Inorganic Elemental Composition Research Articles

Experimental evaluation and numerical comparisons of pine tree leaves, graphene oxide loaded, and E-glass fiber reinforced sandwich composites

The research aim is to develop pure epoxy composites (PEC), PTL-reinforced epoxy composites (PTLEC), PTL-loaded and E-glass fiber- incorporated epoxy composites (PTLEIEC), and PTL- and E-glass fabric and graphene oxide-incorporated epoxy composites (PTLEIEGO) were fabricated through an open molding hand layup technique, and structural, mechanical, and thermal stability were carried out and results were compared. Functional groups such as OH, -C-H, C=O, C=C, and C-OH, were found in PTL. Similarly, the OH, C-H, Si-O-Si, C=O, and C-H present in the PTLEIEGO composites were found through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The crystal plane orientations (110) and (220) in the PTLEIEGO composites were found through XRD. The surface morphology and elemental compositions of PTLEIEGO composites were found through field emissions electron microscopy (FESEM) and found the presence of different organic and inorganic elemental compositions such as C, O, Si, Ca, Zn, K, and Br as 77.85, 20.78, 0.33, 0.45, 0.05, 0.05, and 0.50 wt.% through energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The DSC and TGA were carried out and found the thermal stability of the composites and the onset melting temperature was found to 353.1˚ C. The maximum tensile strength of PTL, PEC, PTLEC, PTLEIEC, and PTLEIEGO composites was found to be 1.25 MPa, 25 ± 0.5 MPa, 55 ± 0.5 MPa, 93 ± 0.5 MPa, and 120 ± 0.5 MPa as per ASTM D 638. The tensile strength was improved from 1.25 MPa for PTL to 120 ± 0.5 MPa for PTLEIEGO. The FEM results revealed a minimum error of 0 % and a maximum error of 21.38 % compared to the experimental results. The maximum shore D hardness of PEC, PTLEC, PTLEIEC, and PTLEIEGO composites was found to be 55 ± 0.5 SHN, 59 ± 0.5 SHN, 76.1 ± 0.5 SHN, and 81.4 ± 0.5 SHN, respectively, as per ASTM D2240. The flexural strengths of PEC, PTLEC, PTLEIEC, and PTLEIGO composites were found to be 37 ± 0.5 MPa, 43 ± 0.5 MPa, 94 ± 0.5 MPa, and 131 ± 0.5 MPa, respectively, as per ASTM D 790. The new composites would be employed in low-strength structural applications such as panels, cabins, doors, and laptop stands. Highlights The tensile strength of PTL, PEC, PTLEC, PTLEIEC, and PTLEIEGO were found to be 1.25, 25 ± 0.5, 55 ± 0.5, 93 ± 0.5, and 120 ± 0.5 MPa, respectively. The tensile strength of the experimental results was compared with FEM results. The shore D hardness of PEC, PTLEC, PTLEIEC, and PTLEIGO was determined to be 55 ± 0.5, 59 ± 0.5, 76.1 ± 0.5, and 81. 4 ± 0.5 SHN, respectively. The novel composite would be employed in low-strength structural applications such as panels, cabins, doors, and laptop stands.

Sustainable Electrolytes: Design Principles and Recent Advances.

Today, rechargeable batteries are omnipresent and essential for our existence. In order to improve the electrochemical performance of electric fields, the introduction of electrolytes with fluorine (F)-based inorganic elemental compositions is a direction of exploration. However, most fluorocarbons have a high global warming potential and ozone depletion potential, which do not meet the sustainability requirements of the battery industry. Therefore, developing sustainable electrolytes is a viable option for future battery development. Although researchers have made much progress in electrolyte optimization, little attention has been paid to developing low-toxic and safe electrolytes. This review aims to elucidate the design principles and recent advances in this direction for solvents and salts. It concludes with a summary and outlook on future research directions for the molecular design of green electrolytes for practical high-voltage rechargeable batteries.

Tracing the Late Quaternary coastal evolution of Central Kerala, India, around the lost ancient port Muziris using multi-proxy study of the sedimentary archives

The Central Kerala coast in Southwest India serves as a valuable natural archive for studies of the Late Quaternary coastal evolution, palaeoclimate, and maritime trades. The coast is an archeologically and culturally significant region in South India, located in the mouth of the longest river in Kerala, the Periyar River. The riverbank of the Periyar at its mouth is believed to host the ancient port Muziris, whose remnants are found in the areas around where the Periyar River joins the Arabian Sea. Sea level oscillations and climate variabilities in the past have played a pivotal role in the destruction of the Muziris port. Recent excavations unearthed many artifacts from nearby areas of the river confluence; however, the exact location of the port remains unresolved. The present study is an attempt to trace out the coastal evolutionary processes and palaeoclimatic conditions that prevailed in the area during the Late Quaternary period using three drilled cores retrieved from this stretch of the coastal lands. A multi-proxy approach, combining geochemical, mineralogical, palynological, and geochronological tools was used in the study. The Holocene deposit in the study area is composed mainly of sand and clay-dominant sediments that fall within an age range of 1.1–8.1 cal kyr BP, whereas the underlying sedimentary sequence dates to a maximum of 31.5–37.9 cal kyr BP. The inorganic and organic elemental compositions, together with the textural and palynological attributes, indicate that Holocene sedimentation occurred here under fluctuating environmental conditions with significant changes in climate and sea level positions. The upper part of this section bears the signature of the humid depositional environment that prevailed during the Late Holocene when sand-dominated sediments were deposited and brought in under the influence of longshore drift. The sediments from the lower part of the section carry the signature of the Holocene transgression when deposition took place under submerged conditions with considerable marine influence but receiving significant terrestrial inputs. The study highlights the location of the historically significant lost ancient port of Muziris at Kodungallur near the mouth of the Periyar River. A three-fold evolutionary model proposed for the coastal segment revealed that the location of the Muziris port was part of the Periyar River near Kodungallur, as mentioned by the historians, and the settlement near Pattanam may be considered a satellite township of the ancient Muziris port.

Multi-elemental composition of botanical preparations and probabilistic evaluation of toxic metals and metalloids intake upon dietary exposure

The aim of this study was to evaluate the inorganic elemental composition (49 elements) of 29 botanical preparations obtained from fruits, leaves, peels, seeds, roots, fungi, and spirulina by using inductively coupled-mass spectrometry and a mercury analyzer. Simultaneously, the risk associated with the chronic dietary exposure to 12 toxic metals and metalloids among the European population was evaluated by using a probabilistic approach based on Monte Carlo simulations. The analysis revealed worrying intake levels of Al, As, and Ni, primarily stemming from the consumption of spirulina-, peel-, and leaf-based botanicals by younger age groups. The intake of As from all analyzed botanicals posed a significant risk for infants, yielding margins of exposure (MOEs) below 1, while those deriving from peel-based botanicals raised concerns across all age groups (MOEs = 0.04–2.3). The consumption of peel-based botanicals contributed substantially (13–130%) also to the tolerable daily intake of Ni for infants, toddlers, and children, while that of spirulina-based botanicals raised concerns related to Al intake also among adults, contributing to 11–176% of the tolerable weekly intake of this element. The findings achieved underscore the importance of implementing a monitoring framework to address chemical contamination of botanicals, thus ensuring their safety for regular consumers.

Degradation effects of dietary solvents on microhardness and inorganic elements of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing dental composites

BackgroundComputer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) dental composites were introduced with superior mechanical properties than conventional dental composites. However, little is known on effects of dietary solvents on microhardness or inorganic elemental composition of CAD/CAM composites.ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to evaluate the degradation effects of each dietary solvent on the microhardness of the different CAD/CAM dental composites and to observe the degradation effects of dietary solvent on the inorganic elements of the dental composites investigated.MethodsFifty specimens with dimensions 12 mm x 14 mm x 1.5 mm were prepared for direct composite (Filtek Z350 XT [FZ]), indirect composite (Shofu Ceramage [CM]), and three CAD/CAM composites (Lava Ultimate [LU], Cerasmart [CS], and Vita Enamic [VE]). The specimens were randomly divided into 5 groups (n = 10) and conditioned for 1-week at 37°C in the following: air (control), distilled water, 0.02 N citric acid, 0.02 N lactic acid and 50% ethanol-water solution. Subsequently, the specimens were subjected to microhardness test (KHN) using Knoop hardness indenter. Air (control) and representative postconditioning specimens with the lowest mean KHN value for each material were analyzed using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Statistical analysis was done using one-way ANOVA and post hoc Bonferroni test at a significance level of p = 0.05.ResultsMean KHN values ranged from 39.7 ± 2.7 kg/mm2 for FZ conditioned in 50% ethanol-water solution to 79.2 ± 3.4 kg/mm2 for VE conditioned in air (control). With exception to LU, significant differences were observed between materials and dietary solvents for other dental composites investigated. EDX showed stable peaks of the inorganic elements between air (control) and representative postconditioning specimens.ConclusionsThe microhardness of dental composites was significantly affected by dietary solvents, except for one CAD/CAM composite [LU]. However, no changes were observed in the inorganic elemental composition of dental composites between air (control) and 1-week postconditioning.

Physio-chemical and Thermal Characterization of Demineralized Poultry Litter using Mechanical Sizing Fractioning, Acid Solvents, and Deionized Water

Poultry litter is an organic waste composed of manure, feathers, and bedding, containing both organic and inorganic elements. Inorganic elements corrode and agglomerate the reactors when poultry litter is thermally converted to biochar, bio-oil or combusted. Demineralizing poultry litter through mechanical size fractioning, acid solvent, and deionized water can decrease the inorganic elements' composition. This study investigates to identify the effects of different demineralization methods on the physio-chemical and thermal characteristics of poultry litter. Statistical analysis (p-value of 0.001) showed that the pretreatment methods reduced the inorganic elements. Mechanically fractioned poultry litter with particle sizes of 1.19-2.36mm and 2.37-5.00mm showed a low inorganic element composition of 7.85% and 9.19% when demineralized. The acid solvent and PL:DI treatments varied their extraction effectiveness depending on the type of inorganic element removed, ranging from 9.65-11.73% of the total inorganic element composition. PL:AcOH treatment had the lowest ash content at 6.89% from 12.33%. Mechanical size fractioned samples had the lowest moisture content, ranging from 2.53% to 4.65%. All the samples had high fixed carbon content except for PL:<1.18mm sample. Volatile matter for PL: AcOH, PL: DI, and PL:2.37-5.00mm samples were higher than the UT: PL and other treated samples. The treated samples noted a low C, high O, S, N, H/C, and O/C and comparable H content with UT: PL sample. Removal of inorganic elements increased the sample's high heating value, with the PL:2.37-5.00mm sample having the highest at 17.60 MJ Kg-1. The FTIR spectra of the demineralized sample revealed a reduction in the transmittance band, indicating the decomposition of the cellulose and hemicellulose structures. TGA-DTG supported the findings by noting a shift in temperature increase with peak temperatures higher than UT: PL sample samples. The degradation occurred at temperatures up to 380°C, noting the degradation of the cellulose and hemicellulose structure of the demineralized poultry litter.

Precise in-situ detection of inorganic pigments in ancient architectural color paintings by HH-XRF

The handheld X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (HH-XRF) is commonly used to detect the inorganic elemental composition of pigments on-site. However, the accuracy of in-situ detection results can be affected by the characteristics of the painted surface contaminants and the layered structure of pigments in ancient architectural color paintings. To mitigate this error, a method was proposed that combined the XRF spectra of inorganic pigments with the elemental concentration values obtained through principal component analysis (PCA). Additionally, this study discussed the typical surface contaminants and pigment layering found in color paintings separately. Firstly, experiments were conducted on dust accumulation layers of varying thicknesses. The results indicated that the condition of color paintings after pretreatment of dust accumulation tended to resemble the situation with thin dust accumulation during in-situ testing. A fitting formula was derived to establish a relationship between field testing and laboratory testing results. Secondly, experiments were conducted using various combinations of pigment layers. Based on the findings, it was hypothesized that there was a connection between XRF detection results and the maximum concentration value of a single element (as determined by XRF, in an unmixed or unlayered pigment sample without dust or smoke accumulation). The test results were fitted using a Polynomial formula, providing evidence for the existence of a nonlinear functional relationship between these two variables. Finally, an empirical formula for predicting the concentration values of the top color layer with different base colors was proposed. This study offered a precise method for accurately assessing pigments of ancient architectural color paintings through in-situ testing.

Composition and bioaccessibility of inorganic elements in plant-based yogurts

This study aimed to evaluate the composition of inorganic elements as well as their bioaccessibility in commercial plant-based yogurt. The samples were mineralized using fast ultrasound-assisted acid digestion, and the inorganic elements were determined by ICP-MS. The method was validated according to the INMETRO guide, with recoveries from 99% to 111%; precision from 2% to 14%, and LOQ ranging from 0.4 µg/100 g to 2.5 mg/100 g. The element concentrations (mg/100 g) of the plant-based yogurts were Ca(<LOQ-239.90); Cu(<LOQ-0.16); Fe (0.07–1.48); K(27.0–226.4); Mg(3.72–23.9); Mn(0.05–0.34); Na(2.77–165.3); P(7.80–189.6); Zn(<LOQ-1.06), and Se (<LOQ-2.18 µg/100 g). In turn, the animal-based yogurts contained only Ca, K, Mg, Na, Zn, and Se. The bioaccessible Ca was higher in animal-based yogurt (41%), while the bioaccessible fraction of Mn(30%), Cu(25–61%), and Fe(9–33%) was only quantified in the plant-based yogurts. Regarding the trace elements, some samples showed bioaccessibility above 50% for Cr, Ni, Mo, Ba, and Co, while the animal-based yogurts showed bioaccessibility only for Mo(71%). Despite the variation in the mineral contents of plant-based yogurts, the bioaccessibility was similar to that of animal-based yogurt. The bioaccessible fraction (>50%) demonstrates the importance of knowing the composition of plant-based foods to ensure the safety and health of consumers despite the lower contents of the trace elements.

Toxic inorganic elements in plant-based beverages: Total concentration, dietary exposure and bioaccessibility

The growing demand in the plant-based beverages market has shown the need to carry out studies on the composition of inorganic elements. Thus, this study evaluated the presence of 11 elements with toxic potential in plant-based beverages marketed in Brazil using ICP-MS, including a dietary exposure assessment and determination of bioaccessibility. The total contents were Al (<200–15350), Cr (<4–66.5), Co (<4–30.6), Ni (6.1–437), As (<4–6.43), Mo (<4–591), Cd (<4–8.24), Ba (11.6–16110) and Pb (<4–7.2) µg kg-1, while Sb and Hg were below the LOQ (4 µg kg-1) for all samples. The levels of Cd, Pb and As are in agreement with the limits established by the Codex Alimentarius and the Brazilian authorities. The exposure assessment demonstrated that risks to health are unlikely for the elements Al, Cr, Co, As, Cd and Pb. However, higher levels of Ni, Mo and Ba observed in some samples indicate a need for monitoring these elements. Bioaccessibility above 50% was observed for Co (51–107%) and Ni (54–86%) for all samples studied, reinforcing the need for caution in the consumption of these products, especially by children. The present results can be a relevant tool in providing data on inorganic contaminants and their bioaccessibility in plant-based beverages.

Examining the inorganic elemental composition of lobster phyllosoma (Panulirus ornatus) with X-ray fluorescence microscopy.

The ornate spiny rock lobster, Panulirus ornatus, is an attractive candidate for aquaculture. The larval stages of spiny lobsters, known as phyllosoma, are complex with many developmental stages. Very little is known about the inorganic element composition of phyllosoma. In this study, a novel method using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) was applied to investigate the distributions of metals potassium (K), calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), the metalloid arsenic (As), and nonmetal bromine (Br) within individual phyllosoma at stages 3, 4, and 8 of their development. For the first time, 1µm resolution synchrotron XFM images of whole phyllosoma as well as closer examinations of their eyes, mouths, setae, and tails were obtained. Elements accumulated in certain locations within phyllosoma, providing insight into their likely biological role for these organisms. This information may be useful for the application of dietary supplementation in the future to closed larval cycle lobster aquaculture operations.

Variability in the inorganic composition of colored acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene and polylactic acid filaments used in 3D printing.

Fused filament fabrication is a 3D printing technique that has gained widespread use from homes to schools to workplaces. Thermoplastic filaments, such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and polylactic acid (PLA), are extruded at temperatures near their respective glass transition temperature or melting point, respectively. Little has been reported on the inorganic elemental composition and concentrations present in these materials or the methods available for extracting that information. Because inorganic constituents may be included in the aerosolized particulates emitted during the printing process, identifying elements that could be present and at what specific concentrations is critical. The objective of the current research is to determine the range of metals present in thermoplastic filaments along with their relative abundance and chemical speciation as a function of polymer type, manufacturer, and color. A variety of filaments from select manufacturers were digested using a range of techniques to determine the optimal conditions for metal extraction from ABS and PLA polymers. The extraction potential for each method was quantified using by ICP-MS analysis. When possible, further characterization of the chemical composition of the filaments was investigated using X-ray Absorption spectroscopy to determine chemical speciation of the metal. Optimal digestion conditions were established using a high temperature, high pressure microwave-assisted acid digestion method to produce the most complete and repeatable extraction results. The composition and abundance of metals in the filaments varied greatly as a function of polymer, manufacturer, and color. Potential elements of concern present in the filaments at elevated concentration included that could pose a respiratory risk included Si, Al, Ti, Cu, Zn, and Sn. XAS analysis revealed a mixture of metal oxides, mineral, and organometallic compounds were present in the filaments that were being used to increase opaqueness impart color (dyes), polymeric catalysts, and flame retardants. This work shows that a variety of metals are present in the starting materials used for 3D printing and depending on their partitioning into 3D printed products and byproducts as well as the exposure route, may pose a health risk which merits further investigation.

Composition of inorganic elements in fine particulate matter emitted during surface fire in relation to moisture content of forest floor combustibles

The moisture content of combustible material on the forest floor is constantly changing due to environmental factors, which have a direct impact on the composition and emission intensity of particulate matter released during fire. In this study, an indoor biomass combustion analysis device was used to analyze the emission characteristics of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from combustion of herbaceous combustible materials with different moisture contents (0%, 15%, and 30%). The composition of inorganic elements in PM2.5 (Zn, K, Mg, Ca, and other 13 measurable elements) were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The results showed that the PM2.5 emission factor increased significantly with the increase of moisture content of combustible materials in the range of 11.63 ± 0.55 for dry samples to 36.71 ± 1.21 g/kg for samples with 30% moisture content. The main elemental components of PM2.5 were K, Zn, Ca, Mg, and Na and K, Ca, Mg, and Na emission factors increased with the increase of moisture content of combustibles. The proportion of macronutrients in PM2.5 released by combustion of each herb increased as the moisture content increased, but the proportion of trace elements gradually decreased. There was a good correlation between elemental composition of PM2.5 and that of herbaceous combustibles. The results provide evidence that the moisture content of combustible materials has a significant effect on the emission of inorganic elements in particulate matter, and hence cautions should be exercised during fuel reduction treatments, such as early prescribed fire.

Development of an Integrated Platform to Assess the Physicochemical and Toxicological Properties of Wood Combustion Particulate Matter.

Wood burning contributes to indoor and ambient particulate matter (PM) pollution and has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Here, we present an integrated methodology that allows to generate, sample, and characterize wood smoke derived from different moisture contents and representative combustion conditions using pine wood as a model. Flaming, smoldering, and incomplete combustion were assessed for low-moisture pine, whereas both low-moisture pine and high-moisture pine were investigated under flaming conditions. Real-time monitoring of carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and aerosol number concentration/size in wood smoke was performed. The PM was size-fractionated, sampled, and characterized for elemental/organic carbon, organic functional groups, and inorganic elements. Bioactivity of PM was assessed by measuring the sterile alpha motif (SAM) pointed domain containing ETS (E-twenty-six) transcription factor (SPDEF) gene promoter activity in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK-293T) cells, a biomarker for mucin gene expression. Findings showed that moisture content and combustion condition significantly affected the organic and inorganic elemental composition of PM0.1 as well as its bioactivity. Also, for a given moisture and combustion scenario, PM chemistry and bioactivity differed considerably with PM size. Importantly, PM0.1 from flaming combustion of low-moisture pine contained the highest abundance of the oxygenated saturated aliphatic functional group [H-C-O] and was also biologically most potent in stimulating SPDEF promoter activity, suggesting the role of organic compounds such as carbohydrates and sugar alcohols (that contain [H-C-O]) in driving mucus-related respiratory outcomes. Our platform enables further well-controlled parametric studies using a combination of in vitro and in vivo approaches to link wood burning parameters with acute and chronic inhalation health effects of wood smoke.

Physicochemical and toxicological properties of wood smoke particulate matter as a function of wood species and combustion condition

Wood burning is a major source of ambient particulate matter (PM) and has been epidemiologically linked to adverse pulmonary health effects, however the impact of fuel and burning conditions on PM properties has not been investigated systematically. Here, we employed our recently developed integrated methodology to characterize the physicochemical and biological properties of emitted PM as a function of three common hardwoods (oak, cherry, mesquite) and three representative combustion conditions (flaming, smoldering, incomplete). Differences in PM and off-gas emissions (aerosol number/mass concentrations; carbon monoxide; volatile organic compounds) as well as inorganic elemental composition and organic carbon functional content of PM0.1 were noted between wood types and combustion conditions, although the combustion scenario exerted a stronger influence on the emission profile. More importantly, flaming combustion PM0.1 from all hardwoods significantly stimulated the promoter activity of Sterile Alpha Motif (SAM) pointed domain containing ETS (E-twenty-six) Transcription Factor (SPDEF) in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK-293 T) cells, a biomarker for mucin gene expression associated with mucus production in pulmonary diseases. However, no bioactivity was observed for smoldering and incomplete combustion, which was likely driven by differences in the organic composition of PM0.1. Detailed chemical speciation of organic components of wood smoke is warranted to identify the individual compounds that drive specific biological responses.

Spatial and seasonal trends of trace metals in the surficial sediments from off Kochi - Geochemistry and environmental implications.

Fifty four sediment samples representing pre and post-monsoon seasons were collected along a transect from off Kochi, lying between the latitudes 9°57'59.5″-9°54'30.4″ and longitudes 76°11'7.04″-75°38'50.3″ of the South eastern Arabian Sea. The present study investigates the levels of trace metals (Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu, Fe, Ni, Mn, Co and Cr), total organic carbon (TOC), total inorganic carbon (TIC), elemental composition and grain size to assess the extent of environmental pollution and to discuss the distribution of these trace metals in the surficial sediments. Sediment pollution assessment was done using the Contamination factor (C.F), Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), Enrichment Factor (EF), and Pollution Load Index (PLI). The majority of trace metals analysed in this study exhibited the highest concentrations at stations 1, 2 and 3 where the land-based anthropogenic input was found to be maximum.

Revealing the Chemical Profiles of Airborne Particulate Matter Sources in Lake Baikal Area: A Combination of Three Techniques

Positive matrix factorization (PMF) is a widely used multivariate source apportionment technique. However, PMF-derived source profiles are never compared to real ones because of the absence of data on the chemical composition of source emissions. The aim of this study was to verify the validity of PMF-derived source profiles using the diagnostic ratios (DR) method and end-member mixing analysis (EMMA). The composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in particulate matter (PM) sampled in the air above Lake Baikal in summer and the composition of inorganic elements (IE) in PM accumulated in Lake Baikal snowpack were used as study objects. Five PAH sources and five IE sources were identified using PMF. Eight PAHs and six IEs selected from PMF-derived source profiles were recognized as eligible for calculating the DRs (species 1/(species 1 + species 2)) suitable for testing PMF results using EMMA. EMMA was based on determining whether most samples in mixing diagrams that use DR values as coordinates of source points could be bound by a geometrical shape whose vertices are pollution sources. It was found that the four PAH sources and four IE sources obtained using PMF were also identified using EMMA. Thus, the validity of the most of PMF-derived source profiles was proved.

Composition of Inorganic Elements in Fine Particulate Matter Emitted During Surface Fire in Relation to Moisture Content of Forest Floor Combustibles

Composition of Inorganic Elements in Fine Particulate Matter Emitted During Surface Fire in Relation to Moisture Content of Forest Floor Combustibles

Content and distribution of inorganic elements in Laminaria japonica based on ICP-MS and Micro-XRF

In order to evaluate the composition and distribution characteristics of inorganic elements in Laminaria japonica, this study employed inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS) to detect the inorganic elements and used high performance liquid chromatography tandem ICP-MS(HPLC-ICP-MS) to determine the content of different arsenic species in L. japonica from diffe-rent origins. Micro X-ray fluorescence(Micro-XRF) was used to determine micro-area distribution of inorganic elements in L. japonica. The results showed that the average content of Mn, Fe, Sr, and Al was high, and that of As and Cr exceeded the limits of the national food safety standard. According to the results of HPLC-ICP-MS, arsenobetaine(AsB) was the main species of As contained in L. japonica. The more toxic inorganic arsenic accounts for a small proportion, whereas its content was 1-4 times of the limit in the national food safety standard. The results of Micro-XRF showed that As, Pb, Fe, Cu, Mn, and Ni were mainly distributed on the surface of L. japonica. Among them, As and Pb had a clear tendency to diffuse from the surface to the inside. The results of the study can provide a basis for the processing as well as the medicinal and edible safety evaluation of L. japonica.

Industrial potential of Bacaba (Oenocarpus bacaba) in powder: antioxidant activity, spectroscopic and morphological behavior

The objective of this research was to analyze the industrial potential of a bacaba powder (Oenocarpus bacaba) obtained by different drying methods, evaluating antioxidant activity, spectroscopic and morphological behavior and addition to the composition of inorganic elements. The content of anthocyanins, flavonoids and carotenoids of each powder were determined as well as the total phenolic compounds. The structure of the granules of the powder were visualized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the elemental composition was attained by the X-ray spectroscopic energy dispersive system (EDS). The data suggest that the freeze-drying method is more efficient in obtaining the bacaba powder material. The increase in temperature applied in the convection drying process caused a reduction in the bioactive compound content and elements with antioxidant activity, it severely damaged the morphology of the plant membrane and influenced the composition of the spectral bands. Thus, this study indicates that the freezer-drying method could be particularly useful for obtaining bacaba powder in off-season periods, and that bacaba itself is a raw material that could be exploited by several industrial segments.

Overview of metalomics research and its application prospect in mineral Chinese medicine research

Metallomics is a frontier interdisciplinary subject at its vigorous development stage. Its goal is to systematically study the content, distribution, chemical species, structural characteristics and functions of metal elements in biological system. It is also a comprehensive discipline to study the existing state and function of free or complex metal elements in life. Metallomics is an ideal tool to study the biological behavior of inorganic elements, which can be used to solve many problems in the research of mineral Chinese medicine(MCM). It provides a strong theoretical basis and technical support for the research of MCM. Its theory and methods provide re-ference and enlightenment for the in-depth study of MCM, and also provide new ideas and open up new ways for the research of MCM. The application of metallomics theory and methods in the research of MCM is of great significance to reveal the material basis and mec-hanism of MCM, promote the process of basic research on MCM, fully exploit and utilize medicinal mineral resources and carry forward the traditional MCM treasure in China. In this paper, we introduced the concept, academic development, research content and research methods of metallomics, and discussed the application prospects of metallomics in the analysis of inorganic element composition characteristics and quality control, material basis and mechanism of MCM, so as to provide reference for further researches on MCM.