This work investigates the metals concentration in the tissues of Asian swamp eel, Monopterus albus. Five selected tissues, including liver, gill, bone, skin, and muscle were examined for the concentration of Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb, and Ni. The concentrations of Cd and Pb were found high in the muscle tissues of the eels. Additionally, high amounts of Zn and Cu metals were observed in the liver, whereas the Cd, Pb, and Ni metals were highly detected in gill. The accumulation of Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb, and Ni in both skin and bone of the eel seems to vary between seasons. Low levels of Zn, Cu, and Ni were identified in the muscle tissues of the eels. This study revealed that the concentration of Cd and Pb in the muscle tissues of Asian swamp eels exceeded the permissible limits by the US EPA, suggesting the consumption of the muscle may be hazardous and can severely affect one's health.
The effect of corrosion inhibition of low carbon steel in water based medium containing lignin was investigated via weight loss method. The evolution of surface morphology has been carried out for 7 to 42 days via optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron microscopy (XPS). Immersion of metal specimen without lignin shows that significant increase in the surface roughness. The longer the immersion time, the more the oxide crust formed. The surface degradation of metal specimen was well protected by immersion in lignin solution. A protective layer containing of lignin was formed on the surface of metal specimens after 7 and 21 days immersion. The corrosion inhibition gives about 13 and 53% inhibition for both 7 and 21 days immersion, respectively. The protective layers were spalling and separated from the metal surface after 42 days immersion in lignin solution possibly due to the increase in corrosion attack after long time immersion according to the increase in dissolved oxygen and may also due to the thermal mismatch between oxide and substrate. The adsorption of protective layer containing lignin was temporary adsorbed on the surface.
Porous structured silicon or porous silicon (PS) powder was prepared by chemical etching of silicon powder in an etchant solution of HF: HNO₃: H₂O (1:3:5 v/v). An immersion time of 4 min was sufficient for depositing Cu metal from an aqueous solution of CuSO₄ in the presence of HF. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed that the Cu particles aggregated upon an increase in metal content from 3.3 wt% to 9.8 wt%. H₂-temperature programmed reduction (H₂-TPR) profiles reveal that re-oxidation of the Cu particles occurs after deposition. Furthermore, the profiles denote the existence of various sizes of Cu metal on the PS. The Cu-PS powders show excellent catalytic reduction on the p-nitrophenol regardless of the Cu loadings.
In this research work, carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were synthesized on honeycomb monolith substrates using injection chemical vapor deposition (ICVD) technique. The effect of various wash-coated materials and catalyst promoter on the growth rate of CNFs on monolith substrates were examined. The characteristics of the synthesized CNFs-coated monolith composites were examined using Raman spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. According to the textural characterization study, the specific surface area and pore volume of CNFs-coated monolith composites were significantly improved as compared to bare monolith which might be attributed to the growth of highly pure and aligned CNFs over monolith substrate. Besides that, the synthesized CNFs-coated monolith possessed extremely well thermal stability up to the temperature of 550 °C which was corresponded to the strong attachment of highly graphitized CNFs over monolith substrates.
An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) explodes in real-time and causes critical damage within a short period to not only electric devices, but also to national infrastructures. In terms of EMP shielding rooms, metal plate has been used due to its excellent shielding effectiveness (SE). However, it has difficulties in manufacturing, as the fabrication of welded parts of metal plates and the cost of construction are non-economical. The objective of this study is to examine the applicability of the arc thermal metal spraying (ATMS) method as a new EMP shielding method to replace metal plate. The experimental parameters, metal types (Cu, Zn-Al), and coating thickness (100-700 μm) used for the ATMS method were considered. As an experiment, a SE test against an EMP in the range of 103 to 1010 Hz was conducted. Results showed that the ATMS coating with Zn-Al had similar shielding performance in comparison with metal plate. In conclusion, the ATMS method is judged to have a high possibility of actual application as a new EMP shielding material.
Gadilam river basin has gained its importance due to the presence of Neyveli Lignite open cast mines and other industrial complexes. It is also due to extensive depressurization of Cuddalore aquifer, and bore wells for New Veeranam Scheme are constructed downstream of the basin. Geochemical indicators of groundwater were used to identify the chemical processes that control hydrogeochemistry. Chemical parameters of groundwater such as pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, sodium (Na(+)), potassium (K(+)), calcium (Ca(+)), magnesium (Mg(+)), bicarbonate (HCO(-)(3)), sulfate (SO(-)(4)), phosphate (PO(-)(4)), and silica (H(4)SiO(4)) were determined. Interpretation of hydrogeochemical data suggests that leaching of ions followed by weathering and anthropogenic impact controls the chemistry of the groundwater. Isotopic study reveals that recharge from meteoric source in sedimentary terrain and rock-water interaction with significant evaporation prevails in hard rock region.
Field and laboratory studies were conducted to estimate concentration of potential contaminants from landfill in the underlying groundwater, leachate, and surface water. Samples collected in the vicinity of the landfill were analyzed for physiochemical parameters, organic contaminants, and toxic heavy metals. Water quality results obtained were compared from published data and reports. The results indicate serious groundwater and surface water contamination in and around the waste disposal site. Analysis of the organic samples revealed that the site contains polychlorinated biphenyls and other organo-chlorine chemicals, principally chloro-benzenes. Although the amount of PCB concentration discovered was not extreme, their presence indicates a potentially serious environmental threat. Elevated concentrations of lead, copper, nickel, manganese, cadmium, and cobalt at the downgradient indicate that the contamination plume migrated further from the site, and the distribution of metals and metals containing wastes in the site is nonhomogeneous. These results clearly indicate that materials are poorly contained and are at risk of entering the environment. Therefore, full characterization of the dump contents and the integrity of the site are necessary to evaluate the scope of the problem and to identify suitable remediation options.
Thin films of cerium oxide (CeO2) were prepared on silicon (Si) substrate by metal organic decomposition route. 0.25 M of cerium (III) acetylacetonate (acac) was used as starting materials with the addition of methanol and acetic acid as solvents. Oxide conversion of the film by thermal treatment was conducted at temperature ranging from 400 o C to 1000 o C for 15 min in argon ambient. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis utilizing Cukα radiation (Model Brukker’s Diffrac Plus ), Filmetrics system measurement, field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) (Model Zeiss Supra 35VP FE-SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) (Model SII Nanonavi) were employed to characterize the phase formed and morphologies of the film produced.
Structural and luminescence properties of borophosphate glasses with different modifier doped with transition metal ions have been investigated in this study. The glass sample from the series of xPb 30 4:0 .2Sb20 3:0.3B 20 3:(0 .5-x)P 20 5 and ySb 20 3:0 .2Pb 30 4:(0 .5-y)B 20 3:0 .3P 20 5where x 20 mol% and 0 y 0 .1 5mol% , respectively, were doped with 0.01 mol% of Fe 20 3 system have been prepared using the melt-quenching technique. The structural properties of samples had been studied using fourier transform infrared (FT-m) spectroscopy. The FT-IR study showed the network structure of the studied glasses based on the B 20 3-P 20 5host with the 5b203 and Pb203 modifiers. The results of FT-IR showed traces of B03 and B04 with the introduction of 5b203 and Pb203 modifiers. With the increasing content of B203 which replacing content of P205 in the glass network, the intensity of the borate band decreases and shifted to lower frequency. uv-Vis spectroscopy analysed the transition of Fe3+ from ground state to excited state in the ultraviolet spectral region. The photoluminescence of samples were studied using photoluminescence spectroscopy. The result of photoluminescence spectroscopy showed the effect of photoluminescence enhancement by doping Fe3+ as activator.
Strategic feeding of ammonium and metal ions (Mg(2+), Mn(2+), Fe(3+), Cu(2+), Ca(2+), Co(2+), and Zn(2+)) for enhanced GLA-rich lipid accumulation in C. bainieri 2A1 was established. When cultivated in nitrogen-limited medium, the fungus produced up to 30% lipid (g/g biomass) with 12.9% (g/g lipid) GLA. However, the accumulation of lipid stopped at 48 hours of cultivation although glucose was abundant. This event occurred in parallel to the diminishing activity of malic enzyme (ME), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and ATP citrate lyase (ACL) as well as the depletion of metal ions in the medium. Reinstatement of the enzymes activities was achieved by feeding of ammonium tartrate, but no increment in the lipid content was observed. However, increment in lipid content from 32% to 50% (g/g biomass) with 13.2% GLA was achieved when simultaneous feeding of ammonium, glucose, and metal ions was carried out. This showed that the cessation of lipid accumulation was caused by diminishing activities of the enzymes as well as depletion of the metal ions in the medium. Therefore, strategic feeding of ammonium and metal ions successfully reinstated enzymes activities and enhanced GLA-rich lipid accumulation in C. bainieri 2A1.
This study aims to determine the status of potentially toxic element concentrations of road dust in a medium-sized city (Rawang, Malaysia). This study adopts source identification via enrichment factor, Pearson correlation analysis, and Fourier spectral analysis to identify sources of potentially toxic element concentrations in road dust in Rawang City, Malaysia. Health risk assessment was conducted to determine potential health risks (carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks) among adults and children via multiple pathways (i.e., ingestion, dermal contact, and inhalation). Mean of potentially toxic element concentrations were found in the order of Pb > Zn > Cr(IV) > Cu > Ni > Cd > As > Co. Source identification revealed that Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, Ni, and Cr(IV) are associated with anthropogenic sources in industrial and highly populated areas in northern and southern Rawang, cement factories in southern Rawang, as well as the rapid development and population growth in northwestern Rawang, which have resulted in high traffic congestion. Cobalt, Fe, and As are related to geological background and lithologies in Rawang. Pathway orders for both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks are ingestion, dermal contact, and inhalation, involving adults and children. Non-carcinogenic health risks in adults were attributed to Cr(IV), Pb, and Cd, whereas Cu, Cd, Cr(IV), Pb, and Zn were found to have non-carcinogenic health risks for children. Cd, Cr(IV), Pb, and As may induce carcinogenic risks in adults and children, and the total lifetime cancer risk values exceeded incremental lifetime.
Hydrolyzing the amorphous region while keeping the crystalline region unaltered is the key technology for producing nanocellulose. This study investigated if the dissolution properties of the amorphous region of microcrystalline cellulose can be enhanced in the presence of Fe(3+) salt in acidic medium. The process parameters, including temperature, time and the concentration of metal chloride catalyst (FeCl₃), were optimized by using the response surface methodology (RSM). The experimental observation demonstrated that temperature and time play vital roles in hydrolyzing the amorphous sections of cellulose. This would yield hydrocellulose with higher crystallinity. The factors that were varied for the production of hydrocellulose were the temperature (x₁), time (x₂) and FeCl₃ catalyst concentration (x₃). Responses were measured in terms of percentage of crystallinity (y₁) and the yield (y₂) of the prepared hydrocellulose. Relevant mathematical models were developed. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was carried out to obtain the most significant factors influencing the responses of the percentage of crystallinity and yield. Under optimum conditions, the percentage of crystallinity and yield were 83.46% and 86.98% respectively, at 90.95 °C, 6 h, with a catalyst concentration of 1 M. The physiochemical characteristics of the prepared hydrocellulose were determined in terms of XRD, SEM, TGA and FTIR analyses. The addition of FeCl₃ salt in acid hydrolyzing medium is a novel technique for substantially increasing crystallinity with a significant morphological change.
Orthodontic fixed appliance is now considered as fashion accessory and a symbol of
wealth. Due to overwhelming demand, 'fake' and 'real' braces services have been offered through
social media by unqualified personnel using poor quality orthodontic brackets and cases of metal
toxicity from using these type of braces has been reported. (Copied from article).
Sewage sludge has long been regarded as a hazardous waste by virtue of the loaded heavy metals and pathogens. Recently, more advanced technologies are introduced to make use of the nutrients from this hazardous sludge. Successful recovery of sludge's carbon content could significantly convert waste to energy and promote energy sustainability. Meanwhile, the recovery of nitrogen and trace minerals allows the production of fertilizers. This review is elucidating the performances of modern thermal treatment technologies in recovering resources from sewage sludge while reducing its environmental impacts. Exhaustive investigations show that most modern technologies are capable of recovering sludge's carbon content for energy generation. Concurrently, the technologies could as well stabilize heavy metals, destroy harmful pathogens, and reduce the volume of sludge to minimize the environmental impacts. Nevertheless, the high initial investment cost still poses a huge hurdle for many developing countries. Since the initial investment cost is inevitable, the future works should focus on improving the profit margin of thermal technologies; so that it would be more financially attractive. This can be done through process optimization, improved process design as well as the use of suitable co-substrates, additives, and catalyst as propounded in the review.
Since the establishment of implant in dentistry, the use of removable partial denture in replacing missing teeth apparently becomes less popular. The situation is made worse by the renowned limitations of removable partial denture. One of the obvious limitations of removable partial denture, especially in replacing missing anterior teeth is the unsightly view of metal used for retentive clasp. This case report describes the use of spring loaded plunger attachments as an alternative way to achieve retention and at the same time improving the aesthetic of the prosthesis.
In this study, a simple, selective and sensitive method, for spectrophotometric determination of As(III) with gallocyanine as the sensitive reagent was developed. The wavelength of an analytical measurement, for the determination of As (III), using gallocyanine was at 630 nm with an optimum response at pH 2. The RSD for the reproducibility of 100 ppm As (III) was 2.3%. The LOD was 0.04 ppm with linear dynamic range in As(III) concentration of 0.2 - 1.5 ppm. The developed method has been validated against Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). The interference study of several metal ions was carried out and it revealed that that Mn (II) ion was interfered the most.
The speciation patterns of Cu, Cd, Zn, Pb, Fe and Mn in sediment samples under anoxic and oxidized conditions were investigated using three-stage, four-stage and five-stage sequential extraction schemes. All the extraction schemes identify the non-residual metal among three basic operationally-defined host fractions, namely, exchangeable, reducible and organic/sulfide bound. The anoxic sediment samples were found to have been oxidized during the extraction stage for the reducible fraction under the three-stage and four-stage schemes and the moderately reducible fraction under the five-stage scheme despite the maintenance of an oxygen-free environment. This artifact has resulted in an over-representation of the reducible fraction and an under-representation of the organic/sulfide fraction in the heavy metal speciation patterns of anoxic sediment samples. For Cd, Zn and Pb which had > 70% associated with the acid volatile sulfide in the organic/sulfide fraction, this artifact has resulted in the observation of a decrease in the reducible fraction and, in some cases, an increase in the organic/sulfide fraction upon oxidation of the anoxic sediment samples.
The sequential extraction procedure proposed by the European Standard, Measurements and Testing (SM&T) program, formerly the Community Bureau of Reference (BCR), was applied for partitioning of heavy metals (HMs) in river sediments collected along the course of Sungai Buloh and the Straits of Malacca in Selangor, Malaysia. Eight elements (V, Pb, Cd, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn) from seven stations (S1-S7) and at different depths were analyzed using the modified BCR Sequential Extraction Procedure (SEP) in combination with ICP-MS to obtain the metal distribution patterns in this region. The results showed that heavy metal contaminations at S2 and S3 was more severe than at other sampling sites, especially for Zn, Cu, Ni and Pb. Nevertheless, the element concentrations from top to bottom layers decreased predominantly. The samples from the Straits of Malacca (S4-S7) the highest contamination factors obtained were for Co, Zn and Pb while the lowest were found for V and Cr, similar to Sungai Buloh sediments. The sediments showed a low risk for V, Cr, Cu and Pb with RAC values of less than 10%, but medium risk for Co, Zn (except S3), Cd at S1 and S2 and Ni at S1, S3 and S5. Zn at S3 and Cd at S3-S7 showed high risk to our sediment samples. There is not any element of very high risk conditions in the selected samples.
This paper determines the controlling factors that influence the metals' behavior water-sediment interaction facies and distribution of elemental content ((75)As, (111)Cd, (59)Co, (52)Cr, (60)Ni, and (208)Pb) in water and sediment samples in order to assess the metal pollution status in the Langat River. A total of 90 water and sediment samples were collected simultaneously in triplicate at 30 sampling stations. Selected metals were analyzed using ICP-MS, and the metals' concentration varied among stations. Metal concentrations of water ranged between 0.08-24.71 μg/L for As, <0.01-0.53 μg/L for Cd, 0.06-6.22 μg/L for Co, 0.32-4.67 μg/L for Cr, 0.80-24.72 μg/L for Ni, and <0.005-6.99 μg/L for Pb. Meanwhile, for sediment, it ranged between 4.47-30.04 mg/kg for As, 0.02-0.18 mg/kg for Cd, 0.87-4.66 mg/kg for Co, 4.31-29.04 mg/kg for Cr, 2.33-8.25 mg/kg for Ni and 5.57-55.71 mg/kg for Pb. The average concentration of studied metals in the water was lower than the Malaysian National Standard for Drinking Water Quality proposed by the Ministry of Health. The average concentration for As in sediment was exceeding ISQG standards as proposed by the Canadian Sediment Quality Guidelines. Statistical analyses revealed that certain metals (As, Co, Ni, and Pb) were generally influenced by pH and conductivity. These results are important when making crucial decisions in determining potential hazardous levels of these metals toward humans.