Simulação computacional de um feixe de fótons de 6 MV em diferentes meios heterogêneos utilizando o código PENELOPE

OBJETIVO: Utilizar o código PENELOPE e desenvolver geometrias onde estão presentes heterogeneidades para simular o comportamento do feixe de fótons nessas condições. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Foram feitas simulações do comportamento da radiação ionizante para o caso homogêneo, apenas água, e para os casos heterogêneos, com diferentes materiais. Consideraram-se geometrias cúbicas para os fantomas e geometrias em forma de paralelepípedos para as heterogeneidades com a seguinte composição: tecido simulador de osso e pulmão, seguindo recomendações da International Commission on Radiological Protection, e titânio, alumínio e prata. Definiram-se, como parâmetros de entrada: a energia e o tipo de partícula da fonte, 6 MV de fótons; a distância fonte-superfície de 100 cm; e o campo de radiação de 10x 10 cm². RESULTADOS: Obtiveram-se curvas de percentual de dose em profundidade para todos os casos. Observou-se que em materiais com densidade eletrônica alta, como a prata, a dose absorvida é maior em relação à dose absorvida no fantoma homogêneo, enquanto no tecido simulador de pulmão a dose é menor. CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados obtidos demonstram a importância de se considerar heterogeneidades nos algoritmos dos sistemas de planejamento usados no cálculo da distribuição de dose nos pacientes, evitando-se sub ou superdosagem dos tecidos próximos às heterogeneidades.

Desenvolvimento e caracterização de recobrimentos de Ni-Co e de seus óxidos mistos para a produção de oxigênio por eletrólise alcalina da água

This paper describes the development and characterisation of Ni-Co coatings to be used as anodes in water electrolysis. Chemical oxidation of the surface was performed through thermal treatment at 400ºC for 10 h. The resulting surfaces were analysed by X-ray diffraction, EDX, SEM, cyclic voltammetry and constant current electrolysis. The electrochemical oxidation occurring on bare surfaces during electrolysis promotes the formation of thick oxide layers resulting in loss of activity. In oxidised surfaces the chemical Ni-Co oxide grown during the thermal treatment prevents further oxidation thus retaining their activity towards oxygen evolution. An optimum condition for the growth of mixed oxide with high activity was found for the bath containing 50 g L-1 CoSO4.

Modificação de um micro-extrator de vidro para pré-enriquecimento de traços de pesticidas organoclorados de água para análise por cromatografia gasosa

Two models of a glass micro-extractor were constructed after modification of a model proposed in the literature. The two models were used for the simultaneous extraction and enrichment of organochlorinated pesticides from aqueous matrixes to an organic solution appropriate for the gas chromatographic analysis of the pesticide. It was established that the performance of one of the modified micro-extractors permits the pre-concentration of the pesticides to a level that allow their quantitation at the trace level with electron capture detection. It is thus concluded that the glass micro-extractor is a suitable tool for the sample preparation step in the gas chromatographic analysis of environmental pollutants of the class of pesticides.

Automatização de um destilador d'água

A simple and inexpensive device to automate a water distilling apparatus is shown. It is composed by a magnetic floater placed in the water reservoir and a level control unit, which acts over the heating element circuit. In order to provide water saving, an electromagnetic valve is inserted in the water supply inlet. Some suggestions for the adaptation to other types of equipment are also offered.

Determinação de pesticidas organofosforados em água usando microextração em fase sólida e CGAR-EM

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) has been applied to direct extraction of 11 organophosphorus pesticides in water using a 100 mm fiber polydimethylsiloxane. The method was evaluated with respect time of exposure, detection limits (LODs), linearity and precision. The detection limits (S/N = 3) depend of each pesticide and varie about ng/L levels. The linearity was satisfactory with coefficients of correlation usually greater than 0.993. The precision of the method was determined by extraction from 4.0 mg/L aqueous standard with coefficients of variation between 5.7 to 17.2%.

Determinação direta de selênio em água de coco e em leite de coco utilizando espectrometria de absorção atômica com atomização eletrotérmica em forno de grafite

Selenium is both essential and toxic to man and animals, depending on the concentration and the ingested form. Most fruits and vegetables are poor sources of selenium, but coconut can be a good selenium source. Samples were suspended (1 + 4 v/v) in a mixture of tertiary amines soluble in water (10% v/v CFA-C). This simple sample treatment avoided contamination and decreased the analysis time. The standard additions method was adopted for quantification. The action of the autosampler was improved by the presence of the amines mixture in the suspension. A Varian model AA-800 atomic absorption spectrometer equipped with a graphite furnace and a GTA 100 autosampler was used for selenium determination in coconut water and coconut milk. Background correction was performed by means of the Zeeman effect. Pyrolytically coated graphite tubes were employed. Using Pd as chemical modifier, the pyrolysis and the atomization temperatures were set at 1400 and 2200ºC, respectively. For six samples, the selenium concentration in coconut water varied from 6.5 to 21.0 mug L-1 and in coconut milk from 24.2 to 25.1 mug L-1. The accuracy of the proposed method was evaluated by an addition-recovery experiment and all recovered values are in the 99.5-102.3% range. The main advantage of the proposed method is that it can be directly applied without sample decomposition.

Relações da atividade agropecuária com parâmetros físicos químicos da água

Water Quality Index (WQI) was used during summer and winter of 1994 and 1995 in the final section of Onça and Feijão streams, downstream Broa Reservoir (São Carlos/SP) to evaluate agricultural and catlleman effects. In Onça stream water quality was "acceptable" in winter and "inappropriate to conventional treatment" in the summer. In Feijão stream the water had an "excellent" quality in winter and "good" in the summer. A MANOVA (Multivariate Analysis of Variance) has used to discriminate seasons and streams. Correlation (p<0,05) among the variables was tested. Water temperature, turbidity, pH and fecal bacteria are highly correlated and can be one of the factors that cause WQI change by seasons.

Extração em fase sólida (SPE) e micro extração em fase sólida (SPME) de piretróides em água

The pyrethroids bifenthrin, permethrin, cypermethrin and deltamethrin were extracted by solid phase extraction (SPE) and solid phase microextraction (SPME). The analysis were performed on a gas chromatograph with electron capture detection (GC-ECD). Octadecil Silano-C18, Florisil and Silica stationary phases were studied for SPE. Better results were obtained for Florisil which gave recoveries from 80% to 108%. Pyrethroids extraction by SPME showed a linear response and a detection limit of 10 pg ml-1. Although the data showed that the two extraction methods were able to isolate the pesticide residues from water samples, the best results were obtained by using SPME which is more sensitive, faster, cheeper, being a more useful technique for the analysis of pyrethroids in drinking water.

Comparação entre injeção na coluna ("on-column") e headspace dinâmico na determinação de benzeno, tolueno e xilenos (BTX) em amostras de água

The analysis of water samples containing volatile organic compounds has become an important task in analytical chemistry. Gas chromatography has been widely used for the analysis of volatile organic compounds in water. The headspace analysis shows as a principal characteristic the possibility of determination of the volatile components in drinking water. Benzene, Toluene and Xylene (BTX) are important compounds usually present in drinking water, from contamination by petroleum derivatives. Since they are toxic compounds even when present in low concentration levels, their determination is important in order to define the quality of the water. The sampling technique using headspace, coupled with gas chromatography as the separation method, showed to be suitable for BTX analysis in several samples at the mug/L (ppb) level.

Deposição eletrolítica catódica e anódica simultâneas para minimizar interferências de cobre e chumbo na determinação espectrofotométrica de cádmio em água e alimentos via reação com Verde de Malaquita e iodeto

Simultaneous electrolytic deposition is proposed for minimization of Cu2+ and Pb2+ interferences on automated determination of Cd2+ by the Malachite Green-iodide reaction. During electrolysis of sample in a cell with two Pt electrodes and a medium adjusted to 5% (v/v) HNO3 + 0.1% (v/v) H2SO4 + 0.5 mol L-1 NaCl, Cu2+ is deposited as Cu on the cathode, Pb2+ is deposited as PbO2 on the anode while Cd2+ is kept in solution. With 60 s electrolysis time and 0.25 A current, Pb2+ and Cu2+ levels up to 50 and 250 mg L-1 respectively, can be tolerated without interference. With on-line extraction of Cd2+ in anionic resin minicolumn, calibration graph in the 5.00 - 50.0 µg Cd L-1 range is obtained, corresponding to twenty measurements per hour, 0.7 mg Malachite Green and 500 mg KI and 5 mL sample consumed per determination. Results of the determination of Cd in certified reference materials, vegetables and tap water were in agreement with certified values and with those obtained by GFAAS at 95% confidence level. The detection limit is 0.23 µg Cd L-1 and the RSD for typical samples containing 13.0 µg Cd L-1 was 3.85 % (n= 12).

Utilização de índices r e R obtidos de programas interlaboratoriais para o controle de precisão de método analítico: Determinação de água por Karl Fischer

Values of repeatability (r) and reproducibility (R) are parameters of an analytical method. They are related to the maximum difference between two results of analysis (permissible range) and can be obtained by interlaboratorial comparisons. They represent great importance for the quality control of the results and decisions about the fitness-for-purpose of the method. Water determination in fuel oil samples were performed by 16 laboratories, using the Karl Fischer reaction, during the period from June 1997 to December 1999. Values of r and R were presented. Discussion is made in terms of the main factors that would be contribution to analytical method variabilities and uncertainties of final results.

Utilização de zeólita preparada a partir de cinza residuária de carvão como adsorvedor de metais em água

Coal ashes produced in coal-fired power plant could be converted into zeolites and can be used as low-cost adsorbents for the treatment of effluents contaminated with high levels of toxic metals. The capacity of synthetic zeolites for the removal of cadmium, zinc and copper ions from aqueous solutions has been investigated under different operating conditions. Zeolite from bottom chimney showed higher removal efficiency for metals ions than zeolite from feed hopper and mixing mill. The results indicated that the treated bottom ash could be applied in environmental technology as an immobilizer of pollutants.

Estudo do coeficiente de partição octanol-água de bifenilas policloradas (PCBs) utilizando parâmetros topológicos

A model based on chemical structure was developed for the accurate prediction of octanol/water partition coefficient (K OW) of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are molecules of environmental interest. Partial least squares (PLS) was used to build the regression model. Topological indices were used as molecular descriptors. Variable selection was performed by Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA). In the modeling process, the experimental K OW measured for 30 PCBs by thin-layer chromatography - retention time (TLC-RT) has been used. The developed model (Q² = 0,990 and r² = 0,994) was used to estimate the log K OW values for the 179 PCB congeners whose K OW data have not yet been measured by TLC-RT method. The results showed that topological indices can be very useful to predict the K OW.

Aplicações eletroanalíticas com eletrodos de prata confeccionados a partir de CDs graváveis

This paper presents a new way for the construction of silver electrodes utilizing recordable CDs. The new electrodes were explored for the quantification of chloride (by potentiometry/FIA), cyanide (by amperometry/FIA) and for lead analysis (by square wave voltammetry). For the flowing measurements, a digital multimeter, connected to a microcomputer (via RS 232 interface) was used to collect directly the potential signal (for Cl- measurements) or to take the output signal from a potentiostat (for CN- measurements). The square wave voltammetry analysis was performed in a commercial instrument. The results shown good performance of the new electrodes and the detection limit (s/n = 3) attained for these three analytes were: 0.2, 50, and 200 µg L-1 for Pb2+, Cl-, and CN- respectively.

Comportamento da atomização eletrotérmica de ouro, prata, bismuto, cádmio, chumbo e estanho em soluções aquosas e em etanol, a partir de diferentes superfícies atomizadoras

The atomization behavior of Au, Ag, Bi, Cd, Pb, and Sn from pyrolitic graphite coating (L'vov platform) with the use Pd and Mg solutions, and zirconium coated platform with the analytes in nitric acid 0.2% v/v and in ethanol was investigated. In ethanol medium, the sensitivity gain was three-fold for Bi and Cd using Zr as modifier. Without modifier, the ethanol medium is appropriate only for Au and Cd. In nitric acid medium, the Zr coated platform elevates sensitivity at least two-fold for Bi and Cd. The method was applied to the determination of Ag, Au and Bi of certified steel samples, after on-line preconcentration, sorption on a minicolumn filled with C-18 bonded to silica gel and elution with ethanol. The concentrations obtained agreed with the recommended values.