Radiocarbon Dating Insect Samples: New Data and Recommendations

As well as known contaminants, surface waters also contain an unknown variety of chemical and microbial contaminants which can pose a risk to humans if surface water is used for the production of drinking water. To protect human health proactively, and in a cost-efficient way, water authorities and drinking water companies need early warning systems. This study aimed to (1) assess the effectiveness of screening the scientific literature to direct sampling campaigns for early warning purposes, and (2) detect new aquatic contaminants of concern to public health in the Netherlands. By screening the scientific literature, six example contaminants (3 chemical and 3 microbial) were selected as potential aquatic contaminants of concern to the quality of Dutch drinking water. Stakeholders from the Dutch water sector and various information sources were consulted to identify the potential sources of these contaminants. Based on these potential contamination sources, two sampling sequences were set up from contamination sources (municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants), via surface water used for the production of drinking water to treated drinking water. The chemical contaminants, mycophenolic acid, tetrabutylphosphonium compounds and Hexafluoropropylene Oxide Trimer Acid, were detected in low concentrations and were thus not expected to pose a risk to Dutch drinking water. Colistin resistant Escherichia coli was detected for the first time in Dutch wastewater not influenced by hospital wastewater, indicating circulation of bacteria resistant to this last-resort antibiotic in the open Dutch population. Four out of six contaminants were thus detected in surface or wastewater samples, which showed that screening the scientific literature to direct sampling campaigns for both microbial and chemical contaminants is effective for early warning purposes.

The issue of contamination in radiocarbon dating is well known and can affect not only archaeological findings but also artworks. In the latter case, a possible source of contamination is represented by the products used during the restoration, e.g. resins of synthetic origin like the well-known Paraloid, applied to wood artifacts as a strengthening and preserving agent. In the case of incomplete removal prior to dating, the resins produce an apparent aging of the samples. Mechanical cleaning using traditional tools and the standard pretreatment acid-base-acid (ABA) protocol are not sufficient to remove such contaminants, while the use of organic solvents, in particular petroleum solvents and chlorine-based products, can be effective. However, the most widely used protocol, based on the Soxhlet extraction system, is very time consuming. Here, in the presence of chloroform-soluble applied products, like the widespread Paraloid B-72, this study proposes the use of a new easily operated pretreatment procedure, developed at INFN-LABEC in Florence, based on the use of chloroform (CHCl3) as solvent and on a simple extraction. First, the effectiveness of this procedure was checked by applying it to remove the resin from wood samples of known age, which had been previously intentionally contaminated by applying large quantities of Paraloid. 14C AMS measurements performed on the test samples before and after contamination and application of the proposed procedure proved its effectiveness for removal, while this was not the case when applying standard ABA protocols. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analyses also were used to check the removal of contaminants. The new procedure was applied in two case studies: the wood frame of an altar piece from the Renaissance and a painting on canvas from the early 20th century. For both artworks, the use of synthetic resins was documented in restorations performed a relatively long time ago: the wood frame was restored using just Paraloid, the canvas using a thermoplastic polymer soluble in chloroform. Enough time elapsed for the resins to create cross-linking bonds with the original material. Despite this, the results obtained by 14C AMS dating confirm the reliability of the new chloroform-based pretreatment in removing the contaminations. Also in these cases, spectroscopic techniques were used to compare the effectiveness of the ABA and the new treatments in removing the contaminants.

Altered distributions of bone tissue mineral and collagen properties in women with fragility fractures

Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) as sources of sediment contamination in the lower Passaic River, New Jersey. I. Priority pollutants and inorganic chemicals

Ancient bone collagen retains valuable information. Radiocarbon dating, thermal dating, species identification, cladistics analyses, and paleodietary reconstruction efforts all use bone collagen from ancient samples. Experimentally derived models of the temperature-dependent collagen half-life and thus of collagen’s expected shelf life under optimum preservation conditions currently stand at odds with literature reports of collagen remnants in bones with great apparent ages. These issues cause debate about bone collagen longevity. The situation highlights a need to better understand bone collagen preservation conditions and thus to apply new analytical tools to ancient and modern bone samples. In response, this study applies established techniques to ancient bone for the first time. Appropriate samples of ancient bone were first collected and catalogued. They include specimens ranging from Medieval to Paleozoic settings and involve partnerships with six permanent repositories. This thesis describes the novel application of second-harmonic generation (SHG) imaging, an established technique in biomedical science, to ancient bone. In this study, four separate and independent techniques confirmed that SHG reliably detects trace amounts of collagen protein in certain Medieval and Ice Age bone samples. Additional results indicate that SHG detects faint traces of collagen in unexpectedly old bone samples, including dinosaur bones. The technique demonstrated a high degree of sensitivity to small amounts of collagen, plus the potential to explore the micromorphology of collagen decay in bone and other collagenous tissues. The second novel application was Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Recent studies demonstrated its usefulness for bone collagen content estimates in forensic analyses of bone remains. This study extended its application to Medieval, Ice Age, Cretaceous, Jurassic, and Devonian samples and found a general trend of diminishing collagen signal with older bones. FTIR was also used for the first time to assess bone collagen integrity in an artificial decay experiment. In addition, the applicability of Raman spectroscopy to ancient bone was explored. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) was also used to measure stable and unstable carbon ratios in many of the same ancient bone samples used above. AMS 13C results brought forth two main conclusions. They confirmed the accuracy of preliminary results obtained using a recently developed portable quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) to detect stable isotopes including 13C and 12C ratios from the bioapatite fraction of Medieval bone. They also confirm for the first time a co-occurrence of primary (i.e., original to the organism) isotopic signatures in fossil bones with primary organic signatures. Analysis of published Cretaceous vertebrate fossils with biological stable isotope ratios matched this co-occurrence. Finally, the first AMS 14C results from Cretaceous bone collagen are presented. 14C results discriminated between modern, medieval, Roman era, and ice age, but not between Cretaceous and Jurassic time frames. Overall results suggest that the application of novel techniques like SHG will help detect and further characterise ancient bone collagen. Also, low cost, nearly nondestructive tools like FTIR and QMS show promise to aid continued discoveries of original isotope ratios and biological remnants like bone collagen in fossils from widening geographic and geological ranges.

Banana blood disease (Blood Disease Bacteria, BDB) caused by Ralstonia solanacearum Phylotype IV is the most important banana disease in Indonesia. So far, information on the spread of disease by insects is very limited. The research was aimed to determine the role of insect as a disseminator of R. solanacearum Phylotype IV and to determine the amount of BDB inoculum carried by each individual insect. The experiment was conducted in May - September 2008. Samples of insects (adult insects, the young insects, larvae, eggs), nectar, and pollen were taken from a colony of Trigona spp. collected from BDB endemic area, Baso plateau (876 m asl) using purposive sampling method. Active adult insects were collected from the BDB infected banana flowers and healthy banana flowers. BDB on adult insects was isolated from the caput and abdomen, while for the young insects, larvae and pupae the isolation source were not differentiated. Each of the samples was rinsed, macerated, and cultured on medium containing Triphenyl Tetrazolium Chloride (TTC). BDB isolate characterization and identification were conducted through morphological, physiological, and pathogenicity tests. The parameter observed was the: population of BDB (cfu/ml) on each stage of insect development. The results showed that BDB can be isolated from the outside and the inside of the body of an adult, a young insect, pupa, larva also on pollen and nectar but it was not found in eggs. BDB population was higher in inside part fo the insect body in each phase of the development of the insect. From all phases, the BDB was higher in inner part of the body of adult insects which have visited infected banana flower.

Introduction Intervertebral disc (IVD) structure changes throughout life ultimately resulting in disc degeneration and back pain. Most of the IVD extracellular matrix alterations are related this degeneration. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy has been shown to be a powerful tool in the study of molecular changes associated with matrix structure (collagen denaturation, cross-links, proteoglycans [PGs], and calcification). FTIR analysis is based on monitoring vibrations that originate from molecular components in tissues. Accordingly, evaluation of changes in molecular structure, concentration, and spatial distribution of the tissue components can be performed by direct analysis of spectral maps. Once the spectral maps are calculated, the spatial quantitative and qualitative information on the composition and organization of the tissue compounds can be obtained. FTIR has been successfully utilized in bone and cartilage research in the differentiation between normal and diseased tissues. Our study aims to investigate spatial changes in human IVD composition and microstructural organization in relation to increasing grades of degeneration. Materials and Methods Sample Preparation Human IVDs were obtained from donor lumbar spines of Thompson grades 2 to 5 through organ donations within 24 hours after death. Two IVDs per grade of degeneration were used for FTIR procedure. All tissues were fixed in Accustain (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, Missouri, United States), paraffin embedded and sectioned into 20-mm-thick sagittal sections. Consecutive slices were assessed for chemical properties. FTIR Spectra Acquisition Human IVD sections were placed on barium fluoride infrared transparent windows and infrared absorbance spectra were acquired using a classical FTIR spectrometer FTS 7000 series’ (DGILAB) coupled to UMA 600 microscope. For FTIR spectra acquisition, the system was used in point mode (aperture of 250 ×250 µm) with a 4.0/cm resolution and using 128 scans in transmittance mode, and spectra acquisitions were performed under complete N2 purge of the analytical system. Four repeated scans were performed on the spectral region of approximately 900 to 2,000/cm in each sample in the annulus fibrosus (AF) and nucleus pulposus (NP) regions. Analysis of FTIR Absorption Spectrum of IVD Spectral data were analyzed using Wire 3.0 software. All spectra were baselined and the absorbance of the collagen (COL), elastin, and PG were monitored in the 1,690 to 1,660; 1,595 to 1,500; and 1,140 to 985/cm spectral regions. A univariate analysis was used to evaluate the collagen maturity as the ratio of the integrated area under the amide subpeaks (1,660:1,690/cm). Results The elastin and COL content associated with the stretching vibrations of carbonyl (C=O), C-N, and N-H in the amide II spectral region (1,595-1,500/cm) indicated a significant decrease according to degeneration grade (in AF, from 29.73 ± 0.83 in grade 2 to 20.19 ± 0.65 in grade 5, and in NP from 24.92 ± 0.71 in grade 2 to 8.76 ± 0.56 in grade 5). A significant decrease was also found for the PG content, which is reflected by the stretching vibrations of C-O, C-OH, and as C-C in the carbohydrate chemical group. PG content significantly decreased from 7.95 ± 0.89 in grade 2 to 2.77 ± 0.11 in grade 5 ( p < 0.05) in AF, and from 9.2 ± 1.02 in grade 2 to 5.67 ± 0.72 in grade 5 ( p < 0.03) in NP. Moreover, the ratio of the integrated area of the amide subpeaks (1,660:1690/cm) accompanying collagen maturity, doubled in value with increasing degeneration grades. Conclusion Our studies indicate that FTIR spectral imaging, coupled with univariate data processing techniques, can be used to image the spatial distribution of matrix constituents in human discs with different grades of degeneration. It can therefore provide unique quantitative information on how human disc degeneration can affect the functional state of the disc. Disclosure of Interest None declared

Direct radiocarbon dates of mid Upper Palaeolithic human remains from Dolní Věstonice II and Pavlov I, Czech Republic

Beyond the surface: Microplastic pollution its hidden impact on insects and agriculture

A conserved painting removed from a Neolithic collective grave in Marne, France, provided an opportunity for radiocarbon dating to place Les Ronces Hypogeum 21 (Villevenard) into the chronology of that region. Chemical analysis with direct analysis in real time (DART) mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) of samples from the painting revealed the presence of two kinds of wax (beeswax and paraffin or microcrystalline wax) that likely were added during the conservation, a drying oil like linseed oil, as well as markers of pine resin that may arise from turpentine or colophony. A new pretreatment protocol of chloroform followed by pH 8 phosphate buffer was developed, which yielded sufficient material for plasma-chemical oxidation and AMS radiocarbon dating. The radiocarbon dates place the image from Hypogeum 21 at the more recent end of the chronology that spans from the sixth to the third millennia cal BC for the Neolithic in France.

ABSTRACT
 Entomopathogenic fungi are classified as a fungus that infects insect pests. Hyphae color that comes out of the insect's body depends on the type of entomopathogenic fungus that attacks it. The purpose of this research is to explore, isolate and identify entomopathogenic fungi that attack insect pests. Samples of dead insects were taken from vegetable crops in the highlands of Pagaralam City and the lowlands of Ogan Komering Ilir Regency. In addition, exploration is also carried out using insect bait methods. This method is carried out on soils taken from the highlands of the fencealam area and Pekanbaru area. Based on the results of entomopathogenic expolation in vegetable plants that infect insects in the field there are 2 types of fungi that attack the insect. Two types of entomapatogenic fungi were found to have characteristics, namely the first hyphal color is rather green which covers the entire body of the insect and the second is white hyphae. The fungus that attacks the insect, then isolated to the GYA media found two entomopathogenic fungi namely, Metarhizium sp. and Beauveria bassiana. Meanwhile, through insect bait using soil T. molitor larvae, one species of entomopathogenic fungus was found, namely Metarhizium sp. The most infected T. molitor larvae in the soil of origin of Pekanbaru in the 2nd and 4th weeks, namely, 21.90 and 29.33 tails.
 
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 Keywords: Entomopathogenic Fungus, Insect Pest and Tenibrio molitor

Microplastic (MP) pollution has emerged as a critical global environmental concern, impacting soil, water, and insect ecosystems. This study quantified MP prevalence in soil, water, and insect samples collected from specified rural and semi-urban study areas in the southern India, using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for contamination assessment. The results revealed a predominance of polypropylene/polystyrene (PP/PS; 91.3%), followed by polyethylene (PE; 15.1%), polyethylene terephthalate (PET; 9.2%), and polyamide (PA; 6.2%). Insect samples showed high MP adherence, particularly in blister beetles, click beetles, and carpenter bees, suggesting their role as vectors for MP dissemination, mainly through adherence pathways. FTIR analysis confirmed characteristic MP absorption peaks at 1637.6 cm−1 (PP/PS), 1031.9 cm−1 (PE), 582.5 cm−1 (PET), and 3448.7 cm−1 (-OH groups), indicating interactions between MP and organic matter. FTIR analysis of soil samples showed PE as the dominant MP, with higher quantities in garbage sites (36.0%) and residential areas (34.9%) compared to agricultural farms (18.9%). Soil samples varied significantly, with bulk density (1.1–1.4 g cc⁻¹), porosity (36.1–58.0%), and organic carbon content (0.7–1.9%), indicating potential impacts on fertility and microbial activity. Water samples from irrigation sources showed detectable PET (1.2%) and PA (0.7%) concentrations, with a distinct peak at 2316.5 cm⁻¹, raising concerns about agricultural sustainability and food safety. These findings highlight the urgent need for stricter waste management regulations and further studies into the long-term environmental and human health risks of MP pollution.

Preface to Technical Series. Preface. Contributors. 1 On-Farm Hygienic Milk Production ( M.M.M. VISSERS AND F. DRIEHUIS ). 1.1 Introduction. 1.2 Sources of microbial contamination of bulk tank milk. 1.3 Control of microbial contamination of bulk tank milk. 1.4 Future developments in handling of the milk on the farm. 1.5 Conclusions. 2 Properties and Constituents of Cow's Milk ( T. HUPPERTZ AND A.L. KELLY ). 2.1 Introduction. 2.2 Milk composition. 2.3 Milk constituents. 2.4 Heat-induced changes in physicochemical properties of milk. 2.5 Heat-induced changes in processing characteristics of milk. 2.6 Relationship between the quality of raw milk and that of products. 2.7 Conclusions. 3 Microbiology of Raw and Market Milks ( V. TOUCH AND H.C. DEETH ). 3.1 Introduction. 3.2 Microflora of raw milk. 3.3 Microflora of pasteurised milk. 3.4 Microflora of UHT milk. 3.5 Microflora of ESL milk. 3.6 Sources of contamination. 3.7 Measures to reduce bacterial contamination of raw and market milks. 3.8 Conclusion. 4 Quality Control ( J. BELLOQUE, R. CHICON AND I. RECIO ). 4.1 Introduction. 4.2 Quality control of raw milk. 4.3 Quality control of processed milk. 4.4 Methods of analysis. 4.5 Major components analysis. 4.6 Analysis of fraudulent addition of ingredients and authentication. 4.7 Conclusion. 5 Current Legislation of Market Milks ( M. HICKEY ). 5.1 Introduction. 5.2 EU legislation. 5.3 UK legislation. 5.4 Irish legislation. 5.5 USA legislation. 5.6 The international perspective - Codex Alimentarius. 5.7 Conclusions and possible future developments. 6 The Safety of Raw Liquid Milk ( M. O'MAHONY, S. FANNING AND P. WHYTE ). 6.1 Introduction. 6.2 Implication of milk in human disease. 6.3 Microbial hazards in milk. 6.4 Chemical contaminants and residues. 6.5 Poorly understood and emerging hazards. 6.6 Risk management strategies to ensure safety of liquid milk. 6.7 Summation. 7 Heat Treatment of Milk ( M.J. LEWIS AND H.C. DEETH ). 7.1 Introduction. 7.2 Milk composition. 7.3 Reaction kinetics. 7.4 Principles of heat transfer. 7.5 Thermisation and tyndallisation. 7.6 Pasteurisation. 7.7 Sterilisation - safety and spoilage considerations. 7.8 In-container sterilisation. 7.9 UHT processing. 7.10 High-temperature processing (extended shelf life). 7.11 Reconstituted and recombined milk products. 7.12 Conclusions. 7.13 Appendix. 8 Novel Methods of Milk Processing ( M. VILLAMIEL, M.A.I. SCHUTYSER AND P. DE JONG ). 8.1 Introduction. 8.2 Microwaves. 8.3 High Pressure. 8.4 Pulsed electric fields. 8.5 Ultrasound. 8.6 Microfiltration. 8.7 Innovative steam injection - a novel heating method. 8.8 Combined technologies. 8.9 Computer models for design and implementation of novel milk-processing methods. 9 Hygiene Practices in Liquid Milk Dairies ( A.J. VAN ASSELT AND M.C. TE GIFFEL ). 9.1 Introduction. 9.2 Principal hazards. 9.3 Hygienic processing. 9.4 Monitoring and control. 9.5 Concluding remarks. 10 Hazard Analysis (Appraisal) Critical Control Point (HACCP) in Milk Processing - A Practical Overview ( A. SAYLER ). 10.1 Introduction. 10.2 General aspects of the benefits of the HACCP system. 10.3 HACCP definitions. 10.4 Implementation and maintenance of the HACCP programme. 10.5 Steps to HACCP implementation. 10.6 Hazard components. 10.7 Prerequisite programme. 10.8 The principles of an HACCP plan. 10.9 Internal and external auditing in the HACCP process. 10.10 Overview and summary. 11 Sensory Profiling of Market Milks ( E. MOLINA, L. AMIGO AND A. QUIROS ). 11.1 Introduction. 11.2 Sensory properties of market milks. 11.3 Different types of market milks. 11.4 Conclusion. Index.

Poultry litter as potential source of pathogens and other contaminants in groundwater and surface water proximal to large-scale confined poultry feeding operations

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) transmission spectroscopy was used to monitor the decomposition of diethylsilane (DES) on high surface area porous silicon samples. The FTIR spectra revealed that DES dissociatively adsorbs on porous silicon to form and species. The infrared absorbances of the stretching vibrations at 2955‐2879 cm−1 and the stretching vibration at 2088 cm−1 were employed to monitor the decomposition of the surface species. As the silicon surface was annealed to 500–750 K, the species decomposed to produce gas phase ethylene and additional surface species. These reaction products were consistent with a β‐hydride elimination reaction. Above 700 K, the surface species decreased concurrently with the desorption of from the porous silicon surface. The uptake of surface species was also monitored at various adsorption temperatures to determine the optimal DES exposure temperatures for silicon deposition. Carbon contamination was minimal at DES adsorption temperatures below 640 K prior to desorption. Because the DES adsorption process is self‐limiting at temperatures below 640 K, DES may be a useful molecular precursor for the atomic layer epitaxy of silicon.