Sequential extraction as a tool to study the foliar uptake of radionuclides

In order to study the foliar uptake of radionuclides deposited from an aerosol released in an accidental situation, lettuce plants were contaminated with an aerosol containing⁸⁵Sr,¹³⁴Cs and^110mAg isotopes. The methodology chosen to carry out this study is based on a sequential extraction scheme using water, to evaluate the fraction possibly removed by rain or by washing, and an organic solvent, to distinguish between the fraction adhering to the cuticle and the one incorporated in the leaves. Two procedures are compared. Moreover, the different behavior of the radionuclides in their incorporation into the leaves is deduced from the results obtained.     

Plant Regeneration Through Callus Organogenesis and True-to-Type Conformity of Plants by RAPD Analysis in Desmodium gangeticum (Linn.) DC.

An efficient plant regeneration protocol was established for an endangered ethnomedicinal plant Desmodium gangeticum (Linn.) DC. Morphogenic calli were produced from 96 % of the cultures comprising the immature leaf explants on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (4.0 mg?l^?1) in combination with 6-benzylaminopurine (BA; 0.8 mg?l^?1). For callus regeneration, various concentrations of BA (1.0–5.0 mg?l^?1) or thidiazuron (TDZ; 1.0–5.0 mg?l^?1) alone or in combination with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA; 0.2–1.0 mg?l^?1) were used. Highest response of shoot regeneration was observed on MS medium fortified with TDZ (4.0 mg?l^?1) and IAA (0.5 mg?l^?1) combination. Here, 100 % cultures responded with an average number of 22.3 shoots per gram calli. Inclusion of indole-3-butyric acid in half MS medium favored rooting of recovered shoots. Out of 45 rooted plants transferred to soil, 40 survived. Total DNA was extracted from the leaves of the acclimatized plants of D. gangeticum. Analysis of random amplified polymorphic DNA using 13 arbitrary decanucleotide primers showed the genetic homogeneity in all the ten plants regenerated from callus with parental plant, suggesting that shoot regeneration from callus could be used for the true-to-type multiplication of this plant.     

Soil-to-plant transfer of 137Cs and other essential and trace elements in cabbage plants

The concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs and other essential and trace elements were determined in soils and in cabbage heads collected from 8 agricultural fields in Aomori Prefecture, Japan and the soil-to-plant transfer factors were determined. The 95% confidence intervals of the elements, excluding ¹³⁷Cs, La and Ce, were within 2 orders of magnitude. The transfer factor of ¹³⁷Cs was approximately 4 times higher than that of Cs, and they were well correlated. In addition, the distributions of elemental concentrations in different leaf positions of a cabbage plant were also determined and were divided into three groups according to their different distribution patterns in the leaf positions. These patterns were as follows: (1) the concentrations of the elements in older (outer) leaves were higher than in younger (inner) ones (Ca, Sr, etc.), (2) the concentrations of the element had a relatively constant value independent of their leaf position (K, Rb, etc.), and (3) the concentrations of the elements were higher in both the older and younger leaves compared to the leaves in the middle portion (Zn). The percentage distribution of the dry weight contents in the edible leaves of cabbage plants was 41% at harvest time, however each element had different distribution patterns.     

Absorption,transportation and distribution of imidacloprid in maize

The neonicotinoid imidacloprid is a very important insecticide in maize cultivation in China. A laboratory experiment was conducted to investigate its absorption, transportation and distribution in maize plants. Plants were exposed to an aqueous solution of imidacloprid at five concentrations (10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 μg/mL). The residues of imidacloprid in different plant parts were determined by using a quick and effective method of high-performance liquid chromatography. Results showed that the average recoveries ranged from 85.16% to 102.23%, with relative standard deviations of 1.82–4.40% at three different spiking levels in each different matrix. The half-lives of imidacloprid in hydroponic maize water were from 5.33 to 11.55 days. The concentrations in roots, stems and leaves were from 5.61 to 7.48, 1.03 to 4.03 and 0 to 30.57 μg/mL after 6 h–7 days exposed in 10 μg/mL imidacloprid aqueous solutions, respectively. Our study showed that imidacloprid was strongly absorbed by roots and mainly accumulated in leaves. Quantity ratio and bioconcentration factors (BCFs) were also used to estimate the distribution and accumulation in maize. The values of quantity ratios were the highest in the leaves while lowest in the root after 7 days treatments, with the ranking of leaves > stem > root. The BCFs were 0.63–1.66, 0.52–0.92 and 3.20–6.78 in root, stem and leaves, respectively. These results demonstrated that the exposed time and imidacloprid application concentrations were also the main factors influencing the absorption. This study enhances our understandings of the uptake and distribution of imidacloprid in maize plants.     

Application of INAA for phyto-accumulation study of selenium by chickpea plant

The phyto-accumulation efficacy of selenium (Se) from soil by chickpea plant is reported. Chickpea plants were grown in soil having different concentrations (1–4 mg kg^?1) of Se. Samples of soil and different parts of chickpea plants in Se rich soil were analyzed for determination of Se concentrations by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Samples were irradiated in self-serve facility of CIRUS reactor, BARC, Mumbai at a neutron flux of the order of 10¹³ cm^?2 s^?1. The gamma activity at 264.7 keV of ⁷⁵Se (119.8 d) was measured using a 45% relative efficiency HPGe detector coupled to MCA. Dependence of Se distribution in soil and plants on its spiking concentration was evaluated in this work. The Se concentrations determined in plant parts grown in control soil and in soil spiked with Se (4 mg kg^?1) are in the range of 0.6–0.8 and 65–68 mg kg^?1 respectively.     

Radioecology around a closed uranium mine

The uranium mine and mill at ?irovski vrh, Slovenia, operated from 1982 to 1990. After processing, the uranium mill tailings were deposited onto the Bor?t waste pile lying close to the mine. Radioecological studies focused on assessing the mobility and bioavailability of deposited radionuclides were initiated some five years ago. The mobility of ²³⁸U, ²³⁴U, ²³⁰Th and ²²⁶Ra in soil was studied by applying sequential extraction protocols. The highest activity concentrations were found at the bottom of the waste pile. Uranium isotopes were the most mobile, followed by ²²⁶Ra whose mobility appeared to be suppressed by high sulphate concentrations and ²³⁰Th. The wetland plants grown in soils contaminated with seepage waters from the tailings contained higher levels of ²³⁸U, ²²⁶Ra and ²³⁰Th compared to plants from a control site. The activity concentration of ²²⁶Ra was the highest in all studied plant species. The radiological risk to wildlife around the mine area as assessed by the ERICA Tool was negligible. Activity concentrations in bovine milk from the area of ?irovski vrh were comparable to the reference location, except for uranium where the content was higher. The combined annual effective dose for adults consuming milk from the ?irovski vrh area is 13.0 ± 1.7 μSv a^?1.     

Dissipation and residue fate of kresoxim-methyl in tobacco leaves and soil under field conditions

The fate of kresoxim-methyl was studied in a tobacco field ecosystem, and a simple and reliable method was developed for the determination of kresoxim-methyl in soil, green and cured tobacco leaves. Kresoxim-methyl residues were extracted from samples with petroleum ether, and determined by gas chromatography (GC) coupled with an electron capture detector (ECD). Kresoxim-methyl (30% suspension concentration) was applied at 150 g a.i. ha^–1 (the recommended high dosage) and 225 g a.i. ha^–1 (1.5 times the recommended high dosage) in the experimental fields in Huishui and Changsha in China. The limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantification (LOQs) of kresoxim-methyl in green tobacco leaves, cured tobacco leaves and soil were 0.012 and 0.04 mg kg^–1, 0.12 and 0.4 mg kg^–1, and 0.0015 and 0.005 mg kg^–1, respectively. The average recoveries were 84.5% to 95.7%, 79.8% to 94.3% and 83.3% to 93.8% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 10% in green tobacco leaves at four spiked levels (0.04, 0.2, 2 and 8 mg kg^–1), cured tobacco leaves at three spiked levels (0.4, 1 and 10 mg kg^–1) and soil at three spiked levels (0.005, 0.05 and 0.5 mg kg^–1), respectively. The results showed that the half-lives of kresoxim-methyl in green tobacco leaves and soil were 1.2–5.3 days and 6.7–10.4 days, respectively. At harvest, kresoxim-methyl residues in cured tobacco leaves samples collected 21 days after the last application at the recommended dosage were below 1.0 mg kg^–1. These results could help establish appropriate application frequency and harvest intervals in the use of kresoxim-methyl on tobacco plants.     

In Vitro Propagation,Encapsulation, and Genetic Fidelity Analysis of Terminalia arjuna: a Cardioprotective Medicinal Tree

The present study described an improved and reproducible in vitro regeneration system for Terminalia arjuna using nodal segment explants obtained from a mature plant. Shoot tips excised from in vitro proliferated shoots were encapsulated in 3 % sodium alginate and 100 mM CaCl₂?2H₂O for the development of synthetic seeds which may be applicable in short-term storage and germplasm exchange of elite genotype. Shoot multiplication was significantly influenced by a number of factors, namely types and concentrations of plant growth regulators, medium composition, repeated transfer of mother explants, subculturing of in vitro regenerated shoot clumps, agar concentrations, and temperature. Maximum numbers of shoots (16.50?±?3.67) were observed on modified Murashige and Skoog (MMS) medium containing 0.5 mg l^?1 of benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 0.1 mg l^?1 of naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). To shortening the regeneration pathway, rooting of micropropagated shoots under in vitro condition was excluded and an experiment on ex vitro rooting was conducted and it was observed that the highest percentage of shoots rooted ex vitro when treated with indole-3-butyric acid (IBA, 250 mg l^?1)?+?2-naphthoxy acetic acid (NOA, 250 mg l^?1) for 5 min. The well-developed ex vitro rooted shoots were acclimatized successfully in soilrite under greenhouse conditions with 80 % survival of plants. Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis confirmed that all the regenerated plants were genetically identical to the mother plant, suggesting the absence of detectable genetic variation in the regenerated plantlets. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on synthetic seed production as well as ex vitro rooting and genetic fidelity assessment of micropropagated shoots of T. arjuna.     

Determination of Acephate in Vegetables by Magnetic Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Isolation Coupled with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers based on carbon nanotubes were prepared and characterized by infrared spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry and were employed for the isolation of acephate from cabbage, spinach, lettuce, leeks, and celery. Kinetic and recognition studies were carried out in order to investigate the adsorption properties of the polymers. During the application process, the acephate extracted from vegetables was purified with the magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers and determined by high performance liquid chromatography with an ultraviolet detector. The recoveries of acephate at three fortified concentrations (0.015, 0.15, and 1.5 mg kg^?1) were between 89.2% and 93.4%. The limits of detection and quantification of acephate were 0.0025 and 0.0077 mg kg^?1, respectively. The linear dynamic range was from 0.01 to 5 mg kg^?1. The relative standard deviations of intra- and inter-day precision were 1.1% to 5.9% and 2.7% to 6.4%, respectively. The developed method was demonstrated to be rapid and selective for the extraction and determination of acephate in vegetables.     

Elemental analysis of fertilizers using X-ray fluorescence and their impact on alpha radioactivity of plants

The fertilizers used for plantation contain different elements including some natural radionuclides with their daughter decay products. The radiological impact of the use of fertilizers may be due to internal irradiation of the lung by the alpha particles, short lived radon-thoron progeny and the external irradiation of the body by gamma ray emitted from the radionuclides. The aim of this study was to estimate the enhanced alpha radioactivity in different parts of plants due to fertilizers and to measure the concentration of different elements present in the fertilizers. A control study was carried out on round gourd plants using different fertilizers. Fertilizers were added to the soil just before the plantation of seeds in the pots. For the measurement of alpha track densities in different parts of plants we used α-sensitive LR-115 type II plastic track detectors. The alpha-track density (T cm^?2 days^?1) was measured in leaves of plants at different interval of time. The variation in alpha track densities was also observed in root, stem leaf and grain parts of the plants. In case of the plants grown using some phosphate fertilizers the alpha radioactivity was found to be more compared with others. A positive correlation between alpha track densities and mass exhalation rates of radon from different fertilizers has been observed. The concentration of major elements (Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K) along with other elements present in fertilizer samples was measured by X-ray fluorescence analysis.     

Selective microextraction of carbaryl and naproxen using organic–inorganic monolithic columns containing a double molecular imprint

We report on an organic–inorganic hybrid material that was double imprinted with the insecticide carbaryl and the anti-inflammatory drug naproxen by a single-step method and that can serve for selective microextraction of the two analytes. The materials, in the form of monolithic columns, were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform IR spectra. A simple, rapid and sensitive method was then developed for the simultaneous determination of carbaryl and naproxen in lettuce and river water using these columns for microextraction, HPLC for separation, and a diode array for UV detection. The limits of detection (at S/N?=?3) and quantification (at S/N?=?10) are in the ranges of 2.5 – 8.8 μg kg^?1 and 2.3 – 8.0 μg L^?1 for lettuce and Yangtze River water, respectively. The recoveries of this method range from 93.0 to 108 % (in case of analyzing lettuce and river water), and relative standard deviations are <8.9 %.

Determination of Manganese in Cassava Leaves by Slurry Sampling Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

Abstract

Cassava, Manihot esculenta crantz, constitutes one of the main foods consumed by most of the population of developing countries, mainly in the population of low income. It is largely used for its low cost and the diversity of its root and leaves products. In this paper, a slurry sampling flame atomic absorption spectrometric method for the determination of manganese in cassava leaves is proposed. The slurry sampling was used in order to shorten the analysis time and to minimize the problems associated with solid sample treatment such as wet acid digestion, dry-ashing, sample contamination, and analyte loss. The samples of cassava leaves were washed with extran 10% (v/v), soon afterwards they were dried in an oven to 60°C, triturated in a mill of spheres, and the obtained material was sifted in a mesh of 100 micrometers. Then 0.1 g of the sample was weighed in a balloons volumetric flask, the volume was completed with 25 mL of acid nitric 2,0 mol L^?1, and followed by 20 minutes in an ultrasonic bath and subsequent reading in FAAS. The analyses of the certified reference material of spinach and apple leaves evidenced the accuracy of the method.

The proposed method was applied for the determination of manganese in four samples of cassava leaves acquired in markets from Feira de Santana City, Brazil. The concentration of manganese found in cassava leaves varied from 202.7 to 181.3 µg g^?1, with detection and quantification limits of 0.17 and 0.56 µg g^?1, respectively. The precision expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD) was 1.7 and 3.2% (n = 10) for 100 and 12 µg g^?1, respectively.     

Flavonoid-Rich Plants Used as Sole Substrate to Induce the Solid-State Fermentation of Laccase

High cost becomes the major obstacle for the industrial application of laccase. Many approaches have been applied to enhance the yield and decrease the cost of laccase. Since flavonoids are the natural inducers for laccase production, in this article, flavonoid-rich plants were taken as the sole substrate for the solid-state fermentation of Funalia trogii (Cui 3676). It indicated that flavonoid-rich plants can effectively promote the production of F. trogii laccase without the addition of inducers. The laccase activity was 42.5 IU g^?1 substrate when kudzu vine root was used as the substrate, which was enhanced by 4.46 times than that when bran was used as the substrate. Meanwhile, the solid-state fermentation of laccase could enrich flavonoids, benefiting their extraction. The content of flavonoids extracted from fermented kudzu vine root and Ginkgo biloba leaves was enhanced by 56.41 and 24.11 %, respectively, compared to the unfermented substrate, and the relative reductive ability and scavenging ability of hydroxyl radicals of flavonoids in the fermented residues were essentially unchanged. Thus, flavonoid-rich plants will become a kind of potential substrate for laccase fermentation which is beneficial in enhancing the yield and reducing the cost of laccase.     

Occurrence of cytostatic compounds in hospital effluents and wastewaters,determined by liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry

The occurrence of 26 commonly used cytostatic compounds in wastewaters was evaluated using an automated solid-phase extraction (SPE) method with liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC–HRMS). Detection was optimized using Oasis HLB SPE cartridges at pH 2. Two hospital effluents and their two receiving wastewater treatment plants were sampled over five days. In hospital effluents, eight cytostatics were detected at levels up to 86.2 μg L^?1 for ifosfamide, 4.72 μg L^?1 for cyclophosphamide, and 0.73 μg L^?1 for irinotecan, the three most relevant compounds identified. Cyclophosphamide and megestrol acetate were found in wastewaters at concentrations up to 0.22 μg L^?1 for the latter. The predicted environmental concentrations (PEC) in sewage effluents of ifosfamide (2.4–4.3 ng L^?1), capecitabine (11.5–14.2 ng L^?1), and irinotecan (0.4–0.6 ng L^?1), calculated from consumption data in each hospital, published excretion values for the target compounds, and wastewater elimination rates, were in agreement with experimental values.     

Rapid TLC Method for Estimation of Mevalonic Acid in the Leaves of Medicinal Plants

A simple, rapid, specific and sensitive thin layer chromatographic (TLC) method has been developed for the quantitative estimation of mevalonic acid (MVA) in leaves of medicinal plants; Artemisia annua, Psorelia corylifolia, Vinca rosea, Withania somnifera and Barleria proinites. The assay procedure involved conversion of MVA to its lactone, mevalonolactone (MVAL). Mevalonic acid was extracted from the leaf tissues of plants. Separation of MVAL was carried out on silica gel 60 F₂₅₄ TLC plates using benzene:acetone (3:2) as the mobile phase. The densitometric determination of MVAL was performed at 600 nm after derivatization with anisaldehyde reagent in absorption–reflectance mode. The method was validated over the linearity range of 100–500 ng spot^?1 and correlation coefficient for the calibration curve was >0.99. The average recovery of MVAL, used as internal standard, was higher than 98%. The lower limit of detection was found to be 50 ng spot^?1.     

Effects of simulated acid rain on the surface tension of selected leaves

In this study the effect of simulated acid rain on the surface tension of leaves of selected crop plants is reported. The contact angle measurements of liquids (water and n-propanol mixtures) on various plant leaves (bean, mustard, lettuce, cress) showed that the acid rain effect can be investigated when analyses of the surface tension of leaves are estimated. Acid rain was found to give rise to a change in the polar surface tension of leaves, while the apolar surface tension was unaffected. This effect was strongest in bean leaves, which suggests that this is related to the polar surface tension of leaves.     

Isotope pattern deconvolution as a tool to study iron metabolism in plants

Isotope pattern deconvolution is a mathematical technique for isolating distinct isotope signatures from mixtures of natural abundance and enriched tracers. In iron metabolism studies measurement of all four isotopes of the element by high-resolution multicollector or collision cell ICP–MS allows the determination of the tracer/tracee ratio with simultaneous internal mass bias correction and lower uncertainties. This technique was applied here for the first time to study iron uptake by cucumber plants using ⁵⁷Fe-enriched iron chelates of the o,o and o,p isomers of ethylenediaminedi(o-hydroxyphenylacetic) acid (EDDHA) and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA). Samples of root, stem, leaves, and xylem sap, after exposure of the cucumber plants to the mentioned ⁵⁷Fe chelates, were collected, dried, and digested using nitric acid. The isotopic composition of iron in the samples was measured by ICP–MS using a high-resolution multicollector instrument. Mass bias correction was computed using both a natural abundance iron standard and by internal correction using isotope pattern deconvolution. It was observed that, for plants with low ⁵⁷Fe enrichment, isotope pattern deconvolution provided lower tracer/tracee ratio uncertainties than the traditional method applying external mass bias correction. The total amount of the element in the plants was determined by isotope dilution analysis, using a collision cell quadrupole ICP–MS instrument, after addition of ⁵⁷Fe or natural abundance Fe in a known amount which depended on the isotopic composition of the sample.     

Determination of Salidroside in Medicinal Plants Belonging to the Rhodiola L. Genus Originating from the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

The Rhodiola L. genus (Crassulaceae) is one of the most important medicinal plant products used by Tibetans in Chinese phytotherapy. Fourteen species were examined for their content of salidroside. A considerable quantitative variation was observed using high-performance liquid chromatography and this depended on species and regional factors. It was found that all samples contained salidroside at concentrations ranging between 0.02 mg g^?1 (R. sinuate) and 15.95 mg g^?1 (R. sacra), respectively. The content of salidroside in R. sacra was significantly higher than in other popular medicinal plants of this genus. This finding indicated that there may be more Rhodiola species present in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau which may be used as a potential source of salidroside.     

Phytotoxic effects and a phytotoxin from the invasive plant Xanthium italicum Moretti

The allelopathic effects of different parts of the plant Xanthium italicum Moretti were evaluated by conducting bioassays against two dicot plants, amaranth (Amaranthus mangostanus L.) and lettuce (Lectuca sativa L.), and two monocot plants, wheat (Triticum aestivum Linn) and ryegrass (Lolium multiforum). Leaf and fruit extract possessed the strongest biological activity, killing all seeds of four test species at 0.05 g/mL concentration. Fruits were chosen for further investigation because of their high biomass. This led to the isolation and identification of a phytotoxin-Xanthinosin-a known sesquiterpene lactone. Xanthinosin significantly affected seedling growth of all test species at 160 μM concentration. Cultivating seeds in 800 μM xanthinosin solution resulted in a great decrease in seedling growth of all test species, especially for the two dicot plants, amaranth and lettuce, whose root length was inhibited by 78% and 89%, respectively. By comparison, the numbers were 69% lower for wheat, and 66% for ryegrass, two monocot plants. When treated with 4 mM xanthinosin solution, seed germination of all test plants was almost completely inhibited. The possibility of utilizing xanthinosin as an eco-friendly herbicide was discussed.     

Determination of pharmaceutical compounds in sewage sludge using a standard addition method approach

An analytical method for the simultaneous determination of eight pharmaceutical compounds in biosolids from urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) was developed and validated. The compounds evaluated were non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (naproxen, diclofenac, and ibuprofen), lipid regulators (clofibric acid), and antibiotics (sulfathiazole, sulfapyridine, sulfamethazine, and sulfamethoxazole). Ultrasound assisted extraction with a water–methanol solvent mixture (1:1, v:v) was performed and the compounds were then determined by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The design of the method was based on the application of the standard addition calibration methodology to reduce matrix interferences. Validation procedures were conducted with rabbit excrements as blank samples. Recoveries of the target analytes ranged from 76 to 131% in spiked samples at 50, 200 or 1000 ng g^?1 dry weight (dw). The relative standard deviations were in the range of 5–15% and the method detection limits ranged from 2 to 12 ng g^?1dw. The method was applied to monitor pharmaceutical concentrations in biosolids from different WWTPs over an eight-month period (May to December 2011). Diclofenac, sulfapyridine and ibuprofen were detected in most of the samples whereas sulfamethazine and ibuprofen were the pharmaceuticals found in the highest concentrations (>200 ng g^?1 dw on average).