Scientific Program

Conference Series Ltd invites all the participants across the globe to attend 2nd International Conference on Environmental Health & Climate change Paris, France.

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Scientific Program Day 1
Scientific Program Day 2

Day 1 :

Keynote Forum

Ali Bahloul

IRSST, Canada

Keynote: Efficiency evaluation of n95 filtering facepiece respirators to capture ultrafine particles under cyclic and constant flows

Time : 09:30-10:20

Conference Series Environmental Health 2017 International Conference Keynote Speaker Ali Bahloul photo
Biography:

Ali Bahloul is a researcher at the IRSST since 2005, he has developed expertise in the field of industrial ventilation and indoor air quality. He is an associate professor at Montreal's School of Advanced Technology and Concordia University, as well as an adjunct professor at University of Montreal. His main research interest includes to anticipate, identify,
evaluate and control exposure to chemical substances and biological agents.

Abstract:

Ultra Fine Particles (UFP) (diameter of particle, Dp, <100 nm) can be found in most industrial workplaces, where their long term inhalation could result in serious detrimental impacts on health. In some situations, engineering and administrative controls are insufficient to adequately protect the workers from inhaling UFPs. Individual respiratory protection is then required, and N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators (FFR) are the most widely used by industrial and healthcare workers. Previous study on the efficiency of the N95 filter using a constant flow and a polydispersed aerosol showed that the maximum particle penetration in these filters was obtained for a size of particles of less than 100 nm and that the penetration exceeded the threshold penetration of 5% for high airflow (>85 L/min). The present investigation of N95 FFRs efficiency evaluates the representativeness of these results by using a cyclic flow rate. A procedure to investigate the efficiency of N95 FFRs under cyclic and constant flows was developed for this study. The first objective was to investigate the individual impact of breathing frequency and inhalation flow rate on the efficiency of N95 FFRs. The experiments were performed for two Peak Inhalation Flows (PIFs) (135 and 360 L/min) and two breathing frequencies (24 and 42 Breaths Per Minute (BPM)) for a total of four cyclic flows. The second objective was to compare the efficiency of N95 FFRs under cyclic flows with the ones under constant flows equal to the cyclic flow minute volume, Mean Inhalation Flow (MIF) and PIF. Minute volume is defined as the average volume of inhaled air per one minute of breathing, while MIF is determined as the average volume of inhaled air per inhalation cycle. Peak Inhalation Flow (PIF) is the maximum flow obtained in any inhalation cycle. The selected constant and cyclic
flows (with equivalent MIFs) were in the range of 42 to 360 L/min. Finally, the impact of particle loading time on N95 FFRs efficiencies was investigated under cyclic and constant flows for periods of up to six hours. A cyclic flow (with equivalent MIF rate of 170 L/min) and two constant flow rates of 85 and 170 L/min were selected. In all experiments, the filters were exposed to polydispersed NaCl particles ranging from 10 to 205 nm. The results showed that an increase in both PIF and breathing frequency could potentially raise the particle penetration through N95 FFRs. However the effect of PIF was observed to be much more important than the effect of the frequency. It was also shown that, among three constant flows equal to the cyclic flow PIF, MIF and minute volume, a constant flow equal to MIF can much better predict the initial penetration of N95 FFRs. Finally, particle loading had a significant impact on particle penetration through N95 FFRs, while the trend in penetration changes, in terms of loading time, highly depended on the levels of rRelative Humidity (RH). With low RH, the protection level increased with particle loading on the filter. Penetration of smaller particles (usually <100 nm) significantly dropped following a filter long-term exposure, and a distinct shift in the most penetrating particle size towards larger particles was also observed. With high RH, on the other hand, a reverse trend was observed, since particle penetration was generally increased with the loading time. In addition, this investigation showed that, in terms of loading time, a constant flow could not necessarily predict particle penetration during cyclic flows for long term exposure of the filters.

Keynote Forum

Natalia Pozdnyakova

Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia

Keynote: Ligninolytic fungi: Their degradative potential and the prospect for the development of environmentally significant biotechnologies

Time : 10:20-11:10

Conference Series Environmental Health 2017 International Conference Keynote Speaker Natalia Pozdnyakova photo
Biography:

Natalia Pozdnyakova is a leading researcher at the Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory of the Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Plants and Microorganisms Russian Academy of Sciences. Her Main research area is Enzymology of the fungal degradation of lignin and xenobiotics.

Abstract:

Ligninolytic fungi are taxonomically heterogeneous higher fungi characterized by a unique ability to depolymerizee and mineralize lignin. They include wood- and soil-inhabiting basidiomycetes and some ascomycetes. The extracellular, nonspecific, and oxidative enzymatic system of these fungi catalyses lignin degradation. This system includes lignin peroxidase, Mn-peroxidase, versatile peroxidase, and laccase, allowing the degradation of many persistent aromatic compounds with structures similar to those of the metabolites formed in the biosynthesis or degradation of lignin. Among such compounds are both individual substances [pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, halogenated aromatic compounds, nitro- and amino-substituted phenols, trinitrotoluene, synthetic dyes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)] and their complex mixtures.

Enzyme synthesis is not repressed when the concentrations of these substances are too low to induce the enzymes. Therefore, the enzymes can degrade even low concentrations of pollutants. The catalytic action of the Ligninolytic enzymes gives rise to polar and water-soluble products, which are more accessible for both fungal metabolism and further degradation by the natural soil micro flora.

On the basis of a screening of basidiomycetes and ascomycetes, we selected the most active fungi for their degradative activity toward PAHs, nonionic surfactants, alkyl phenols, synthetic dyes, and oil. These fungi were found to hold promise for further studies and use in biotechnology. Despite some differences, PAH degradation followed the same scheme, first forming quinone metabolites and later forming phthalic acid, which is included in basal metabolism. All the investigated basidiomycetes and the ascomycete Cladosporium herbarum completely decolorized anthraquinone dyes, and both the chromophore part of the molecule and the aromatic ring were available for degradation. The site of attack on oxyethylated alkylphenols (the oxyethyl chain or the aromatic ring) was shown to be determined by the fungal species. The fungi were able to metabolize oil under submerged cultivation and in soil. Pollutant degradation was accompanied by the production of ligninolytic enzymes and of emulsifiers, substances that promote pollutant solubility and affect enzyme catalytic activity. The unique properties of Ligninolytic fungi make them promising for use in bioremediation, particularly if pollutants are difficult to decompose by bacteria.

Break: Networking and Refreshments Break 11:10-11:30 @ Breakout Areas