INAA and AAS of different products from sugar cane industry in Pakistan: Toxic trace elements for nutritional safety

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) have been used to determine As, Br, Hg, Sb and Se in combination with atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) as a complementary technique for the quantification of Cd and Pb in jaggery, brown sugar, white sugar and molasses. All sugar cane products were collected from the local sugar cane industry of Pakistan. The highest concentration of these potentially toxic elements was quantified in molasses; however, molasses together with jaggery, brown sugar and white sugar contains trace amounts of all of these elements. Due to very low concentration of Cd it could only be detected in molasses. To evaluate the percentage contribution of these elements in the sugar cane products to the weekly recommended values, intakes on weekly consumption of 100 g of each item have also been calculated which follow the pattern Br>Se>Pb>Hg>As>Sb. The elevated Br contents may be attributed to the use of Br-containing chemicals for fumigation; however, these contents are well within the tolerance levels. The estimated weekly intake of all toxic elements is very low indicating that sugar cane products can be safely ingested as part of the diets.     

Reference material for improving the quality of nutritional composition data for foods

Summary Analytical values for the nutritional composition of foods are required for a range of purposes, in particular, for the construction of nutritional data bases. These provide the basis for estimating nutrient intakes in population groups, and for the nutritional labelling of foods. Both of these uses requires analytical values that accurately represent the composition of the foods. The requisite quality can only be achieved by the institution of a sound quality assurance programme in which reference materials have a vital role.The special features of nutritional analyses and their control with reference materials are reviewed and the criteria for the production of these reference materials discussed.     

X-Ray radiometric analysis of the element composition of materials

Methods and equipments developed for X-ray radiometric analysis at the Central Research Institute for Mineral Raw Materials are described. The main advantages of X-ray radiometry compared with X-ray spectral analysis are discussed.     

Trace element composition of blood in adult population in Bangladesh

The trace element composition of whole blood has been investigated in adult population in Bangladesh. The population was formed of one hundred individuals randomly selected from a working community of five hundred adults. The blood samples were freeze dried and analyzed using the external beam PIXE method. In this analysis, proton beams of 2 MeV energy and about 30 nA current were used for characteristic X-ray excitation. The concentration of eight elements, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Br, Rb and Pb were determined by comparison with a calibration obtained from NBS orchard leaves. The frequency distributions of all the elements measured are presented and the results are compared with available data. This work was supported in part by the International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna.     

Using a two-jet arc plasmatron for determining the trace element composition of powdered biological samples

Weak effects of organic matrix and the chain length of the organic substituent on the analytical line intensities of the elements in the exciting emission spectra in a two-jet arc plasmatron were found. Using animal organs, hair, and plants as examples, it was demonstrated that the plasmatron is promising for determining trace elements in powdered biological samples without sample dissolution.     

A combined method of sample preparation for the determination of the total element composition of oils

A comprehensive approach to the determination of the elemental composition of oils (including those with a viscosity of 5000 mm²/s) is proposed. It ensures the determination of the most elements present in oils using two versions of sample preparation, autoclave decomposition of oil samples and extraction preconcentration of elements from oil into an aqueous solution on rotating coiled columns (RCCs). The application of RCCs in the elemental analysis of oil ensures the preconcentration of a number of trace elements from oil (including rare-earth elements) and the determination of their concentrations at a level of ng/kg. The preconcentration factor of trace elements from oil using an RCC depends on the volume of oil sample pumped through a constant volume of the stationary phase (acid solution) retained in the column and on the speciation of elements in the oil.     

Neutron activation studies of refractory siderophile element anomaly and other trace element patterns in boundary clay between Permian/Triassic,Changxin, China

Although Ir anomaly has been discovered in a number of C/T boundaries in the world, no positive results of this anomaly in Permian/Triassic (P/Tr) boundary were given. There are many well-developed P/T sections in South China. One of representative sections is located at the Baoqing quarry, Meishan Town, Changxin County, Zhejiang Province. Ir, Os, Re, Au, Pt, Cu and Mo were determined by the radiochemical procedure developed in our laboratory. (1) Besides those accessible by INAA. The results reveal that the refractory siderophile and other chalcophile elements have certain enrichment near and at the boundary layer. However, the Ir/Au and other element abundance ratios fail to accord with the extraterrestrial values. The nature of the boundary event was discussed in terms of elemental geochemistry.     

Human hair analysis by PIXE: Pattern recognition of trace element composition

The feasibility is explored of classifying human hair specimens according to their trace metal composition as determined by PIXE. Protons of 3.5 MeV were used to analyse 150 samples by energy-dispersive spectrometry using a Si(Li) detector. The methods of the Minimal Spanning Tree and Non-Linear Mapping were used to establish correlation among the specimens. As a result of distinct groupings obtained by these methods it was inferred that these techniques could usefully be applied to environmental pollution studies.     

The titration of clay minerals II. Structure-based model and implications for clay reactivity

The potentiometric titration and CEC data presented in part I are modeled in this paper, part II. Two models are compared: the two pK, three complexation sites plus exchange sites nonelectrostatic model developed by Baeyens and Bradbury and a model based on the MUSIC approach developed by Hiemstra and Van Riemsdijk. Both morphological and structural information is used to develop this new model. Morphological information is taken from the literature, while structural information is taken from the literature and constrained by supporting FTIR experiments. The Baeyens and Bradbury model is found to reproduce the general tendency of the titration curve, whereas the model based on the Hiemstra and Van Riemsdijk MUSIC approach provides a better fit to the experimental data. The former uses only 3 edge reaction sites, whereas the latter uses at least 27 edge reaction sites. Five main reactive sites are sufficient to fit the MUSIC model curve, but the model allows us to derive the properties of 22 other reactive sites. Logically, the greater the number of sites, the better the fit. Nevertheless, fewer adjustable parameters are necessary for the Hiemstra and Van Riemsdijk MUSIC model than for the Baeyens and Bradbury model, thanks to structural and morphological constraints. The precision of the potentiometric titration curve is insufficient to verify that the properties of the 27 sites given by the MUSIC model are effective. Thus, we coupled some properties of clay minerals, such as dissolution, to the modeled acid-base properties of these sites to assess our model. We then questioned the ability of simplified models such as the Baeyens and Bradbury model to predict the interactions between clay minerals and solutions in natural environments. In addition, we derived the cation exchange selectivity coefficients for CaCl+ ionic pairs and H+ from our CEC data and gave an estimate for the CaOH+ selectivity coefficient.     

Toxic and trace element analysis of surface sediments from the Gulf of Saros by INAA and XRF methods

Some surface sediment samples, collected from 53 sampling sites of the Saros Gulf, were analyzed quantitatively by radioisotope energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Results indicated some correlations between Rb and Sr (r = 0.64), Fe₂O₃ and MnO (r = 0.59), Th and La (r = 0.71), Th and Ce (r = 0.64), Th and Sm (r = 0.60), concentration pairs. U and Th results are found to be compatible with those given in the literature for marine sediments.     

Chemical composition and nutritional properties of Terminalia catappa L. oil and kernels from Benin

This work focuses on the physico-chemical characterization of kernels and oil of Terminalia catappa L. from Benin. The detailed physico-chemical properties are given including the nutritional composition and fatty acid profile, but also the phenolic content, phytochemical screening and antioxidant capacity which were determined for the first time. The kernel (100 g) contained 5.5 g of moisture, a high level of lipids (64.7–140.4 of Recommended Daily Intake (RDI)), proteins (36.0% RDI), sugars (6.0% RDI), and tannins (0.6%). The defatted kernels (100 g) contained high levels of manganese (184.8–236.1% RDI), magnesium (173.6–235.2% RDI), iron (89.7–201.9% RDI), zinc (87.9–120.9% RDI) and calcium (41.5% RDI), and contributed for 98.6% of RDI proteins. The kernel oil showed a high level of unsaturated fatty acids including oleic (27.1%) and linoleic acids (26.6%) and saturated fatty acids such as palmitic acid (40.0%) as well as several phytosterols and triterpenes. These kernels and their unsaturated oil are of interesting nutritional value but could also be used as a biofuel or lubricant. The presence of phenolic and terpenic derivatives may also explain at least in part their use in traditional medicine.     

有机改性对粘土负载镍催化剂的促进作用及其萘加氢性能

以有机改性后的十六烷基三甲基溴化铵柱撑蒙脱石（CTAB-MMT）为载体,采用浸渍法制备了Ni/MMT催化剂. 通过傅里叶红外光谱、X射线衍射、H₂程序升温脱附、N₂物理吸附以及紫外漫散射等物理化学手段对催化剂进行了表征;并结合微型高压反应釜萘加氢反应,评价了催化剂的加氢性能. 结果表明,有机改性显著改善了Ni/MMT催化剂的金属Ni分散度和织构性质,且所制催化剂表现出优异的萘加氢性能,Ni萘转化率达到88.2%,不仅远高于未处理催化剂（13.1%）和Al₂O₃柱撑处理催化剂（24.2%）,而且高于Ni/SBA-15催化剂（68.2%）. 鉴于CTAB有机柱撑体在催化剂还原过程因热解而消除,其对催化剂所起的作用主要发生于浸渍过程,提出了有机改性在浸渍过程对Ni/MMT催化剂的促进作用机制.     

Application of nondestructive X-ray fluorescence analysis to determine the element composition of medicinal plants

A nondestructive X-ray fluorescence technique has been developed to determine Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, Rb, Sr, Ba, and Pb in plants. The line element intensities were measured by an S4 Pioneer X-ray sequence spectrometer (Bruker AXS, Germany). The inversely proportional relationship was obtained between the analyte line intensity and mass of the plant, pressed on boric acid backing, for elements with an atomic number 11 < Z < 20. It was found that reduction of plant mass from 6 to 1 g leads to an increase in element determination sensitivity. The detection limits for 1 g of pressed plant were evaluated as μg/g: 5–20 (Na, Mg, Al); 1–4 (Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Ba, Pb); 0.4-0.8 (Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Br, Cu, Zn, Rb and Sr). This technique was applied to determine the element composition of violets of Violaceae family, which are used in medicine.     

Altered phase model for polymer clay nanocomposites

This paper describes a multiscale approach used to model polymer clay nanocomposites (PCNs) based on a new altered phase concept. Constant-force steered molecular dynamics (SMD) is used to evaluate nanomechanical properties of the constituents of intercalated clay units in PCNs, which were used in the finite element model. Atomic force microscopy and nanoindentation techniques provided additional input to the finite element method (FEM) model. FEM is used to construct a representative PCN model that simulates the composite response of intercalated clay units and the surrounding polymer matrix. From our simulations we conclude that, in order to accurately predict mechanical response of PCNs, it is necessary to take into account the molecular-level interactions between constituents of PCN, which are responsible for the enhanced nanomechanical properties of PCNs. This conclusion is supported by our previous finding that there is a change in crystallinity of polymeric phase due to the influence of intercalated clay units. The extent of altered polymeric phase is obtained from observations of a zone of the altered polymeric phase surrounding intercalated clay units in the "phase image" of PCN surface, obtained using an atomic force microscope (AFM). An accurate FEM model of PCN is constructed that incorporates the zone of the altered polymer. This model is used to estimate elastic modulus of the altered polymer. The estimated elastic modulus for the altered polymer is 4 to 5 times greater than that of pure polymer. This study indicates that it is necessary to take into account molecular interactions between constituents in nanocomposites due to the presence of altered phases, and furthermore provides us with a new direction for the modeling and design of nanocomposites.     

An acidic layered clay is combined with a basic layered clay for one-pot sequential reactions

A Ti4+-exchanged montmorillonite (Ti4+-mont) and a hydrotalcite (HT) are strong solid Br?nsted acid and base, and these two clay catalysts could be used in a single reactor without neutralization of active sites. Because the Ti4+-mont have active acid site in the narrow interlayers, the base sites of large HT particles show no interaction with the acid sites. A variety of acid and base reactions, such as esterification, acetalization, deacetalization, aldol reaction, Michael reaction, and epoxidation, proceeded using both the Ti4+-mont and the HT in a single reactor.     

Pt-containing pillared clay catalysts for CO oxidation

Platinum has been introduced into pillared clay as a complex with the organosilicon amine N’-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]diethyltriamine, as a complex with the organosilicon amine and zirconyl chloride, as an ammine complex, and by impregnation with a chloroplatinic acid solution followed by hydrogen reduction. The catalytic activity of the Pt-containing clays in CO oxidation in excess hydrogen was also studied. The last procedure yields the most active Pt-containing pillared clay. Calcium has been introduced into pillared clay by ion exchange, and it was found that the catalytic activity of the clay decreases with increasing Ca content.     

Development of nuclear and physical methods of element analysis of substance composition in the USSR

An up to date survey of recent trends in nuclear and physical methods developed in the USSR is given.     

Aggregation Induced Emissive Luminogens for Sensing of Toxic Elements

The major findings in the growing field of aggregation induced emissive (AIE) active materials for the detection of environmental toxic pollutants have been summarized and discussed in this Review article. Owing to the underlying photophysical phenomenon, fluorescent AIE active molecules show more impact on sensing applications. The major focus in current research efforts is on the development of AIE active materials such as TPE based organic fluorescent molecules, metal organic framework, and polymers that can be employed for the detection of toxic pollutants such as CN⁻, NO₂⁻, Hg²⁺, Cd²⁺, As³⁺, As⁵⁺, F⁻, Pb²⁺, Sb³⁺ ions.