Blood lead monitoring in Italy: Assessment of the quality of results obtained between 1992 and 1994

Between 1992 and 1994, a new screening campaign for blood Pb monitoring in the Italian general population was carried out. Since the first campaign (started in 1978, in accomplishment of the European Community Directive 77/312/EEC) a working group of the Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry at the Italian National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità), as the Reference Centre (RC), has coordinated the activity of various laboratories spread over the national territory. Appropriate quality assurance procedures, including an external quality assessment scheme (EQAS), were elaborated. Within the EQAS, three or four trials were carried out every year. Each laboratory participating in the trial analyzed eight control samples prepared from cow blood at different Pb concentrations. The results obtained by each peripheral laboratory and the RC between 1992 and 1994 have been compared by regression analysis. The same statistical method was adopted to compare the results obtained by each peripheral laboratory and the RC in the duplicate analysis of about 10 per cent of the human samples collected during the 1992–1994 monitoring campaign. There was no evidence of systematic differences between the regression lines obtained on control and human samples. In spite of the lower Pb concentration in the control samples analyzed during the 1992–1994 campaign, the analytical performance of the laboratories was better than that obtained in the previous screening campaign (1985–1986). Blood Pb levels observed in human samples collected between 1992 and 1994, confirm the downward time trend observed in the campaigns carried out in 1978–1979, 1980–1981 and 1985–1986. This study confirms that the results obtained in an EQAS are representative of the actual performance in the analysis of real (human) samples.     

Selective Transport of Lead(II) and Strontium(II) Through a Crown Ether-Based Polymer Inclusion Membrane Containing Dialkylnaphthalenesulfonic Acid

New polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs) containing 18-membered crownethers and dialkylnaphthalenesulfonic acid are proposed for Sr2+ and Pb2+removal from nitric acid solutions. The influence of source phasecomposition and stripping agents was characterized and permeabilitycoefficients were calculated. The PIMs are easy to prepare and may be usefulin separation and concentration procedures for these cations from complexmixtures such as nuclear waste. Long-term stability was obtained for atleast several weeks of constant use during which no significant change ofpermeability was observed.     

高砷低金银的铅阳极泥中银的冶炼

本文报导了将纯碱加入砷含量高的铅阳极泥熔炼成贵铅，用硝酸溶解，硫氰酸盐沉淀，再用锌粉还原得银的方法。从而避免砒霜挥发。     

Industrial Application of Hybrid Sol-Gel Coatings for the Decoration of Crystal Glassware

The coloration of glass via melting techniques presents some unique problems with respect to the reproducibility, toxicology and economics of certain colors, especially if the market demands are highly variable. This is also the case for consumer products such as crystal glass and tableware. Traditionally, the decoration of crystal glasses is performed by laborious manual techniques, which are costly and do not meet modern market requirements. Alternatively, spraying of colored lacquers is a highly flexible and valuable tool for the development of new products. Sol-gel type hybrid coatings provide several advantages compared to conventional organic systems like high abrasion resistance, almost perfect adhesion, refractive index matching and sufficient stability in dishwashing procedures. The solubility of organic dyes in the hybrid matrix is sufficient for intense colors even at rather low layer thicknesses, which on the other hand convey the high brilliance of the base material. The development of transparent, translucent and opaque hybrid coatings for crystal glass has been completed in the last few years and the production of partially coated articles has started recently. The synthesis and properties of the coating material are reviewed and the industrial process and first market results are also outlined.     

肾上腺素在脱氧核糖核酸修饰金电极上的电化学行为及铅离子的影响

用干燥／吸附法制备了脱氧核糖核酸(DNA)修饰金电极(DNA／Au)，采用循环伏安法、计时库仑法、微分脉冲伏安法、交流阻抗以及紫外光谱法研究了肾上腺素(EP)在该电极上的伏安行为及Pb^2 产生的影响。结果表明：在5mmol/L pH7．7Tris底液中，EP在DNA／Au上产生一不可逆的氧化峰(Ep＝0．16V)。该峰较EP在裸金电极上的峰(Ep＝0．11V)电位为正，灵敏度高。在有Pb^2 存在时，峰电位负移，峰高增大。微分脉冲峰高与EP浓度在0．5-75μmol/L范围内呈线性关系。氧化峰为扩散控制为主并兼有弱的吸附性。本文还探讨了其电极反应的机理，认为在无Pb^2 的情况下，EP与DNA的结合是EP嵌入DNA中为主并兼有一定程度的静电吸附。有Pb^2 存在的情况下EP是以EP-Pb^2 嵌入DNA的双螺旋结构中和通过静电吸附在DNA骨架上的Pb^2 为桥梁与DNA结合。     

Application of Graphite-Epoxy Composite Electrodes in Differential Pulse Anodic Stripping Voltammetry of Heavy Metals

An analytical study on the use of graphite-epoxy composite (GEC) electrodes for differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) of heavy metals is presented. This study is accompanied by microscopic observations of the electrode surface before and after the stripping step in comparison to glassy carbon electrode. GEC electrodes show much better accumulation properties and consequently acceptable behaviour which makes them suitable as working electrodes in the DPASV of heavy metals. Lead determination in real water samples in a batch system as well as some preliminary results in a flow-through system are presented. The detection limits in batch measurements were 100ppb for Cd, 10pb for lead and 50ppb for copper. The detection limit for lead in the flow-through system was similar to that in the batch. The results obtained show that these low cost and easy to prepare materials can be of interest in future research concerning stripping techniques of heavy metals and other analytes.     

Fluoride and lead adsorption on carbon nanotubes

The properties and applications of CNT have been studied extensively since Iijima discovered them in 1991[1,2]. They have exceptional mechanical properties and unique electrical property, highly chemical stability and large specific surface area. Thus far, they have widely potential applications in many fields. They can be used as reinforcing materials in composites[3], field emissions[4], hydrogen storage[5], nanoelectronic components[6], catalyst supports[7], adsorption material and so on.…     

Polarographic Behaviour and Determination of Kinetic Parameters of Lead-Pamoate Complex in Dimethyl Sulfoxide

The polarography of lead ion in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was investigated in the DMSO concentration range 0–80 vol.%. The complex species identified were Pb₂(DMSO)⁴⁺₃, Pb(DMSO)²⁺₃ and Pb(DMSO)²⁺₆ in [DMSO]<10 vol.%, 10< [DMSO]<43 vol.% and [DMSO]>43 vol.%, respectively. In the presence of pamoic acid, the reduction of lead ion in DMSO was two-electron reversible diffusion-controlled at pH≤6.0, but it became irreversible at pH>6.0. The complex species identified was Pb(D_m)₂(P_m)₃(OH)^6? at pH>6.0. The rate constants of electro-reduction and electro-oxidation, activation energies were determined. The hydrolysis constants of lead ion in dimethyl sulfoxide concentration 40–70 vol.% at pH 4.5–6.0 were found to be of the order of 10^?6. The stability constants of the Pb(DMSO)²⁺₃ and Pb(DMSO)²⁺₀ were also determined to be of the orders of 10¹ and 10⁵, respectively.     

Artificial red cells with crosslinked hemoglobin membranes

Artificial cells containing concentrated hemoglobin (Hb) solution were prepared by interfacial polymerization of Hb with glutaraldehyde (GA) in liquid membrane capsules (LMC). A solution containing 30% of Hb was emulsified in mineral oil as red cell-size microdroplets, and this emulsion was dispersed in an aqueous phase containing glutaraldehyde to form LMC. The LMC were semipermeable templates that held the microdroplets of Hb in suspension while GA diffused through the oil to the microdroplet surfaces. The GA crosslinked Hb at the surface of each microdroplet to form an artificial red-cell membrane encapsulating Hb solution. A water-soluble surfactant was used to eject the cells from the LMC and suspend them in saline. Several surfactants were evaluated. Cell size was controlled by agitation speed during preparation of the original emulsion. Cells of 2.52 = ±1.69 μm were prepared. The encapsulated Hb retained capacity to bind and release O₂. The cells had aP ₅₀ of 8.9 torr (1200 Pa) and a capacity of 0.55 cc O₂/g of total Hb, indicating that the crosslinked portion of the Hb did not contribute to O₂ transport.