Analytical diagnosis of soil pollution with heavy metals

Summary The diagnosis of soil pollution essentially depends on the adoption of a suitable procedure for sample treatment, rather than the choice of a purely analytical techniqueTotal soil analysis may give information about possible enrichment of the soil with heavy metals, but is generally and for most elements not a sufficient criterion for the estimation of the biological effect and has to be completed by additional chemical analyses, specifying the chemical forms and mobility of the contaminating compounds in the soil.The possibilities for the estimation of total and extractable elements are discussed as well as analytical speciation techniques in relation to the determination of their biological effects.

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Analytische Bestimmung der Verunreinigung von Böden mit Schwermetallen

Zusammenfassung Die Bestimmung einer Bodenverunreinigung hängt wesentlich von der geeigneten Probenvorbehandlung ab und weniger von der rein analytischen Methode. Eine Gesamtanalyse gibt Auskunft über eine mögliche Anreicherung von Schwermetallen, ist aber im allgemeinen und für die meisten Elemente nicht ausreichend zur Erkennung der biologischen Wirkung und muß durch zusätzliche chemische Analysen zur Spezifizierung der chemischen Form und der Mobilität der Verunreinigungen ergänzt werden. Möglichkeiten zur Gesamtbestimmung der Elemente sowie des extrahierbaren Anteils werden diskutiert und Verfahren zur Spezifizierung in Beziehung zur biologischen Wirksamkeit aufgezeigt.

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Dedicated to Prof. Dr. W. Fresenius on the occasion of his 70th birthday     

短命辐射示踪剂的合成

正电子激发断层成象(PET)是体内基本生物和生理过程研究的有力工具.合成短命放射示踪剂的目的是发展PET探针,本文综述了各种类型的短命放射示踪剂的合成.     

Preparation of artificially spiked soil with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons for soil pollution analysis.

To confirm the method for preparing artificially spiked soil with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), we tested the homogeneity of PAHs in spiked soils, which were prepared by three different procedures, by using kaolin and ando soil. When the slurry of kaolin and acetone containing PAHs were evaporated by a rotary evaporator at 30 - 35 degrees C, the most homogeneous distribution of PAHs was obtained in the spiked soil. This procedure was applied to the preparation of PAH-spiked soil for natural soil (ando soil). Such spiked soils can be useful as the standard materials for standardization of the analytical methods for PAHs in the soil and sediment samples.     

Rapid assessment of soil pollution with kerosene using a carbon-nanotube-based piezosensor

The possibility of determining the kerosene content in the ground using a flash detector with open cell detection based on a piezosensor is considered. The coating of the electrodes of a quartz crystal resonator and its weight for the detection of kerosene vapors in a wide concentration range, the structural parameters of the flash detector housing, the conditions for detecting kerosene vapors above ground are optimized. The accuracy and reliability of assessing of the level of kerosene contamination in different types of soils are estimated in field conditions.     

Problems of residence time distribution analysis with applications of radiotracers

The applications of radiotracers for determination of impulse response as Residence Time Distribution (RTD) as well as technical conditions for realization of experiment in industry create special requests for data processing. The table of required corrections and methods for RTD analysis with the basic information is presented. The methods for the raise background subtraction, correction for variable flow and new algorithms for RTD analysis from response to arbitrary input function and from the response distorted by the recirculation flow in so called black or gray box system are presented.     

Application of radiotracers with high specific radioactivity to metallotoxicological studies

The use of radiotracers with high specific activity in research on health impact of trace metals overcomes many of the analytical difficulties associated with experimentation carried out at metal levels which are typical of the polluted environment. It allows one to detect and measure ultratrace amounts of metals in biological samples and to follow them into different biochemical compartments, such as subcellular fractions and molecular components. This work shows typical examples of metallotoxicological studies carried out at the JRC-Ispra using radioisotopes with high specific radiactivity produced in the nuclear reactor and in the cyclotron. Applications refer to the use of⁴⁵Ti,⁴⁸V,⁶⁴Cu,⁹⁵Nb and^106mAg in in-vivo and in-vitro studies related to environmental and occupational toxicology research on trace metals.     

Food pollution by bilayer package with a recycled polymer: Effect of some parameters

A way of recycling waste polymers consists in reusing them as new food packages. Because of potential contamination, bilayer packages are made with a virgin polymer located between the recycled polymer layer and the food. The virgin polymer layer plays the role of a functional barrier to contamination. Some emphasis is placed on the thickness of each polymer layer by keeping the thickness of the package constant as well as on the volume of food. The process of contaminant transfer is controlled by transient diffusion through the bilayer package and convection into the liquid food. A numerical model, predicting the kinetics of contaminant transfer in the food and the profiles of concentration of contaminant developed through the package, was elaborated. The thickness of the package is 0.03 cm and the volume of food around 730 cm³. The characteristics are those of polypropylene for packaging and olive oil for food. The effect of the volume of the food in liquid state on the kinetics of transfer is also considered.     

Yield determination in activation analysis by radiotracers

Radiotracers for yield determination in activation analysis can be used as isotopic radiotracers by labelling of the carrier solution or as non-isotopic radiotracers for precipitation reactions with a labelled reagent as last separation step or for extraction processes with a labelled organic complexing agent. These possibilities are demonstrated by selected examples concerning determinations by neutron and also by photon activation (W, Cu, F, I, Sn). Suitable tracer nuclides (isotopic or non-isotopic) and ways to increase their number are given. Advantages and disadvantages of the different radiotracer methods for yield determination are discussed.     

EDXRF versus INAA in a pollution control of soil

Summary Elemental concentrations of soil samples collected in the vicinity of a Romanian fertilizer plant were determined by EDXRF and long half-life INAA. Lower limits of detection, obtained for various elements in soil by EDXRF technique with radioactive excitation sources (²³⁸Pu and ²⁴¹Am) and a HPGe detector are presented. Spurious effects characteristic for Ge detector X-ray spectrometry are evaluated and discussed, and methods to overcome this drawback are suggested. Special care was taken to subtract from the spectra the Ge Ka     

Study on organic pollution parameters for dyes and dyeing auxiliaries

Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry -     

Chemometric analysis of soil pollution data using the Tucker N-way method

N-way methods, particularly the Tucker method, are often the methods of choice when analyzing data sets arranged in three- (or higher) way arrays, which is the case for most environmental data sets. In the future, applying N-way methods will become an increasingly popular way to uncover hidden information in complex data sets. The reason for this is that classical two-way approaches such as principal component analysis are not as good at revealing the complex relationships present in data sets. This study describes in detail the application of a chemometric N-way approach, namely the Tucker method, in order to evaluate the level of pollution in soil from a contaminated site. The analyzed soil data set was five-way in nature. The samples were collected at different depths (way 1) from two locations (way 2) and the levels of thirteen metals (way 3) were analyzed using a four-step-sequential extraction procedure (way 4), allowing detailed information to be obtained about the bioavailability and activity of the different binding forms of the metals. Furthermore, the measurements were performed under two conditions (way 5), inert and non-inert. The preferred Tucker model of definite complexity showed that there was no significant difference in measurements analyzed under inert or non-inert conditions. It also allowed two depth horizons, characterized by different accumulation pathways, to be distinguished, and it allowed the relationships between chemical elements and their biological activities and mobilities in the soil to be described in detail.     

Preparation of high specific activity radiotracers for radioanalytical studies

High specific activity radiotracers are very suitable for studies related to the toxicological impact of trace elements onto human health. In order to investigate the metabolic behaviour of Low Level Exposure (LLE) to trace elements, it is necessary to carry out in-vitro and in-vivo experiments with tracers whose concentration is of the same order of magnitude as the present environmental exposure values (ng-g/kg day). Preparations, separations and purifications of some No Carrier Added (NCA) radiotracers (⁴⁸V,^95m,96Tc,^{195m,g,197m,g}Hg,¹⁹⁹Au,²⁰²Tl) produced by either cyclotron or nuclear reactor irradiation, are presented and discussed. This work reviews the more recent advances in this field carried out by our groups.     

Microarray immunoassay for thyrotropin on track-etched membranes using radiotracers

We report a microarray immunoassay for thyrotropin in serum using an anti-thyrotropin monoclonal ‘antibody-chip’ fabricated on polycarbonate track-etched membranes as a solid-support. The thyrotropin microarray immunoassay is an immunoradiometric assay using ¹²⁵I tracer and requires very small volumes of sample and reagents. The microarray immunoassay had the required minimum detection level, intra- and inter-assay CV and working range to be clinically useful. It correlated very significantly with commercial immunoradiometric assays for thyrotropin. We developed this microarray immunoassay for thyrotropin since it is often used as the first line test for thyroid function.

     

土壤微塑料污染及生态环境效应研究进展

微塑料作为一种新的污染物,具有粒径小、疏水性强、性质稳定、可以吸附多种污染物等特点,近年来受到了广泛的关注.目前关于微塑料的研究主要集中在水环境中,土壤环境中的微塑料研究相对滞后.土壤与人类生活息息相关,但土壤微塑料污染的现状却不容乐观,土壤微塑料的环境效应需要重视.本文综述了土壤微塑料的来源、分离和鉴定方法、微塑料在...     

A rotaxane-based platform for tailoring the pharmacokinetics of cancer-targeted radiotracers

Radiolabelled monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are a cornerstone of molecular diagnostic imaging and targeted radioimmunotherapy in nuclear medicine, but one of the major challenges in the field is to identify ways of reducing the radiation burden to patients. We reasoned that a rotaxane-based platform featuring a non-covalent mechanical bond between the radionuclide complex and the biologically active mAb could offer new ways of controlling the biophysical properties of cancer-specific radiotracers for positron emission tomography (PET). Herein, we present the photoradiosynthesis and characterisation of [⁸⁹Zr]ZrFe-[4]rotaxane-azepin-onartuzumab ([⁸⁹Zr]ZrFe-2), a unique rotaxane-antibody conjugate for PET imaging and quantification of the human hepatocyte growth factor receptor (c-MET). Multiple component self-assembly reactions were combined with simultaneous ⁸⁹Zr-radiolabelling and light-induced bioconjugation methods to give [⁸⁹Zr]ZrFe-2 in 15 ± 1% (n = 3) decay-corrected radiochemical yield, with >90% radiochemical purity, and molar activities suitable for PET imaging studies (>6.1 MBq mg⁻¹ of protein). Cellular assays confirmed the specificity of [⁸⁹Zr]ZrFe-2 binding to the c-MET receptor. Temporal PET imaging in athymic nude mice bearing subcutaneous MKN-45 gastric adenocarcinoma xenografts demonstrated specific binding of [⁸⁹Zr]ZrFe-2 toward c-MET in vivo, where tumour uptake reached 9.8 ± 1.3 %ID g⁻¹ (72 h, n = 5) in a normal group and was reduced by ∼56% in a control (blocking) group. Head-to-head comparison of the biodistribution and excretion profile of [⁸⁹Zr]ZrFe-2versus two control compounds, alongside characterisation of two potential metabolites, showed that the rotaxane-radiotracer has an improved clearance profile with higher tumour-to-tissue contrast ratios and reduced radiation exposure to critical (dose-limiting) organs including liver, spleen, and kidneys. Collectively, the experimental results suggested that non-covalent mechanical bonds between the radionuclide and mAb can be used to fine-tune the pharmacokinetic profile of supramolecular radiopharmaceuticals in ways that are simply not accessible when using traditional covalent design.

Mechanically interlocked rotaxanes are transformed into positron-emitting radiotracers for cancer biomarker imaging. Mechanical bonding offers new possibilities for controlling drug delivery, metabolism, and excretion profiles in vivo.     

99mTc-centered one-pot synthesis for preparation of 99mTc radiotracers

Nuclear medicine relies on two main imaging modalities: single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET). Radiopharmaceuticals (or radiotracers) are the blood stream of nuclear medicine for the diagnosis or therapy of diseases. Diagnostic radiotracers that are small molecules labelled with a gamma-emitter for SPECT or positron-emitter for PET provide a non-invasive method to assess the disease or disease states and monitor the therapeutic efficacy of a specific treatment regime. Over the past four decades, radiopharmaceutical research has been practising one-pot synthesis at the tracer level (10(-7)-10(-6) M). Many (99m)Tc radiotracers currently used in nuclear medicine are routinely prepared by following the basic principles of one-pot synthesis. Unlike traditional organic one-pot synthesis, which often involves the formation of multiple C-C and C-heteroatom bonds in a single step, the (99m)Tc-centered one-pot synthesis requires the formation of multiple coordination bonds between Tc and various donor atoms, such as N, O, S and P. This review will illustrate how the (99m)Tc-centered one-pot synthesis is utilized for routine preparations of different (99m)Tc radiotracers.     

Analysis of photon interaction parameters as function of soil composition

In the present work the total mass attenuation coefficients (μ/ρ) for some soils collected from the Southeast and South of Brazil were measured at 59.5 (²⁴¹Am) and 661.6 keV (¹³⁷Cs) photon energies. The experimental values of the soils μ/ρ were compared with XCOM program calculations and GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulations. Total atomic and electronic cross-sections, effective atomic and electron numbers of all soil samples were calculated in a wide energy range (1 keV–100 GeV). The values of these parameters have been found to vary with photon energy and chemical composition of the soil. The variations of these parameters with energy are shown graphically for total photon interactions. The results showed that loamy soils have low photon attenuation parameters than clayey ones for the region of 59.5 keV.     

Measuring and modeling the transport of fission products in unsaturated prairie soil

Summary In 1951, 6.7 liters of an aqueous acidic solution of irradiated uranium (360 GBq) leaked from a buried storage tank into unsaturated prairie soil, where it has remained, undisturbed. In October 2001, sonic drilling was conducted to recover core samples around and below the tank location. This paper describes the measurements and investigative approaches being pursued to determine the transport properties of the various fission and daughter products and actinides. Separate effects laboratory experiments are also being conducted involving both inert and radioactive samples in similar soil, to examine the effects on transport properties (diffusion and sorption) of temperature, recharge and discharge rates, concentration and soil porosity. Finally, transport modeling approaches are discussed.     

Cross-coupling reactions as valuable tool for the preparation of PET radiotracers

The increasing application of positron emission tomography (PET) in nuclear medicine has stimulated the extensive development of a multitude of new radiotracers and novel radiolabeling procedures with the most prominent short-lived positron emitters carbon-11 and fluorine-18. Radiolabeling with these radionuclides represents a remarkable challenge. Special attention has to be paid to synthesis time and specific labeling techniques due to the short physical half life of the respective radionuclides 11C (t(?) = 20.4 min) and 1?F (t?) = 109.8 min). In the past, numerous transition metal-catalyzed reactions were employed in organic chemistry, even though only a handful of these coupling reactions were adopted in radiochemical practice. Thus, the implementation of modern synthesis methods like cross-coupling reactions offers the possibility to develop a wide variety of novel radiotracers. The introduction of catalysts based on transition metal complexes bears a high potential for rapid, efficient, highly selective and functional group-tolerating incorporation of carbon-11 and fluorine-18 into target molecules. This review deals with design, application and improvement of transition metal-mediated carbon-carbon as well as carbon-heteroatom cross-coupling reactions as a labeling feature with the focus on the preparation of radiolabeled compounds for molecular imaging.