Effect of Relative Humidity on the Penetrability and Sporicidal Activity of Formaldehyde

The effect of relative humidity (RH) on formaldehyde penetration of paper, glassine, and cotton was determined by the death rate of bacterial spores in glass tubes covered with these materials. The data show that paper is readily penetrated regardless of RH, but the RH greatly affects the penetration rate of glassine and cotton. A comparison was also made of the effect of RH on the penetrability of formaldehyde generated from Formalin and paraformaldehyde. At low RH, all three closures were penetrated more readily by formaldehyde from paraformaldehyde than from Formalin, but no difference in the two was observed at high RH. It is felt that the difference at low RH is primarily due to the condensation of the vaporized Formalin.     

Effect of Diluent and Relative Humidity on Apparent Viability of Airborne Pasteurella pestis

Airborne Pasteurella pestis (A-1122) at low humidities [20 to 50% relative humidity (RH)] exhibited exponential decay when either 1% peptone or Heart Infusion Broth (HIB) was used as the diluent in the viable assay system. At higher RH values (65 and 87%), however, the 1% peptone diluent adversely affected the viability assay. In contrast, HIB as diluent was remarkably effective in demonstrating a higher number of viable cells in aerosols held at high RH values. Similarly, with HIB as diluent, aerosols were shown to contain viable cells during 90 min of observation; with 1% peptone, viability was not detectable after 20 min in the airborne state.     

NO对家兔Oddi括约肌肌电活动和血压的影响

应用３２只家兔观察一氧氮对Ｏｄｄｉ括约肌肌电和血压的影响。静脉注射ＮＯ合酶抑制剂Ｎ＾Ｇ－硝基－Ｌ－精氨酸,可见ＳＯ肌电振幅增大和血压升高,Ｌ－ＮＮＡ所致的肌电活动增强可Ｌ－精氨酸反转。     

Adsorption of Formaldehyde by Various Surfaces During Gaseous Decontamination

Study of the effect of atmospheric relative humity (RH) on the adsorption of paraformaldehyde-generated formaldehyde gas on various surfaces and the effect of the adsorbed formaldehyde on the death rate of bacterial spores showed that increasing the RH caused a corresponding increase of formaldehyde levels on all surfaces. The amount peaked at 83% RH. The levels obtained at 100% RH were slightly below those at 83% RH. Cotton cloth had a much greater affinity for the gas at all RH than either glass or stainless steel. The death rate of bacterial spores on surfaces containing adsorbed formaldehyde was high for the first hour after removal from the formaldehyde atmosphere but decreased rapidly thereafter. This held true for both cotton and glass surfaces. Also, formaldehyde levels of 15 to 27 mug/ml of nutrient broth caused inhibition of bacterial growth, but levels above 27 mug/ml rendered broth sterile.     

Effect of Relative Humidity on Formaldehyde Decontamination

Death rate studies were conducted to determine the effect of varying the concentration, humidity, and type of surface on the sporicidal activity of formaldehyde gas. Washed and unwashed spores were similarly exposed to detect the influence of residual nutrient growth medium upon the rate of kill. The results indicated that the sporicidal activity of formaldehyde gas varies directly with its concentration. Relative humidities (RH) over 50% proved essential for sterility. Spores on a porous surface (cotton cloth) were more readily killed at lower RH than those on a nonporous surface (glass). The reverse occurred at very high RH. At 75% RH, the unwashed spores on glass were killed faster than the washed spores.     

Inactivation of Baceriophage T3 in Aerosols: Effect of Prehumidification on Survival After Spraying from Solutions of Salt, Peptone, and Saliva

Coliphage T₃ was inactivated by a factor of 10³ to 10⁴ within 30 min after spraying from solutions of NaCl. Addition of peptone to the spray medium protected against inactivation at high relative humidity (RH), presumably by preventing surface inactivation. Prehumidification of the sample before collection had no effect on recovery if sprayed from solutions of NaCl, with or without peptone. If only peptone was present in the spray medium, prehumidification of the aerosol sample increased the recovery by a factor of 1,000 at low RH and by a factor of 5 at high RH. In aerosols sprayed from saliva, inactivation was nearly equal to that in peptone, with an increase of recovery after prehumidification by a factor of 1,000.     

Aerosol Survival of Pasteurella tularensis Disseminated from the Wet and Dry States

The aerosol survival in air and in nitrogen was measured for Pasteurella tularensis live vaccine strain, disseminated from the wet and dry states. The results showed that most of the loss of viability occurred in less than 2 min of aerosol age, i.e., a rapid initial decay followed by a much slower secondary decay. In nitrogen and air, minimum survival occurred at 50 to 55% relative humidity (RH) for wet dissemination and at 75% RH for dry dissemination. This shift indicated that aerosols produced by wet and dry dissemination were not equivalent and suggested that survival might not be related to bacterial water activity or content. The results showed that rehydration is the key process with regard to survival, but that lysis on rehydration is not a primary death mechanism. The effects of oxygen were complex because it could be either protective or toxic, depending upon other conditions. The protective action of oxygen was through an effect on the spent culture suspending fluid. The latter contained a toxic component, the activity of which is suppressed by oxygen; possibly the component is pumped away during freeze-drying. A toxic effect of oxygen was not found in the presence of spent culture media because the toxicity of the latter masks such an effect. With other bacterial suspending fluids, oxygen was shown to be toxic at low RH. Similar effects with regard to oxygen toxicity were also found with a laboratory strain of P. tularensis. Differences in oxygen toxicity for aerosols generated from the wet and dry states also suggest that bacterial water content and activity do not control aerosol survival.     

Survival of Airborne Bacteria in a High Urban Concentration of Carbon Monoxide

Vegetative cells of Serratia marcescens 8UK, Sarcina lutea, and spores of Bacillus subtilus var. niger were held in aerosols, with and without an urban concentration of CO (85 muliters per liter or ppm), for up to 6 hr at 15 C and a relative humidity (RH) of approximately 0, 25, 50, 75, and 95%. It was found that CO enhanced the death rate of S. marcescens 8UK at least four- to sevenfold at low RH (ca. 1 to 25%), but protected the cells at high RH (ca. 90%). Death rates of S. lutea, with or without added CO, were comparatively low over the entire RH range. However, in the first hour, airborne S. lutea held in CO-containing air were more stable than those in air without added CO (i.e., CO protection). A marked increase in the death rate (up to 70-fold) occurred in the subsequent 5 hr within the RH range of approximately 0 to 75%. Statistical analysis indicated that aerosol decay rates of B. subtilus var. niger spores decreased significantly, when held in a CO-containing as compared to a non-CO-containing atmosphere, in the 0 to 85% RH range. Thus, the data presented indicate that CO in the urban environment may have a protective or lethal effect on airborne bacteria, dependent upon at least the microbial species, aerosol age, and relative humidity. A mechanism for CO death enhancement and protection of airborne S. marcescens 8UK is suggested to involve CO uncoupling of an energy-requiring death mechanism and an energy-requiring maintenance mechanism at high and low RH, respectively.     

Changes in the activity and tertiary structure of beta-amylase from wheat seeds under the effect of salts]

Changes are observed of 1-anylinonaphtalene-8-sulphonate probe fluorescence intensity, connected with beta-amylase in the presence of Ca(NO3)2, Mg(NO3)2, KNO3, NH4NO3 and (NH4)2SO4 at a concentration range within 10(-4)--1 M. Considerable decrease of the fluorescence intensity was observed under the addition of all the salts mentioned at concentration of 10(-3)--10(-4) M. A quantum yield increase of probe fluorescence was noted for Mg(NO3)2 (10(-4) M). High concentrations of Ca(NO3)2 and Mg(NO3)2 (0.25--1 M) also resulted in a sharp increase of the fluorescence intensity. Changes of beta-amylase activity took place simultaneously. The changes of the enzyme activity are suggested to be due to changes in the conformation of the enzyme protein under the effect of salts.     

Aerosol Survival of Escherichia coli B Disseminated from the Dry State

Survival was determined for Escherichia coli B disseminated as an aerosol from the dry state. Survival in nitrogen, like that for wet dissemination, was better at low than at high relative humidity (RH). At high RH, survival was characterized by critical zones of instability in survival as a function of RH, instability occurring at 100, 95, 78, 70, and 60% RH. In air, survival was inferior to that in nitrogen at low RH, whereas the converse was found at high RH. The effect was attributed to oxygen. In general, results support the conclusion that to the first approximation survival is related to bacterial water content, the latter increasing with RH. However, a more detailed analysis of results indicates that survival might not be exactly related to bacterial water content. It is shown that death occurred because of rehydration and that the pretreatment of E. coli B affected its aerosol stability characteristics; i.e., wet and dry disseminated aerosols are not equivalent.     

Characterization of an Atypical Superoxide Dismutase from Sinorhizobium meliloti

Sinorhizobium meliloti Rm5000 is an aerobic bacterium that can live free in the soil or in symbiosis with the roots of leguminous plants. A single detectable superoxide dismutase (SOD) was found in free-living growth conditions. The corresponding gene was isolated from a genomic library by using a sod fragment amplified by PCR from degenerate primers as a probe. The sodA gene was located in the chromosome. It is transcribed monocistronically and encodes a 200-amino-acid protein with a theoretical M(r) of 22,430 and pI of 5. 8. S. meliloti SOD complemented a deficient E. coli mutant, restoring aerobic growth of a sodA sodB recA strain, when the gene was expressed from the synthetic tac promoter but not from its own promoter. Amino acid sequence alignment showed great similarity with Fe-containing SODs (FeSODs), but the enzyme was not inactivated by H(2)O(2). The native enzyme was purified and found to be a dimeric protein, with a specific activity of 4,000 U/mg. Despite its Fe-type sequence, atomic absorption spectroscopy showed manganese to be the cofactor (0.75 mol of manganese and 0.24 mol of iron per mol of monomer). The apoenzyme was prepared from crude extracts of S. meliloti. Activity was restored by dialysis against either MnCl(2) or Fe(NH(4))(2)(SO(4))(2), demonstrating the cambialistic nature of the S. meliloti SOD. The recovered activity with manganese was sevenfold higher than with iron. Both reconstituted enzymes were resistant to H(2)O(2). Sequence comparison with 70 FeSODs and MnSODs indicates that S. meliloti SOD contains several atypical residues at specific sites that might account for the activation by manganese and resistance to H(2)O(2) of this unusual Fe-type SOD.     

Determination of iodide using flow injection with acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence detection.

A simple and rapid flow-injection method is described for the determination of iodide, based on potassium permanganate chemiluminescence detection via oxidation of formaldehyde in aqueous hydrochloric acid. The calibration graph was linear over the range 1.0-12 x 10(-6) mol/L (r2 = 0.9955) with relative standard deviations (n = 4) in the range 1.0-3.5%. The detection limit (3sigma) was 1.0 x 10(-7) mol/L, with sample throughput of 120/h. The effect of interfering cations [Ca(II), Mg(II), Ni(II), Fe(II), Fe(III) and Pb(II)] and anions (Cl-, SO4(2-), PO4(3-), NO3-, NO2-, F- and SO3(2-)) were studied. The method was applied to iodized salt samples and the results obtained in the range 0.03 +/- 0.005 - 0.10 +/- 0.006 mg I/g were in reasonable agreement with the amount labelled. The method was statistically compared with the results obtained by titration; no significant disagreement at 95% confidence was observed.     

Airborne Stability of Tailless Bacterial Viruses S-13 and MS-2

The effect of relative humidity (RH) on the airborne stability of two small bacterial viruses, S-13 and MS-2, was studied. Poorest recovery of S-13 was obtained at 50% RH. Humidification prior to aerosol sampling significantly increased the recovery of S-13 at RH deleterious to the airborne virus. A commercial preparation of MS-2 suspended in a buffered saline solution showed a rapid loss of viability at RH above 30%, whereas a laboratory preparation containing 1.3% tryptone showed high recoveries at all RH studied. Dilution of the commercial MS-2 into tryptone broth conferred stability on the airborne virus. Humidification prior to sampling significantly reduced the viable recovery from aerosols of commercial MS-2, whereas the laboratory preparation was unaffected.     

Foliar abscisic acid content underlies genotypic variation in stomatal responsiveness after growth at high relative air humidity

Background and Aims

Stomata formed at high relative air humidity (RH) respond less to abscisic acid (ABA), an effect that varies widely between cultivars. This study tested the hypotheses that this genotypic variation in stomatal responsiveness originates from differential impairment in intermediates of the ABA signalling pathway during closure and differences in leaf ABA concentration during growth.

Methods

Stomatal anatomical features and stomatal responsiveness to desiccation, feeding with ABA, three transduction elements of its signalling pathway (H₂O₂, NO, Ca²⁺) and elicitors of these elements were determined in four rose cultivars grown at moderate (60 %) and high (90 %) RH. Leaf ABA concentration was assessed throughout the photoperiod and following mild desiccation (10 % leaf weight loss).

Key Results

Stomatal responsiveness to desiccation and ABA feeding was little affected by high RH in two cultivars, whereas it was considerably attenuated in two other cultivars (thus termed sensitive). Leaf ABA concentration was lower in plants grown at high RH, an effect that was more pronounced in the sensitive cultivars. Mild desiccation triggered an increase in leaf ABA concentration and equalized differences between leaves grown at moderate and high RH. High RH impaired stomatal responses to all transduction elements, but cultivar differences were not observed.

Conclusions

High RH resulted in decreased leaf ABA concentration during growth as a result of lack of water deficit, since desiccation induced ABA accumulation. Sensitive cultivars underwent a larger decrease in leaf ABA concentration rather than having a higher ABA concentration threshold for inducing stomatal functioning. However, cultivar differences in stomatal closure following ABA feeding were not apparent in response to H₂O₂ and downstream elements, indicating that signalling events prior to H₂O₂ generation are involved in the observed genotypic variation.     

Effect of Simulated Solar Radiation and Sodium Fluorescein on the Recovery of Venezuelan Equine Encephalomyelitis Virus from Aerosols

Almost 90% of the Trinidad strain of Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis (VEE) virus survived for 1 hr after aerosolization into a dark environment at 30% relative humidity (RH), and 78% survived for 1 hr at 60% RH. After exposure to simulated solar radiation (584 mcal per cm(2) per min) 0.02% of the aerosolized virus survived for 1 hr at 30% RH and 0.006% survived for 1 hr at 60% RH. When 1.0 mg of sodium fluorescein per ml was added to suspensions prior to aerosol dissemination (to determine physical loss of aerosol), no virus was detected after 30 min at either RH upon irradiation. Sodium fluorescein also exhibited some toxicity (31% survival at 60 min) for nonirradiated aerosols of VEE virus at 60% RH; no effect was noted at 30%.     

Efficacy of iodine-treated biocidal filter media against bacterial spore aerosols

Aims: To assess the effectiveness of iodine-treated biocidal filter media against bacterial spore aerosols. Methods and Results: Bacillus subtilis spores were aerosolized and introduced into a filtration system. Both treated and untreated filters exhibited high viable removal efficiency (>99·996%) with negligible variation in pressure drop during the entire experiment. The viability of collected spores on the filter was investigated by enumeration of spores extracted from the filter by vortexing. At room temperature and low relative humidity (RH), the survival fraction of the treated filter was significantly lower than that of the untreated filter (P-value < 0·05). Meanwhile, at room temperature and high RH and at high temperature and high RH, the survival fractions on the treated medium were statistically the same as the untreated control at room temperature and low RH. Conclusions: Both treated and untreated filters achieved excellent viable removal efficiency for spores. The pressure drop of the treated filter was not affected by the iodine treatment. The viability of collected bacterial spores was decreased because of the exertion of iodine disinfectant. Significance and Impact of the Study: The evaluation demonstrates that the iodine-treated filter is a viable medium for respiratory protection against infectious spore aerosols. The results warrant further evaluation of smaller biological agents, which exhibit higher penetration.     

Bioflocculation of microalgae and bacteria combined with flue gas to improve sewage treatment

Although microalgae are promising for a cradle-to-cradle design approach of sewage treatment, their application is hampered by high harvesting costs and low C:N ratios of sewage. Therefore, the potential of microalgal bacterial flocs (MaB-flocs) was investigated for the secondary treatment of sewage supplemented with different flue gas flow rates (FGFRs) from a coal power plant. Effluent (N, P, turbidity and pH) and off gas discharge levels (NO(x), SO(x)) met the European discharge limits with a hydraulic retention time of only 0.67 days and an FGFR of 0.6Lh(-1) (0.0025 vvm). This FGFR provided sufficient carbon and resulted in removal efficiencies of 48 ± 7% CO(2), 87 ± 5% NO(x) and 99 ± 1% SO(2). MaB-flocs settled fast reaching up to a density of 19 g VSSL(-1). High biomass productivities (0.18 gL(-1)day(-1)) were obtained under a low light intensity. This successful reactor performance indicates the large potential for the industrial application of MaB-flocs for flue gas sparged sewage treatment.     

Early recognition in the Rhizobium meliloti-alfalfa symbiosis: root exudate factor stimulates root adsorption of homologous rhizobia.

Adsorption of Rhizobium meliloti to alfalfa roots before their infection and nodule formation shows the specificity of the symbiotic association (G. Caetano-Anollés and G. Favelukes, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 52:377-382, 1986). The time course of specific adsorption of R. meliloti (10(3) to 10(4) cells per ml) to roots shows an initial lag period of 3 h, suggesting that either or both symbionts must become conditioned for the adsorption process. Preincubation of R. meliloti L5-30 for 3 h with dialyzed alfalfa root exudate (RE) markedly increased early adsorption of rhizobia to alfalfa roots. The activity in RE was linked to a nondialyzable, thermolabile, trypsin-sensitive factor(s), very different from the root-exuded flavonoid compounds also involved in early Rhizobium-legume interactions. The lack of activity in the RE from plants grown in 5 mM NO3- suggested its negative regulation by the nitrogen nutritional status of the plant. Preincubation of R. meliloti with heterologous clover RE did not stimulate adsorption of rhizobial cells to roots. A short pretreatment of RE with homologous (but not heterologous) strains eliminated the stimulatory activity from solution. The stimulation of adsorption of R. meliloti to alfalfa roots was strongly dependent on the growth phase of the rhizobia, being greater at the late exponential stage. Nevertheless, the capacity of R. meliloti L5-30 to eliminate from solution the stimulatory activity in RE appeared to be constitutive in the rhizobia. The low concentration of rhizobial cells used in these experiments was critical to detect the stimulation of adsorption. The early interaction of spontaneously released alfalfa root macromolecular factor(s) and free-living R. meliloti, which shows the specificity and regulatory properties characteristic of infection and nodulation, would be an initial recognition event in the rhizosphere which triggers the process of symbiotic association.     

Comparison of the airborne survival of calf rotavirus and poliovirus type 1 (Sabin) aerosolized as a mixture.

A mixture of a cell culture-adapted strain (C-486) of calf rotavirus and poliovirus type 1 (Sabin) was prepared in tryptose phosphate broth containing 0.1% uranine (physical tracer) and antifoam at a final concentration of 0.001%. By using a six-jet Collison nebulizer, the mixture was aerosolized into a 300-liter stainless-steel rotating (4 rpm) drum. The temperature of the air inside the drum was kept at 20 +/- 1 degrees C, and the virus aerosols were held at the following three levels of relative humidity (RH): low (30 +/- 5%), medium (50 +/- 5%), and high (80 +/- 5%). An all-glass impinger, containing 10.0 ml of tryptose phosphate broth with antifoam, was used to collect samples of air from the drum. Both viruses were propagated and quantitated in MA-104 cells. The calf rotavirus was found to survive well at mid-range RH, where 60% of the infectious virus could be detected even after 24 h of virus aerosolization. At the low RH, the half-life of the infectious rotavirus was ca. 14 h. On the other hand, no infectious poliovirus could be recovered from the drum air at the low and medium RH. At the high RH, more than 50% of the infectious rotavirus became undetectable within 90 min of aerosolization. In contrast to this, the half-life of the poliovirus at the high RH was about 10 h. These data, based on the aerosolization of virus mixtures, therefore suggest that there is a pronounced difference in the way RH influences the airborne survival of these two types of viruses held under identical experimental conditions.