We studied the extent and nature of fungal colonization of building materials in 58 naturally ventilated apartments that had suffered various kinds of water damage in relation to air sampling done before the physical inspections. The results of air samples from each apartment were compared by rank order of species with pooled data from outdoor air. Approximately 90% of the apartments that had s...

Air biofiltration is a promising technology for control of air emissions of biodegradable volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In conjunction with vacuum extraction of soils or air stripping of ground water, it can be used to mineralize VOCs removed from contaminated soil or groundwater. The literature (1) describes three major biological systems for treating contaminated air bioscrubbers, biotri...

PURPOSE To evaluate the best method for decontaminating tooth enamel contaminated by contact with blood before bonding orthodontic buttons. MATERIALS AND METHODS The labial surfaces of 195 bovine incisors initially received prophylaxis, followed by 37% phosphoric acid etching, adhesive application, and light polymerization. After this, the labial surfaces of all teeth were contaminated with b...

Treatment of Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether (MTBE) from contaminated surface and groundwater supplies presents specific challenges due to the physicochemical properties of MTBE which depend strongly on its hydrophilic nature, and translate into a high solubility in water, very low HenryÕs constant and very low affinity for common adsorbents. In this study we evaluate two common treatment technologies,...

Culture flasks capped with stainless-steel closures became contaminated when incubated in circulating air. Cotton plugs prevented this contamination.

Formaldehyde is a dangerous compound that must eliminate from contaminated air. Different methods exist for removal of pollutants from the air that among them, the biological processes attracted a great deal of attention. Removal of formaldehyde from the contaminated air was investigated in three laboratory-scale biofilters packed with different materials (a mixture of compost and woodchips, th...

Arsenic is a ubiquitous, naturally occurring metalloid that may be a significant risk factor for cancer after exposure to contaminated drinking water, cigarettes, foods, industry, occupational environment, and air. Among the various routes of arsenic exposure, drinking water is the largest source of arsenic poisoning worldwide. Arsenic exposure from ingested foods usually comes from food crops ...