Selenium determination in tissue samples of Nile tilapia using ultrasound-assisted extraction

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

EVALUATION of HEAVY METAL AVAILABILITY IN CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS FROM THE ILHA SOLTEIRA HYDROELECTRIC DAM on THE PARANA RIVER AT ILHA SOLTEIRA, SP, BRAZIL

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Sediment grain size distribution and heavy metals determination in a dam on the Parana River at Ilha Solteira, Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Approach combining on-line metal exchange and tangential-flow ultrafiltration for in-situ characterization of metal species in humic hydrocolloids

This paper deals with the development and optimization of an analytical procedure using ultrafiltration and a flow-injection system, and its application in in-situ experiments to characterize the lability and availability of metal species in humic-rich hydrocolloids. The on-line system consists of a tangential flow ultrafiltration device equipped with a 3-kDa filtration membrane. The concentration of free ions in the filtrate was determined by atomic-absorption spectrometry, assuming that metals not complexed by aquatic humic substances (AHS) were separated from the complexed species (M-AHS) retained by the membrane. For optimization, exchange experiments using Cu(II) solutions and AHS solutions doped with the metal ions Ni(II), Mn(II), Fe(III), Cd (II), and Zn(II) were carried out to characterize the stability of the metal-AHS complexes. The new procedure was then applied in-situ at a tributary of the Ribeira do Iguape river (Iguape, São Paulo State, Brazil) and evaluated using the ions Fe(III) and Mn(II), which are considered to be essential constituents of aquatic systems. From the exchange between metal-natural organic matter (M-NOM) and the Cu(II) ions it was concluded that Cu(II) concentrations > 485 mu g L(-1) were necessary to obtain maximum exchange of the complexes Mn-NOM and Fe-NOM, corresponding to 100% Mn and 8% Fe. Moreover, the new analytical procedure is simple and opens up new perspectives for understanding the complexation, transport, stability, and lability of metal species in humic-rich aquatic environments.

Synthesis, characterization, and application of modified silica in the removal and preconcentration of lead ions from natural river water

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Eficiência de extração de cobre e níquel utilizando sistemas microemulsionados bifásicos e trifásicos

The environmental impact due to the improper disposal of metal-bearing industrial effluents imposes the need of wastewater treatment, since heavy metals are nonbiodegradable and hazardous substances that may cause undesirable effects to humans and the environment. The use of microemulsion systems for the extraction of metal ions from wastewaters is effective when it occurs in a Winsor II (WII) domain, where a microemulsion phase is in equilibrium with an aqueous phase in excess. However, the microemulsion phase formed in this system has a higher amount of active matter when compared to a WIII system (microemulsion in equilibrium with aqueous and oil phases both in excess). This was the reason to develop a comparative study to evaluate the efficiency of two-phases and three-phases microemulsion systems (WII and WIII) in the extraction of Cu+2 and Ni+2 from aqueous solutions. The systems were composed by: saponified coconut oil (SCO) as surfactant, n-Butanol as cosurfactant, kerosene as oil phase, and synthetic solutions of CuSO4.5H2O and NiSO4.6H2O, with 2 wt.% NaCl, as aqueous phase. Pseudoternary phase diagrams were obtained and the systems were characterized by using surface tension measurements, particle size determination and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The concentrations of metal ions before and after extraction were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. The extraction study of Cu+2 and Ni+2 in the WIII domain contributed to a better understanding of microemulsion extraction, elucidating the various behaviors presented in the literature for these systems. Furthermore, since WIII systems presented high extraction efficiencies, similar to the ones presented by Winsor II systems, they represented an economic and technological advantage in heavy metal extraction due to a small amount of surfactant and cosurfactant used in the process and also due to the formation of a reduced volume of aqueous phase, with high concentration of metal. Considering the reextraction process, it was observed that WIII system is more effective because it is performed in the oil phase, unlike reextraction in WII, which is performed in the aqueous phase. The presence of the metalsurfactant complex in the oil phase makes possible to regenerate only the surfactant present in the organic phase, and not all the surfactant in the process, as in WII system. This fact allows the reuse of the microemulsion phase in a new extraction process, reducing the costs with surfactant regeneration

Determination of selenium by GFAAS in slurries of fish feces to estimate the bioavailability of this micronutrient in feed used in pisciculture

This paper presents a simple, fast and sensitive method to determine selenium in samples of feces and of fish feed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) through the direct introduction of slurries of the samples into the spectrometer's graphite tube. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ calculated for 20 readings of the blank of the standard slurries (0.50% m/v of feces or feed devoid of selenium) were 0.31 mu g 1(-1) and 1.03 mu g 1(-1), respectively, for the standard feces slurries and 0.35 mu g 1(-1) and 1.16 mu g 1(-1), respectively, for the standard feed slurries. The proposed method was applied in studies of bioavailability of selenium in different fish feeds and the results proved consistent with that obtained from samples mineralized by acid digestion using the microwave oven. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

FAAS determination of metal nutrients in fish feed after ultrasound extraction

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Physicochemical properties of endodontic sealers of different bases

Objective: To assess the setting time (ST), flow (FL), radiopacity (RD), solubility (SB) and dimensional change following setting (DC) of different sealers (AH Plus (R), Polifil, Apexit Plus (R), Sealapex (R), Endomethasone (R) and Endofill (R)) according to American National Standards Institute/American Dental Association (ANSI/ADA) Specification 57. Material and methods: Five samples of each material were used for each test. For ST, cast rings were filled with sealers and tested with a Gillmore needle. For FL, the sealer was placed on a glass plate. After 180 s, another plate with 20 g and a load of 100 g were applied on the material, and the diameters of the discs formed were measured. In RD, circular molds were filled with the sealers, radiographed and analyzed using Digora software. For SB, circular molds were filled with the sealers, a nylon thread was placed inside the material and another glass plate was positioned on the set, pressed and stored at 37 degrees C. Samples were weighed, placed in water, dried and reweighed. The water used for SB was analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry. For DC, circular molds were filled with the sealers, covered by glass plates and stored at 37 degrees C. Samples were measured and stored in water for 30 days. After this period, they were dryed and measured again. Results: Regarding ST, AH Plus (R), Apexit (R) and Endofil (R) sealers are in accordance with ANSI/ADA standards. Endomethasone's manufacturer did not mention the ST; Polifil is an experimental sealer and Sealapex (R) did not set. Considering RD, SB and DC, all sealers were in accordance with ANSI/ADA. The spectrometric analysis showed that a significant amount of K+ and Zn2(+) ions was released from Apexit Plus (R) and Endofill (R), respectively. Conclusion: Except for DC, all other physicochemical properties of the tested sealers conformed to ANSI/ADA requirements.

Evaluation of Cu, Mn, and Se in Vegetables Using Ultrasonic Extraction and GFAAS Quantification

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Metallomic study on plasma samples from Nile tilapia using SR-XRF and GFAAS after separation by 2D PAGE: initial results

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Levels of copper in Nile tilapia from Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Analytical approach to the metallomic of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) liver tissue by SRXRF and FAAS after 2D-PAGE separation: Preliminary results

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

GFAAS Determination of Zinc in Fish Feed and Feces Using Slurry Sampling

This paper presents a simple, fast, and sensitive method to determine zinc in samples of feces and fish feed by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry through the direct introduction of slurries of the samples into the spectrometer's graphite tube. The procedure is based on the injection of 10 mu L of an acidified aqueous solution containing 0.50% w/v of feces or feed and 0.50% v/v HNO(3) into graphite tube. The limits of detection and quantification calculated for 20 readings of the blank of the standard slurries (0.50% w/v of feces or feed devoid of zinc) were 0.04 and 0.13 mu g L(-1) for the standard feces slurries and 0.05 and 0.17 mu g L(-1) for the standard feed slurries. The proposed method was applied in studies of digestibility of zinc in different fish feeds, and their results proved compatible with that obtained from samples mineralized by acid digestion using microwave oven.

The chelation of metal ions by the acylpolyamine toxins from the web-spider Nephilengys cruentata: effects in the intoxication/detoxification of preys

Orb-web-spiders present a series of different strategies for prey capture, involving the use of different types of silk for web building, the use of adhesive traps in the webs, the secretion of toxic compounds to the spider's preys in the adhesive coating of the capture web and the biosynthesis of a wide range of structurally related acylpolyamine toxins in their venoms. The polyamine toxins usually block neuromuscular junctions and/or the central nervous system (CNS) of Arthropods, targeting specially the ionotropic glutamate receptors; this way these toxins are used are as chemical weapons to kill / paralyze the spider's prey. Polyamine toxins contain many azamethylene groups involved with the chelation of metal ions, which in turn can interact with the glutamate receptors, affecting the toxicity of these toxins. It was demonstrated that the chelation of Ni+2, Fe+2, Pb+2, Ca+2 and Mg+2 ions by the desalted crude venom of Nephilengys cruentata and by the synthetic toxin JSTX-3, did not cause any significant change in the toxicity of the acylpolyamine toxins to the model-prey insect (honeybees). However, it was also reported that the chelation of Zn+2 ions by the acylpolyamines potentiated the lethal / paralytic action of these toxins to the honeybees, while the chelation of Cu+2 ions caused the inverse effect. Atomic absorption spectrometry and Plasma-ICP analysis both of N.cruentata venom and honeybee's hemolymph revealed that the spider's venom concentrates Zn+2 ions, while the honeybee's hemolymph concentrates Cu+2 ions. These results are suggesting that the natural accumulation of Zn+2 ions in N. cruentata venom favors the prey catching and/or its maintenance in the web, while the natural accumulation of Cu+2 ions in prey's hemolymph minimizes the efficiency of the acylpolyamine toxins as killing/paralyzing tool.