An indirect quantitation method based on liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) has been developed for the analysis of glucuronic acid and sulfuric acid conjugates of ethylparaben, for which standard reference reagents are not available. This method was then used for determining both the ethylparaben conjugates in human urine. The decay of these two conjugates in urine samples containing β-glucuronidase/arylsulfatase appeared to follow the first-order-like reaction kinetics; 4-hydroxybenzoic acid was not produced in the reaction. In addition, a multiple regression (MR) equation was obtained (R²_adj＝0.99, P＜0.01) for the increase in ethylparaben concentration and decrease in the peak areas of its glucuronic acid and sulfuric acid conjugates. In the case of methylparaben and its glucuronic acid and sulfuric acid conjugates, a higher P-value was obtained in the MR equation for the glucuronic acid conjugate, owing to the low urinary concentration of methylparaben. Furthermore, this method was applied to determine the concentration of ethylparaben and its two conjugates in urine samples. Following the ingestion of an ethylparaben-containing supplement drink, ~16% of ethylparaben was excreted as a mixture of ethylparaben and its glucuronic acid and sulfuric acid conjugates in the first morning urine of the subject on the following day.

Passive sampler for measuring total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) in the indoor air was developed. This sampler has characteristics with a large surface area of sampler case and high adsorption / desorption efficiency of adsorbent. Sampling rate (SR) of toluene was estimated by small chamber exposure test. Exposure tests were carried out to evaluate the effects of temperature, humidity and wind velocity on SR various. The results show that this sampler has high SR of toluene about 100 mL/min. The effects of temperature and humidity on sampling rate of this sampler are insignificant. On the other hands, the SR increased as the wind velocity increased from 0.05 to 0.7 m/s. And this sampler has strong adsorption force and has little effect of back diffusion and transportation. To survey indoor air quality, passive samplings were carried out at 34 new and 33 old houses. In most new houses, TVOC concentration were exceeded to the current provisional target value (400 µg/m³). The result of qualitative analysis, there are obvious difference between VOCs detected from wooden house and other house.

The concentrations of dissolved Li, Mn, Ni, Co and Sr (elements that are used in technologies such as lithium ion batteries, nickel hydrogen batteries, and liquid-crystal display, photovoltaic cell and plating technology etc.) in the Edogawa and Tonegawa rivers in the northwestern part of Chiba Prefecture and in the rivers in and around Hitachi City in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, were measured via inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy; the sources of these metals are also discussed. The concentration of Mn, a water-quality monitoring parameter, was lower than the guideline value. However, the concentration of Ni at a sampling point in Chiba Prefecture was 56.9 µg/L, and the concentration of Ni at a sampling point in Ibaraki Prefecture was 88.2 µg/L. These values were approximately 5.7 and 8.8 times higher than the required value that was deleted in 1999, respectively. Moreover, these concentrations were approximately 2.8 and 4.4 times higher than the values stipulated by the EU Directive Regulation. With the progress of advanced technologies, concentrations of Li, Mn, Ni, Co, and Sr in river water are likely to increase. These metals have hazardous effects on living organisms, including humans and aquatic life. Therefore, attention should be paid to the concentrations of these metals in river water.

In waste water treatment, the removal of various trace elements is usually achieved by the addition of inorganic flocculants such as iron chloride. The efficiency of the process depends on the size distribution of the suspended particles formed in the coprecipitation process. In this study, using iron chloride as flocculant, the suspended particles in a waste water sample were subject to successive filtrations by Nucleopore filters (pore size: 10, 5, 3, 1, 0.6, 0.4, 0.2 µm, respectively) and then the total Fe and trace elements in the unfiltered water and the trace elements (including Fe) in each filtrate were measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry（ICP-OES). For verification of the ICP-OES results, particulate Fe concentrations associated with each size fraction were determined after acid decomposition of each filter and analysis of the respective digests by ICP-OES. From examination of the size-distribution curve for the particulate Fe fractions (measured after acid decomposition) with that for Fe determination in the unfiltered sample, it was deduced that Fe particles in the size fractions less than ～ 3 µm were completely atomized in the ICP discharge. The mode diameters of the particulate forms of Fe in the simulated wastewater were approximately 1 µm in the Fe coprecipitation process and 2.5 µm in the Fe-P coprecipitation process. These samples also exhibited the same mode diameters of suspended particles by Coulter counter measurement. In addition, the shapes of the distribution curves by direct ICP-OES measurement were comparable to those by Coulter counter measurement. In conclusion, the combination of direct ICP-OES measurement with sequential filtration using a range of Nucleopore filters represents a powerful scheme for quality control of the coprecipitation/coagulation conditions in wastewater treatment.

In the present study, concentrations of 9 elements (V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Ga, Se, Sr, Ba) and 3 inorganic nitrogen were determined in water and biological samples species in to evaluate the dynamics of nitrogen and trace element pollution in Hino river system in Tottori. As a result, total concentration of NO₂^－ and NO₃^－ in livestock wastewater (station JS) was significantly higher than those in other stations. Medians of NH₄⁺ concentrations in JS and downstream of forest development area (station SKL) were 1.8 mg/L and 2.0 mg/L, respectively. Thus, it was suggested that NH₄⁺ concentration in SKL was similar to that in JS. The median concentrations of inorganic nitrogen in paddy field with rice blight (station TAN) which JS and SKL flow into was 2.5 mg/L. The standard value of total nitrogen in agricultural water was set at 1 mg/L. Inorganic nitrogen concentration in TAN exceeded this standard value more than twice. It suggested that JS and SKL might occur the rice blight. In addition, Manganese concentrations in JS and SKL were significantly higher than those in other locations. As a result of the comparison of Mn toxicity value, median of Mn concentration in SKL water exceeded NOEC for rainbow trout embryos. Therefore, the biota in around SKL was concerned. As a result of searching nitrogen origin using δ¹⁵N in algae, it was suggested that the source of nitrogen in the downstream (station ZL) which is closest location to JS showed to come from livestock wastewater, whereas the source of it in the two upper stream (station KU and station ZU) and the most downstream (station HL) showed to come from nature. Therefore, the influence of livestock wastewater on the ecosystem in ZL was concerned.