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Determination of high sulfur content in sulfide minerals is crucial for various applications, including geochemistry, mining, and environmental monitoring. While inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) is the preferred method for sulfur analysis, conventional sample preparation techniques often fall short when dealing with high sulfur concentrations. This study investigated optimized digestion conditions for accurate sulfur determination in sulfide minerals using ICP-OES. We employed anti-corrosion acid digestion bombs, an aqua regia–hydrofluoric acid system, and a digestion temperature of 180 °C, achieving exceptional results. Certified reference material recoveries ranged from 99.9 to 100.5%, with relative standard deviations between 0.42 and 0.84%. These results demonstrate the high accuracy and precision of the method. The optimized digestion protocol presented in this study provides a robust and reliable approach for accurate sulfur analysis in sulfide minerals, particularly for high concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are employed in a range of devices due to their high energy and power density. However, the increased power density of LIBs raises concerns regarding their safety when subjected to external abuse. The thermal behavior is influenced by a number of factors, i.e., the state of charge (SoC), the cell chemistry and the abuse conditions. In this study, three distinct cylindrical Li-ion cells, i.e., lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA), lithium titanate oxide (LTO), and lithium iron phosphate (LFP), were subjected to thermal abuse (heating rate of 5 °C/min) in an air flow reactor, with 100% SoC. Venting and thermal runaway (TR) were recorded in terms of temperature and pressure, while the emitted products (gas, solid, and liquid) were subjected to analysis by FT-IR and ICP-OES. The concentrations of the toxic gases (HF, CO) are significantly in excess of the Immediate Danger to Life or Health Limit (IDLH). Furthermore, it is observed that the solid particles are the result of electrode degradation (metallic nature), whereas the liquid aerosol is derived from the electrolyte solvent. It is therefore evident that in the event of a LIB fire, in order to enhance the safety of the emergency responders, it is necessary to use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in order to minimize exposure to toxic substances, i.e., particles and aerosol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of air quality in urban areas is very important because pollutants affect both the environment and human health. In Perm (Russia), a moss biomonitoring method was used to assess the level of air pollution. The concentrations of 15 elements in 87 samples of moss Pleurozium schreberi in the city territory were determined using a direct mercury analyzer and an inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. Using factor and correlation analyses, the grouping of elements and their relationship with emission sources were established. The main sources of emissions of potentially toxic elements are the transportation (road and rail), metallurgical, and chemical industries. The level of atmospheric air pollution was assessed by calculating the environmental risk index, pollutant load index, and pollution coefficient. Based on the values of the pollution index, the level of atmospheric air pollution in Perm varies from unpolluted to highly polluted, with moderate environmental risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the concentrations of cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in plants sampled from Mt. Madra were investigated. Furthermore, the distribution characteristics and source identification of potentially toxic metals were investigated with the application of Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) modelling. Samples of 26 different plant species were taken from Mt. Madra at elevations ranging from 177 to 1347 m using the multi-point sampling approach. The metal quantities measured by ICP-OES are the following sequences (mean ± SD) (mg/kg): Fe (974.96 ± 29.6) > Mn (111.81 ± 2.6) > Zn (27.28 ± 0.2) > Ni (2.17 ± 0.03) > Pb (0.77 ± 0.01) > Cd (0.12 ± 0.01). According to the plant samples in which the highest values were determined, the metals are as follows: Cd (Lathyrus laxiflorus, 0.401 mg/kg), Fe (Ajuga orientalis, 7621.207 mg/kg), Mn (Castanea sativa, 724.927 mg/kg), Ni (Prunella laciniata, 6.947 mg/kg), Pb (Crataegus stevenii, 3.955 mg/kg) and Zn (Prunella laciniata, 50.802 mg/kg). The results of the PMF model showed that Cd had an atmospheric transport factor originated and transported from industrial activites, Ni had a substrate factor, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn were influenced by different anthropogenic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In soil science, the allocation of soil samples to their respective origins holds paramount significance, as it serves as a crucial investigative tool. In recent times, with the increasing use of proximal sensing and advancements in machine-learning techniques, new approaches have accompanied these developments, enhancing the effectiveness of soil utilization in soil science. This study investigates soil classification based on four parent materials. For this purpose, a total of 59 soil samples were collected from 12 profiles and the vicinity of each profile at a depth of 0–30 cm. Surface soil samples were analyzed for elemental concentrations using X-Ray fluorescence (XRF) and inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and soil spectra using a visible near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectrometer. Soil samples collected from soil profiles (12 soil samples) and surface (47 soil samples) were used to classify parent materials using machine learning-based algorithms such as Support Vector Machine (SVM), Ensemble Subspace k-Near Neighbor (ESKNN), and Ensemble Bagged Trees (EBTs). Additionally, as a validation of the classification techniques, the dataset was subjected to five-fold cross-validation and independent sample set splitting (80% calibration and 20% validation). Evaluation metrics such as accuracy, F score, and G mean were used to evaluate prediction performance. Depending on the dataset and algorithm used, the classification success rates varied between 70% and 100%. Overall, the ESKNN (99%) produced better results than other classification methods. Additionally, Relief algorithms were employed to identify key variables for each dataset (ICP-OES: CaO, Fe2O3, Al2O3, MgO, and MnO; XRF: SiO2, CaO, Fe2O3, Al2O, and MnO; Vis-NIR: 567, 571, 572, 573, and 574 nm). Subsequent soil reclassification using these reduced variables revealed reduced accuracies using Vis-NIR data, with ESKNN still yielding the best results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mandorla di Avola is recognized all over the world as one of the best almond varieties. It is cultivated in a small area inside the provinces of Siracusa and Ragusa (Sicily, southern Italy). It is used in traditional Sicilian cuisine for both salty and sweet foods and of course in artisan pastry, apart from being consumed as a fruit. Due to its extraordinary organoleptic and beneficial features, the Mandorla di Avola is frequently counterfeit with almond varieties of lower quality coming from other countries. While its nutraceutical features have been studied, the possibility of authenticating it with respect to other varieties has not been explored. In this work, we used microelements determined with ICP-OES and ICP-MS as chemical descriptors to distinguish samples of Mandorla di Avola almonds from almonds coming from California and Spain, which are usually employed as substitutes in pastry. Among the different elements determined, Mn and P were found to be the best descriptors for authentication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi‐element quantification in small amounts of material and in situ measurements at the micrometre scale are essential aspects of geological sample investigation. A direct and rapid simultaneous multi‐elemental determination of metals in crude oil samples was carried out by combining direct laser ablation of the oil inserted in silica capillaries with inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry. The accuracy of LA‐ICP‐MS determination was demonstrated by analysing CONOSTAN reference material oils, certified for multiple elements, and by comparing LA‐ICP‐MS measurement results with those obtained by ICP‐OES using microwave‐assisted sample digestion. The results obtained by both methods were in agreement with certified values. The LA‐ICP‐MS method showed an adequate precision with a mean relative standard deviation of less than 10% for multi‐element determination, and was sufficiently sensitive to determine the majority of elements. LA‐ICP‐MS was also applied to the determination of elements in crude oils of different origins. LA‐ICP‐MS is a good alternative method allowing the determination of elements in organic fluids (oil and bitumen) in shorter times, involving less material consumption, smaller test portion size and with higher throughput compared with protocols using, for instance, sample digestion. It validates the possible application of metal analysis in hydrocarbon‐containing fluid inclusions for metallogenic purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil is a one of the important physical evidence that could be encountered in any objects including car tire, shoes, or clothes. This study presents the comparison of the soils in Ömerli Dam, Istanbul-Türkiye. 35 of soil samples from 7 different regions have been collected around the lake. FTIR and ICP-OES have been utilized for structural analysis and detection of metal contect in soil samples. Moreover, textural analysis, pH, sedimentation, color tests have been systematically investigated. The image of soil samples is also captured under different light of sources by VSC 8000. The outcome shows that discrimination of soil samples could be studied using various techniques including FTIR, textural analysis, metal concentrations and their color. ICP-OES analysis showed that the soil have various elements such as Si, Fe, Mg, Ca, Cu with a different amounts which provide discrimination for soil samples. The natural pH of the samples varied between 6.1 and 8.3 that are from slightly acidic to moderately alkaline character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Eleven Eucalyptus leaf extracts were subjected to in vitro antimicrobial studies against four bacterial strains: Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus lugdunensis and Staphylococcus epidermis using the broth serial dilution assay. • The inhibitory of 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) was investigated, indicating antioxidant properties. • Cytotoxicity test was performed against the human embryonic kidney (HEK293-T) cell line using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. • Phytochemicals were identified and characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and one-dimensional gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The microwave plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (MP-AES) coupled with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) was used to evaluate the multielemental composition of the extracts. • The MP-AES and ICP-OES techniques showed the presence of P, B, Ca, Zn, Cu, Mg, Fe, Mn, Na, and K as major elements in Eucalyptus extracts. • The extracts showed good antibacterial and antioxidant activity, with E. viminalis (IC 50 = 2.91 ± 0.22 µg/mL) exhibiting high activity against the ABTS radical. E. nitens and e dunnii also showed the best activity against DPPH and ABTS with IC 50 values < 10 µg/mL. • The extracts were non-toxic against HEK293-T cells with IC 50 values > 20 µg/mL. The biological activities observed could be due to the presence of the bioactive compounds detected by FTIR and GC–MS. The genus Eucalyptus has attracted considerable attention from natural product specialists exploring new phytochemicals for therapeutic purposes due to their possible biological activities. This was stimulated by current findings that Eucalyptus species interrupt the propagation of the recently tormenting COVID-19 virus. Eleven Eucalyptus leaf extracts were subjected to in vitro antimicrobial studies against four bacterial strains: Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus lugdunensis and Staphylococcus epidermis using the broth serial dilution assay. The potential of the extracts to inhibit free radicals 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) was investigated, indicating antioxidant properties. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity test was performed against the human embryonic kidney (HEK293-T) cell line using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Phytochemicals were identified and characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and one-dimensional gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Moreover, the microwave plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (MP-AES) coupled with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) was used to evaluate the multielemental composition of the extracts. The MP-AES and ICP-OES techniques in this work displayed accuracy and sensitivity for multielement determination by identifying P, B, Ca, Zn, Cu, Mg, Fe, Mn, Na, and K as major constituents in Eucalyptus extracts. The extracts generally had strong antioxidant and antibacterial properties, with E. viminalis (IC 50 = 2.91 ± 0.22 µg/mL) demonstrating strong action against the ABTS radical. E. nitens and E. dunnii also showed highest activity against DPPH and ABTS, with IC 50 values < 10 µg/mL. Additionally, with IC 50 values greater than 20 µg/mL, the extracts demonstrated relative non-toxicity against HEK293-T cells. The existence of the bioactive chemicals found by FTIR and GC–MS may be the cause of the observed biological activity. Because Eucalyptus plant species have the highest antioxidant activity and the most inhibitory action against the majority of Streptococcus bacterial strains, they can be employed as a therapeutic treatment to treat infections caused by Streptococcus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on understanding the use of space at Aşıklı Höyük in central Turkey through the geochemical analyses of five overlying floors of a quadrangular mudbrick building dating to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic Period. The research allows us to follow the process on a micro-scale, from the design and construction of the structure to its abandonment. We aim to perceive the role of plastered floors to gain insights into the producers and users of the building and those who kept it alive and maintained it. We will treat floors as one of the main actors of these spaces and zero in on entangled relationships by addressing a range of other aspects in the building. The analyses enable the identification of use patterns. Based on our results, we attempt to provide suggestions about the location of the roof hatches and hence the main access of the inhabitants to the external world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candies are frequently consumed sweetened food products among children, and their consumption can expose them to potential toxins and contamination. The present study employed calibration-free–laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) as a steadfast diagnostic technique to analyze the presence of nutritional and heavy metals in candies from various brands available in local markets in Haripur, Pakistan. A pulsed Nd-YAG laser was used to create a microplasma on the target surface. The emitted light was collected using a dedicated spectrometer to analyze and quantify the species present in the candies. The analysis revealed the presence of micronutrients, macronutrients, and trace toxic metals such as Ca, K, Mg, Fe, Na, Al, Pb, Cr, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Ni. The optimization of our LIBS system was achieved through a parametric dependence study. The confirmation of the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium was achieved by assessing McWhirter's criterion and considering the relaxation time and the diffusion length of atoms in plasma. The highest concentrations (measured in mg/kg) of Pb, Cr, and Mn were determined to be 15 mg/kg, 340 mg/kg, and 880 mg/kg, respectively. The levels of Pb and Cr were found to be well above the maximum accepted limit set by the WHO. Similarly, the concentration of Mn in S-4 and S-5 exceeded the permissible limits set by the WHO. However, Zn, Cu, and Ni were found within safe limits in all the collected samples. In addition, the abundance obtained through CF-LIBS was compared to the concentration of similar (duplicate) candies samples analyzed using a standard analytical technique like inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. Excellent harmony could be seen in both outcomes. Moreover, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) was also utilized to confirm the presence of detected toxins. The significance of our findings lies in creating awareness among the public about the health risks associated with consuming toxins through candies, thereby protecting numerous human lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper discusses about the method developed for complete chemical characterization of Zirconium Washed and Dried Frit (WDF) and Reactor Grade ZrO2 powder which includes nonmetallic element sulphur using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES). Studies have been carried-out on several important aspects of method development such as effect of matrix on determination of analytes, removal of matrix using different solvents, selection of interference free & sensitive wavelengths, calibration strategies like internal standard & standard addition, optimization of several instrumental parameters which includes RF power, plasma gas flow, nebulizer gas flow, nitrogen purging etc., and are discussed. A % RSD of less than 1 % for Zr and up to 3 % for other elements has been achieved in this method. The developed method has been validated using standard recovery of spiked real time samples with known amount of reference materials. Integrated approach adopted in the development of this method has resulted in reduction of analytical waste generated and also enabled to give quick analytical feedback to production plant for downstream processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cosmetics are a staple in daily beauty routines worldwide, embraced for their role in enhancing personal appearance and self-care. However, their direct application exposes the skin to a range of ingredients, including metal(loid)s, and these can have a hazardous impact on human health if they exceed the limits defined by regulatory agencies. As a result, it is important to evaluate metal(loid) levels to ensure the safety of these cosmetic products. This research aimed to analyze several cosmetic products (massage cream, cleaner, mud mask, skin polish, scrub, lipstick, foundation, lotion, face powder, and highlighter) for metalloids (Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, As, Sb, Cd, Pb, Bi, and Hg) by using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Multivariate and bivariate statistical approaches were used to interpret the sources and association between the metal(loid)s. The concentration ranges of metals were found to be Al (1.18–4.15 mg/kg), Cr (0.13–2.19 mg/kg), Mn (1.89–28.77 mg/kg), Fe (4.09–126.02 mg/kg), Co (0.19–31.62 mg/kg), Ni (0.11–5.39 mg/kg), Cu (0.08–0.19 mg/kg), Zn (1.99–47.81 mg/kg), Sr (0.99–10.34 mg/kg), Cd (0.16–1.50 mg/kg), Pb (0.29–2.44 mg/kg), Bi (0.23–2.18 mg/kg), and Hg (0.012–0.42 mg/kg), whereas the concentration ranges of metalloids were found to be As (0.011–0.051 mg/kg) and Sb (0.042–1.66 mg/kg). Among the tested cosmetic products for the metal(loid) levels, the estimation of the margin of safety (MOS < 100), hazard quotient (HQ > 1), hazard index (HI > 1), and cumulative cancer risk (LCR ≤ 1 × 10−3) indicated non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks associated with the use of few products. Most of the cosmetics products under investigation are safe with respect to non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks. By highlighting the need to limit excessive use and adhering to sustainable safety practices, this study underscores the importance of monitoring and regulating metal(loid) content to ensure consumer safety and mitigate environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analytical methods used in mineral analysis laboratories are susceptible to significant sources of random error that define the level of intralaboratory precision. This requires a good quality control system to ensure that analytical performance is within statistical criteria established by institutional, national, or international bodies. The Horwitz equation and the Horwitz ratio (HorRat) are two related parameters derived from the historical reproducibility analysis that allow for predicting interlaboratory precision and establishing control criteria. The Horwitz ratio can be used not only to establish precision control methodologies between laboratories but also within them. This paper presents the development of a methodology based on the Horwitz ratio to enhance the existing precision quality system based on minimum difference tolerances through volumetric analysis. Data obtained from the quantification of iron, nickel, and cobalt by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry were analyzed for precision control verification. The HorRat values for iron ranged from 0.48 to 1.25 across concentrations ranging from 3.5 to 48.95%. For nickel, it ranged from 0.20 to 0.36 within the concentration interval of 0.2 to 4.99%. For cobalt, the HorRat ranged from 0.56 to 2.05 across concentrations from 0.01 to 0.499%. An acceptance criterion of HorRat < 1 was established, revealing problems in the established system resulting from the assumption of volumetric tolerances for a spectrometric method. The main deficiencies in the existing methodology were detected in the quantification of iron. The Horwitz-based methodology presented allowed for the improvement of intralaboratory precision and maintained better control over the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interest in measuring major and trace elements in plants has increased in recent years because of growing concerns about the elements’ contribution to daily intakes or the health risks posed by ingesting vegetables contaminated by potentially toxic elements. The recent advances in using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) to measure major and trace elements in plant samples are reviewed in the present work. The sample preparation before instrumental determination and the main advantages and limitations of ICP-OES are described. New trends in element extraction in liquid solutions using fewer toxic solvents and microextractions are observed in recently published literature. Even though ICP-OES is a well-established and routine technique, recent innovations to increase its performance have been found. Validated methods are needed to ensure the obtaining of reliable results. Much research has focused on assessing principal figures of merit, such as limits of detection, quantification, selectivity, working ranges, precision in terms of repeatability and reproducibility, and accuracy through spiked samples or certified reference materials analysis. According to the published literature, the ICP-OES technique, 50 years after the release of the first commercially available equipment, remains a powerful and highly recommended tool for element determination on a wide range of concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elements such as As, Cd, Cr and Pb are classified as contaminants of major concern for public health, due to their high degree of toxicity. Saffron is an important medicinal herbal spice used in variety of food items, pharmaceutical medicines, and cosmetics. Presence of heavy metals in saffron will increase the health risk to consumers. Also, authentication of geographical origin of saffron is an issue of utmost importance for global trading. The present study is focused on investigation of elemental contaminants in saffron and elemental composition of saffron from India (Jammu and Kashmir); Iran and Afghanistan are also explored for geographical discrimination, using Chemometrics. In total, 29 elements including Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Sb, Se, Si, Sr, Ti, Tl, V and Zn were analyzed using ICP-OES. Toxic elemental contaminants including As, Cd, Pb were found below the maximum permissible limit. Using PCA, elements B, Ni, Ba, Fe, V, Si, Al, Ti, K, Na, Sr, and Zn were found as significant discriminators of geographical origin. Elemental composition of saffron may be utilized, to prevent cases of falsified geographical origin in trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the contents of heavy metals in some common spices commercially available in the North Shewa Zone, Oromia region, Ethiopia. Korarima seed (Aframomum corrorima), ginger rhizome (Zingiber officinale), red pepper fruit (Capsicum annum), and turmeric rhizome (Curcuma longa) samples were randomly collected from the Fiche open market. These spice samples were digested using a mixture of 3 mL of HNO3 (69–72%) and 1 mL of HClO4 (70%), where organic components are assumed to decompose into gaseous forms while other heavy metal elements are left in the solution. The contents of heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cd, and Pb) in the spices were determined by inductively coupled plasma‒optical emission spectrometry (ICP‒OES). The results obtained showed that the concentrations of heavy metal in the korarima, red pepper, ginger, and turmeric samples in milligrammes per kilogramme of dry weight were in the range of Fe (38.7–98.9), Mn (10.5–257), Zn (7.30–29.2), Cu (1.70–6.50), Cr (5.40–9.70), Cd (1.50–2.90), Pb (14.5–28.4), and Ni (3.90–6.70). The heavy metal contents in korarima, red pepper, ginger, and turmeric samples were compared with the maximum values given by the World Health Organization (WHO). Accordingly, the Fe, Zn, Cu, Cr, Mn, and Ni values in the spice samples were found to be lower than the maximum limit of the WHO, while the levels of Pb and Cd in four spice samples and Mn (only in ginger) were higher than the WHO permissible limit. This study shows that the consumption of korarima, red pepper, ginger, and turmeric may pose a serious health threat to consumers due to the high content of lead, cadmium, and manganese (only in ginger) in spices. Therefore, it is suggested that further study be conducted on spice samples based on the origin of cultivation to determine which hotspot is responsible for high levels of contamination of lead, cadmium, and manganese to protect consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the amounts of some elements and water-soluble vitamins in Rhus coriaria L. (Sumac) samples grown in different regions were analyzed by ICP-OES and HPLC, respectively. The maximum amount of Na, K, Mg, and P was determined in the sumac samples of Kadana, Sheladize, Maraş, and Derishke regions, respectively. The richest regions in terms of trace elements such as Zn, Cu, Fe, Se, Mn, Cr, Mo, Ni, and B were Charput, Derishke, Ranya, Charput, Ranya, Derishke, Elazığ, Derishke, and Kadana, respectively. The highest amount of As, Cd, Pb, and Hg in sumac samples were determined in Kadana, Kadana, Trawanish, and Charput regions, respectively, while the lowest amounts were determined in Maraş, Sheladize, Elazig, and Trawanish regions sumac samples. Since target hazard coefficient (THQ) and total target hazard coefficient (TTHQ) values calculated for minor, toxic and heavy metals investigated in sumac samples are well below one; therefore, they do not pose a health risk. From the result obtained, sumac is a good food additive spice in terms of water-soluble vitamins except ascorbic acid. The amounts of ascorbic acid, thiamine, riboflavin, nicotine amide, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, folic acid, and cyanocobalamin in sumac samples varied between 78.90–36.57, 173.57–61.11, 518.4–182.3, 314.0–105.6, 1292.1–788.7, 779.2–301.7, 385.8–133.4, 826.2–473.1, and 192.6–73.9 µg/g dw, respectively. Differences in the amount of elements and water-soluble vitamins among sumac samples from different regions may be due to geographical and ecological reasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated proximate composition and heavy metal concentration in wheat flour samples gathered from five districts of Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. The sample of Panchkula, Rohtak, Palwal, Dadri, Sirsa, Bhind, Neemuch, Bhopal, Khargone, and Anuppur are referred to as HR1, HR2, HR3, HR4, HR5, MP1, MP2, MP3, MP4, and MP5 respectively. The parameters such as moisture, total ash, acid insoluble ash, gluten, crude fibre, alcoholic acidity, and granularity were determined following Indian Standard (IS) 1155:1968. Several heavy metals such as lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), and mercury (Hg) in wheat flour, water, and soil were also determined by using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Results show that moisture, ash, acid insoluble ash, gluten, crude fibre, and alcoholic acidity ranged from 6.9 to 12.6 %, 1.1 to 1.89 %, 0.049 to 0.092 %, 9.4 to 12.4 %, 0.4 to 2.4 %, and 0.11 to 0.18 % respectively. Overall, all the samples were found to have acceptable values for proximate content, except alcoholic acidity, which exceeded the permissible limit. Heavy metal studies inferred that Pb content in wheat flour samples ranged from 0.38 to 3.5 μg/g while Cr content ranged from 1.9 to 6.2 μg/g. Heavy metal concentration in soil increased in the following order: Cr>Pb>As>Cd>Hg. Principal component analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) indicated the Hg-Cd cluster, suggesting the same source of origin. Bioaccumulation factor (BAF) values obtained for all the samples are <1, indicating that heavy metal concentration in the wheat flour is less than in the soil. The total target hazard quotient (TTHQ) was greater than 1 for all wheat samples, indicating high health risk upon consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effects of different processing ways such as roasting, soaking and boiling on heavy metal, macro and micro element contents of chickpea grains were investigated. P and K amounts of raw (control) and processed chickpea seeds were measured between 59.20 (Boiled chickpea) and 4238.69 mg/kg (control) to 600.77 (Boiled chickpea water) and 7883.69 mg/kg (Dry roasted chickpea), respectively. Fe and Mn amounts of raw (control) and processed chickpea seeds were recorded between 0.59 (Soaked chickpea water) and 58.87 mg/kg (Dry roasted chickpea) to 0.63 (Boiled chickpea water) and 27.04 mg/kg (Dry roasted chickpea), respectively. Al ve As contents of raw and processed chickpea seeds were measured between 0.75 µg/g (Boiled chickpea water) and 17.81 (control) to 3.93 (Boiled chickpea) and 9.50 µg/g (Dry roasted chickpea), respectively. In addition, Pb amounts of chickpea seeds were determined between 0.188 (Boiled chickpea) and 0.928 µg/g (Dry roasted chickpea). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to address four key questions: (i) What are the levels of submicron particulate matter at the study area?, (ii) which are the major contributing sources of these particles?, and (iii) is there any seasonal changes in the levels of pollutants at the study site? Thus, the study was conducted at an urban residential site of Jaipur City, India, to determine the elemental and ionic composition of toxic elements associated with PM1 using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy and ion chromatography to reveal specific sources. Monitoring was done for a period of 8 months between October 2020 and May 2021 considering three seasons: winter (December–February), pre‐monsoon (March–May), and post‐monsoon (October–November). PM1 samples were found to be highly enriched with Ag, Cd, B, Ni, and Zn. PM1 mass concentrations were observed to be greater in winter (104.13 ± 30.16 µg m−3) and lower in the pre‐monsoon season (83.62 ± 19.40 µg m−3). Ion concentrations (Cl−, NO32−, and SO42−) followed a similar pattern to PM1 concentrations. Source apportionment by positive matrix factorization at the study site revealed six major sources of pollutants (soil dust, agro‐based industry, automobile industry, salt aerosols, industrial activities, and biomass burning). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACTFive varieties of beans from Laibin, Guangxi, China, including mung beans, soybeans, black beans, red beans, and adzuki beans, were chosen as study subjects for multi-index determination and full assessment. Data on the fat, ash, crude fiber, trace element, thermogravimetric analysis and combustion heat of five different types of beans were gathered. The results showed that the order of combustion heat of the 5 kinds of beans was black beans>soybeans>mung beans>adzuki beans>red beans, the order of combustion stability was soybeans>mung beans>black beans>red beans>adzuki beans, the order of fat content was soybeans>red beans>adzuki beans>black beans>mung beans, the order of ash content was black beans>soybeans>adzuki beans>mung beans>red beans, the order of crude fiber content was red beans>soybeans>adzuki beans, and the order of multi-index stoichiometric analysis was soybeans>red beans>black beans>mung beans>adzuki beans. The quality of the food was assessed and classified using the stoichiometric approach, while the food nutrition was assessed from the perspectives of fat, ash, crude fiber, trace elements, thermogravimetric analysis and combustion heat. This work provides a solid scientific foundation for the assessment and investigation of the thermo gravimetric analysis of food combustion stability. This study’s multi-index comprehensive evaluation approach offers a novel concept for food nutrition.

This paper presents findings on groundwater physiochemical composition and radioactivity levels in households in Bac Lieu province, Vietnam. Through discriminant analysis, it was observed that groundwater quality exhibits spatial variations corresponding to saline intrusion zones. The paired-samples T-tests revealed significantly different ratios of Ra-224, Ra-226, and Ra-228 isotopes between Na–Cl and Ca–Na–HCO3 water types. All three water types had a ratio of Ra-226/Ra-228 of approximately one, indicating the presence of groundwater aquifers beneath the crust and fluvial marine sediment. Furthermore, strong associations between sulfate and calcium suggest that CO2 enrichment in groundwater aquifers indicates anoxic aquatic environments. Twenty-five of the thirty-three evaluated samples exceeded the national technical regulations for domestic water quality with parameters such as chloride, sulfate, sodium, gross alpha, or total dissolved solids. Fifteen samples exceeded gross alpha's allowable contamination threshold of 0.1 Bq/L. The combination of Ra-226 and Ra-228 did not surpass the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recommended limit of 0.185 Bq/L. However, nineteen samples exhibited annual committed effective doses of radium isotopes for infants that exceeded the WHO recommendation of 0.1 mSv/year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to understand the mineral content of kiwifruit produced in Meixian county, Shaanxi province and evaluate IS related nutritional value. The contents of 9 minerals in four varieties of kiwifruit, namely Xuxiang, Cuixiang, Hongxin and Huangxin, produced mainly in Shaanxi Meixaan, were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The nutritional evaluation of mineral elements was carried out by the index of nutritional quality (INQ) method. Simultaneously, SPSS software was used to analyze the correlation between 9 mineral and energy. The four varieties of kiwifruit in Shaanxi Meixaan were mainly composed of P,K,Ca, and Mg, accounting for approximately 99.8 V of the total minerals. The INQ greater than 1 in all four varieties included Ca,K,Mg, and Cu, and the INQ of K was the highest, ranging from 3.89 to 5.19. The total mineral content of Cuixiang was the highest, 328 mg/100g, but the highest nutritional quality index of Xuxaing was 16.78 (INQ total). The correlation analysis showed that there was varying degrees of correlation between various elements, and the highest correction coefficient between K and energy was 0.982. Kiwifruit was a high-quality food with high K and low Na. The nutritional value of mineral elements in different varieties of kiwifruit was significantly different. The highest mineral nutrient density was Cuixiang, followed by Hongxin, Huangxin, and Xuxiang. According to the nutritional value index of 9 mineral elements, Xuxiang was the highest, Cuixiang followed, and the mineral nutrition level of Hongxin and Huangxin kiwifruit were slightly lower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial sulfuric acid waste catalysts contain a large amount of vanadium, sodium, potassium, sulfur, and a small amount of aluminum, iron, and arsenic. They are often used as important raw materials for extracting vanadium and alkali metal salts. Rapid and accurate determination of relevant components in waste catalysts and leaching residues is crucial for their separation and extraction. On the basis of column chromatography separation, this article investigated the leaching rates of V, Na, S, and K in the samples after leaching treatment, which were 95.28%, 98.39%,98.88%, and 97.82%, respectively. SEM showed that the sediment dissolved and disappeared on the surface of the carrier and in the pores. At the same time, the inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) method was used for determination, and the spectral lines of each element (V 309.311 nm, Na 589.490 nm, K 766.490 nm, S 180.731 nm, Al 394.401 nm, Fe 238.204 nm, As 189.042 nm) were determined. The results showed that the mass concentration of each element was linear with emission intensity within a certain range, and the linear correlation coefficient of the calibration working curve was greater than 0.9999, except for arsenic, which was 0.999 7, The detection limit of each element was 0.004-0.017 µg/g, and the relative deviation (RSD,n=11) of the determination results excluding As was 2.2%. The other elements were less than 0.90%, and the recovery of the added standard was between 98. 9% and 102%. The accuracy and precision of the method can meet the requirements for testing various elements in industrial sulfuric acid waste catalysts, providing data reference for the content of each element in the leaching and separation process of waste catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver-containing silica gel is a commonly used iodine waste adsorption material in post-treatment plants, and can be formed by adsorbing iodine with silver-containing silica gel, which provides a feasible method for treatment of radioactive iodine. The accurate determination of iodine content in iodine-containing silica gel samples can verify the adsorption efficiency of iodine and provide data support for the post-processing process. Silver ions and iodide ions in the iodine-containing silica gel samples form insoluble silver iodide during the dissolution process, it is difficult to quantitatively convert the iodide ions in silver iodide into soluble iodide ions, iodine elements or iodate ions. Therefore it is difficult to measures the iodine content in iodine containing silica gel samples. During the experiment, the effects of masking silver ions on iodide ions were considered. By checking the solubility product constant of the silver compound, the method of adding sulfide ions was used to generate a silver sulfide precipitate that was more difficult to dissolve than silver iodide, thus eliminating the interference of silver ion. The displaced iodide ions existed stably in alkaline solutions, and because of the high iodine content, inductively coupled plasma spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used to measure IS content. During the experiment, the effects of sodium sulfide add-on, ammonia concentration, ultrasound time, etc. on the results were investigated, and the ICP-OES method was used to measure the iodine content in the sample. Experimental results showed that the amount of sodium sulfide added was related to the silver content, excessive sulfide ions needed to be added to precipitate silver ions. Different ammonia concentrations affected the sensitivity of iodine, while the somication time had little effect on the results. The detection limit of the method was 0.52 mg/g after optimizing the experimental conditions, and two silica gel samples containing iodine and silver were measured 6 times, with an average value of 34.8 mg/g and 59.3 mg/g. The relative standard deviations were 2.7% and 2.0%, and the recovery of the spiked was 95. 0%--103%, which could meet the determination of iodine in iodine containing silica gel samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ethiopia is the world's largest producer of teff (Eragrostis tef Zucc). This research was intended to determine the levels of mineral nutrients (metals and nonmetals) and nonessential metals in the grains of teff. Following the optimization of the method, the samples were wet‐digested using reagents (5‐mL HNO3 and 1‐mL HClO4) at a temperature of 230°C for two and a half hours and analyzed using inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry. Under the optimum procedure, the coefficients of determination (R2) ranged between .9980 and .9999. The limits of detection and limits of quantification were in the range of 0.036–14.49 and 0.111–43.93 mg/kg, respectively. The recovery ranged from 80.72% to 107.79%, indicating that the method was accurate. The optimized and validated method was applied to quantify the levels of analytes in the teff samples. The overall mean concentrations of the analytes in the three varieties of teff samples were determined (mg/kg) to be in the order P (3890–4853) > K (3040–3784) > Ca (1906–1959) > Mg (1402–1698) > Fe (128–305) > Mn (64–127.8) > Na (50–136.5) > Zn (19.8–27.3) > B (1.8–21.9) > Cu (4.17–6.9) > Ni (2.6–4.05) > Hg (1.8–4.0) > Pb (0.048–3.7) > Cd (0.012–2.09) > As (0.02–0.24), with a % RSD ranging between 0.017 and 11.1. The results revealed that teff grains are a good source of minerals and contain a significant amount of toxic elements, such as Cd, Hg, Pb, and As.

The present study was conducted to evaluate potential health risks of Omani cosmetics considering the dangers and adverse effects on health caused by unregulated and unlabelled cosmetic products. Therefore, this current study is to examine the toxic heavy metals of unregulated facial whitening creams that are available in the Omani market and compare them with branded facial whitening creams. A total twenty-two samples were purchased from the Souqs/markets of all eleven governorates of Oman and their heavy metals content was determined by using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The sample was digested by using ultra wave microwave at 180 °C. The percentage of heavy metals present in the unregulated whitening creams were compared with the heavy metals content of two randomly selected and branded whitening creams. The results showed that most of the unregulated samples contain significant amount of chromium, cooper and lead. In comparison, the branded face creams contained only the permissible amount of the heavy metals tested. The maximum arsenic content was found in a sample collected from Al Batinah South region (1.74 ppm). The maximum cadmium content was found in a sample collected from Al Wusta region (2.02 ppm). The maximum cobalt and chromium content were found in the samples collected from Al Buraimi region (0.10 ppm) and Dhofar region (8.04 ppm) respectively. In conclusion, unregulated face creams are not safe for human consumption because they contain significant levels of heavy metals that exceed the permissible limits.

Many staple foods originate from durum wheat and its milling products; because of this, it is very important to know their characteristics. This study investigates elemental contents in these products and if differences exist because of organic farming. The concentrations of 28 elements in the whole seed and in milling products, that is, bran, semolina and flour, of durum wheat, were determined through ICP-OES. The wheats were grown under conventional or organic agronomic practices to verify the possibility of discriminating, using the elemental content, between products coming from one or the other practice. The elements were more abundant in the outer layer of the seed, the bran, but most of them were also present in the others. Traces of Sb were present only in 3% of the samples, while traces of Tl were detected in approximately half of the seed and bran samples but not in other samples. The absence of an element was more characteristic of specific products, e.g., most semolina and flour lacked Co, while other elements showed small differences between products from organic and conventional cultivation or between different milling products, which was the case, for example, for traces of Ag, B, and V. The concentrations of these elements were coupled with multivariate discriminant analysis, specifically PLS-DA, to identify the cultivation provenance of the milled products. A few elements, although different for each product, are sufficient to attain precision and accuracy of classification close to 1; small differences exist for different products. The worst is flour, where the predicted precision and accuracy are 0.92, although using only three elements: B, K, and Se. Semolina attains perfect prediction when also adding to the three previous elements, Ag, Cd, and Cu. Further elements are necessary for bran, while Fe and Mg replace K and Ag to classify seeds. In conclusion, five elements, B, Cd, Cu, K, and Se, are the most important in distinguishing between organic and conventional agriculture; these elements also permit some differentiation among products. The method could help in fraud prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forensic document examination has been considered one of the most important fields in the forensic science. For this, a quick, effective, and cheap techniques for evaluation of forensic evidence is highly required. This study explores the comparison of A4 document paper by chemical and physical analysis. 16 of white A4 paper from different brands were analyzed by FTIR for investigation of structural characteristics. Video Spectral Comparator 8000 has been used to compare the A4 papers under different light source. The inorganic filler composition in the paper is also explored by ICP‐OES. The calcium carbonate content in document papers play a discriminant role which found to be between 16.02 % and 35.54 %. Also, water contact angle has been utilized in order to examine the surface of paper which is generally related to the inorganic filler and other additives. The WCA results ranged between 83° and 111° that enable quick and easy way to compare A4 document papers. The experimental results have demonstrated that besides FTIR methods, other methods such as ICP‐OES for elemental composition, WCA for wetting test, VSC for visualization under different light of source could have been applied for comparison of document papers in case of criminal cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People of different age can consume honey, but the taste is often not accepted easily. Therefore, products made from honey with a pleasant taste and high nutritional and health benefits are highly demanded on the market. Honey is a bioindicator of environmental pollution. Certain plants are known as high accumulators of toxic elements. Here on the example of three honey-based prototypes, with sesame, shelled pumpkin, sunflower seeds, plums, walnut, almond, hazel, and cinnamon as minor ingredients, we demonstrated the creation of new products putting the accent on the content of toxic and potentially toxic elements, usually treated as irrelevant in making products. Nineteen elements (Al, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Se, Si, and Zn) were determined by ICP-OES after oven-based and wet digestion methods in blossom honey and prototypes samples. Among the investigated elements, the most abundant element in blossom honey for the products and the investigated products was potassium in most cases. Investigated honey (used for the products) and two of the products contain small quantities of toxic and potentially toxic elements. However, the second product, containing besides honey two accumulators of toxic metals (sesame, sunflower seeds), shows higher values for toxic elements. Therefore, the ICP-OES analysis can be a good step in making new products with high nutritional and health values but almost free from toxic and potentially toxic elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raw sago hampas (RSH) was grafted with oxygen-containing functional group through a functionalization process to form esterified sago hampas (ESH) for U(VI) adsorption and evaluated using adsorption kinetics, isotherm, and thermodynamics studies. Adsorption kinetics studies show that both adsorbents follow pseudo-second-order model while isotherm studies conclude that both adsorption processes fitted Sips isotherm model. Thermodynamic studies indicate both adsorption processes exhibited by the RSH and ESH were endothermic but spontaneous and non-spontaneous respectively. Strongs acids are tested to be the best desorption agents to release U(VI) from surfaces' of RSH and ESH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethiopia is the world's largest producer of teff (Eragrostis tef Zucc). This research was intended to determine the levels of mineral nutrients (metals and nonmetals) and nonessential metals in the grains of teff. Following the optimization of the method, the samples were wet‐digested using reagents (5‐mL HNO3 and 1‐mL HClO4) at a temperature of 230°C for two and a half hours and analyzed using inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry. Under the optimum procedure, the coefficients of determination (R2) ranged between.9980 and.9999. The limits of detection and limits of quantification were in the range of 0.036–14.49 and 0.111–43.93 mg/kg, respectively. The recovery ranged from 80.72% to 107.79%, indicating that the method was accurate. The optimized and validated method was applied to quantify the levels of analytes in the teff samples. The overall mean concentrations of the analytes in the three varieties of teff samples were determined (mg/kg) to be in the order P (3890–4853) > K (3040–3784) > Ca (1906–1959) > Mg (1402–1698) > Fe (128–305) > Mn (64–127.8) > Na (50–136.5) > Zn (19.8–27.3) > B (1.8–21.9) > Cu (4.17–6.9) > Ni (2.6–4.05) > Hg (1.8–4.0) > Pb (0.048–3.7) > Cd (0.012–2.09) > As (0.02–0.24), with a % RSD ranging between 0.017 and 11.1. The results revealed that teff grains are a good source of minerals and contain a significant amount of toxic elements, such as Cd, Hg, Pb, and As. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine twelve potentially toxic elements (PTEs), encompassing aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn), in 120 samples of bottled water (mineral and drinking) collected from the market in Tehran, Iran, during the winter and summer seasons. The bottled water samples were assessed using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Furthermore, non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks were evaluated for adults and children using hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI), and cancer risk (CR). The maximum content of PTEs was attributed to Zn in bottled drinking water in winter, and the minimum content was attributed to V in bottled mineral water in summer. There was a significant difference in the concentration of Cu and Zn in the summer and winter (p < 0.05). Also, the concentration of Ni, V, and Zn in bottled drinking water and bottled mineral water revealed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). In all cases, the values of THQ and HI were less than one and were acceptable. CR values for Cr and Ni were unacceptable.Article Highlights: 120 samples including drinking bottled water and mineral bottled water were collected in winter and summer. 12 trace elements were analysed in the samples by ICP-OES. There was a significant difference in the concentration of Cu and Zn in the summer and winter. The concentration of Ni, V and Zn in bottled drinking water and bottled mineral water revealed a statistically significant difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice husk being the major agro-waste could serve as the renewable source of silica. This silica could be a replacement for industrial and pharmaceutical applications. Industrial grade silica require purity ranging from 80 to 100% necessitating the elimination of organic and metallic impurities from biomass. This study compares the ability of pre-treatment process in improving the purity of silica. Silica with difference in purity is extracted by employing simple (conventional alkaline treatment—CAT) and rigorous (soaking/acid/alkaline—SAA) pretreatment on husk. The alkali earth metal removal percentage are 41.71%, 81.69%, and 40.37% for Na, K, and Mg respectively by adopting SAA method. In addition, the significance of impurity elimination is reflected in the textural properties where the SAA silica exhibited an 80% increase in BET surface area compared to CAT silica. SAA silica was purely amorphous whereas CAT silica showed crystalline phase in XRD analysis. Ultrasonication effect on size reduction was more pronounced. The binding nature of elements from XPS analysis indicated the presence of silica as silicon oxide and silicon dioxide. The elemental composition of SAA silica revealed drastic decrease in the contents of Fe2O3, K2O, and Al2O3 compared to CAT silica. The difference in silica arises from the soaking process imparting hydrophilic nature to the husk increasing the hydroxyl group on its surface. The interaction between the hydroxyl group and the acid during pre-treatment aided in impurity elimination. This suggests the SAA pretreatment as suitable process for efficient extraction of silica through impurity elimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to improve the conventional procedure of alginate isolation from the brown seaweed (Laminaria digitata L.) biomass and investigate the possibility of further valorization of the ethanolic fraction representing the byproduct after the degreasing and depigmentation of biomass. The acid treatment of biomass supported by ultrasound was modeled and optimized regarding the alginate yield using a response surface methodology based on the Box–Behnken design. A treatment time of 30 min, a liquid-to-solid ratio of 30 mL/g, and a treatment temperature of 47 °C were proposed as optimal conditions under which the alginate yield related to the mass of dry biomass was 30.9%. The use of ultrasonic radiation significantly reduced the time required for the acid treatment of biomass by about 4 to 24 times compared to other available conventional procedures. The isolated alginate had an M/G ratio of 1.08, which indicates a greater presence of M-blocks in its structure and the possibility of forming a soft and elastic hydrogel with its use. The chemical composition of the ethanolic fraction including total antioxidant content (293 mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight), total flavonoid content (14.9 mg rutin equivalent/g dry weight), contents of macroelements (the highest content of sodium, 106.59 mg/g dry weight), and microelement content (the highest content of boron, 198.84 mg/g dry weight) was determined, and the identification of bioactive compounds was carried out. The results of ultra high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry analysis confirmed the presence of 48 compounds, of which 41 compounds were identified as sugar alcohol, phenolic compounds, and lipids. According to the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay, the radical scavenging activity of the ethanolic fraction (the half-maximal inhibitory concentration of 42.84 ± 0.81 μg/mL) indicated its strong activity, which was almost the same as in the case of the positive control, synthetic antioxidant butylhydroxytoluene (the half-maximal inhibitory concentration of 36.61 ± 0.79 μg/mL). Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Bacillus cereus) were more sensitive to the ethanolic fraction compared to Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Shigella sonnei). The obtained results indicated the possibility of the further use of the ethanolic fraction as a fertilizer for plant growth in different species and antifouling agents, applicable in aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reports on an inhibition and adsorption performance study of two quinazoline derivatives ((2-(2-chlorophenyl)-2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-one) and (2-(2,4- dichlorophenyl)-2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-one)) named ZB3 and ZB4, which were synthesized and examined using carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy. The assessment of the corrosion prevention of these two compounds for MS in 1.0 M HCl was performed employing potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) and (EIS) electronic impedance spectroscopy. The experiments performed showed that both derivatives operate well to prevent corrosion and their efficiencies exceed 85% at a concentration of 10-3. Moreover, it is discovered that the three chemicals' adsorption on the m-steel surface complies with Langmuir adsorption isotherm equation. The m-steel surface submerged in the corrosive solution was characterized by scanning electron spectroscopy (SEM) in conjunction with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), spectroscopy using atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-Ray diffraction, and FTIR analysis. The findings showed that the examined inhibitors are well adsorbed, generating a barrier layer for the msteel's surface. DFT calculations and Monte Carlo (MC) simulation were used to directly correlate the electronic and adsorption properties, respectively, with the experimental corrosion inhibition efficiencies obtained for quinazoline and its 2 investigated derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The features for assessing the authenticity of wines by region of origin are studied, based on the relationship between the mineral composition of the wine, the grapes, and the soil profile (0 to 160 cm) from the place of growth of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Soil, grape, and wine samples were taken from the territories of six vineyards in the Anapa district of Krasnodar Territory, Russia. Using the methods of ICP-OES, thermal, and X-ray phase analysis, the soils were differentiated into three groups, differing in mineralogical and mineral compositions. The soil samples of the first group contained up to 31% quartz, the second group up to 25% quartz and 19% mixed calcite, and the third group up to 32% calcite and 15% quartz. The formation of the elemental image of the grapes was studied, taking into account the total content and mobile forms of metals in the soil. The territorial proximity of the vineyards did not affect the extraction of elements from the soil into the grape berry, and the migration of metals for each territory was selective. According to the values of the biological absorption coefficient, the degree of transition of metals from the soil to a berry was estimated. For K, Ti, Zn, Rb, Cu, and Fe in all berries, the coefficient was higher than 1.00, which means that the berry extracts contained not only mobile-form, but also difficult-to-dissolve metal compounds. The migration of macro-components from the soil to the berry was low, and amounted to 6–7% for Ca, 0.8–3.0% for Na, and 25–70% for Mg of the concentration of their mobile forms. For all territories, the maximum correlation between metal concentrations in grapes and soil was observed for samples from a depth of 0–40 cm. The discriminant model based on concentrations of Rb, Al, K, Sr, Co, Na, Pb, Ca, and Ni showed the formation of clusters in the territories of vineyard cultivation. The developed model allow the problems of identifying wines by region to be solved with high accuracy, using their elemental image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shukri SM, Setyawan AD, MD Naim D. 2024. Metal concentrations in Silver pomfret Pampus argenteus (Euphrasen, 1788) and its risk assessment in Malaysia. Nusantara Bioscience 16: 13-22. Fish consumption is one of the most important sources of protein in Malaysia. Nevertheless, anthropogenic sources release contaminants, such as metals, which have the potential to accumulate wi thin marine organisms via the food chain. Hence, ingesting fish polluted with metals can be potentially hazardous to human health. This study aimed to ascertain the levels of metal concentrations in the edible tissues of Pampus argenteus (Euphrasen, 1788) inhabiting Malaysian waters to evaluate potential health hazards associated with their use. This study examines the levels of three metals, specifically Cd, Ni, and Pb, in P. argenteus. The samples underwent microwave digestion in a closed vessel to extract metals, which were subsequently analyzed using ICP-OES. The study revealed that the quantities of metals in P. argenteus were primarily Pb, with Ni and Cd following suit. These values ranged from 0.651 mg/kg to 0.001 mg/kg when measured on a dry weight basis. Notably, the samples collected from the Straits of Malacca exhibit a greater concentration of metals than those obtained from the South China Sea region. The tolerable daily intake of P. argenteus from all populations in this study was below the FAO/WHO oral reference dose. The risk assessment results showed that all populations' target hazard quotient was below 1.0. The results indicate that exposure to the metals studied poses a low non-carcinogenic risk and is considered safe for human consumption. This research offers baseline data for evaluating food safety and developing risk management recommendations concerning P. argenteus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used in this study as an alternative analytical approach for measuring Al, Ca, Cu, Na, Ni, Si, Fe, P, V, and Zn in high-volatile petroleum products (naphtha) at the part per billion (ppb) sensitivity level. The distillation stage was intended for pre-concentrating metals by the matrix removal. Such multiplication of metal concentrations provided the possibility to measure them within the sensitivity range of the ICP-OES instrument. The reliability of such measurements was demonstrated for a wide concentration range of each metal, and the validation of the method was performed. Based on the standard deviations of nine successive measurements performed for 10 metals, the precision (repeatability) of the method for samples with concentrated metals was calculated. The values of this index (in ppb) were the following: 20.8 (Al), 20.4 (Ca), 13.7 (Na), 19.09 (Ni), 13.4 (Fe), 1.4 (P), 26.9 (V), and 45.15 (Zn). The reproducibility of the method was determined for nine measurements performed within several days. The results of recovery studies were excellent for the most part of the tested metals including Al (100.33%), Na (102%), and V (96.55%). The linearity test performed for calcium and silicon showed R = 0.999 for both elements. Depending on the standard deviation obtained in the linearity test, the limit of detection (LOD) range for all studied metals was determined to be between 2 and 10 ppb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the impact of soil type, pH, and geographical locations on the accumulation of arsenic (As), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd) in rice grains cultivated in Ghana. One hundred rice farms for the sampling of rice grains and soil were selected from two regions in Ghana—Volta and Oti. The concentrations of As, Pb, and Cd were analyzed using ICP-OES. Speciation modeling and multivariate statistics were employed to ascertain the relations among measured parameters. The results showed significant variations in soil-As, Pb, and Cd levels across different soil types and pH ranges, with the highest soil-As and Cd found in alkaline vertisols. For soil-As and Cd, the vertisols with a pH more than 7.0 exhibited the highest mean concentration of As (2.51 ± 0.932 mgkg-1) and Cd (1.00 ± 0.244 mgkg−1) whereas for soil-Pb, the luvisols of soil types with a pH less than 6.0 exhibited the highest mean concentration of Pb (4.91 ± 1.540 mgkg−1). Grain As, Pb, and Cd also varied across soil types and pH levels. In regards to grain-As, the vertisols soil type, with a pH less than 6.0, shows the highest mean concentration of grain As, at 0.238 ± 0.107 mgkg−1. Furthermore, vertisols soil types with a pH level less than 6.0 showed the highest mean concentration of grain Cd, averaging at 0.231 ± 0.068 mgkg−1 while luvisols, with a pH less than 6.0, exhibited the highest mean concentration of grain Pb at 0.713 ± 0.099 mgkg−1. Speciation modeling indicated increased bioavailability of grains Cd2+ and Pb2+ ions in acidic conditions. A significant interaction was found between soil-Cd and pH, affecting grain-As uptake. The average concentrations of soil As, Pb, and Cd aligned with international standards. Generally, the carcinogenic metals detected in grain samples collected from the Volta region are higher than that of the Oti region but the differences are insignificant, and this may be attributed to geographical differences and anthropogenic activities. About 51% of the study area showed a hazard risk associated with grain metal levels, although, no carcinogenic risks were recognized. This study highlights the complex soil-plant interactions governing metal bioaccumulation and emphasizes the need for tailored strategies to minimize metal transfer into grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Summary: In this study, the effect of germination in changes on total phenol, flavonoid contents, antioxidant capacity, polyphenols and biogenic elements of raw and germinated barley parts (radicle, foliole and germinated grain) was investigated. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents of raw and germinated barley parts were recorded to be between 97.61 (foliole) and 164.44 mgGAE/100 g (radicle) to 38.93 (germinated barley grain) and 371.07 mg/100 g (radicle), respectively. Antioxidant capacity results (DPPH and ABTS assays) were recorded between 3.37 (germinated barley grain) and 4.82 mmol kg−1 (radicle) to 0.79 (germinated barley grain) and 2.28 mmol kg−1 (radicle), respectively. The highest total phenol and flavonoid content as well as antioxidant capacity values were detected in radicle. Catechin and kaempferol values of raw and germinated barley parts (radicle, foliole and germinated barley grain) were recorded between 5.85 (germinated barley grain) and 19.71 mg/100 g (radicle) to 3.91 (germinated barley grain) and 4.62 mg/100 g (foliole), respectively. Gallic acid results of barley samples varied between 0.72 (germinated barley grain) and 10.95 mg/100 g (radicle). The phenolic compounds detected in the highest amounts in raw and germinated barley parts were catechin, kaempferol and gallic acid. P and K results of raw (control) and germinated barley parts were recorded to be between 727.64 (foliole) and 2078.10 mg kg−1 (control) to 955.40 (germinated barley grain) and 3982.63 mg kg−1 (control), respectively. As a micro elements, Fe and Zn results of barley samples were identified between 2.95 (foliole) and 14.30 mg kg−1 (control) to 6.26 (foliole) and 24.84 mg kg−1 (control), respectively. Significant decreases in macro and micro element contents were observed during the germination of barley grain compared to the control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ruthenium, rhodium, osmium, and iridium have excellent physical and chemical properties, and thus become indispensable key materials in the high-tech and industrial sectors. In this experiment, the determination of ruthenium, rhodium, osmium, and iridium elements in selenium and tellurium-containing materials was carried out using lead fire assay enrichment-ICP-OES, that is, dissolving the material in concentrated sulfuric acid to remove selenium and tellurium, adding a certain amount of silver, obtaining silver alloy grains through lead fire assay enrichment, dissolving the silver alloy grains with nitric acid for silver separation, melting the residue after filtration with sodium hydroxide and sodium chloride at high temperature, then dissolving it with concentrated hydrochloric acid, and determining it with ICP-OES. The experiment optimized the amount of silver added, melting temperature, cupellation temperature, the amount of sodium hydroxide and sodium chloride added, and instrument parameters to determine the optimal experimental conditions. The relative standard deviations for the determination of ruthenium, rhodium, osmium, and iridium in selenium and tellurium-containing materials using this method were 0. 29 %-1. 01 %, the spike recovery rates were 96. 36 %-105. 77 %, and the precision and accuracy met the requirements of analysis and testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring the safety of wine as worldwide major beverage commodity is of paramount importance for many control institutions and research groups. This study delves into the elemental composition of Czech wines, with a particular focus on wines from organic production, to comprehensively assess their safety in terms of elemental contaminants. The investigation aims to shed light on potential risks associated with trace elements and heavy metals in wines and to compare these risks between conventionally produced and organically produced wines. The work further focuses on major nutritionally important elements in wine. The aim of this article was screening of elemental composition (Mg, Ca, Cr, Zn, Pb, Cd, Co, Mn, Fe, Cu, Ni, Al, P) of Czech white wines (Moravia region) of different varieties and vintages. Total of 45 samples of different vintage and varieties were analyzed. 35 samples were conventionally produced, 10 samples were produced in the organic production regime. Elemental composition comparison of organic and conventional wines was evaluated. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used for the analysis of wine. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were used for the data evaluation. Results of this study extended the knowledge about the elemental composition of Czech wines and presents the comparison with wines from different important wine regions. Results showed that Czech wines are not deviating fundamentally from wines from Europe, Australia, and South America in terms of concentration of Mg, Ca, K, P, Zn, Pb, Cd, Co, Mn, Fe, Cu, Ni and Al. Important fact, connected to food safety, is that all tested wines complied with national and European legislation and with OIV limits. Statistically significant differences were found in case of Zn, Ni, Mn, Al, Cd and Mg on significancy level 0.05. Except magnesium, higher concentrations of these metals were found in samples of conventional wines. A more in-depth analysis has attributed these differences to application of synthetic pesticides, for example dithiocarbamate mancozeb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few decades, seaweed consumption and use significantly have grown, especially in Europe where a health-food trend has increased. Seaweed contains nutrients including proteins, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. The health benefits of seaweed are mostly attributed to its bioactive molecules, which include sterols, polysaccharides, and polyphenols. This study aimed to the simultaneous determination of Cd, Ba, Zn, Pb, Cu, Cr, Rb, Se, Sr, and V in nori seaweed collected from Korea, Japan, and China. The method was optimized and then validated using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The optimized parameters include the following conditions: nebulizer argon flow rate and incident power. The optimized extraction procedure consisted of a mixture of 7 mL HNO3-H2O (3:2, v/v) and 1 mL of H2O2. Analytical lines were chosen after optimizing the instrument and were free of spectrum interferences. The intra- and inter-assay precision ranged from 1.36 to 5.22% and 0.95–4.35%, respectively, depending on the metal being studied. LOD, LOQ, linearity, and sensitivities were also investigated. The metal concentrations were determined in six samples of nori seaweed from Korea, Japan, and China. The results indicated a relative increase in the concentration of specific heavy metals such as Cd and Pb according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), while the remaining metals were within the safe limits. Finally, the proposed method was successfully employed to analyze metals in nori seaweed found in the Riyadh market and highly consumed by people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Only some of the nutrients consumed with food are able to be absorbed from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and enter the systemic circulation (blood). Because some elements are essential minerals for humans, their beneficial effect on the body depends significantly on their bioavailable amount (the fraction that can be absorbed and used by the organism). The term bioavailability, which is very often used to describe the part of nutrients that is able to be absorbed, is influenced by various factors of exogenous and endogenous origin. The main purpose of the study was to assess the relative bioavailability of Cr from selected dietary supplements in the presence of various types of diets, which significantly influence the level of bioavailability. The research was performed using a previously developed and optimized two-stage in vitro digestion model using cellulose dialysis tubes of food rations with the addition of pharmaceutical products. Cr was determined using the ICP-OES and GF-AAS methods, depending on its concentration in particular fractions. The determined relative bioavailability ranged between 2.97 and 3.70%. The results of the study revealed that the type of diet, the chemical form of the molecule, and the pharmaceutical form of preparations have a significant influence on the bioavailability of Cr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]