The LSU Campus Mounds: New Investigations Using Synchrotron Radiation–Based Techniques

This work presents a study of elemental composition (major, minor and trace elements) of oral fluids such as saliva and gingival crevice fluid, and their relation with smoking. Spectrochemical analyses were accomplished by the total reflection X‐ray fluorescence (TXRF) method using synchrotron radiation. Smoking habit is a well‐known factor of risk that can trigger the development of periodontal diseases. The presence of certain elements and their correlation with smoking could be used to predict the development of oral affections, i.e. gingivitis. Two set of patients, smokers and non‐smokers, were selected according to certain criteria to analyze saliva and gingival crevice fluid. The elemental concentrations were measured, and the differences between their mean values of both groups were determined. The results reveal significant differences in the elemental concentrations of saliva. On the other hand, the mean values of elemental concentrations in gingival crevice fluid show fewer differences between both groups. The most significant differences in concentration between smokers and non‐smokers were found in saliva samples for S, K and Ca. In addition, a significant difference in the concentration of Cl in gingival crevice fluid was observed between both groups. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Aims: To assess the concentration of toxic heavy metals [Cadmium, Copper, Lead and Nickle] in dairy milk and animal feed of urban and rural areas and correlate them. Study Design: It was a cross-sectional comparative study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted on the dairy milk and animal feed in milk farms of Peshawar. The samples were collected during June – July of 2010. Methodology: The study area was divided into two zones: urban area which was located in the centre of the city and rural area comprising of peri urban villages. Fifty milk samples were collected, 30 from urban and 20 from rural areas. Feed samples were also collected. Milk and feed samples were prepared by wet digestion method using HNO3 and H2O2 as described by Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) of North America, 1990. This was followed by analysis on Atomic Absorption Spectrometer. Results: The results showed that the mean concentration of toxic heavy metals under study namely Cadmium, Copper, Lead and Nickle were greater in dairy milk than the maximum residue limits (MRLs) of these elements as given by Joint Expert Committee on Food and Agriculture and World Health Organization. In comparison of urban and rural areas it was found that higher concentration of Cadmium, Copper, and Nickle was found Original Research Article British Biotechnology Journal, 4(8): 883-893, 2014 884 in dairy milk samples from urban areas than rural areas but there was no significant difference in Lead concentration of the two areas. Their concentration in urban and rural samples were respectively Cadmium 0.69 and 0.037 with P-value <0.001, Copper 1.40 and 0.09 with P-value 0.001, Nickel 0.806 and 0.024 with P-value <0.001, Lead 2.243 and 2.082 with P -value 0.026. However in this study all these elements were within the permissible limits in animal feed except for copper in cotton khal which was 83.3mg kg against the MRL of 10 mg kg given by National Research Council, NRC, 2005. Also there was no significant difference in the concentration of these elements in feed of urban and rural areas. Correlation study between the concentration of these elements in milk and feed showed positive pearson’s correlation coefficient between the two particularly for copper (0.451) in sugarcane khal and (0.341) in wheat grain, Nickle (0.342) in maize, and (0.30) in wheat bran and cotton khal. Conclusion: The concentrations of toxic metals were higher than the maximum residue limits in milk but were within their normal limits in animal feed suggesting that milk is being contaminated by various other sources but not farm feed. Comparison between urban and rural areas showed higher concentration in urban milk samples as compared to rural except for lead probably because urban farms are located in polluted areas in the centre of the city. However no significant difference was found in animal feed of urban and rural areas because it is supplied from common source.

The influence of large‐scale mining operations on groundwater quality was investigated in this study. Trace element concentrations in groundwater samples from the North Mara mining area of northern Tanzania were analyzed. Statistical analyses for relationships between elemental concentrations in the samples and distance of a sampling site from the mine tailings dam were also conducted. Eleven trace elements (Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were determined, and averages of Fe and Al concentrations were higher than levels accepted by the Tanzanian drinking water guideline. Levels of Pb in three samples were higher than the World Health Organization ( WHO ) and United States Environmental Protection Agency ( USEPA ) drinking water guidelines of 10 and 15 µg/L, respectively. One sample contained a higher As level than the WHO and USEPA guideline of 10 µg/L. The correlation between element concentrations and distance from the mine tailings dam was examined using the hierarchical agglomeration cluster analysis method. A significant difference in the elemental concentration existed depending on the distance from the mine tailings dam. Mann–Whitney U ‐test post hoc analysis confirmed a relationship between element concentration and distance of a sampling site from the mine tailings dam. This relationship raises concerns about the increased risks of trace elements to people and ecosystem health. A metal pollution index also suggested a relationship between elemental concentrations in the groundwater and the sampling sites’ proximity from the mine tailings dam.

The majority of particles that adhere to hands are <63 μm in diameter yet risk assessments for soil remediation are typically based on soil samples sieved to <250 μm. The objective of our study was to determine if there is a significant difference in metal concentration by particle size in both house dust and soil. We obtained indoor dust and yard soil samples from 10 houses in Tucson, Arizona. All samples were sieved to <63 μm and 63 to <150 μm and analyzed for 30 elements via ICP-MS following nitric acid digestion. We conducted t-tests of the log-transformed data to assess for significant differences that were adjusted with a Bonferroni correction to account for multiple comparisons. In house dust, significant differences in concentration were observed for Be, Al, and Mo between particles sizes, with a higher concentration observed in the smaller particle sizes. Significant differences were also determined for Mg, Ca, Cr, Co, Cu, Ge, Zr, Ag, Ba, and Pb concentration in yard soil samples, with the higher concentration observed in the smaller particles size for each element. The results of this exploratory study indicate that current risk assessment practices for soil remediation may under estimate non-dietary ingestion exposure. This is of particular concern for young children who are more vulnerable to this exposure route due to their high hand mouthing frequencies. Additional studies with a greater number of samples and wider geographic distribution with different climates and soil types should be completed to determine the most relevant sampling practices for risk assessment.

Milk and its products are considered healthy due to their content of key nutritional elements. Despite their essential role in the human diet, they may be susceptible to contamination with many chemical pollutants from the surrounding environment, most notably heavy metals such as lead, which is considered toxic to consumers. This study evaluated lead concentrations in milk and dairy product samples collected from various Egyptian environments. The results showed significant differences (p &lt; 0.05) in Pb concentrations in the samples collected from different environments in Egypt (industrial, traffic and rural). The average lead content in raw cow’s milk, sterilised milk, Domiati cheese, Ras cheese, processed cheese and yoghurt samples from industrial areas were 2.23, 0.33, 3.19, 5.10, 0.11 and 0.09 mg/kg, respectively. In traffic areas, lead concentrations were 1.83, 0.30, 2.72, 4.72, 0.13 and 0.09, and in rural areas, they were 0.61, 0.27, 1.52, 3.13, 0.13 and 0.09. The data showed that Pb levels in dairy product samples collected from industrial areas are very high compared with those collected from traffic areas. By contrast, the lowest Pb concentrations were recorded in samples from rural areas. It is recommended that lead levels in different foods, especially milk and its products, be evaluated at regular intervals.

Smoking is a significant source of harmful inorganic elements, and blood radon and heavy metal analysis can help determine the correlation between cigarette smoking and these elements. For this purpose, this study analyzed blood samples from 200 individuals, including 100 smokers and a control group of 100 non-smokers. Atomic absorption spectrometry was utilized to quantify and analyze the heavy metal concentration (cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb)), while radon levels were assessed utilizing a CR-39 detector. Participants in this trial were classified into five age brackets: 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, and 61-70. The findings revealed that smokers had markedly elevated blood levels of all heavy metals (Cd, Cr, and Pb) in comparison to non-smokers. Moreover, the average values of Cd, Cr, and Pb in smokers were 1.87 ± 0.61 ppm, 2.94 ± 1.01 ppm, and 1.22 ± 0.14 ppm, respectively. For non-smokers, the values were 1.19 ± 0.13 ppm, 1.24 ± 0.28 ppm, and 1.09 ± 0.12 ppm, respectively. The disparities were statistically significant. The mean heavy metal concentrations in the current investigation were ranked in descending order: Cd > Cr > Pb. Furthermore, radon concentrations were 54.2 ± 7.60 (Bq/m³) in the smoker group, whereas the non-smoker group exhibited 28.4 ± 4.80 (Bq/m³). The statistical analysis revealed a highly significant difference in radon concentrations between the two groups, indicating a p-value of less than 0.001. The concentrations of heavy metals in all samples in this study surpassed the biological threshold set by ACGIH. Thus, cadmium and chromium were the most prominent metals collected in the blood of cigarette smokers. Although radon levels were within globally accepted limits, the 222Rn concentrations in all samples from smokers were significantly higher than those of non-smokers. In conclusion, the blood sample analysis confirms cigarette smoking's link to radon and heavy metals, providing crucial data for the Kurdistan region.

Lead poisoning has proven to be one of the most difficult environmental health problems. Part of this difficulty is based on the lack of distinctive manifestations at an early phase in the process. Breast milk feeding with high lead concentration is one of the first sources of lead exposure in neonates. This study reported that lead in breast milk samples from 81% of nursing mothers varied from a low concentration of 0.318 microg/dL to a high of 2.5 microg/dL with an average of 0.768 +/- 0.42 microg/dL. The high lead concentration of 2.5 microg/dL recorded in this study is similar to the average lead concentration reported by others. Lead concentration was found to be low in young mothers and higher in mothers age 36 years or more with an average of 0.515 +/- 0.14 and 1.344 +/- 0.65 microg/dL respectively. There were no significant differences between lead concentration in samples obtained from right or left breasts and similarly, there were no significant differences in lead concentrations in milk samples in relation to the length of period of lactation (P>/=0.1). Breast milk samples obtained from mothers residing near industrial areas or highways, using copper casserole coated with white (rich in lead) inner coat and eating food material preserved for long periods in metal containers showed higher lead concentration than from those living in remote areas with reduced exposure. The diagnosis of lead poisoning required a constant awareness of its prevalence.

Concentrations of a number of organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs) were measured in floor dust collected from living rooms in Australia (n = 42), Canada (n = 14), Germany (n = 22), and Kazakhstan (n = 9); cars from Australia (n = 39) and Germany (n = 19); and offices from Germany (n = 25) and Kazahkstan (n = 8). PFR concentrations in these samples were compared with each other and with previously reported data for PFRs in dust from similar microenvironments in the UK. Our data reveal significant between-country differences in both absolute concentrations and the relative abundance of specific PFRs in each of the microenvironments studied. Most notably, concentrations of TCIPP in UK living room dust (median = 21 μg g) exceeded significantly (p < 0.05) those in all other countries studied here; a substantial number of car dust samples contained elevated concentrations of TDCIPP, and German samples generally contained lower levels of PFRs in all microenvironments studied. In addition, PFRs were determined in dust samples collected from living room couches in both Australia (n = 41) and the UK (n = 10). The elevated concentrations of TCIPP in UK living room dust are likely attributable to the favoured use of this PFR in UK couch foam. This is indicated by concentrations of TCIPP in UK couch dust (median = 610 μg g) exceeding significantly those in Australian couch dust (median = 2.9 μg g). Moreover, concentrations of TCIPP in UK couch dust originating from couches 15 years old or less, display a marked relationship with the age of the couch, with concentrations in such samples increasing significantly (p < 0.01) with couch age.

BackgroundNucleosome levels have been shown to increase in dogs and humans in certain disease states, as a result of cell apoptosis, raising interest in their utility as a biomarker. Detection of nucleosomes in feline blood has yet to be described. Optimal collection tube and processing technique for samples intended for nucleosome analysis varies in the available veterinary and human literature. The aims of this study were to evaluate nucleosome concentration in blood obtained from healthy cats, and describe the impact of collection and processing methods, including tube type, centrifugation protocol, and time to sample processing.MethodsBlood from sixty-four client-owned healthy domestic cats was collected and analyzed. Samples were collected into EDTA, serum separator and sodium citrate tubes. Processing of samples was performed at different timepoints (15, 30, 60, 120 min) and under different centrifugation protocols to ascertain the most reliable sample collection and processing technique. An ELISA with a detection antibody directed at histone 3.1 was utilized to determine nucleosome concentration.ResultsThe smaller range of nucleosome concentrations in EDTA samples indicates higher reliability of samples collected into EDTA tubes. Concentrations in samples collected into serum separator and sodium citrate tubes were widely variable in comparison to EDTA tubes. There was no significant difference when comparing H3.1 nucleosome levels from samples collected into serum separator or sodium citrate tubes at the different time points from sample collection to processing. The H3.1 nucleosome levels in the EDTA sample processed at 120-min were significantly higher than those from all other EDTA timepoints. No significant difference in nucleosome concentration was found between centrifugation protocols.Conclusions and relevanceNucleosomes can be successfully measured in blood obtained from healthy cats. EDTA tubes provided more consistent results compared to sodium citrate and serum separator tubes for evaluation of H3.1 nucleosome levels. The significant increase in nucleosome concentration in EDTA samples that were processed after 120 min justifies sample processing within one hour of collection. Samples can be processed utilizing any of the centrifugation protocols used in this study.

Parathyroid hormone related protein (PTHrP) is involved in intracellular calcium (Ca) regulation and homeostasis. The main clinical utility of PTHrP as a biomarker is to assist with determining the cause of unexplained hypercalcemia (UH). Considering that PTHrP, along with parathyroid hormone (PTH), is involved in Ca homeostasis, we evaluated associations between concentrations of Ca, PTH, PTHrP and age, and the between-sex differences in clinical patient samples. We reviewed historic data on Ca, PTH and PTHrP concentrations measured in routine patient samples (n=2,701) submitted for testing to a large clinical diagnostic laboratory. Among the analysed samples 31.1% were from adults (18-59y), 52.9% from older adults (60-79y) and 16.9% from elderly (>79y). Out of the samples, 60.5% were from women (W) and 39.5% from men (M). PTHrP was measured using a validated LC-MS/MS method; Ca and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were measured using the Cobas 8000 (Roche). The imprecision of all assays was <10%. Reference intervals (RI) for PTHrP were <3.3 pmol/L and <2.2 pmol/L in W and M, respectively; RI for calcium was 8.4–10.2 mg/dL, and for PTH was 15–65 pg/mL. Median (mean) PTHrP concentrations in samples from adults, older adults and elderly were 1.5 (7.9), 2.5 (8.7) and 3.2 (5.3) pmol/L, respectively. Median (mean) concentrations in samples from W and M were 2.4 (6.3) and 2.5 (10.4) pmol/L, respectively. Statistically significant difference in PTHrP concentrations was observed between W and M from adult (p=0.0005) and older adult (p=0.0038) groups; between W from adult and elderly groups (p=0.0113); and between M from older adult and elderly groups (p=0.028). No significant difference among the age groups was observed in concentrations of Ca and PTH. As expected, direct relationship was observed between concentrations of Ca and PTHrP (ρ=0.189, p<0.0001), while inverse relationships were observed between concentrations of Ca and PTH (ρ=-0.393, p<0.0001), and PTH and PTHrP (ρ=-0.226, p<0.0001). Assessment of the distribution of PTHrP concentrations in samples from W (n=472) and M (n=446) with UH (Ca >10.2 mg/dL and PTH< 15 pg/mL), revealed elevated PTHrP concentrations in 35.0% of W and 59.4% of M; with odds ratio for PTHrP as cause of UH of 0.7 and 2.2, in W and M, respectively. Among the study samples, PTHrP concentrations in 29.3% of samples from W and 54.2% of samples form M were above the sex specific RI. The PTHrP positivity rates in adult, older adult and elderly W (M) were 22.1%, 28.2% and 44.2% (41.2%, 58.5% and 70.5%), respectively. We observed higher prevalence of elevated PTHrP concentrations in M than in W, and in older individuals. PTHrP concentrations above the RI were observed in 39.1% of the analyzed samples. Our data suggest that hypercalcemia caused by elevated PTHrP concentrations is more common for pathologic conditions, which have higher prevalence or specific of M.

The study aimed to comparatively assess pipe-borne water and groundwater quality in Gwagwalada town and their health implication, by collecting three pipe-borne water and five groundwater samples from selected points at Phases 1, 2, 3, Ungwan Dodo, Ungwan Shanu and Dagiri and analyzing them for parameters such as pH, EC, DO, Hardness, Total Chlorine, Chloride, Nitrate, Ammonia, Sulphate, Phosphate, Fe, Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, Mn, Al and Total coliform count. Concentration of analysed parameters for the pipe-borne water samples were compared with those of the groundwater samples and both were also compared with WHO and FME.T-test was used to test the hypothesis that there is no significant difference in concentrations of the analysed parameters between pipe-borne water and groundwater samples. Result of the study showed that the concentration of most of the parameters are higher in the groundwater than in the pie-borne water samples. Parameters such as pH, EC, Total hardness, sulphate, phosphate, ammonia and copper for both pipe-borne water and groundwater samples were within WHO/FME standards, while manganese and faecal coli forms are higher than the standards across all samples. Chloride, nitrate, cadmium, iron, zinc and aluminium are higher than the standard in groundwater samples. Total chlorine has higher concentration in pipe-borne water samples while Lead has elevated concentration in PB2, PB3, GW3, GW4 and GW5. T-test results showed that there is significant difference in the concentrations of analysed parameters between pipe-borne water and groundwater sample. The study concludes that the groundwater is more polluted than the pipe-borne water and that the continuous consumption of the groundwater without pre-treatment may have adverse health implications. The study recommends among other things, the location of wells and boreholes away from areas where human activities can pollute them; and the provision of simple and affordable water purifiers in the study area.

Exposure of wildlife and domestic animals to anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) is a worldwide concern, but few methods exist to determine residue levels in live animals. Traditional liver detection methods preclude determining exposure in live wildlife. To determine the value of assessing AR exposure by fecal analysis, we compared fecal and liver residues of ARs in the same animals. We collected liver and fecal samples from 40 apparently healthy red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) potentially exposed to ARs, and quantified brodifacoum, bromadiolone, coumatetralyl, difenacoum, difethialone, and flocoumafen residues by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Residues of ARs were detected in 53% of the fecal samples and 83% of the liver samples. We found good concordance between AR residues in feces and liver for coumatetralyl, difenacoum, and difethialone. Bromadiolone occurred in significantly greater frequency in livers compared to feces, but no significant difference in concentration between feces and liver in individual foxes could be detected. Brodifacoum displayed a significant difference in concentration and occurrence of positive samples between liver and feces. Our findings demonstrate that fecal analysis of ARs provides a feasible and valuable non-lethal means of determine AR exposure in live wildlife.

In the present work measurements of chloride concentrations were used to assess the variability of infiltration conditions and contributions of surface water and local groundwater to the discharge of wells at Krajkowo riverbank filtration site (western Poland). Tests were performed on samples from 26 wells located in a well gallery close to the River Warta. Due to higher chloride concentrations in river water in comparison with local groundwater, significant differences in concentrations in samples from individual wells were noted. In particular, lower chloride concentrations in 11 wells were recorded, which can be linked to the local occurrence of low-permeability deposits in the superficial zone; a locally higher degree of riverbed sediment clogging in the highly convex meandering zone, where strong erosion of the riverbed occurred, which in turn led to increased clogging; the occurrence of a more intensive groundwater inflow into the river valley due to water infiltration from a smaller river entering the River Warta valley, as well as unfavourable conditions for the infiltration of surface water to the lower part of the aquifer with a greater thickness. Differences in chloride concentrations observed were also used to quantify approximately river water contribution to the well production. The average contribution of the River Warta to the recharge of the entire well gallery was estimated at 59.8%.

In the present study, thirteen urban bird species were used as bioindicators to monitor metal concentrations in the metropolis of Mashhad. The concentrations of lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) ranged from 0.004 to 0.073, 0.750 to 1.400, and 0.502 to 1.202µg/g dry w, respectively. The lowest concentration of Pb was observed in Corvus corax and Corvus frugilegus species, while the highest concentration was found in Turdus iliacus. The lowest concentration of Zn was in C. frugilegus, and the highest concentration was in Spilopelia senegalensis. The lowest concentration of Cu was in Galerida cristata, with the highest concentration in S. senegalensis. The results revealed statistically significant differences in the concentrations of the studied elements in some species. Although the values of the studied elements were higher in the Insectivore and then Granivorous groups compared to the Carnivore and Omnivore groups, there was no significant difference between species based on their diet. Additionally, there was no statistically significant difference in element concentrations between adult and immature samples, as well as between small-bodied and large-bodied samples. Risk assessment of element exposure showed that the concentrations in all thirteen species' samples were below the permissible limits, indicating a low health risk from metal exposure for these species. It is worth noting that this research marks the first global measurement of metal values in Spinus spinus, T. iliacus, and Phoenicurus erythronotus species.

Radiocarbon dating of the two LSU Campus Mounds (16EBR6) indicates that the construction of one, Mound B, began at ∼11,000 BP, making Mound B the oldest known and intact manmade structure in the Americas. The age analyses presented here are based on thirty one ¹⁴C dates. The older (deeper) parts of both of the LSU Campus Mounds contain many thin, burned ash lenses, suggesting that the Mounds may have been used for ceremonial or cremation purposes. These ash layers are composed mainly of phytoliths, bio-silicate (SiO₂) structural compounds in plants that remained after burning of these plants. Analysis of the abundant ash lenses indicates that the plants burned were mainly C4 hydrophilic grasses that are dominated by 90-98% reed and cane plants. The ash layers also contain microscopic fragments of burned, large mammal osteons (bone). The layers of reed and cane phytoliths, containing very small numbers of osteons, are indicative of very hot fires. This finding supports the argument that the fires were used for ceremonials or cremations. No ash beds later than 5,000 BP are known from either LSU Campus Mound A or B, although at ∼800 calBP, a wooden post (now charcoal) was planted and burned on the top of Mound B. It appears that construction of Mound B began during the climate amelioration that followed the Younger Dryas climate event, which ended at ∼11,700 BP. Construction of Mound A appears to have begun at ∼9,500 calBP. Building of the LSU Campus Mounds shows a hiatus when climate deteriorated during the 8200 Climate Event, which defined the end of the Holocene Greenlandian Stage and the beginning of the Northgrippian Stage. Construction began again at ∼7,500 BP, when both mounds continued construction until ∼6,000 BP, with one apparently anomalous date in Mound A at ∼5,100 calBP.