Alkali Digestion Research Articles

Microplastics in pelagic and demersal fishes from the Meghna River estuary, Bangladesh

Microplastics (MPs) were investigated in four fish species viz., paradise threadfin (Polynemus paradiseus), corsula mullet (Rhinomugil corsula), flathead sillago (Sillaginopsis panijus) and king gobyeel (Taenioides sandwipi), which were collected from the Meghna River estuary in Bangladesh. The gastrointestinal tracts (GITs) of fishes (n = 80 in total) were examined for the presence of MPs following alkali digestion, microscopic observation and μ-FTIR analysis. A total of 573 MPs were detected across all four fish species, indicating the presence of MPs in 81.3% of the fish samples. On average, there were 7.16 ± 4.33 MP items/fish, 2.16 ± 1.76 items/g of GIT and 0.15 ± 0.12 items/g of body weight. Polyethylene, polypropylene and nylon were the most abundant polymers, comprising 47%, 23% and 19%, respectively, according to μ-FTIR analysis. The majority of MPs were fibers (62.48%), with white being the dominant color. R. corsula demonstrated the highest number of MPs in the < 500 μm size range, suggesting that smaller particles are more bio-available to pelagic fish. The findings confirm the contamination of the Meghna River estuary by MPs, and their presence in local fish raises concerns about potential public health risks through the food chain.

Phytochemical Screenings and Proximate Analysis of Different Parts of Senna alata Collected in Besut, Terengganu

This study is conducted to determine the presence of bioactive compounds in leaves, stems and flowers of Senna alata, to characterize the bioactive compound identified from its different parts and to investigate the proximate composition of different parts of Senna alata collected in Besut, Terengganu. Samples of Senna alata leaves, stems, and flowers were collected in Kampung Paya Rawa, Besut, Terengganu. Phytochemical screening and GC-MS analysis were used to determine the chemical composition of different parts of Senna alata. The samples were also subjected to proximate analysis to determine their moisture, ash, crude fibre, crude protein, crude fat, and carbohydrate contents. Standard methods were used: moisture content by oven drying, ash content by muffle furnace incineration, crude fibre by acid and alkali digestion, crude protein by the Kjeldahl method, crude fat by Soxhlet extraction, and carbohydrate content calculated by difference. Data obtained from proximate analysis were analysed with one-way ANOVA. The findings show the presence of bioactive compounds in leaves, stems, and flowers of Senna alata such as alkaloid, phenol, tannin, saponin, quinone, and terpenoid which shows biological and pharmacological activities that proved the medicinal properties in Senna alata. GC-MS analysis reveals the detection of derivatives compound of azetidine, thiophene, thiazole, and triazole that supports the ethnomedicinal claims of Senna alata to treat various diseases. The results also reveal significant variations in the proximate composition among the different plant parts. The flower part exhibited the highest levels of moisture (30.88±0.44%), ash (7.49±0.28%), crude fat (6.98±0.03%), and carbohydrates (39.65±0.76%), while the stem contained the highest crude fibre (38.68±0.22%) and the leaves had the highest crude protein content (15.52±0.17%). In summary, the study proves that Senna alata contains bioactive compounds which exhibit biological and pharmacological properties. These findings suggest that different parts of Senna alata possess varying nutritional values and potential therapeutic benefits, particularly the leaves, which are rich in protein, and the flowers, which are high in energy sources. The results emphasise the possibility of using Senna alata as a biopesticide to treat ectoparasites infestation in animals, due to the presence of acaricidal chemicals in the plant.

Combining Ability Analysis for Quality Traits in Selected Rice Varieties (Oryza sativa L.)

Fifteen hybrid combinations developed by crossing five lines and three testers were assessed for milling and physio-chemical qualities to evaluate the combining ability of the parents using a line x tester design. This investigation provided information about the general combining ability (GCA) of parents and the specific combining ability (SCA) effects of crosses from eight popular inbred varieties. C70 was considered the best general combiner for the head rice recovery trait, while the crosses involving C70 with DH18 and CR203, 13/2 with TBR225 and Xi23, and OM6976 with TBR45 showed significant positive specific combining ability (SCA) effects. Xi23 and OM6976 among the lines showed significant general combining ability (GCA) effects indicating them to be good general combiners for obtaining hybrids with desirable (low or intermediate) properties of amylose content. The variances due to SCA were of greater magnitude than GCA for all the traits, revealing the preponderance of non-additive gene action for all the studied attributes. In all the studied quality traits, the narrow sense heritabilities were ordered as follows: head rice recovery &gt; amylose content &gt; gel consistency &gt; alkali digestion &gt; hulling percentage &gt; milling percentage. The narrow sense heritabilities in these traits were quite low, ranging from 8.11% to 14.4%. Among the eight parents, C70, Xi23, and TBR225 were the most ideal for high-quality line breeding.

Physiochemical characterization of rice genotypes based on gel consistency and alkali digestion under different N levels

Physiochemical characterization of rice genotypes based on gel consistency and alkali digestion under different N levels

Optimizing the Extraction of Sugars from Sewage Sludge Using Ultrasound Combined with Thermal–Alkali

The extraction and utilization of sugars from readily available and cost-effective sewage sludge increases the economic potential of this residue, contributing to sustainable urban development. The work presented here presents a novel method in which sugars can be directly extracted from sewage sludge following an ultrasound + thermal–alkali pretreatment. The best results indicated that by subjecting the sludge to a 240 W ultrasound for 20 min, followed by alkali digestion using 6 mL of a 2 M NaOH solution at 48 °C for 60 min, it was possible to maximize the yield of crude sugar (34.22 wt.% dry) with the purity of crude sugar at 46.80%, reaching an extraction efficiency of 99.84%. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the crude sugar yields based on experimental data, reaching a value of 34.67 wt.% dry when employing an ultrasound exposure time of 12.5 min and 6 mL of the NaOH solution for a digestion time of 57.5 min; these results were considered consistent with the experimental data.

Comparative Osteology Study of Ariid Catfishes along the Coast of Gulf of Mannar and Wadge Bank, Tamil Nadu

Background: Taxonomic ambiguity still exists in ariid catfish species identification. Morphological similarities occur in ariid catfishes which lead to misidentification of the species. To overcome this taxonomic ambiguity osteology is one of the effective integrated taxonomic tools for species discrimination. From this study, we provide an osteotaxonomic key for the field identification of ariid catfish species. Methods: The fish samples were cleaned and washed with the freshwater put into the sample for 1% potassium hydroxide solution (KOH). Then fish samples were allowed for alkali digestion of muscle in the solution for 24-48 hours depending on the condition of the specimen. After the completion of the muscle digestion process, Alizarin S dye was used for staining the fish bones. Result: The present paper deals with a comparative study of the five Ariidae family species discussed, they are Arius arius (Hamilton, 1822), Plicofollis layardi (Gunther, 1866), Netuma thalassina (Ruppell, 1837), Nemapteryx caelata (Valenciennes, 1840) and Osteogeneiosus militaris (Linnaeus, 1758). The osteological portions used for this study like premaxillary, dentary, neurocranium, otolith, vertebral and caudal bone. The aforementioned osteological portions made the important primitive characters that will be used to differentiate the species.

Microplastic Contamination in Shrimps from the Negombo Lagoon—Sri Lanka

Microplastic (MP) pollution is a serious global issue affecting freshwater systems, coastal regions, and oceans. These non-biodegradable materials have a detrimental impact on marine species and ecosystems, disrupting their feeding, breathing, and reproduction. In this study, 120 samples of two species of shrimp, Penaus monodon and Penaus indicus, from ten locations in the Negombo lagoon in Sri Lanka were analyzed. MPs were extracted from gastrointestinal tracts (GI) and gills (GL) by alkali digestion followed by vacuum filtering. Stereomicroscopy coupled with advanced micro-imaging and analysis software was employed for analyzing the isolated MPs. A total of 415 items were identified as MPs with an average of 8.29 ± 4.63 items per gram of GI and GL in Penaus monodon and 5.52 ± 3.78 items per gram of GI and GL in Penaus indicus. The majority of MPs identified were fibers (93%), and the remaining ones were fragments. Most of the MPs were &gt;1000 μm, and the most prevalent color was blue (61%), followed by red (15%), black (9%), and others, comprising polystyrene, polyamide, polyester, polypropylene, and rayon, as revealed by FTIR spectroscopy. This study highlights the prevalence of MPs in shrimps harvested from the Negombo lagoon and displays missing baseline data before the effects of fragmented nurdles from the X-Press Pearl incident.

Microplastics in the River Ganga and its fishes: Study of a Himalayan River

The River Ganga has been explored for microplastics (MPs) majorly in the lower or middle course, while the upper course from where the river starts its journey remains untouched. This study investigates the occurrence and distribution of MPs in the river environment (water and sediment) and common fishes inhabiting the upper stretch of River Ganga in the Uttarakhand state of India. A volume-reduce method by using sieve filtration was used to take water and sediment samples from the study area while fish samples were collected using net method. The samples underwent alkali digestion, microscopic examination, and chemical analysis using Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). An average of 118.5 ± 49.65 particles per 1000 L and 131.5 ± 53.60 particles/kg dry weight were found in water and sediment respectively. While in the fishes, Tor tor, Schizothorax richardsonii, Labeo dero and Gara gotyla gotyla MPs were 53.13 ± 63.77, 36.33 ± 22.34, 15.42 ± 9.33 and 12.63 ± 5.93 particles/individual respectively. A positive correlation was observed between the number of MPs in fish and their body length, weight, and gut weight, while no correlation was found between feeding habit and MP accumulation. The majority of MPs detected were fibers ranging from 100 μm to 1 mm in size. Polymer types varied among water, sediment, and fish samples, with polyethylene (PE) predominant in water, polypropylene (PP) dominant in sediment, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polystyrene (PS) most abundant in fish samples.

Unlocking the genomes of formalin-fixed freshwater fish specimens: An assessment of factors influencing DNA extraction quantity and quality

Abstract Objective Recent technological developments may facilitate the description of evolutionary relationships and population genetic structure as well as other information relevant to fisheries management by using readily available natural history collections. Contemporary sequence capture and short-read sequencing methods offer opportunities to analyze highly fragmented DNA from formalin-fixed specimens so long as enough DNA of sufficient quality is recovered. Methods We compared two protocols developed to extract DNA from formalin-fixed tissues using specimens of three freshwater fishes: the Southern Brook Lamprey Ichthyomyzon gagei, Slimy Sculpin Cottus cognatus, and Brown Trout Salmo trutta. Extractions were attempted using hot alkali digestion with and without buffer wash pretreatments to compare the DNA concentration, purity, and fragment length of DNA recovered between extraction protocols, tissue types (muscle and caudal fin tissue for Brown Trout and Slimy Sculpin), and preservation periods (5 or 7 years for Southern Brook Lamprey). Result Likelihood models generally did not detect DNA quantity differences between extraction protocols nor tissue types; however, 6.0–8.7× more DNA was recovered from Slimy Sculpin caudal fins than from muscle tissue. Extraction protocol had mixed effects on DNA purity; the wash protocol outperformed the no-wash protocol for Slimy Sculpin and Brown Trout, but the reverse was true for the lamprey. Purer DNA was recovered from the caudal fins; however, fragment lengths were generally greater from muscle tissue for both ray-finned species. Conclusion Our results suggest that the best tissue for sampling may depend on the quality metric considered most important for a study's objectives and that omitting time-consuming tissue wash steps can yield DNA of quantity and quality comparable to DNA from more complex methods. Regardless of species, the DNA extracted from most samples using both protocols met quantity and quality thresholds that are likely to result in short-read sequencing success. These results provide optimism for unlocking the wealth of genetic information in natural history collections for use in fisheries management and conservation genomics.

Development of a Comprehensive Quality Evaluation System for Foxtail Millet from Different Ecological Regions.

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) is a critical grain with high nutritional value and the potential for increased production in arid and semiarid regions. The foxtail millet value chain can be upgraded only by ensuring its comprehensive quality. Thus, samples were collected from different production areas in Shanxi province, China, and compared in terms of quality traits. We established a quality evaluation system utilizing multivariate statistical analysis. The results showed that the appearance, nutritional content, and culinary value of foxtail millet produced in different ecological regions varied substantially. Different values of amino acids (DVAACs), alkali digestion values (ADVs), and total flavone content (TFC) had the highest coefficients of variation (CVs) of 50.30%, 39.75%, and 35.39%, respectively. Based on this, a comprehensive quality evaluation system for foxtail millet was established, and the quality of foxtail millet produced in the five production areas was ranked in order from highest to lowest: Dingxiang > Zezhou > Qinxian > Xingxian > Yuci. In conclusion, the ecological conditions of Xinding Basin are favorable for ensuring the comprehensive quality of foxtail millet. .

Physicochemical Properties and Tissue Structure of High Kernel Elongation Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Varieties as Affected by Heat Treatment.

Heat treatment could affect the structure and properties of rice varieties. The present study was conducted in order to determine the effects of heat treatment on the physicochemical properties and tissue structure of Mahsuri Mutan, Basmati 370 and MR219 rice varieties. The three rice varieties were subjected to heat treatment (ageing) at 90 °C, using an oven, for 3 h. After the heat treatment, the samples were cooled at room temperature (25 °C) for 1 h. Physicochemical properties, such as alkali digestion value, water uptake ratio, solids in cooking water, high kernel elongation ratio and amylose contents, were determined. The procedure used in determining both apparent and absolute amylose involved measuring the iodine affinity of defatted whole starch. Ahigh-performance anion-exchange chromatograph was used to analyse branch chain length distribution of amylopectin quantitatively. The starch structure of the rice samples was observed under a scanning electron microscope. Data collected on physicochemical traits, heat treatment and control (ageing and non-ageing) were subjected to an analysis of variance using SAS software version 9.4. In this study, Mahsuri Mutan and Basmati 370 showed superior high kernel elongation as compared to their respective rice progenies. This study also found that heat treatment directly affected the increasingly high kernel elongation for both populations. The phenotypic correlation co-efficient indicated that there was a high positive correlation between high kernel elongation and water uptake ratio, implying that selection for water uptake ratio would increase the high kernel elongation characteristic. The heat treatment showed significant difference in all the physicochemical traits of the varieties studied. Heat treatment also affected the very long branch chains of starch, such as amylose. Observation under an electron microscope showed that the samples subjected to heat treatment had more cracks on the tissue structure compared to normal rice samples. The hexagon structure in Mahsuri Mutan produced a greater elongation effect on its kernel. The findings from this study could be useful to breeders in the selection and development of a new high kernel elongation rice variety.

Microplastics in Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) from Antarctic region

Pollution of microplastics (MPs) has become a potential threat to Antarctic marine ecosystems. However, the occurrence of MPs in Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), a keystone species in Antarctic ecosystems, remains unclear. In this study, the abundance and characteristics of MPs were examined in Antarctic krill samples (n = 437) collected from two Antarctic regions. MPs were extracted using an alkali digestion method and analyzed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The mean abundance of MPs in Antarctic krill samples from the South Shetland Islands (n = 355) and the South Orkney Islands (n = 82) were 0.29 ± 0.14 and 0.20 ± 0.083 items/individual, respectively. >90 % of MPs found in Antarctic krill were < 150 μm in size. Fibers represented 77 % and 87 % of the MPs in Antarctic krill samples from the South Shetland Islands and the South Orkney Islands, respectively. Black, blue, and red were the predominant colors of MPs in Antarctic krill, accounting for 32 %, 22 %, and 21 % of the total MPs, respectively. Seven polymer compositions were identified for the MPs in Antarctic krill, with the predominance of polyethylene (37 % of total MPs), followed by polypropylene (22 %) and polyester (21 %). To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the occurrence of MPs in Antarctic krill samples. The results of this study are important for evaluating the risks of MP exposure in Antarctic krill.

Pulverization Is a Crucial Step-A Comparative Study of Different Pretreatments in Hair Drug Testing.

In forensic toxicology, hair has become a hot biological material for drug testing due to its wider detection window and noninvasive sampling process compared to traditional liquid biological materials (e.g., blood and urine). However, hair as a matrix differs from body fluids, as it is not as easily aliquoted for analysis. Nevertheless, pretreatment methods for hair detection have gradually improved from the first chemical methods, such as alkali digestion and acid hydrolysis, to now include the physical method of pulverization and further improvements beyond "pulverization" protocols. In a previous study, we updated and developed a "micropulverized extraction" method. In the present study, our aim was to gain a more complete understanding of the "micropulverized extraction" method by comparing pulverization temperature and hair particle size, as these two factors are known to influence the effectiveness of sample processing. The analytes we selected were those commonly encountered in traditional drug abuse cases: (±)-methamphetamine, (±)-amphetamine, morphine, 6-acetylmorphine, cocaine, benzoylecgonine, (--)-∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol, ketamine, (±)-norketamine and (±)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. The analysis method was liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Age related histological and cooking characteristics of rice

Experiments were conducted to study the effect of degree of polishing (under polished, well polished and over polished) and aging (0 to 180 days, at an interval of 30 days) on quality aspects of Pusa basmati variety of aromatic rice. An attempt has been made to investigate the histological and cooking quality changes occurring in rice, when stored for a period of six months. The cooking quality attributes considered were volume expansion ratio, kernel elongation ratio, solids loss, insoluble amylose content, alkali digestion value, gel consistency and aroma. Effect of degree of polishing on cooking quality changes was significant up to 8% of degree of polishing. With the progress of aging period, the kernel elongation ratio (24%) and volume expansion ratio (22%) increased while there was a reduction in solids loss (55%), alkali digestion score (32%) and gel consistency values (21%). The hot water insoluble fraction of amylose was found to be increased (33%) in aged rice which could be correlated with the desirable changes in cooking properties. The improvement in the cooking properties was faster during the initial three to four months of aging, thereafter the properties changed at a reduced rate. The changes were reflected more in well polished rice than that in under polished rice. A degree of milling more than 8% (over polished) did not influence these results to a great extent. The study concluded that hot water insoluble amylose content may be a major determinant of cooked rice properties as the structural changes show the increased number of large granules indicating decreased solubility.

Divergence Study of Rice (Oryza sativa L) Genotypes for Consumer-preferred Quality Traits

Aim: To study the divergence of forty rice genotypes for consumer-preferred eleven quality traits.&#x0D; Design, Place and Duration of the Study: The rice seeds were harvested from randomly selected plants grown in alpha lattice design with three replications during Kharif season (start in June and end in October) 2018 at Agricultural research farm, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi UP, India.&#x0D; Methodology: The data were analysed using biometrical tools - Mahalanobis D2 and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The studied traits include, - grain length, grain breadth, kernel length, length to breadth ratio, kernel breadth, kernel length after cooking, kernel breadth after cooking, elongation ratio, elongation index, amylose content and alkali digestion value.&#x0D; Results: Using Mahalanobis D2, all forty genotypes were distributed into six clusters. The maximum inter-cluster distance was recorded between Cluster II to cluster V (5.76), followed by cluster V and cluster III (5.71), and cluster II and cluster VI (5.57) which indicated the existence of high genetic diversity among genotypes in these clusters and, therefore, crosses between the genotypes of these clusters could yield desirable transgressive isolates for desirable quality traits and the importance of the genotypes present in these clusters for exploiting heterosis for the desirable traits of these clusters. The PCA indicates that the five principal components (PC) captured almost 90% of variability present among the 40 rice genotypes.&#x0D; Conclusion: The genotypes belonging to Cluster II to cluster V, followed by cluster V and cluster III, and cluster II and cluster VI, can be used for making crosses as they have higher mean values for quality traits and higher inter-cluster distance for greater diversity.

Analysis of Microplastics in Aquatic Shellfish by Pyrolysis–Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry after Alkali Digestion and Solvent Extraction

Microplastics are harmful to both marine life and humans. Herein, a pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) technique for the detection of microplastics in aquatic shellfish is demonstrated. The organic matter in aquatic shellfish was removed by alkali digestion. Subsequently, using hexafluoroisopropanol as the extraction solvent, the extraction method was optimized. The influence of the digestion process on the nature of microplastics was investigated by analyzing the samples before and after the alkali treatment via infrared spectrometry, laser particle sizing, and scanning electron microscopy. Spiked recovery experiments and an analysis of actual samples were performed using PA6 and PA66 as analytes. A quantitative analysis of the characteristic ion fragment produced by high-temperature cracking was performed after chromatographic separation and mass spectrometry identification. The linear range of this method for PA6 and PA66 was 2–64 μg. The limits of detection of PA6 and PA66 were 0.2 and 0.6 μg, while the limits of quantitation were 0.6 and 2.0 μg, respectively. Recovery ranged from 74.4 to 101.62%, with a precision of 4.53–7.56%. The results suggest that the Py-GC/MS technique is suitable for the analysis and detection of trace microplastics in aquatic shellfish.

Factors Affecting the Detection of Hexavalent Chromium in Cr-Contaminated Soil

The alkali digestion pretreatment method in the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Method 3060A could underestimate the content of Cr(VI) in Cr-contaminated soils, especially for soils mixed with chromite ore processing residue (COPR), which leads to a misjudgment of the Cr(VI) level in soils after remediation, causing secondary pollution to the environment. In this study, a new pretreatment method to analyze Cr(VI) concentration in contaminated soils was established. The impacts of soil quality, particle size, alkali digestion time and the rounds of alkali digestion on Cr(VI) detection in contaminated soils was explored and the alkali digestion method was optimized. Compared with USEPA Method 3060A, the alkaline digestion time was prolonged to 6 h and multiple alkali digestion was employed until the amount of Cr(VI) in the last extraction was less than 10% of the total amount of Cr(VI). Because Cr(VI) in COPR is usually embedded in the mineral phase structure, the hydration products were dissolved and Cr(VI) was released gradually during the alkaline digestion process. The amount of Cr(VI) detected showed high correlation coefficients with the percentage of F1 (mild acid-soluble fraction), F2 (reducible fraction) and F4 (residual fraction). The Cr(VI) contents detected by the new alkaline digestion method and USEPA Method 3060A showed significant differences for soil samples mixed with COPR due to their high percentage of residual fraction. This new pretreatment method could quantify more than 90% of Cr(VI) in Cr-contaminated soils, especially those mixed with COPR, which proved to be a promising method for Cr(VI) analysis in soils, before and after remediation.

Assessment of Changes in Corn Husk Fibres after Acid Treatment

Sustainability is desirable in any activity, including farming. Adding value to agricultural wastes such as stover (waste from corn cultivation) would provide financial benefits to farmers while reducing the environmental load of disposal. The literature identifies stover as being a raw material for bio-ethanol and a reinforcement for composites. Fibre from corn husks is generally extracted using an alkali digestion method followed optionally by enzymatic degradation. In this study, acid treatment was investigated for its feasibility to improve the desirable characteristics of alkali extracted corn husk fibres. The results revealed that increasing the acid concentration decreased fibre properties such as average fibre length, linear density and elongation at break. However, breaking tenacity achieved a maximum value, on treatment with 7.5 g/l sulfuric acid, before decreasing. These properties indicate the treatment’s adequacy for use in textile products. Acid treatment did not significantly alter thermo-gravimetric analysis values, indicating that the fibre could withstand wet processing conditions.

Extraction of Thorium Oxide (ThO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;) from Malaysian Monazite through Alkali Digestion: Physical and Chemical Characterization Using X-Ray Analysis

Extraction of thorium oxide (ThO2) from monazite mineral specifically from Perak, Malaysia become a bright opportunity for the new income generation in Malaysia eventhough it is involved complex processing routes and require variety of chemicals. Monazite that is known as monazite-(Ce)-PO4 minerals, not just contain thorium, but it also consist rare earth elements (REE) such as cerium (Ce), neodymium (Nd), lanthanum (La) and gadolinium (Gd) and also associated with thorium (Th) and uranium (U) at about 7 wt% and 0.2 wt% respectively. One of the challenges in this R&amp;D work is to determine the presence of thorium, uranium and REE at each processing step due to its similarities of chemical composition and physical properties. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to use several x-ray characterization techniques to identify elemental composition obtained at each processing route to show the evidence of the presence of ThO2 extracted from Malaysia monazite. This paper focused on the use of wavelength dispersive x-ray fluorescence (WDXRF), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) with energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrometer to show evidence of ThO2 formation. Result shows that the final product contain of 85 wt% of ThO2 and it is thorianite with nanorod morphology. Thus, conforming that the feasibility of the current processing route to produce ThO2 from Malaysia monazite.

Pollution Status and Dietary Exposure Assessments of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Animal Food from a Typical Area in Hubei Province

To know the contamination level and composition characteristics of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in animal food (aquatic food, egg food, meat food) produced in a typical area of Hubei Province, and to evaluate the exposure risk of local standard man consuming PFASs from animal food, taking the animal food (aquatic food, egg food, meat food, dairy product) consumed by residents in a typical area of Hubei Province as the research object, the pretreatment method (alkali digestion and solid phase extraction with small column purification) combined with high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was established. The concentrations of 14 kinds of PFASs in animal food were determined. The exposure risk of local adult men to PFASs from food of animal origin was assessed by referring to the consumption of various kinds of food, standard human body weight and the dose value of European Food Safety Authority in the fifth China total dietary survey. The results showed that the recoveries of 14 kinds of PFASs were in the range of 81%~120%. And the relative standard deviations (RSD) were in the range of 2.71%~12.28%. The correlation coefficient (R2) was greater than 0.994 in the concentration range of 0.1~20 ng/g. The limit of detection was 0.003 ng/g, and the limit of quantification was 0.01 ng/g. PFASs contamination was widespread in animal food in Hubei Province. The detection rate of 5 kinds of PFASs in aquatic food reached 100%, and the total PFASs concentration in aquatic food ranged from 0.381 to 75.114 ng/g, with an average of 8.655 ng/kg. The detection rate of 6 kinds of PFASs in egg foods reached 100%, and the total PFASs content in egg foods ranged from 1.090 to 7.581 ng/g, with an average of 4.163 ng/g. The detection rate of 1 kinds of PFASs in meat samples reached 100%. The total PFASs content in local meat products ranged from 0.306 to 2.512 ng/g, with an average of 0.742 ng/g. In addition, the concentration level and residual characteristics of PFASs in different kinds of animal foods were different. This was the median concentration of ∑PFASS in aquatic products: silver carp (11.680 ng/g)>Channa argus (2.156 ng/g)>crucian carp (1.766 ng/g)>bream (1.216 ng/g)>grass carp (0.754 ng/g). This was the median concentration of ∑PFASs in eggs: chicken eggs (6.049 ng/g)> duck eggs (2.514 ng/g). This was the median concentration of ∑PFASs in meat: beef (0.765 ng/g)>duck meat(0.665 ng/g)>chicken (0.547 ng/g) >pork (0.535 ng/g). From the perspective of dairy products, the median of ∑PFASs in yogurt was 0.138 ng/g. It was estimated that the harm index of PFOS in aquatic food and egg food was greater than 1 for a local standard person. These were potentially harmful to the local population.