Biological reference materials and analysis of toxic elements

Summary Biological monitoring of toxic metal pollution in the environment requires quality control analysis with use of standard reference materials. A variety of biological tissues are increasingly used for analysis of element bioaccumulation, but the available Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) are insufficient. An attempt is made to review the studies made using biological reference materials for animal and human tissues. The need to have inter-laboratory studies and CRM in the field of biological monitoring of toxic metals is also discussed.

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Biologische Referenzmaterialien und Analyse toxischer Elemente

     

Spectrophotometric determination of cerium(IV) using a phenothiazine derivative.

A simple, rapid and sensitive spectrophotometric method has been proposed for the determination of cerium(IV) using a phenothiazine derivative, propionyl promazine phosphate (PPP). This method is based on the formation of a red-colored radical cation upon a reaction of PPP with cerium(IV) in a phosphoric acid medium having maximum absorbance at 513 nm. Beer's law is valid over the concentration range of 1-11 microg/ml with a Sandell's sensitivity value of 16.14 ng/cm2. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the analysis of magnesium-base cerium alloys and synthetic mixtures corresponding to various cerium alloys. Other phenothiazine derivatives viz. butaperazine dimaleate and propericiazine were also used for the determination of cerium(IV).     

Path integral methods for inelastic scattering

Corrections to the primitive semi-classical amplitude for multiple inelastic scattering are obtained from a path integral formulation of scattering theory. The path integrals are calculated by making an expansion about a classical orbit describing elastic scattering. Terms are collected to give a series in inverse powers of the reduced mass m of relative motion of the target and projectile. The leading term is the primitive semi-classical amplitude for multiple excitation and explicit formulae are given for the corrections of order $\text{1}\text{m}$. These are calculated in detail for a one-dimensional model. It is shown that some, but not all, of the corrections can be included by evaluating the primitive amplitude with a symmetrized orbit.     

Liquid chromatographic analysis of low-alloy steel samples

The isolation of transition and rare earth elements from low-alloy steels by liquid chromatography (LC) with post-column reaction detection is described. The eluted metal ions are detected with a UV-visible spectrophotometric detector after post-column complexation with 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol and Arsenazo-III. The requirements and characterization of the post-column reaction for the sensitive detection of metal ions after LC separation are discussed. The results are compared with those of other methods such as atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry.     

Enantiospecific synthesis of methyl 11,12- and 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoate

The methyl esters of the cytochrome P-450 epoxygenase metabolites 11(S),12(R)-and 14(R),15(S)-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid and some analogues were prepared enantiospecifically from 15(S)-HETE derived precursors.     

Density functional theory for Jahn–Teller systems

The first discussion of the dynamics of Jahn–Teller systems in terms of the electronic density as the fundamental variable was given by W.J. Clinton in 1960, where the degenerate electronic configuration of a Jahn–Teller molecule was interpreted in terms of the infinite number of ways in which the charge distribution can be oriented for the same energy. The moving nuclear framework serves as the perturbation necessary to define the orientation of the charge density, with no activation energy required to put the charge cloud into motion. Recently, this notion of the electronic charge cloud in a Jahn–Teller molecule sweeping out the potential surface over which the nuclei move has found mathematical expression in our work in terms of a generalized electronic current density in nuclear-coordinate space [N. Sukumar and B.M. Deb, Int. J. Quantum Chem. 40 , 501 (1991)]. The introduction of the electronic phase as a function of both electronic and nuclear coordinates, in addition to the electronic density, is a crucial component of this formulation. In the present work, the density-based treatment is extended to the nonadiabatic situation, with the Born couplings interpreted as nonadiabatic currents in parameter space. Abelian and non-Abelian gauge transformations of these currents are discussed. © John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and some properties of furylacrylates of aluminium(III) and titanium(IV)

Summary Compounds of the type [M(OPrⁱ)_m–n(FA)_n] (where m = 3 and n = 1 to 3 when M = Al; and m = 4 and n = 1 to 4 when M = Ti) have been synthesised by the reactions of aluminium and titanium isopropoxides with furylacrylic acid (HFA) in benzene. The corresponding tertiary butoxide derivatives, [M(OBu^t)_m–n(FA)_n], were also obtained by the alcohol-interchange technique. These compounds have been characterised by elemental analysis, and i.r. and p.m.r. spectra.     

Fly ash based zeolite analogues: versatile materials for energy and environment conservation

Fly ash is combustion residue from burning of pulverised coal in electric utility generating stations. The annual production of fly ash in India is around 100 MTPA and is responsible for several environmental hazards, which is quite well documented. There are stringent norms for its land disposal and hence utilisation of fly ash is imperative. Fly ash has more than 85% of SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ content and is therefore a tailor made raw material for production of zeolite. An innovative process has been developed for synthesis of zeolites using fly ash as a substitute for conventional raw materials viz. sodium silicate and aluminate. The process consists of three major steps viz. fusion of caustic soda and fly ash for optimal extraction of silicate and aluminate, aging step which provides time for formation of nuclei and hydrothermal crystallization resulting in activation of nuclei into well defined crystals. Low temperature operation, simplicity of process and optimal recycling of unused reactants and process water are special features of these processes. Zeolites have high internal and external surface areas and also exhibit high exchange capacities, which makes them versatile materials for targeting wide range of pollutants, ranging from cationic to anionic and hydrophilic to hydrophobic molecules. The major uses of zeolites are in adsorption, ion exchange and as catalysts. The use of zeolites in environmental remediation is restricted due to procurement problem and prohibitive cost, which can be overcome by using low cost fly ash based zeolites (FAZs). The synthesis of FAZ-A and FAZ-Y and their modifications either by transition metal incorporation or by surfactant treatment for various environmental applications in air, water and soil remediation are addressed in this review.     

Polymers from renewable resources. II. Synthesis of polyamideimides by triphenyl-phosphine–polyhalocompound activated polycondensation

A comparative evaluation of triphenylphosphine–polyhalocompound-activated polycondensation of amino carboxylic acid as well as amino carboxylic acid containing an imidogroup with thionyl chloride activated polycondensation of the above two types of acids has been discussed. The role of different polyhalocompounds, acid acceptors, sequence of addition of reactants, temperature of reaction, etc. has been studied. It was observed that the molecular weight of the polyamide and polyamideimide, as evident from their inherent viscosity data, is generally higher, but the yield is lower than those obtained by thionyl chloride method. The reaction by the former method appears to be faster than the latter. The influence of various reaction conditions and possible mechanism of the polycondensation have been discussed.