Urinary stones as a novel matrix for human biomonitoring of toxic and essential elements

Monitoring of body burden of toxic elements is usually based on analysis of concentration of particular elements in blood, urine and/or hair. Analysis of these matrices, however, predominantly reflects short- or medium-term exposure to trace elements or pollutants. In this work, urinary stones were investigated as a matrix for monitoring long-term exposure to toxic and essential elements. A total of 431 samples of urinary calculi were subjected to mineralogical and elemental analysis by infrared spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The effect of mineralogical composition of the stones and other parameters such as sex, age and geographical location on contents of trace and minor elements is presented. Our results demonstrate the applicability of such approach and confirm that the analysis of urinary calculi can be helpful in providing complementary information on human exposure to trace metals and their excretion. Analysis of whewellite stones (calcium oxalate monohydrate) with content of phosphorus <0.6 % has been proved to be a promising tool for biomonitoring of trace and minor elements.

     

The role of digital data entry in participatory environmental monitoring

Many argue that monitoring conducted exclusively by scientists is insufficient to address ongoing environmental challenges. One solution entails the use of mobile digital devices in participatory monitoring (PM) programs. But how digital data entry affects programs with varying levels of stakeholder participation, from nonscientists collecting field data to nonscientists administering every step of a monitoring program, remains unclear. We reviewed the successes, in terms of management interventions and sustainability, of 107 monitoring programs described in the literature (hereafter programs) and compared these with case studies from our PM experiences in Australia, Canada, Ethiopia, Ghana, Greenland, and Vietnam (hereafter cases). Our literature review showed that participatory programs were less likely to use digital devices, and 2 of our 3 more participatory cases were also slow to adopt digital data entry. Programs that were participatory and used digital devices were more likely to report management actions, which was consistent with cases in Ethiopia, Greenland, and Australia. Programs engaging volunteers were more frequently reported as ongoing, but those involving digital data entry were less often sustained when data collectors were volunteers. For the Vietnamese and Canadian cases, sustainability was undermined by a mismatch in stakeholder objectives. In the Ghanaian case, complex field protocols diminished monitoring sustainability. Innovative technologies attract interest, but the foundation of effective participatory adaptive monitoring depends more on collaboratively defined questions, objectives, conceptual models, and monitoring approaches. When this foundation is built through effective partnerships, digital data entry can enable the collection of more data of higher quality. Without this foundation, or when implemented ineffectively or unnecessarily, digital data entry can be an additional expense that distracts from core monitoring objectives and undermines project sustainability. The appropriate role of digital data entry in PM likely depends more on the context in which it is used and less on the technology itself.     

Measurement of the pesticide methomyl by modified quartz crystal nanobalance with molecularly imprinted polymer

A simple and cost-effective analysis method based on quartz crystal nanobalance (QCN) coated with a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for measurement of methomyl was investigated. In the first part of this study, a sensitive, selective and reliable quartz crystal nanobalance (QCN) sensor was designed for the selective determination of methomyl in aqueous solutions. In the second part, in order to demonstrate the applicability and performance of the fabricated sensor in the real world situation, it was successfully applied for the determination of methomyl residual in photo catalytic degradation by ZnO powders in aqueous solutions. The fabricated sensor presents a high selectivity and sensitivity (4.56 Hz per mg L^?1) for methomyl and it can be used for determination of methomyl concentration ranged between 1 to 45 mg L^?1. Furthermore, good reproducibility, R.S.D. = 2.14% (n = 5) was observed. To investigate the performance of the sensor, the change in the insecticide concentration during the photocatalytic degradation of methomyl by ZnO was investigated by QCN and UV/Vis spectroscopy. Results obtained from QCN sensor and UV/Vis spectroscopy measurement are in good mutual agreement. So the fabricated sensor may provide an efficient, low cost, easy-to-use method for the in-field evaluation of specific targeted analytes in aqueous solutions which in turn may lead to improved food and water safety.     

Inorganic elemental concentrations in birch bolete mushroom (Leccinum scabrum) and top soil: contamination profiles,bioconcentation and annual variations

Abstract

Analysis of inorganic and organic contaminants in foodstuffs aids in understanding the human exposure to these compounds via consumption. In this study, an edible mushroom species (Leccinum scabrum) and top soil samples were analysed for essential and toxic substances including phosphorus and inorganic elements over a period of three fruiting seasons. Analysis of silver (Ag), aluminium (Al), barium (Ba), calcium (Ca), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), mercury (Hg), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), sodium (Na), nickel (Ni), phosphorus (P), lead (Pb), rubidium (Rb), strontium (Sr) and zinc (Zn) in mushrooms and topsoil were performed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) with ultrasonic cross flow nebulizer. Total mercury was determined by cold-vapour atomic absorption spectroscopy (CV-AAS). The results exhibited wide variation in concentrations of metals between soil and mushroom (cap and stipes) during three fruiting seasons. Positive bioconcentration factors (BFCs) indicate on bioaccumulation of several metals including, Cd, Cu, Hg, K, Mg, Na, P, Rb and Zn in caps and stipes of fruitbodies of this mushroom, while other metals such as Al, Ba, Ca, Co, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Sr were not exhibiting significant positive BFCs. Over a period studied, the caps were characterised by different (p?<?0.05) concentrations of Al, Co, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, P, Pb and Sr. Contamination profiles, temporal fluctuations, BCFs should be taken into consideration when assessing the nutritional value of this mushroom.     

Brain myelination in rats treated with ionizing radiation in utero

Abstract

Effects of ionizing radiation on brain myelination and some physical development parameters were studied in laboratory rats (Fisher F‐344 inbred strain). Rats were treated with three different doses of radiation (150 rad, 15 rad, and 6.8 rad) delivered on the 20th day of prenatal life. Exposure to 150 rad reduced body, brain, ovary, kidney, heart and spleen weights. Prenatal exposure to 150 rad of radiation reduced the cerebral cortex weight by 22 percent at 30 days of age, and 20 percent at 52 days of age which caused a reduction in cerebral cortex myelin content by 20 and 23 percent at the ages of 30 and 52 days respectively. This dose did not affect the myelin content of the cerebellum or the brain stem, or the myelin concentration (mg myelin/g brain tissue) of the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and the brain stem. The cerebral cortex weight of the 15 rad treated rats was reduced at the age of 30 days. Exposure to 15 rad, and 6.8 rad did not affect either the myelin content or the myelin concentration of these brain areas.     

Black carbon aerosols in urban air in South Asia

We report data from a yearlong (2006–2007) study of black carbon concentrations ([BC]) measured at 5-min intervals with an Aethalometer in Karachi, Pakistan. Daily mean [BC] varied from about 1 to 15 μg m^?3. However, short-term spikes exceeding 40 μg m^?3 were common, occurring primarily during the morning and evening rush-hour periods. The [BC] values were highest during November through February, ～10 μg m^?3, and lowest during June through September, ～2 μg m^?3. Diurnal, seasonal, and day-of-the-week trends are discussed. It is demonstrated that these trends are strongly affected by meteorological patterns. A simple expression is applied to the concentration profiles to separate the effects of meteorological conditions and elucidate the underlying emissions patterns. Daily emissions varied from 14,000 to 22,000 kg of BC per day. When integrated over the year emissions for Karachi Proper were estimated at 6.7 kilometric tons per year and emissions for greater Karachi were 17.5 kilometric tons per year. Folding in the populations of each area yields BC emissions of 0.74 and 1.1 kg per person per year, respectively. Applying the model to previously collected data at Lahore, Pakistan yields emissions during November–January that are around a factor of two higher than those in Karachi, but because the BC measurements in Lahore covered only three months, no estimates of annual emissions were attempted. Given the large populations of these cities the local health impact from PM alone is expected to be severe but because of the high [BC] emissions the impact on the global climate may be equally significant.