (m/z 225) from 9-methylanthracene. In the heterogeneous experiments, a lower oxidation was revealed, since no byproducts were detected using FTIR and TLC, but only using MS. However, in both experiments, significant amounts of the original PAHs were still present even after one hour of ozone treatment. Thus, although some partial chemical degradation was observed, the remaining PAH and the new oxygenated-PAH compounds (equally or more toxic than the initial molecules) alerted us of the risks to firefighters’ health when using an ozone chamber as a unique decontamination method. These results do not prove the ozone-advertised efficiency of the ozone chambers for decontaminating (degrading the toxic combustion residues into innocuous compounds) firefighters’ PPE.

Estudo da Personalidade de Dependentes Químicos a Partir do Modelo dos Cinco Grandes Fatores / Study of the Personality of Partial Chemical Dependents of the Five Big Factors Model

RESUMO Diversas variáveis estão implicadas no entendimento do fenômeno da dependência de substâncias psicoativas, dentre elas a personalidade. O presente estudo teve como objetivo comparar os resultados de traços de personalidade em uma amostra de vinte indivíduos do sexo masculino divididos em dois grupos compostos por dez participantes com diagnostico de dependência de substâncias psicoativas e dez participantes não dependentes a partir do modelo dos Cinco Grandes Fatores e os dados foram coletados por meio do instrumento NEO-FFI-R. Os resultados apontaram que o grupo de dependentes apresentaram escores mais altos para o fator neuroticismo quando comparados ao grupo de não dependentes e menores escores para fatores, abertura à experiência, amabilidade e conscienciosidade. Neste sentido o presente estudo visa contribuir como base para pesquisas futuras para ampliação do entendimento do papel dos fatores de personalidade na dinâmica do fenômeno de uso de substâncias psicoativas.

Smykiv – the new key section of the upper pleistocene of the Volyn Upland

Formulation the problem. The new section at Smykiv in the Volyn Upland has an informative stratigraphic record, showing details of climatic phases in the Late Pleistocene. The site is located in the Rivne Oblast, 40 km south of Lutsk, on slope of the River Dezha (the tributary of the River Styr). Review of previous publications and studies. The loess-palaeosol sequence of the Volyn’ Upland has been intensively studied by Ukrainian, Russian and Polish researchers such as A. Bogucki, M. Lanczont, P. Voloshyn, A. Tsatskin, V. Nechaev, T. Morozova, L. Bezusko, J. Kusiak, S. Fedorowicz, J. Nawrocki, R. Dmytruk and many others. Methods. The section has been studied using lithostratigraphic, palaeopedological, palaeocryological, grain size, micromorphological and partial chemical methods, which enable the reconstruction of past climate and environment. The stratigraphy is applied follows the Quaternary Framework of Ukraine (Veklitch et al., 1993). All the stratigraphical units of the Upper Pleistocene are represented in the section; and, herein, these divided into smaller parts characterized by distinct environmental histories. The purpose of the article is to study the detailed stratified sequence at Smykiv by various methods in order to clarify the regional Quaternary palaeogeographical scheme. Results. The periglacial alluvium of the Dnipro unit, at the base of the sequence, and the analysis of the position of the site in the relief indicate the interpretation that it is located on the Dezha river’s terrace. The alluvium bed is distorted by syngenetic involutions. The overlying Kaydaky unit truncates the alluvium, and is inclined parallel to the present valley slope. Three pedogenetic phases during the Kaydaky times are identifiable: pedosediments formed in the first phase (kda), pedosediments of forest soil formed in the early optimum (kdb1) and a Retisol formed in the late optimum (kdb2). During the Tyasmyn cold event, a network of small soil veins formed. Renewed, but less intense than in the Kaydaky unit, erosion processes started in Pryluky times. It can be demonstrated that the Pryluky polygenetic soil was formed in three phases, divided by a cold event in mid Pryluky times (pl2). A Chernozem with signs of slight podzolisation and biogenic aggregation was formed during the first phase (pl1b2). The soil is disturbed by cryogenic features formed during pl2. An incipient Cambisol was enriched with a fine organic matter during the phase pl3b1. An incipient Calcic Cambisol (pl3b2), aggregated and slightly gleyed, formed at the end of the Pryluky time. Erosion processes were not strongly developed during Pleniglacial. At the beginning of the stadials (in Uday and Bug times), solifluction processes occurred. At the beginning of these stadials, other cryogenic features, such as soil veins, frost fissures and ice-wedges, were also formed. Upper Pleistocene loess beds show slight pedogenesis, particularly very weak humus accumulation and biogenic aggregation. Furthermore, all Pleniglacial units are enriched in carbonates in diverse forms: however, the most common is disperse powdery lime. These last are frequently interpreted as being the result of calcite crystallization under cryogenic processes. During Vytachiv and Dofinivka interstadial times, boreal soils were formed – Gleyic Cambisol and Calcic Gleyic Cambisol, respectively. The first is mostly represented by pedosediments (indicating intense erosion), whereas the second soil is preserved in situ and it is enriched in fine organic matter and is well-microaggregated. The last loess unit of the Upper Pleistocene, the Prychornomorsk loess unit, is subdivided into two loess subunits (pc1 and pc3) which are connected with cryogenic events, and a Gleysol (pc2), indicating a relatively warm period.

Study on the extraction, purification, partial chemical characterization and anti-alcohol liver injury activity of Mori Fructus polysaccharides

Mori Fructus (MF) is a fruit rich in many nutrients.