The role of chromatin damage in nickel-induced carcinogenesis. A review of recent developments

Over the last years, we have been testing a hypothesis that molecular mechanisms of nickel-induced carcinogenesis include interactions of this metal with major chromatin components; DNA, histones, and protamines. Our investigations using synthetic peptide models have resulted in identification of nickel-binding sites in core histones H3 and H2A and in protamine P2. These are: the internal -Cys110-AIH- motif in histone H3: the C-terminal-E121-SHHKAKGK "tail" motif in histone H2A; and the N-terminal RTH- motif in protamine P2. Ni(II) bound to the H3 and P2 motifs enhances oxidative DNA base damage by H2O2. In contrast, Ni(II) complex with the H2A "tail" is not redox active. However, at pH 7.4, it undergoes hydrolysis yielding a new complex, Ni(II)-SHHKAKGK, reactive with H2O2 and capable of mediating DNA oxidation. The "tail" cutting of H2A has also been observed in cells cultured with Ni(II). In Ni(II) complex with the protamine P2 peptides, H2O2 causes degradation of the metal-binding His3 and the distant Tyr8 residues. This site-specificity results from a long-range structuring effect of Ni(II) on its protamine ligand. In conclusion, Ni(II) binding to some chromatin proteins in somatic and sperm cells may result in oxidative and structural damage to the proteins and DNA. These effects may alter the fidelity of DNA replication and gene expression and thus facilitate carcinogenesis, including paternally-mediated cancer in the progeny.     

The effect of the presence of trace metals on the oxidation of Sb(III) by hydrogen peroxide in aqueous solution

Despite its importance for understanding the behaviour of antimony in the environment, the oxidation kinetics of Sb(III) with natural oxidants is still not well understood. We have studied the oxidation of Sb(III) by hydrogen peroxide on a time scale of hours in the presence of some trace metals, Cu(II), Mn(II), Zn(II) and Pb(II), under pH and concentration conditions close to natural ones. The effects that these trace metals have on Sb(iii) oxidation by hydrogen peroxide vary. Zn(II) had no catalytic effect at all, but Cu(II), Mn(II) and Pb(II) did, though their effects were not uniform. Cu(II) significantly accelerated the reaction, which remained first-order with respect to Sb(III) at any Cu(II) concentration tested. Pb(II) and Mn(II) also enhanced the reaction rates, but the apparent order of the reaction with respect to Sb(III) changed to two. The trace metal effect observed was concentration dependent for Pb(II). The addition of the hydroxyl radical scavenger 2-propanol suggests that the trace metal catalytic effect observed involves the action of hydroxyl radicals, but that they are not responsible for the oxidation of Sb(III) by H2O2 in the absence of trace metals. The fact that Sb(III) can be oxidized by hydroxyl radicals present in water, even if it is not capable of producing them, has important environmental implications because hydroxyl radicals are known to be abundant in many natural waters such as seawater, humic-rich surface waters or rainwater.     

Application of a compact all solid-state laser system to the in situ detection of atmospheric OH,HO2, NO and IO by laser-induced fluorescence

A tuneable, high pulse-repetition-frequency, solid state Nd:YAG pumped titanium sapphire laser capable of generating radiation for the detection of OH, HO2, NO and IO radicals in the atmosphere by laser induced fluorescence (LIF) has been developed. The integration of the laser system operating at 308 nm into a field measurement apparatus for the simultaneous detection of hydroxyl and hydroperoxy radicals is described, with detection limits of 3.1 x 10(5) molecule cm(-3) (0.012 pptv in the boundary layer) and 2.6 x 10(6) molecule cm(-3) (0.09 pptv) achieved for OH and HO2 respectively (30 s signal integration, 30 s background integration, signal-to-noise ratio = 1). The system has been field tested and offers several advantages over copper vapour laser pumped dye laser systems for the detection of atmospheric OH and HO2 radicals by LIF, with benefits of greater tuning range and ease of use coupled with reduced power consumption, instrument footprint and warm-up time. NO has been detected in the atmosphere at approximately 1 ppbv by single photon LIF using the Alpha 2Sigma+ <-- Chi 2Pi1/2 (0,0) transition at 226 nm, with absolute concentrations in good agreement with simultaneous measurements made using a chemiluminescence analyser. With some improvements in performance, particularly with regard to laser power, the theoretical detection limit for NO is projected to be approximately 2 x 10(6) molecule cm(-3) (0.08 pptv). Whilst operating at 445 nm, the laser system has been used to readily detect the IO radical in the laboratory, and although it is difficult to project the sensitivity in the field, an estimate of the detection limit is < 1 x 10(5) molecule cm(-3) (< 0.004 pptv), well below previously measured atmospheric concentrations of IO.     

Welding fumes from stainless steel gas metal arc processes contain multiple manganese chemical species

Fumes from a group of gas metal arc welding (GMAW) processes used on stainless steel were generated using three different metal transfer modes and four different shield gases. The objective was to identify and measure manganese (Mn) species in the fumes, and identify processes that are minimal generators of Mn species. The robotic welding system was operated in short-circuit (SC) mode (Ar/CO2 and He/Ar), axial spray (AXS) mode (Ar/O2 and Ar/CO2), and pulsed axial-spray (PAXS) mode (Ar/O2). The fumes were analyzed for Mn by a sequential extraction process followed by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) analysis, and by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Total elemental Mn, iron (Fe), chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni) were separately measured after aqua regia digestion and ICP-AES analysis. Soluble Mn2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, and Ni2+ in a simple biological buffer (phosphate-buffered saline) were determined at pH 7.2 and 5.0 after 2 h incubation at 37 C by ion chromatography. Results indicate that Mn was present in soluble form, acid-soluble form, and acid-soluble form after reduction by hydroxylamine, which represents soluble Mn0 and Mn2+ compounds, other Mn2+ compounds, and (Mn3+ and Mn4+) compounds, respectively. The dominant fraction was the acid-soluble Mn2+ fraction, but results varied with the process and shield gas. Soluble Mn mass percent in the fume ranged from 0.2 to 0.9%, acid-soluble Mn2+ compounds ranged from 2.6 to 9.3%, and acid plus reducing agent-soluble (Mn3+ and Mn4+) compounds ranged from 0.6 to 5.1%. Total Mn composition ranged from 7 to 15%. XRD results showed fumes had a crystalline content of 90-99% Fe3O4, and showed evidence of multiple Mn oxides, but overlaps and weak signals limited identification. Small amounts of the Mn2+ in the fume (<0.01 to ≈ 1% or <0.1 to ≈ 10 microg ml(-1)) and Ni2+ (<0.01 to ≈ 0.2% or <0.1 to ≈ 2 mg ml(-1)) ions were found in biological buffer media, but amounts were highly dependent on pH and the welding process. Mn generation rates for the fractions were tabulated, and the influence of ozone is discussed. The conclusions are that exposures to welding fumes include multiple Mn species, both soluble and insoluble, and that exposures to Mn species vary with specific processes and shield gases.     

Speciation of iron in river water using a specific catalytic determination and size fractionation

A comprehensive speciation scheme was proposed for the speciation of iron in river water (0.45 microm filtrate). The speciation was based on the catalytic determination of reactive iron as Fe3+ and Fe(III)Li/(3 -in)+, where i = 1 or 2 for a unidentate and i = 1 for a bidentate ligand, Ln-. The scheme incudes size fractionation and acid decomposition of the sample and determination of the coexisting species. The proposed scheme was applied to natural and artificial samples and acidified preparations of these. Resulting fractionation patterns of reactive and unreactive iron and of coexisting humic acid were useful for the characterization of iron species in the natural samples. The reactive iron in the molecular weight (Mr) > or = 10(4) fraction was associated with humic iron aggregates and estimated as iron complexed with them. The unreactive iron in this fraction dissociated in 0.1 M HCI and was estimated as iron in the aggregates of iron(III) hydroxide (s) and humic iron. From the fractionation results of the artificial sample, the reactive and unreactive iron in the Mr < 10(3) fraction may be formed by complexing simple anions like F- and C2O4(2-) at their naturally-occurring concentration levels. The fractionation results also suggested that humic acid and Si contributed to the formation of reactive and unreactive iron in the Mr > or = 10(4) fraction.     

Adsorption of Reactive Dye on Chitin

The adsorption of reactive dye on chitin has been investigated with a view to obtain the design data for batch processing of effluents for dye adsorption. The effect of several factors governing the dye adsorption such as the adsorbent concentration, adsorbent size, temperature and pH have been elicited. Desorption of the dye at different temperatures and pH have also been investigated.     

A novel wet-scrubbing process using Fe(VI) for simultaneous removal of SO2 and NO

The objective of this work was to develop a novel wet-scrubbing process using Fe(VI) for the simultaneous removal of gaseous NO and SO(2). The oxidation of SO(2) and NO with Fe(VI) was studied in aqueous solution at alkaline pH (9.0-11.0). A stoichiometric molar ratio for NO and SO(2) oxidation with Fe(VI) was determined to be nearly 3.0. Sulfate and nitrate was identified as final products by ion chromatography from the reaction at pH 9.0-11.0. The feasibility of simultaneous removal of multiple gas pollutants with the continuous feeding of ferrate in lab-scale was investigated from the view of industrial application. It was found that the removal efficiency of NO and SO(2) was enhanced with the increase of Fe(VI) concentration, more than 90% NO removal efficiency and 100% SO(2) removal efficiency were achieved by wet-scrubbing process using Fe(VI) at room temperature and ambient atmosphere. The results demonstrate that Fe(VI) could be an effective wet-scrubbing agent for the simultaneous removal of NO and SO(2).     

催化剂BiFeO3的制备及其光催化性能研究

采用水热合成法制备了不同煅烧温度下的可见光催化剂BiFeO3粉体,并进行了结构和光催化性能的测试.利用X射线衍射、扫描电镜、傅里叶变换红外光谱和紫外-可见漫反射光谱方法对制备的粉体的晶相结构、表面形貌、光学特性等进行了表征.结果表明,500℃下制备的BiFeO3的晶相最纯、粒径最小、可见光吸收范围广、存在Fe-O键的弯...     

Use of neural networks for monitoring surface water quality changes in a neotropical urban stream

This paper reports the using of neural networks for water quality analysis in a tropical urban stream before (2002) and after sewerage building and the completion of point-source control-based sanitation program (2003). Mathematical modeling divided water quality data in two categories: (a) input of some in situ water quality variables (temperature, pH, O2 concentration, O2 saturation and electrical conductivity) and (b) water chemical composition (N-NO2(-); N-NO3(-); N-NH4(+) Total-N; P-PO4(3-); K+; Ca2+; Mg+2; Cu2+; Zn2+ and Fe+3) as the output from tested models. Stream water data come from fortnightly sampling in five points along the Ipanema stream (Southeast Brazil, Minas Gerais state) plus two points downstream and upstream Ipanema discharge into Doce River. Once the best models are consistent with variables behavior we suggest that neural networking shows potential as a methodology to enhance guidelines for urban streams restoration, conservation and management.     

Near-real-time determination of hydrogen peroxide generated from cigarette smoke

The ability to monitor hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in aqueous smoke extracts will advance our understanding of the relationship between cigarette smoke-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and disease and help elucidate the pathways by which the various smoke constituents exert their pathogenic effects. We have demonstrated, for the first time, the measurement of H2O2 production from cigarette smoke without prior separation of the sample. Cigarettes were tested on a commercial smoking machine, such that the whole smoke or gas vapor phase was bubbled through phosphate buffered saline solution at pH 7.4. Aliquots of these solutions were analyzed using an Amplex Red/horseradish peroxidase fluorimetric assay that required only a 2 minute incubation time, facilitating the rapid, facile collection of data. Catalase was used to demonstrate the selectivity and specificity of the assay for H2O2 in the complex smoke matrix. We measured approximately 7-8 microM H2O2 from two reference cigarettes (i.e., 1R4F and 2R4F). We also observed 9x more H2O2 from whole smoke bubbled samples compared to the gas vapor phase, indicating that the major constituent(s) responsible for H2O2 formation reside in the particulate phase of cigarette smoke. Aqueous solutions of hydroquinone and catechol, both of which are particulate phase constituents of cigarette smoke, generated no H2O2 even though they are free radical precursors involved in the production of reactive oxygen species in the smoke matrix.     

Reduction and immobilization of chromium(VI) by nano-scale Fe0 particles supported on reproducible PAA/PVDF membrane

A new class of nano-scale Fe0 particles (NZVI) supported on a PAA/PVDF membrane (NZVI-PAA/PVDF) were synthesized and the feasibility of using NZVI-PAA/PVDF for reductive immobilization of Cr(VI) in water was investigated through laboratory batch tests. The results showed that the Cr(VI) removal capacity of NZVI-PAA/PVDF was 181 mg Cr/g Fe at an initial Cr(VI) concentration of 20 mg L(-1) under pH 6.5 +/- 0.1. XPS results showed that Cr(VI) was converted to nontoxic Cr(III). Interfering ions exerted various degrees of impact on NZVI-PAA/PVDF's Cr(VI) removal capacity. Specifically, Ca2+ alone showed the mildest impact while the presence of ions (Mg2+ and HCO3-) exerted the greatest impact. An advantage of NZVI-PAA/PVDF is that the nano-scale Fe0 and resultant particles were combined within a PAA/PVDF membrane, which prevents secondary pollution. Moreover, a piece of PAA/PVDF membrane (4.7 cm diameter) can still support 6.51 mg of nano-scale Fe0 particles after being renewed.     

Assessing the performance of wastewater treatment with the combination of Fenton and ferrite process

Industrial wastewater typically contains various metal ions. Traditional metal ion treatment processes such as chemical precipitation generate large volumes of toxic sludge which needs to be further solidified or disposed of. The ferrite process (FP), which is another effective approach of treating metal ion-containing wastewater, can crystallize metal ions into ferrites; the sludge easily precipitates, is stable and can be recycling. This investigation explores the feasibility of the Fenton process and the FP (FFP) for treating wastewater that contains metal ions. It considers one factor that adds noise to the FP, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, and establishes the optimum parameters of each procedure. The analytical results demonstrate that the proper conditions for Fenton process were pH = 2, [Fe(2+)] = 10(-2) M, H(2)O(2) dosing rate = 5 x 10(-4) mol min(-1), reaction time = 12 min. For the proposed multi-stage FP, the preferred Fe(2+) dosage was 0.098 mol in each stage and the sludge met the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure standards. Following the FFP, the effluent water or the sludge easily met Taiwan's standards. Finally, the SEM test demonstrated that size of the sludge particles was 50-110 nm.     

Chemical speciation of inorganic pollutants in river–estuary–sea water systems

Monitoring studies and thermodynamic modeling were used to reveal the changes of inorganic chemical species of some water pollutants (nutrients and trace metals such as Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Cd and Pb) inthe river-estuary-sea water system. The case studies were two rivers, Kamchiya and Ropotamo, representing part of the Bulgarian Black Sea water catchment area, and having different flow characteristics. There were no major differences in inorganic chemical species of the two river systems. NO3(-) and NO2(-) chemical species showed no changes along the river-estuary-sea water system. Concerning phosphates six different species were calculated and differences between the three parts of the systems were established. The HPO4(2-) and H2PO4(-) species were found to be dominant in river waters. The H2PO4(-) species quickly decreased at the expense of HPO4(2-) and Ca, Mg and Na phosphate complexes in estuary and seawater. Trace metals showed a great variety of chemical species. Fe(OH)2(+) species prevailed in river waters, and Fe(OH)3(0) species--in sea waters. Me2+ and MeCO3(0) (Me = Cu, Pb) and PbHCO3(+) were dominant in river waters, while Cu(CO3)2(2-) and PbCl(-) species appear also in sea waters. Cd2+ species prevailed in river and estuary waters, and CdCln(2-n) (n = 1-3) species, in seawater. Free Zn2+ species predominated in all systems but downstream their percentage decreased at the expense of Zn phosphates, carbonates,sulfates and chlorides complexes. Only free Mn2+ species were dominant along the systems.     

磁性硅基介孔材料对水中微囊藻毒素的吸附研究

采用水热合成法可控合成了磁性Fe 3O 4@SiO 2和Fe 3O 4@SiO 2@Cu^2+球状核壳介孔材料,研究了模板剂的种类及去除方式对形貌的影响,并将材料用作固相萃取剂选择性吸附水中微囊藻毒素,结合高效液相色谱定量分析来研究其对MC-LR的吸附性能。实验表明,十六烷基三甲基溴化铵(CTAB)模板剂更有利于壳层的形成,3次乙醇振荡萃取的方式对于两种材料均可达到很好的模板剂去除效果,对MC-LR的吸附率分别达到85%和95%以上,而马弗炉煅烧方式则适用于Fe 3O 4@SiO 2@Cu^2+介孔材料的制备。太湖水样中MC-LR的去除实验表明,两种材料能够很好地应用于实际水样处理。     

Investigation of arsenic speciation on drinking water treatment media utilizing automated sequential continuous flow extraction with IC-ICP-MS detection

Three treatment media, used for the removal of arsenic from drinking water, were sequentially extracted using 10 mM MgCl2(pH 8), 10 mM NaH2PO4(pH 7) followed by 10 mM (NH4)2C2O4(pH 3). The media were extracted using an on-line automated continuous extraction system which allowed the arsenic in each of the extraction fluids to be speciated on-line using IC-ICP-MS. The 10 mM MgCl2 preferentially extracted As(III) from each of the media. The percentage of the arsenic extracted by the MgCl2, relative to a HNO3/H2O2 digestion of the media, ranged from 0.1-2.3% for the three solids. The next sequential extraction fluid, 10 mM NaH2PO4, extracted some of the residual As(III) remaining on each of the media but the predominant species extracted was As(V). The 10 mM NaH2PO4 extracted 15.3 to 42.8% of the total arsenic relative to a total digested concentration for each of the media. The As(III) and As(V) stability studies conducted in these two extraction fluids indicated that conversion between As(III) and As(V) was not significant for the short extraction fluid sample contact time associated with the on-line continuous flow extraction cell. Finally, the 10 mM (NH4)2C2O4 extraction fluid was utilized in an off-line analysis mode because the Fe and As concentrations extracted from the media were not compatible with direct ICP-MS detection. The (NH4)2C2O4 extracted 2.9-29% As(III) for all three media and caused an oxidation of As(III) to As(V) during the extraction period for one of the three media. The sum of the arsenic from each of the three extraction fluids represented 92%, 44% and 53% of the available total arsenic for the three media, respectively. The speciation results for each media were obtained by adding all the speciation results from all three extraction fluids together and the resulting distribution of As(III)/As(V) compared well with the speciation results obtained via XANES.     

Aluminium speciation in effluents and receiving waters

The respective speciation of aluminium in sewage effluent and in river water receiving effluent, has been examined. Results showed that concentrations of reactive aluminium changed over a timescale of hours and were controlled predominantly by pH. A minimum concentration of reactive aluminium occurred at a pH of approximately 6.8, coinciding with the prevalence of non-reactive, insoluble Al(OH)3 species. For receiving waters of low pH value, typically < pH 5, a large proportion of the 'naturally present' aluminium can be present in a reactive form at concentrations higher than the proposed Environmental Quality Standard (EQS). Mixing of waters of this type with effluent of a higher pH value leads to the precipitation of aluminium hydroxide. Mixing of effluent of pH value in the range 7.5-8.0 with river water in the same (or slightly higher) pH range appears to result in no appreciable change in the proportion of reactive aluminium; the change in concentration tends to be related simply to dilution. On the basis of a theoretical knowledge of aluminium speciation, results obtained in this work indicate that it is possible to make predictions about the proportion of reactive aluminium present in a receiving water, based on the pH values of the effluent water mixture and the concentration in the effluent. Reasonable comparisons between measured and predicted values were obtained at higher pH values, but the relationship was less certain at pH values less than 6.5 for which levels of reactive metal tended to be higher than the quality standard value.     

The Influence of pH on Mobility of Heavy Metals from Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator Fly Ash

Incineration has become one of the principal methods for municipal solid waste disposal particularly in all large cities throughout the world. Currently, the municipal solid waste incinerator fly ashes (MSWIF) are disposed of by landfill. The metal speciation of cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in MSWIF after been extracted with water at different pH values were examined using a sequential extraction procedure. The extraction sequence was as follows: (1) Exchangeable (NaOAc, pH 8.2), (2) Bound to Carbonates (NaOAc, pH 5.0), (3) Bound to metal oxides (HONH3Cl), (4) Bound to organic matters (HNO3, H2O2), and (5) Residual (HNO3, HCl, H2O2, HF, 1:3:1:3). The heavy metal contents in the extraction solutions were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The heavy metal concentrations in the different fractions obtained by sequential extraction show distinct distribution trends. The extractable fraction ranges from 25.5 to 88% of the total element content. With the pH of the extractant fall below the neutral and acidic ranges, the concentrations of heavy metals rise substantially due to the released of metals bound to carbonate fraction.     

金属离子和氧化剂对3,5-二氯酚光化学降解的影响

在实验条件下 ,Fe2 +、KCl O3、KCl O4 、KBr O3、KIO4 对 3 ,5 -二氯酚光化学降解起加速作用 ,且随其浓度增大 ,加速作用也在增强。KIO4 的加速作用比较强。光照时 ,KIO4 +Mn2 +对 3 ,5 -二氯酚光化学降解的加速作用非常显著。无光照时 ,当 KMn O4 浓度增加时 ,3 ,5 -二氯酚被迅速氧化 ;KIO4 +Mn2 + /Fe2 + 能够使 3 ,5 -二氯酚发生化学降解 ,尤其是 KIO4 +Mn2 + 的作用。     

Response mechanisms of antioxidants in bryophyte (Hypnum plumaeforme) under the stress of single or combined Pb and/or Ni

The short-term responses and mechanisms of antioxidants in moss Hypnum plumaeforme subjected to single or combined Pb and/or Ni stress has been revealed in this study, in order to clarify (1) the relationship between the stress intensity and antioxidant fluctuation, (2) the difference between single and combined stress, and (3) the possibility of biomonitoring by the application of antioxidant fluctuation under stress. The results showed that the stress induced dose dependent formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and subsequent lipid peroxidation. Total chlorophyll (Chl) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were initiated under lower stress but were inhibited under higher stress. Both single and combined stress decreased catalase (CAT) activity but increased peroxidase (POD) activity, indicating POD in the moss played an important role in resisting the oxidative stress induced by Pb and Ni. The accumulation of (.)O2(-) and H2O2 in H. plumaeforme was respectively related to the low activity of SOD and the decreased activity of CAT. The study indicated that Pb and Ni had synergistic effect in inducing the oxidative stress in moss H. plumaeforme, especially under the combination of high concentration of Ni (0.1, 1.0 mM) and Pb. POD and CAT activity, as well as H2O2 and MDA content, which increased or decreased regularly with a dose dependent under Pb and Ni stress, could be used as an effective indicator in moss biomonitoring, especially in the case of light pollution caused by heavy metals without the changes in the appearance of mosses.     

Investigation of sequential and enzymatic extraction of arsenic from drinking water distribution solids using ICP-MS

A sequential extraction approach was utilized to estimate the distribution of arsenite [As(iii)] and arsenate [As(v)] on iron oxide/hydroxide solids obtained from drinking water distribution systems. The arsenic (As) associated with these solids can be segregated into three operationally defined categories (exchangeable, amorphous and crystalline) according to the sequential extraction literature. The exchangeable As, for the six drinking water solids evaluated, was estimated using 10 mM MgCl(2) and 10 mM NaH(2)PO(4) and represented between 5-34% of the total As available from the solid. The amorphously bound As was estimated using 10 mM (NH(4))(2)C(2)O(4) and represented between 57-124% of the As available from the respective solid. Finally, the crystalline bound As was estimated using titanium citrate and this represented less than 1.5% of the As associated with the solids. A synthetic stomach/intestine extraction approach was also applied to the distribution solids. The stomach fluid was found to extract between 0.5-33.3 microg g(-1) As and 120-2,360 microg g(-1) iron (Fe). The As concentrations in the intestine fluid were between 0.02-0.04 microg g(-1) while the Fe concentration ranged from 0.06-0.7 microg g(-1) for the first six drinking water distribution solids. The elevated Fe levels associated with the stomach fluid were found to produce Fe based precipitates when the intestinal treatment was applied. Preliminary observations indicate that most of the aqueous Fe in the stomach fluid is ferric ion and the observed precipitate produced in the intestine fluid is consistent with the decreased solubility of ferric ion at the pH associated with the intestine.