Methods for nanoemulsion and nanoencapsulation of food bioactives

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Nanoencapsulation is a promising technology allowing miniaturized dosage and administration of valuable volatiles, degradable bioactives and biologicals. The...     

Some Heavy-Metal Pollutants in the Air of Naples

ABSTRACT

In this paper, assumptions regarding future land use as a key uncertainty is considered and its impact on risk analysis for contaminated sites is assessed. Risks are assessed for two land use scenarios (current-use industrial and future-use residential) using probabilistic models that incorporate uncertainty and variability in the exposure parameters. Residual risks are calculated for both industrial and residential cleanup standards. A Superfund site in northern California is considered.

In general, for the unremediated case, the future-use residential scenarios produce larger risks (1 to 3 orders of magnitude) than current- (continued) use industrial scenarios. For the Superfund site studied, the residual risks calculated for the remedy selected was not sufficiently protective of future-use residents in that it did not meet .S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) risk goals, but was protective of current-use workers, even though the cleanup criteria were based on residential use. Alternative risk management practices, such as deed restrictions, can be used in such cases.     

Food-grade nanoencapsulation of vitamins

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Vitamin deficiency arises when the dietary intake of essential vitamins is too low. Insufficient levels of vitamin weaken the body and induce diseases. Although...     

Predicting the Fate and Transport of E. coli in Two Texas River Basins Using a Spatially Referenced Regression Model1

Abstract: The two main rivers of southeast Texas: Guadalupe and San Antonio have shown high temporal increase in bacteria concentration during the last decade. The SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed (SPARROW) attributes model, developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), has been applied to predict the fluxes and concentrations of contaminants in unmonitored streams and to identify the sources of these contaminants. This model identifies every reach as a basic network unit to distribute the sources, delivery, and attenuation factors. The model is data intensive and implements nonlinear regression to solve the parsimonious relations for describing various watershed processes. This study explored watershed and hydrological characteristics (land uses, precipitation, human and animal population, point sources, areal hydraulic load and drainage density, etc.) as the probable sources and delivery mechanisms of waterborne pathogens and their indicator (Escherichia coli [E. coli]) in the Guadalupe and San Antonio River basins. The effect of using various statistical indices for model selection on the final model’s ability to explain the various E. coli sources and transport processes was also analyzed.     

Toxicity and regulations of food nanomaterials

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Food nanotechnology has been rapidly growing in last decade due to the unique properties of nanomaterials. Nonetheless, the presence of nanomaterials in food...     

Nanoemulsions in food: market demand

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Food nanotechnology involves the study of interactions between oil, water, surfactants and various ingredients such as active compounds, gelling agents,...     

Pollution risk assessment based on QUAL2E-UNCAS simulations of a tropical river in Northern India

This paper exemplifies the application of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's water quality model, QUAL2E-UNCAS in assessing the pollution risk of a tropical river. The rivers selected for study were Hindon (main river) and Kali (its tributary) flowing through Uttar Pradesh district of Northern India. The model application to the two rivers revealed poor water quality in terms of dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and ammonia concentrations. Monte Carlo simulations were performed on two different data sets that were confirming to marked seasonal variations. The Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) derived 95 % confidence level for these parameters strengthened the fact that all point sources were exploiting the assimilative capacity of the two rivers. In order to ascertain probabilistically the risk at which two rivers were falling short of desired water quality, probability curves based on effluent standards and available water quality were prepared. On mapping the two curves, it was found that at 95 % probability, Hindon River was flowing with 53 to 100 % less of desired DO, up to 100 % more of minimum BOD, and probability with which ammonia concentration would not be more than the desired concentration was found to fall downstream. The Kali headwaters showed better quality during low river temperature but worsened downstream with up to 100 % violation in all the above observed parameters. It is expected that similar studies wherein the dependable levels with which a polluted river can be understood to fall short of desired water quality can prove to be useful in ascertaining the efficacy of effluent standards and/or follow-up of pollution control measures.     

In vitro assessment of natural plant extracts Withania somnifera,Cassia fistula,Saraca asoca,and Eucalyptus tereticornis using primary chicken embryo fibroblast cell culture treated with urea or mercuric chloride (II)

The present investigation examined the detoxifying potential of methanolic herbal extracts, namely the leaf and bark extract of Eucalyptus tereticornis, bark extract of Saraca asoca, Cassia fistula and Withania somnifera in vitro using primary chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF) cells against damaging effects of urea and mercuric chloride (HgCl) (II). The influence of 20?mM urea and 10?µM?HgCl (II) was determined on cell viability or proliferation of cells after treatment with plant extracts. Higher survival rate of primary CEF cells treated with higher concentrations of plant extracts was observed due to their protective ability against urea and HgCl (II). Cassia fistula bark extract (10?mg?mL^?1) was found to be most effective against 20?mM urea as it protects 90% of CEF cells whereas W. somnifera protects 86% of the cells within 24?h. After treating cells with10?µM HgCl, W. somnifera and E. tereticornis leaf extracts were found to be more effective among all other extracts as they protect approximately 86% and 70% of CEF cells, respectively, within 24?h. These results indicate that C. fistula and W. somnifera has the highest potential amongst all the five plant extracts for protecting CEF cells against damaging effects of urea and HgCl (II), respectively.