Identification and Composition of Emerging Quaternary Ammonium Compounds in Municipal Sewage Sludge in China

Biocidal agents (BA) are widely used in environmentally safe toilet complexes (ESTC) of passenger railcars to suppress microbial activity in fаecal sludge (FS). Subsequent disposal of BA-containing FS at municipal sewage treatment facilities adversely affects their work due to the loss of activated sludge. The antimicrobial properties of BA, based on quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC) and polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG), as well as methods for its neutralization, have been studied. It was confirmed that BA based on QAC and PHMG has an antimicrobial effect on various groups of bacteria, reducing their number by 10-100 or more times. It was found that FS contains two groups of microorganisms with different sensitivity to BA. Methods for deactivation of the BA antimicrobial action in FS were tested using: (1), a deactivating agent; (2), incubation with thermophilically digested wastewater sludge as a source of the microbial methanogenic community; and (3), chemical deactivation by acidification or alkalization. The highest efficiency was shown by the method of deactivation of BA via thermophilic anaerobic digestion with pretreatment of FS with a strong acid biocide, fаecal sludge of ESTC of passenger railcars, antimicrobial activity, quaternary ammonium compounds, polyhexamethylene guanidine, deactivator, methanogenic microbial community This work was financially supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

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A long-term chemical and infrared spectroscopy study on a soil amended with municipal sewage sludge

Agronomie ◽

10.1051/agro:2001115 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 169-178 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Giovanni Gigliotti ◽

Pier Lodovico Giusquiani ◽

Daniela Businelli

Keyword(s):

Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Sewage Sludge ◽

Municipal Sewage ◽

Municipal Sewage Sludge ◽

Spectroscopy Study

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Determination of quaternary ammonium compounds in food products by the method of ultra-performance liquid chromatography/high resolution mass-spectrometry

Industrial laboratory Diagnostics of materials ◽

10.26896/1028-6861-2020-86-8-23-31 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 86 (8) ◽

pp. 23-31

Author(s):

V. G. Amelin ◽

D. S. Bolshakov

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrometry ◽

High Resolution ◽

Quaternary Ammonium ◽

High Resolution Mass Spectrometry ◽

Food Products ◽

Quaternary Ammonium Compounds ◽

High Resolution Mass ◽

Ammonium Compounds ◽

Resolution Mass

The goal of the study is developing a methodology for determination of the residual amounts of quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC) in food products by UHPLC/high-resolution mass spectrometry after water-acetonitrile extraction of the determined components from the analyzed samples. The identification and determination of QAC was carried out on an «UltiMate 3000» ultra-high-performance liquid chromatograph (Thermo Scientific, USA) equipped with a «maXis 4G» high-resolution quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometric detector and an ion spray «ionBooster» source (Bruker Daltonics, Germany). Samples of milk, cheese (upper cortical layer), dumplings, pork, chicken skin and ground beef were used as working samples. Optimal conditions are specified for chromatographic separation of the mixture of five QAC, two of them being a mixture of homologues with a linear structure (including isomeric forms). The identification of QAC is carried out by the retention time, exact mass of the ions, and coincidence of the mSigma isotopic distribution. The limits for QAC detection are 0.1 – 0.5 ng/ml, the determination limits are 1 ng/ml for aqueous standard solutions. The determinable content of QAC in food products ranges within 1 – 100 ng/g. The results of analysis revealed the residual amount of QAC present in all samples, which confirms data of numerous sources of information about active use of QAC-based disinfectants in the meat and dairy industry. The correctness of the obtained results is verified by introduction of the additives in food products at a level of 10 ng/g for each QAC. The relative standard deviation of the analysis results does not exceed 0.18. The duration of the analysis is 30 – 40 min.

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