Cheng Suet Ha. / Bibliography: leaves 179-195. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong.

by Jim Tsz Fung. / Thesis submitted in 1998. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references. / Abstract also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Abstract(Chinese) --- p.iii / Acknowledgment --- p.iv / Contents --- p.v / Abbreviations --- p.vii / List of Figures --- p.xi / List of Tables --- p.xvi / Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 2. --- Theoretical background and instrumentation --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1 --- Static laser light scattering --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2 --- Dynamic laser light scattering --- p.10 / Chapter 2.3 --- Laser light scattering instrumentation --- p.11 / Chapter 2.4 --- Refractive index increment measurement --- p.13 / Chapter 2.5 --- The principle of steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy --- p.14 / Chapter 2.5.1 --- Solvent effects on fluorescence emission --- p.17 / Chapter 2.5.2 --- Excimer --- p.17 / Chapter 2.5.3 --- Characterization of fluorescence emission spectra of pyrene --- p.18 / Chapter 2.6 --- Polymer micronization --- p.20 / Chapter 2.7 --- Enzyme purification --- p.22 / Chapter 3. --- Laser light-scattering study of enzymatic biodegradation of poly(ε-caprolactone) --- p.25 / Chapter 3.1 --- A novel laser light scattering study of enzymatic biodegradation of PCL nanoparticles --- p.26 / Chapter 3.2 --- A modified heterogeneous kinetics for the enzymatic biodegradation of poly(s-caprolactone) in aqueous solution --- p.42 / Chapter 4. --- Laser light-scattering study of enzymatic biodegradation of poly(ethylene oxide-b-ε-caprolactone) diblock copolymer --- p.59 / Chapter 4.1 --- Enzymatic biodegradation of poly(ethylene oxide-b-ε- caprolactone) diblock copolymer and its potential biomedical applications --- p.60 / Chapter A1. --- Static laser light scattering --- p.80 / Chapter A2. --- Dynamic laser light scattering --- p.85

The rate of biodegradation of hydrocarbon contaminated soils can be studied using the radiocarbon (14C) content of CO2 efflux from the ground surface over an impacted area.14C is used as a tracer to distinguish modern 14C CO2 from natural respiration processes and 14C depleted CO2 derived from petroleum degradation. Studies have shown that this analysis provides reliable, quantifiable data and an effective means of correcting for background CO2 which may present some natural depletion from older subsurface organics. The study area for this project is a remote community in Northern Yukon where organic rich sediments overlying continuous permafrost are contaminated by diesel oil. An objective of this study was to evaluate the use of 14C to quantify background CO2 in permafrost soils with abundant, older labile organics. A second objective was to test a new sampling technique to facilitate sample shipment from remote sites, which traps soil CO2 in small sealed exetainers as a solid barium carbonate. Data obtained from established radiocarbon sampling procedures and this new novel approach were shown to be comparable and reproducible. This technique facilitated both sample collection and shipment as well as analysis by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), allowing for rapid, efficient sampling techniques to be deployed in remote areas. Results of this study show the carbonate method to be an economical and effective sampling method, and used at the Old Crow site, demonstrated that under current climate conditions, older organics in the subsurface do not confound the use of 14CO2 for source zone biodegradation assessment at this hydrocarbon impacted permafrost site.

The role of microorganisms in the degradation of xenobiotics in the environment is well established. Bacteria from the genus Pseudomonas are particularly well adapted to the degradation of hydrocarbons, aromatics, and numerous other natural and introduced substrates. We have isolated a strain of Pseudomonas putida, designated PC2P15, that uses toluene, phenol, benzene, and a number of other substrates as its sole sources of carbon and energy.

Graduation date: 1998

Graduation date: 1998

Dried cattail and bulrush plant pieces in mesh bags were incubated in the constructed wetland treating Pope & Talbot pulp mill effluent. Two ponds planted with each species and two depth ranges in each pond were chosen, to determine decomposition rates. Bags were withdrawn and analyzed at five time points for the cattail and three for the bulrush. Also a laboratory study was conducted, where ground cattail and bulrush material was incubated aerobically and anaerobically. Both species and control were sampled at five time points. The remaining dry mass and the contents of hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin, and silica was examined. Decomposition rates were determined by fitting the data to the single exponential model with the intercept fixed in 1 (100%). An asymptotic model was used to obtain better fit. The sum of squared errors (SSE) was used as a measure of fit. In the field study the ANOVA revealed no change in decomposition with depth. Neither was there a difference between cattail and bulrush ponds. During the first two days only the cell compounds are drastically reduced. Cellulose and hemicellulose start to decline later. Lignin increased slightly during the first half of the experiment. Decay rates from the single exponential model with the intercept fixed were higher than the ones listed for wetlands by Webster & Benfield (1986). The asymptotic model indicates, that there is a fraction, which does not decompose significantly during the time frame of the experiment. It predicts 36% cattail and 53% bulrush material to be left after one year of decomposition. All samples in the laboratory incubation showed strong leaching during the first day (26.5% for cattail, 23% for bulrush). After this the t-test (95% confidence) showed a significant decay coefficient only for the aerobic cattail samples the model with the best fit. These same samples had an increased cell component, and a very small particle size at the last sampling time (120 days). Neither bulrush nor the anaerobic cattail incubations showed the same effect. Cattail and bulrush plants in the field were labeled to observe the senescence. Their height and in the case of cattail the amount of green and dry leaves was recorded monthly. Plants were harvested once a month until February, and the fiber composition was measured. Cattail was completely dry in January, while bulrush still showed green spots in February. Cattail entered the aquatic system mainly by dropping pieces of leaf tips, less by breaking off and losing the outside leaves. In February the average height of cattail plants was 64.7% of the maximum average height in August. Bulrush plants shortened to 84.1% of the maximum average height from September. Most of the bulrush plants died through nutria, a rodent, which is chopping off the plants. Less material was lost by dropping small pieces off the plant tips. / Graduation date: 1994

The Upper Devonian Grosmont reservoir in Alberta, Canada, is the single largest carbonate bitumen reservoir in the world, with an estimated 400 billion barrels of bitumen in place. The Grosmont bitumen formed from light crude oil via extensive biodegradation, which produced extremely high in-situ viscosities of >1 million cP. Forty nine samples from fifteen wells were selected for rheological behavior, viscosity, and biodegradation pattern analysis. In addition, various methods of viscosity determination were compared. Results indicate that the Grosmont bitumen is essentially a non-Newtonian fluid at in-situ conditions, exhibiting a distinctive shear-thinning behavior at T < 40C. Neglecting this character will cause inaccurate viscosity measurements. The viscosity variations in the Grosmont reservoir are cyclic with depth and are stratigraphically controlled. The bitumen exhibits 3 levels of biodegradation. Biodegradation parameters from hopanes and tricyclic terpanes may potentially be used for bitumen quality prediction.

A major cause for dental resin composite restoration replacement is secondary caries attributed to Streptococcus mutans. Salivary esterases were shown to degrade resin composites. Hypothesis: S. mutans contain esterase activities that degrade dental resin composites and adhesives. Esterase activities of S. mutans were measured using synthetic substrates. Standardized specimens of resin composite (Z250), total-etch (Scotchbond-Multipurpose, SB), and self-etch (Easybond, EB) adhesives were incubated with S. mutans UA159 for up to 30 days. Quantification of a bisphenol-glycidyl-dimethacrylate (BisGMA)-derived biodegradation by-product, bishydroxy-propoxy-phenyl-propane (BisHPPP) was performed using high performance liquid chromatography. Results: S. mutans were shown to contain esterase activities in levels comparable to human saliva. A trend of increasing BisHPPP release throughout the incubation period was observed for all materials and was elevated in the presence of bacteria vs. control for EB and Z250 (p&lt;0.05) but not SB. Conclusion: biodegradation by cariogenic bacteria could compromise the resin-dentin interface and reduce the longevity of the restoration.

A major cause for dental resin composite restoration replacement is secondary caries attributed to Streptococcus mutans. Salivary esterases were shown to degrade resin composites. Hypothesis: S. mutans contain esterase activities that degrade dental resin composites and adhesives. Esterase activities of S. mutans were measured using synthetic substrates. Standardized specimens of resin composite (Z250), total-etch (Scotchbond-Multipurpose, SB), and self-etch (Easybond, EB) adhesives were incubated with S. mutans UA159 for up to 30 days. Quantification of a bisphenol-glycidyl-dimethacrylate (BisGMA)-derived biodegradation by-product, bishydroxy-propoxy-phenyl-propane (BisHPPP) was performed using high performance liquid chromatography. Results: S. mutans were shown to contain esterase activities in levels comparable to human saliva. A trend of increasing BisHPPP release throughout the incubation period was observed for all materials and was elevated in the presence of bacteria vs. control for EB and Z250 (p&lt;0.05) but not SB. Conclusion: biodegradation by cariogenic bacteria could compromise the resin-dentin interface and reduce the longevity of the restoration.