Speciative determination of Cr (III) and Cr (VI) in dyeing waste water of Dil Creek discharge to Izmit Gulf (Izmit-Kocaeli, Turkey) by ICP-AES

Wastewater pollution in industrial areas is one of the most important environmental problems. Heavy metal pollution, especially chromium pollution in wastewater sources from dyeing and tannery has affected the life on earth. This pollution can affect all ecosystems and human health directly or by food chain. Therefore, the determination of chromium in this study is of great importance. Dil Creek is located in the eastern Marmara region and discharges into the Izmit Gulf. This water source is used for irrigation in agriculture and as drinking water for animals. In this study, a rapid, sensitive and selective method for the speciative direct determination of Cr (III) and Cr (VI) in dyeing waste water samples collected from the nearest station to Izmit Gulf of Dil Creek in May 2006 by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) has been developed. An analysis of a given sample is completed in about 15 min for ICP-AES the method. As the result of the chromium analysis, the limit of quantification (LOQ) for the Cr (III), Cr (VI) and total Cr were founded as 0.0111 ± 0.0002 mg/l (RSD, 1.80%), 0.0592 ± 0.0010 mg/l (RSD, 1.70%) and 0.0703 ± 0.0020 mg/l (RSD, 2.84%) respectively. In addition, the general mathematical formula has been developed to calculate the concentration of Cr(III), which can be applied to any other metal species. The result of Cr (VI) analysis indicated that water quality of Creek was IV. class quality according to the inland water classification. In order to validate the applied method, recovery studies were performed.     

Seasonal variation of some heavy metal pollution with environmental and microbiological parameters in sub-basin of Kocabas Stream (Biga, Canakkale, Turkey) by ICP-AES

Waste water pollution in industrial areas is one of the most important environmental problems. Heavy metal pollution, especially chromium species in waste water sources from tannery affects our lives. Kocabas Stream is located in south-west Marmara region and Biga town is positioned in the sub basin on the stream. This water source functions as the water for irrigation in agriculture, drinking water for animals and for human use. Thus, this study is of great importance. Waste water pollution can affect all ecosystems and human health by directly or indirectly as in food chain. The concentration of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn and Cr) were pre-analysed by ICP-AES method in water samples taken from sub-basin of Kocabas stream. In the results of these analyses, concentrations of the metals except chromium were founded at the limit value. But the total concentration of the Cr was found at high levels of between 0.0082 +/- 0.0001 and 5.7231 +/- 0.0921 mg l(-1) over the limit value (0.05 mg l(-1); WHO, EPA, TSE 266 and inland water quality classification) at sampling points very close to tannery factories. Also physicochemical and microbiological parameters of Kocabas Stream were determined. The effects of the experimental results on environment were investigated.     

Preconcentration and speciation of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) in water and soil samples by spectrometric detection via use of nanosized alumina-coated magnetite solid phase

A novel nanomaterial has been developed for speciation of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) in water and soil samples. In this study, a new type of alumina-coated magnetite nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄/Al₂O₃ NPs) modified by the surfactant Triton X-114 has been successfully synthesized and used in magnetic mixed hemimicelles solid-phase extraction procedure. The procedure was based on the reaction of chromium(III) with 1-(2-pyridilazo)-2-naphtol as a ligand, yielding a complex, which was entrapped “in situ” in the surfactant hemimicelles. The concentration of chromium(III) was determined using flame atomic absorption spectrometry. After reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) by ascorbic acid, the system was applied to the total chromium. Cr(VI) was then calculated as the difference between the total Cr and the Cr(III) content. This method can also be used for complicated matrices such as soil samples without any special pretreatment. Under the optimum conditions of parameters, the recoveries of Cr(III) by analyzing the spiked water and soil samples were between 98.6 and 100.8 % and between 96.5 and 100.7 %, respectively. Detection limits of Cr(III) were between 1.4 and 3.6 ng?mL^?1 for water samples and 5.6 ng?mg^?1 for soil samples.     

Wastewater quality of natural gas fertilizer factory, Fenchuganj and water quality of Kushiara River at the down stream

The physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the wastewater of Natural Gas Fertilizer Factory Ltd. Fenchuganj, Sylhet were determined through extensive laboratory tests in the months of March, July, October and December of the year 2005. Concentration of Suspended Solids was within the range of 445 to 950 mg/L. Bangladesh Industrial Effluent Standards for Suspended Solids is 100 mg/L. Suspended Solids were found above the limit in all the samples. Concentration of Dissolved Solids was found to vary from 576 to 1,456 mg/L. Bangladesh Industrial Effluent Standards, for Dissolved Solids is 2,100 mg/L. Dissolved Solids were found within the limit. Concentration of BOD(5) was found to vary from 4.5 to 8.4 mg/L. Bangladesh Industrial Effluent Standards for BOD(5) is 50 mg/L. For the year 2005, the BOD(5) was found below the limit in all the samples. Dissolved Oxygen of the wastewater was found to be between 2.0 to 3.0 mg/L, which do not satisfy the standard (4.5-8 mg/L). Oil and grease concentration were found in the range of 28 to 68 mg/L, whereas the standard is 10 mg/L for discharge into the inland surface water. In 2005, concentration of Cr(+ 6) was found to vary from 0.01 to 0.156 mg/L in the wastewater. Bangladesh Industrial Effluent Standards, for Cr(+6) is 0.1 mg/L. The concentration of chromium was found above the limit in three samples. Concentration of NO(3) was found to vary from 4.5 to 15.2 mg/L in the wastewater. Bangladesh Industrial Effluent Standards for nitrate is 10 mg/L. The nitrate was found above the limit in three samples. Maximum concentration of ammonia in lagoon 1 was found 1,710 mg/L in month of December. Bangladesh Industrial Effluent Standards for ammonia nitrogen is 100 mg/L. For the year 2005, the ammonia nitrogen was found above the limit in all samples.     

多元线性回归-分光光度法测定电镀排放废水中重金属

采用多元线性回归-分光光度法进行电镀排放废水中Cr³⁺、Ni²⁺、Zn²⁺的同时测定研究。以4-(2-吡啶偶氮)间苯二酚(PAR)为显色剂,探索了同时测定模拟电镀废水中Cr³⁺、Ni²⁺、Zn²⁺的实验方法,建立多元线性回归模型。根据实际电镀排放废水中Cr³⁺、Ni²⁺、Zn²⁺的质量浓度分布调查结果,设计了测定较低和较高浓度范围2种模型,分别对应不同水质波动程度的电镀企业废水,前者浓度范围设置基本覆盖大多数实际电镀排放废水中Cr³⁺、Ni²⁺、Zn²⁺的浓度,且具有较高精度。测定浓度范围较小模型对应水质波动较小的电镀排放废水,模型中Cr³⁺、Ni²⁺、Zn²⁺的质量浓度分别为0.32～0.44、0.32～0.50、0.72～0.84 mg/L,平均相对误差MR...     

Modeling of Cr contamination in the agricultural lands of three villages near the leather industry in Kasur,Pakistan, using statistical and GIS techniques

Kasur is one of the hubs of leather industry in the Punjab, Pakistan, where chrome tanning method of leather processing is extensively being used. Chromium (Cr) accumulation levels in the irrigation water, soil, and seasonal vegetables were studied in three villages located in the vicinity of wastewater treatment plant and solid waste dumping site operated by the Kasur Tanneries Waste Management Agency (KTWMA). The data was interpreted using analysis of variance (ANOVA), clustering analysis (CA), and principal component analysis (PCA). Interpolated surface maps for Cr were generated using the actual data obtained for the 30 sampling sites in each of the three villages for irrigation water, soil, and seasonal vegetables. The level of contamination in the three villages was directly proportional to their distance from KTWMA wastewater treatment plant and the direction of water runoff. The highest level of Cr contamination in soil (mg kg^?1) was observed at Faqeeria Wala (37.67), intermediate at Dollay Wala (30.33), and the least in Maan (25.16). A gradational variation in Cr accumulation was observed in the three villages from contaminated wastewater having the least contamination level (2.02–4.40 mg L^?1), to soil (25.16–37.67 mg kg^?1), and ultimately in the seasonal vegetable crops (156.67–248.33 mg kg^?1) cultivated in the region, having the highest level of Cr contamination above the permissible limit. The model used not only predicted the current situation of Cr contamination in the three villages but also indicated the trend of magnification of Cr contamination from irrigation water to soil and to the base of the food chain. Among the multiple causes of Cr contamination of vegetables, soil irrigation with contaminated groundwater was observed to be the dominant one.     

Investigations on boron levels in drinking water sources in China

To evaluate boron contamination of public drinking water in China, both dissolved and total boron contents in 98 public drinking water sources from 49 cities, 42 brands of bottled water samples from supermarkets in several cities, and 58 water samples from boron industrial area were measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Our experimental results showed that boron existed in public drinking water sources mainly in dissolved status with total concentrations ranging from 0.003 to 0.337 mg/L (mean = 0.046 mg/L). The mean boron concentrations in mineral and pure bottled water were 0.052 and 0.028 mg/L, respectively. The results obtained in this work showed that there was no health risk on view of boron in public drinking water sources and bottled water. In boron industrial area, boron concentrations in surface water and ground water were 1.28 mg/L (range = 0.007–3.8 mg/L) and 18.3 mg/L (range = 0.015–140 mg/L), respectively, which indicated that boron industry caused boron pollution in local water system.     

Heavy metal concentration in deepwater rose shrimp species (Parapenaeus longirostris,Lucas, 1846) collected from the Marmara Sea Coast in Tekirdağ

Zn, Cd, Cr, Hg, As (total), Cu, Pb, and Ni levels of the deepwater rose shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris, Lucas 1846), which were collected from the Tekirda? coast of the Marmara Sea, were evaluated. The Marmara Sea is the recipient of discharges from both land-based sources and the Black Sea Bosphorus stream. There are large numbers of anthropogenic activities in the coastal region of the northern Marmara Sea that include urban effluent, discharges from touristic resorts, agricultural runoff, fishing, and transportation. Heavy metal contamination of water resources may cause critical health problems for the people living around these water bodies. In deepwater rose shrimp (P. longirostris), the highest concentration level detected for Zn was 22.4?±?24.4 mg/kg in winter 2012, Cd 0.106?±?0.01 mg/kg in summer 2012, Cr 0.77?±?0.05 mg/kg in winter 2012, Hg 0.18?±?0.04 mg/kg in summer 2011, As 9.93?±?1.4 mg/kg in spring 2012, Cu 25.48?±?0.3 mg/kg in winter 2012, Pb 2.12?±?0.8 mg/kg in spring, and Ni 19.25?±?7.1 mg/kg in spring. The values of heavy metal analysis were compared to both the Turkish Food Codex (TFC) limits and international standards for human consumption. The Pb, As, and Cu levels were found to be higher than the maximum allowable limits.     

Occurrence and sorption properties of arsenicals in marine sediments

The content of total arsenic, the inorganic forms: arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)), the methylated forms: monomethylarsonic acid and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), trimethylarsenic oxide, tetramethylarsenonium ion and arsenobetaine was measured in 95 sediment samples and 11 pore water samples from the Baltic Sea near the island of Bornholm at depths of up to 100 m. As(III+V) and DMA were detected in the sediment and As(III+V) was detected in the sediment pore water. Average total As concentration of 10.6?±?7.4 mg/kg dry matter (DM) in the sediment corresponds to previously reported values in the Baltic Sea and other parts of the world. Existing data for on-site measurements of sorption coefficients (Kd) of arsenicals in marine and freshwater sediments show large variability from <1 to >1,000 L/kg. In this work, calculated sorption coefficients (Kd and Koc) for As(III+V) showed significant correlation with depth, dissolved oxygen (DO), salinity and sediment classification; for depths <70 m, salinity <11 %, DO >9 mg/L and sand/silt/clay sediments the Kd was 118?±?76 L/kg DM and for depths >70 m, salinity >11 %, DO?<?9 mg/L and muddy sediments the Kd was 513?±?233 L/kg DM. The authors recommend using the found Kd value for arsenic in marine sediments when conditions are similar to the Baltic Sea. At locations with significant anthropogenic point sources or where the local geology contains volcanic rock and sulphide mineral deposits, there may be significantly elevated arsenic concentrations, and it is recommended to determine on-site Kd values.     

Speciation of As(III) and As(V) in water and sediment using reverse-phase ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography-neutron activation analysis (HPLC-NAA)

Total As content and the As species distribution in water and sediments from the Kwabrafo stream, a major water body draining the Obuasi gold mining community in southwestern Ghana, have been investigated. Total As content was determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Ion-pair reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography-neutron activation analysis (HPLC-NAA) was used for speciation of As species. Solid phase extraction with phosphate buffer was used to extract soluble As species from lyophilized sediment. The mass balance after phosphate extraction of soluble As species in sediment varied from 89 to 96 %. Compositionally appropriate reference material International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)-Lake Sediment (SL)-1 was used to check the validity of INAA method for total As determination. The measured values are in good agreement with the IAEA recommended value and also within the 95 % confidence interval. The accuracy of the measurement in terms of relative deviation from the IAEA recommended value was ±0.83 %. “In-house” prepared As(III) and As(V) standards were used to validate the HPLC-INAA method used for the As species determination. Total As concentration in the water samples ranged from 1.15 to 9.20 mg/L. As(III) species in water varied from 0.13 to 0.7 mg/L, while As(V) species varied from 0.79 to 3.85 mg/L. Total As content in sediment ranged from 2,134 to 3,596 mg/kg dry mass. The levels of As(III) and As(V) species in the sediment ranges from 138 to 506 mg/kg dry mass and 156 to 385 mg/kg dry mass, respectively.     

Heavy metal pollution in surface soils of Pearl River Delta,China

Heavy metal pollution is an increasing environmental problem in Chinese regions undergoing rapid economic and industrial development, such as the Pearl River Delta (PRD), southern China. We determined heavy metal concentrations in surface soils from the PRD. The soils were polluted with heavy metals, as defined by the Chinese soil quality standard grade II criteria. The degree of pollution decreased in the order Cd?>?Cu?>?Ni?>?Zn?>?As?>?Cr?>?Hg?>?Pb. The degree of heavy metal pollution by land use decreased in the order waste treatment plants (WP)?>?urban land (UL)?>?manufacturing industries (MI)?>?agricultural land (AL)?>?woodland (WL)?>?water sources (WS). Pollution with some of the metals, including Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn, was attributed to the recent rapid development of the electronics and electroplating industries. Cd, Hg, and Pb (especially Cd) pose high potential ecological risks in all of the zones studied. The soils posing significantly high and high potential ecological risks from Cd covered 73.3 % of UL, 50 % of MI and WP land, and 48.5 % of AL. The potential ecological risks from heavy metals by land use decreased in the order UL?>?MI?>?AL?>?WP?>?WL?>?WS. The control of Cd, Hg, and Pb should be prioritized in the PRD, and emissions in wastewater, residue, and gas discharges from the electronics and electroplating industry should be decreased urgently. The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides should also be decreased.     

Assessment of current status of zinc in wastewater treatment plants to set effluent standards for protecting aquatic organisms in Japan

New environmental standards for protecting aquatic organisms for zinc (e.g., 0.03 mg/L) in surface waters were set in Japan in 2003. Although wastewater effluent might be one of the major pathways of zinc to public water bodies in Japan, current status of concentration of zinc in wastewater effluent was not clear due to higher detection limits (e.g., 0.5 mg/L) than the level required by the new regulations. This study aims at assessing current status of zinc in wastewater effluent in Japan to revise wastewater effluent standards for protecting aquatic organisms. Survey of zinc in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) was carried out in Japan in 2005, setting the detection limits at least 0.01 mg/L. The results of the survey suggested the difficulty to remove zinc (especially dissolved zinc) with conventional activated sludge treatment if concentration of zinc in influent was relatively low. And it was suggested that high concentration of dissolved zinc might be derived from some industries discharging high concentration of zinc. The concentration of zinc in wastewater influent without industrial discharges was about 0.1 mg/L which might be lower than that in wastewater from industries discharging high concentration of zinc. Finally, effluent standards for point sources including WWTPs to public water bodies were set at 2 mg/L in 2006. Based on the results of the survey that it was difficult to remove dissolved zinc discharged from industries at WWTPs, the effluent standards from industries to sewerage were set at the same value of the effluent standards from WWTPs to public water bodies.     

Accumulation of heavy metals in Spinacia oleracea irrigated with paper mill effluent and sewage

The present study on heavy metal contamination in soil and their accumulation in edible part (leaves) and roots of Spinacia oleracea (Spinach) on irrigation with paper mill effluent (PME)/sewage revealed that there was significant increase in the nickel (Ni, +227.17 %) content of the soil irrigated with PME, whereas in the soil irrigated with sewage chromium (Cr, +274.84 %), iron (Fe, +149.56 %), and cadmium (Cd, +133.39 %), contents were increased appreciably. The value of enrichment factor (EF) for Ni (3.27) indicated moderate enrichment in PME-irrigated soil. The EF of Fe, zinc (Zn), Cd, and Cr were <2 in PME effluent-irrigated soil which showed deficiency of minimal enrichment. In sewage irrigated soil, EF value for Cr, Fe, and Cd indicated moderate enrichment, while the values for Zn and Ni indicated deficiency of minimal enrichment. Among various metallic concentrations, the maximum concentration of Fe was observed in leaves (400.12?±?11.47 mg/kg) and root (301.41?±?13.14 mg/kg) of S. oleracea after irrigation with PME, whereas the maximum concentrations of Fe was found in leaves (400.49?±?5.97 mg/kg) and root (363.94?±?11.37 mg/kg) of S. oleracea after irrigation with sewage for 60 days. The bioaccumulation factor value was found maximum for Cd (2.23) in the plants irrigated with PME while that of Fe (0.90) in the plants irrigated with sewage. The undiluted use of PME/sewage for irrigation increased the concentration of Cr, Cd, Zn, Ni, and Fe metals which were accumulated in S. oleracea, posing a potential threat to human health from this practice of irrigation.     

Sediment load and bioconcentration of heavy metals by shrimp (Peaneus notalis) from Epe Lagoon, Nigeria

In many developing countries, surface waters, especially rivers and lagoons, have become deposition sites for all sorts of wastes. Three sampling sites located trigonally on Epe lagoon, Lagos, Nigeria were identified, and water, sediment, and commonly farmed shrimp, Peaneus notalis, were sampled and assessed for heavy metal concentrations. Zn, Pb, Ni, Cu, Cr, Cd, and Mn were determined in the aqua regia digests of the samples by means of Perkin Elmer AAnalyst 200 atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Heavy metals occurred above detection limits at all sites. The highest load of these trace elements was found in sediment samples followed by the water samples. The levels observed in the shrimp samples, however, were much lower than WHO levels. In the distribution, zinc was the highest metal found in the samples ranging from 17.94 ± 2.60 mg/L in water to 37.85 ± 9.35 μg/g in sediments. The least was Cd 0.03 ± 0.01 mg/L in water and 0.28 ± 0.04 μg/g in sediments. Lead was the most widely varied metal in shrimp with a 84.38% coefficient of variation. Apart from Cr, the metals appeared to be fairly and evenly distributed in the sediment, with coefficient of variation ranging from 14.29% (Cd) to 24.76% (Mn) The variations were between 14.49% (Zn) and 66.67% (Cr) in the water samples. The paired t test carried out between water and sediment, water and shrimp, and shrimp and sediment was significant at p?=?0.05. Three-factor analysis of variance did not reveal any significant difference in metal burdens among the trigonally located sites under investigation. Shrimp samples showed evidence of bioaccumulation but are still below internationally established levels.     

Evaluation of Water Quality Management Alternatives to Control Dissolved Oxygen and Un-ionized Ammonia for Ravi River in Pakistan

Different water quality management alternatives, including conventional wastewater treatment, transportation of wastewater, flow augmentation, low-cost treatment with reuse, and wetlands, are evaluated by using a verified dissolved oxygen (DO) model for the Ravi River. Biokinetic rate coefficients of the Ravi River for both the carbonaceous and nitrogenous oxygen-demanding wastes are adjusted, keeping in view the type and level of wastewater treatment. The conventional activated sludge process with nitrification comes out to be the most expansive alternative to meet the DO standard of 4 mg/L. Additional treatment cost is required to maintain un-ionized ammonia levels <0.02 mg/L, which corresponds to achieving treatment levels of 5 mg/L of DO in the river. Under critical low-flow conditions (i.e., minimum average seven consecutive days) of 9.2 m³/s, a flow augmentation of 10 m³/s can reduce 30 % of the cost with conventional wastewater treatment. Transportation of wastewater from the city of Lahore is a cost-effective alternative with 2.5 times less cost than the conventional process. Waste stabilization ponds (WSP) technology is a low-cost solution with 3.5 times less cost as compared to the conventional process. Further reduction in pollution loads to the Ravi River can be achieved by reusing WSP effluents for irrigation in the near proximity of Lahore along the Ravi River. The study results show that, for highly polluted rivers with such extreme flow variations as in case of the Ravi River, meeting un-ionized ammonia standards can reduce the efforts required to develop carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand-based waste load allocations.     

自动进样系统结合分光光度法快速测定水质中总磷

基于自动进样系统结合分光光度法,通过对波长、消解条件及显色条件的优化,建立了水中总磷的快速检测分析方法。在优化条件下,总磷的检出限为0.005 mg/L,测定下限为0.020 mg/L。对地表水、生活污水和工业废水3种不同基质的样品进行了加标测定,其回收率为95.0%~102%,相对标准偏差为0.5%~2.7%;与国标方法钼酸铵分光光度法测定水体中总磷进行比对研究,对国家有证标准样品、地表水、生活污水和工业废水测试的结果显示,方法相对偏差为0.4%~3.5%。该方法操作简单、快速、准确,可为应对突发环境事件中总磷的测定提供技术参考。     

Analysis of the environmental impact on a stream: is only tannery to blame?

The contribution of wastewater from a tannery industry to the pollution of a stream was investigated. The main parameters studied were biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, chromium, dissolved oxygen, fecal and total coliforms, nitrogen, oils and greases, pH, phosphorous, sulfides, suspended solids, turbidity, and volatile solids. Three sampling points were located: (1) at the discharge point of tannery wastewater, (2) 50 m upstream, and (3) 80 m downstream of discharge point. Also was investigated the pollution at the stream source.     

Solid phase extraction and determination of Cr(III) by spectrophotometry using cefaclor as a complexing reagent and FAAS

The present study reports on the application of modified groundnut shell as a new, easily prepared, and stable sorbent for the extraction of trace amount of Cr(III) in aqueous solution. 2-Hydroxybenzaldiminoglycine was immobilized on groundnut shells in alkaline medium and then used as a solid phase for the column preconcentration of Cr(III). The elution was carried out with 3 mL of 2 mol?L^?1 HCl. The amount of eluted Cr(III) was determined by spectrophotometry using cefaclor as a complexing reagent and by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Different experimental variables such as pH, amount of solid sorbent, volume and concentration of eluent, sample and eluent flow rate, and interference of other metal ions on the retention of Cr(III) were studied. Under the optimized conditions, the calibration curves were found to be linear over the concentration range of 13–104 and 10–75 μg?L^?1 with a detection limit of 3.64 and 1.24 μg?L^?1 for spectrophotometric method and FAAS, respectively. An enrichment factor of 200 and RSD of ±1.19–1.49 % for five successive determinations of 25 μg?L^?1 were achieved. The column preconcentration was successfully applied to the analysis of tap water and underground water samples.     

Uptake of heavy metals by some edible vegetables irrigated using wastewater: a preliminary study in Accra, Ghana

The heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cr, Co, and Cd) burden in wastewater, soil, and vegetable samples from a wastewater irrigated farm located at KorleBu, Accra has been investigated. Flame atomic absorption spectrometry after microwave digestion using a combination of HNO₃, HCl, and H₂O₂ (for water), and HNO₃ and HCl (for soil and vegetables). The mean concentrations (in milligrams per kilogram) of heavy metals in the soil samples were in the order of Fe (171?±?5.22)?>?Zn (36.06?±?4.54)?>?Pb (33.35?±?35.62)?>?Ni (6.31?±?8.15)?>?Cr (3.40?±?3.63)?>?Co (1.36?±?0.31)?>?Cd (0.43?±?0.24), while the vegetables were in the order of Fe (183.11?±?161.2)?>?Zn (5.38?±?3.50)?>?Ni (3.52?±?1.27)?>?Pb (2.49?±?1.81)?>?Cr (1.46?±?0.51)?>?Co (0.66?±?0.25)?>?Cd (0.36?±?0.15). The bioconcentration factors suggest environmental monitoring for the heavy metals as follows: Cd (0.828), Cr (0.431), Ni (0.558), Co (0.485), and Fe (1.067). Estimated daily intakes were very low for both children and adults except Fe (0.767 mg/kg/day) in children. The population that consume vegetables from the study area were, however, estimated to be safe based on the results obtained from the health risk index, which were all?<?<1. The sodium absorption ratio according to FAO (1985) classifications indicate that the wastewater in the study area is unsuitable for irrigation purposes.     

Element content of propolis collected from different areas of South Spain

The aim of this work is to determine the content of essential and toxic elements in 25 raw propolis samples, when considering pollution agents and geographical and botanical factors. The microwave-assisted digestion was the most reliable and accurate method for determination of inorganic elements in propolis samples. The results were obtained using certified reference materials in a good agreement with certified values. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy was used for the determination of 23 macro- and microelements (Ag, Al, As, B, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sb, Se, Si, Sn, and Zn). A Mercury analyzer was also utilized for the detection of the total Hg. Among the analyzed metals, Ca, K, Mg, Zn, Si, S, Fe, Al, P, and Na were found to be the most predominant. Heavy metals (As, Cd, Hg, and Pb) were determined in minimal concentration, and Pb was the highest mean contained toxic (<3.80 mg/kg), without influence on provisional tolerable weekly intake values. The method can be applied for routine analysis and quality and environmental pollution controls of toxic elements in propolis samples. The results obtained indicate no pollution of the collection areas and naturally high concentration of Al (460?±?62.2 mg/kg).