Ppm Nickel Research Articles

Fitoremediasi Air Tercemar Nikel (Ni) dan Merkuri (Hg) Menggunakan Tanaman Azolla filiculoides Lam.

Water pollution from settlements, agriculture, and industry is a significant issue, as it introduces pollutants like heavy metals into water bodies, harming both humans and aquatic ecosystems. Phytoremediation is a cost-effective, eco-friendly technology for reducing heavy metals in water bodies. This study aimed to assess Azolla filiculoides plants' ability to absorb heavy metals nickel and mercury. The plants were grown in a hydroponic solution contaminated with 0.25 ppm of nickel and 0.5 ppm of mercury. The growth of the plants was measured based on their wet and dry weight, and the nickel and mercury content in the plant tissue was analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). The study found that the growth of A. filiculoides plants was unaffected by the concentration of either nickel or mercury. The amount of nickel absorbed by the plants was 0 µg/g plant dry weight, while for mercury, it was 1654.82 µg/g. Based on the results, A. filiculoides plant is more promising for use as a phytoremediation agent for water bodies contaminated with mercury heavy metals rather than nickel heavy metals.

Effect of additional potassium and nickel on Hoagland solution combined with environmental condition for high antioxidants tomato production

Plant nutrient management and environmental conditions significantly affect plant growth, development and antioxidant contents. This research aims to identify the most effective plant nutrient management and environmental conditions for enhancing high-antioxidant tomato production. The Sweet Girl and Ranger tomato cultivars were evaluated for yield, fruit quality and antioxidant contents under 2 conditions: E1 (temperature ranging from 29 to 38 °C and relative humidity between 71–73 %) and E2 (temperature ranging from 32 to 36 °C and relative humidity between 75–80 %). These conditions were subjected to 6 different nutrient formulas, including Hoagland solution as control (H), H with 400 ppm potassium (H+K400), H with 300 ppm potassium (H+K300), H with 20 ppm nickel (H+Ni20), H with 10 ppm nickel (H+Ni10), H with 300 ppm potassium and 10 ppm nickel (H+K300+Ni10). The nutrient formulas did not yield significantly different results in terms of per-plant yields for the 2 cultivars. However, the H+K400 treatment showed notably higher lycopene contents, with increases of 1.2-fold for Ranger and 1.24-fold for Sweet Girl cultivars. Additionally, this treatment led to significant enhancements in total soluble solids (TSS) and ?-carotene content in the Sweet Girl cultivar, by 1.09-fold and 1.10-fold compared to the control respectively. Environment E2 provided more favorable conditions for achieving increased antioxidant tomato production, including improvements in fruit color index (red/yellow) by 1.11 to 1.18-fold, fruit firmness by 1.13 to 1.14-fold, TSS by 1.10 to 1.24-fold, lycopene by 1.98 to 2.45-fold and ?-carotene by 3.29 to 5.68-fold. Therefore, the H+K400 nutrient treatment and/or the E2 greenhouse conditions are recommended for producing high-antioxidant tomatoes, which have significant potential for fresh consumption or as materials for the nutraceutical or food industry.

Examining Soil Erodibility, Soil pH, and Heavy Metal Accumulation in a Nickel Ore Mine: A Case Study in Tubay, Agusan del Norte, Philippines

Mining activity always presents threats to soil and water pollution. As an extractive industry, it disturbs the ground and the biodiversity associated with soil and plants. Its operations have led to severe geological and environmental problems, including the depletion of land and water resources, geological dangers, and ecological landscape devastation that may have accelerated the desertification of mining areas. This case study analyzed the soil’s physical and chemical properties in a nickel laterite mine, including soil erodibility K factor, soil pH, and heavy metal accumulation, as a basis for establishing mine management protocol during and post-mining operations in Tubay, Agusan del Norte, Philippines. Results determined a slightly alkaline pH level. An estimate of soil erodibility ranging from 0.016 to 0.066 was determined using the USLE-K factor, with the highest erodibility at Mine 7, where % silt is high and % sand is lowest. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy was used to analyze soil samples. The findings show that Ni, Fe, Co, and Mn in the soil were above the WHO-permitted limits. The surface soil had mean values of 9,239 ppm for nickel, 302,618 ppm for iron, 639 ppm for cobalt, and 5,203 for manganese. Heavy metals in soil may be consumed by crops and pollute land and water.

Capillary Flow-Driven Microfluidics Combined with a Paper Device for Fast User-Friendly Detection of Heavy Metals in Water.

Human exposure to heavy metals is a concerning global problem because of its detrimental effect on our health and ecosystem. Assessing the levels of these metals is cost- and labor-intensive and nonuser friendly because current analysis approaches typically rely on heavy instrumentations like inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, which is only possible in centralized labs. Hence, simple economical detection methods are in high demand in developing countries and areas with insufficient infrastructure, professional experts, and appropriate environmental treatment. Several microfluidic paper-based analytical devices have been reported as promising alternatives to conventional testing methods for on-site heavy metal detection. Paper-based microfluidics are advantageous because of their simple fabrication, biodegradability, low cost, and ability to operate without pumps. However, typical assay times for current platforms are slow, and they typically rely on pipetting a fixed volume into the assay cards. This adds complexity in actual field scenarios. Here, we report a novel, inexpensive, and straightforward capillary-driven microfluidic device combined with paper for rapid and user-friendly detection of Ni(II), Cu(II), and Fe(III) in water. A colorimetric approach was adopted to quantify these metals. The device was able to produce a homogeneous color signal within 8 s of sample insertion. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were calculated to be 2 and 6.67 ppm for nickel, 0.3 and 1 ppm for Cu, and 1.1 and 3.67 ppm for Fe, respectively. The majority (>90%) of the collected samples showed recovery in the 80-110% range with acceptable accuracy and precision (<15% RSD) for a colorimetric device. This technique can be beneficial for rapidly assessing heavy metal exposure in drinking and surface water at drastically reduced assay time and is the first example of capillary flow-driven microfluidic devices as a transport medium for heavy metal detection.

Assessment of impact of nickel stress on the accumulation, pigments and protein content of water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes L.)

Pontederia crassipes L. plants were collected and exposed to different concentrations (Control, 0.01, 0.1, 1.0 and 10.0 ppm) of Ni by using NiSO4 in medium in the laboratory. The effect of Ni2+ concentrations on visible symptoms such as toxicity, pigments (Chlorophyll- a, b and total) contents were estimated. Plants exposed to high nickel (1.0 and 10.0 ppm) showed visible toxicity symptoms such as wilting, chlorosis in young leaves, browning of roots noticed after 6 days of treatment. Nickel was accumulated more in stem (651.1µg/g dry weight) than leaves (115.23 µg/g dry weight) at 6 days of treatment. Nickel exposure decreased Chlorophyll-a, b and total chlorophyll contents. Body water content decreased at high nickel (1.0 and 10.0 ppm). Increased nickel concentrations increases antioxidants such as proline content. On the other hand carotenoids and protein contents at 1.0 ppm of nickel were decreased. The low level of nickel stimulates photosynthetic pigments and antioxidative parameters.

Effect of sulfide and hydroxide on the removal of heavy metal ions from hydrometallurgical zinc effluent

ABSTRACT Heavy metals removal from Specialized Industrial Park of Zinc of Zanjan effluent was tested using sulfide, hydroxide, and the combination precipitation. The initial effluent includes 200 ppm of zinc, 55 ppm of cadmium, 113 ppm of manganese, 0.85 ppm cobalt, 0.65 ppm nickel, 0.2 ppm iron, and 0.55 ppm lead. Sulfide precipitation using Na2S as a sulfide source is inefficient in the precipitation of manganese except in high concentrations of sulfide, while hydroxide precipitation using lime is not successful in cadmium removal. Combining these two methods in one and two steps is helpful in the precipitation and settling of all heavy metal ions. The optimum temperature, pH, sulfide concentration, and time were determined. The concentration of zinc, cadmium, manganese, cobalt, nickel, and iron were reduced to 0.1, 0.1, 0.14, 0.23, 0.19, and 0.16 ppm, while lead was not detected in the solution in optimum condition. The experiments were repeated for effluent with higher amounts of lead, iron, and nickel, and its success in efficient removing of these ions is also confirmed. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images and X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns were used to study morphologies and structures of precipitation. The concentration of Na2S plays a crucial role in removal efficiency. Excess sulfide causes the increment of ions such as manganese in the solution and decrements the efficiency discussed in this research. The lower use of lime, almost no excess sulfide ions in solution, fast kinetics, and precipitating of a wide range of metal ions are some advantages of this method.

Radiographic presentation of artifactual dyed hair on lateral cephalograms, chemical processing, and forensic application: Novel case report

Forensic assessment employs an array of methods to identify human remains. Radiologic examinations with panoramic radiographs, computed tomography scans, Waters view, and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging may offer evidentiary clues in challenging cases, such as mass disasters. In these cases, alternative forensic tools are used to narrow lists of target victims using their biological features. This study aims to I) report on the unusual radiographic aspect of chemicals used for hair dyeing, and II) discuss the potential forensic application of this finding for human identification. The case depicts an asymptomatic 14-years-old female who presented for orthodontic therapy. During radiographic examination on a lateral cephalogram, numerous thin radiopaque streaks were visible, extending to the posterior neck between the occipital region of the skull base and vertebra C6. Clinical investigations revealed that these were artifactual hair images (possibly documented for the first time in the scientific literature). Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis of the patient's scalp hair was performed for 10heavy metals, including zinc, copper, iron, chromium, nickel, cadmium, tin, lead, antimony, and bismuth. Eight of these metals were detected at normal levels, ranging from 160 parts per million (ppm) for zinc to less than 1ppm for nickel, cadmium, tin, lead, and antimony. Conversely, slightly elevated levels of chromium at 0.41ppm and bismuth at 0.025ppm were found in the hair sample. The distinctive radiographic presentation of artifactual hair images combined with the chemical properties of hair exposed to dye products may provide useful traces for human identification, especially in mass disasters.

Measurement of Nickel, Cobalt and Chromium in Toy Make-up by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy

Cosmetics should not contain more than 5 ppm of nickel, chromium or cobalt and, in order to minimize the risk of sensitization in very sensitive subjects, the target amount should be as low as 1 ppm. However, there are no published reports on the presence of these metals in toy make-up. This study analysed 52 toy make-ups using atomic absorption spectroscopy. More than 5 ppm of nickel was present in 14/52 (26.9%) samples. Chromium exceeded 5 ppm in 28/52 (53.8%) samples, with values over 1000 ppm in 3 eye shadows. Cobalt was present in amounts over 5 ppm in 5/52 (9.6%) samples. Powdery toy make-up (eye shadows) had the highest levels of metals, and "creamy" toy make-up (lip gloss and lipsticks) the lowest. Toy make-ups are potentially sensitizing items, especially for atopic children, who have a damaged skin barrier that may favour penetration of allergens.

A comprehensive study of nickel levels in everyday items in Brazil.

Nickel is a ubiquitous element used in many everyday items. In recent decades nickel has become a leading allergen, which has become a public health problem. To evaluate frequently used nickel products in Brazil. We investigated if these objects release nickel that is capable of inducing sensitization or cause clinical manifestations in terms of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). Dimethylglyoxime (DMG) spot tests assessed nickel release from several common utensils used in everyday life in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We tested 46 coins (two denominations) and 90 common utensils. Approximately 91.1% produced nickel-positive results using the DMG spot test. The DMG limit of detection was 1.67 ppm of nickel. We observed that many objects in our test series released nickel above the DMG test limit. This observation suggests that nickel-sensitive individuals may be exposed to nickel, representing a public health issue.

Enhancement of Elemental Sulfur Recovery from Wastewater Biogas Using Nickel (II)-(5,10,15,20)-tetrakis-phenylcarboxylporphyrin

Sulfide control is a vital issue affecting the regional air quality and operational safety in sewage treatment processes. The conventional sulfide removal techniques are sophisticated industrial processes which require large operational footprint or are related to hazardous chemicals. In this study, the performance of elemental sulfur recovery from a simple micro-aeration process with metal-TCPP ((5,10,15,20)-tetrakis-p-carboxyphenylporphyrin) was investigated through laboratory experiments. A minimum of fourfold enhancement of elemental sulfur recovery was achieved from sulfide dissolved wastewater with the addition of nickel (II) TCPP, which demonstrated the highest among seven various types of transition metal-porphyrin complexes in the 3d block elements. The optimized reaction conditions resulted in 72.53% sulfur recovery with the addition of only 4.5 ppm nickel into the solution. The catalyst significantly improves the recyclability and life-cycle of the water-based absorbent and provides benefits to odor control and resource recovery.

EFFECTS OF SOME OF HEAVY METALS ON TOTAL PROTEIN AMOUNT AND PEROXIDASE ACTIVITY IN SOLANUM LYCOPERSICUM MILL

In this research, different concentrations of cadmium, nickel, copper heavy metals applied on 10 weeks old Solanum lycopersicum Mill. cv. invictus seedlings by irrigation water. As a result of heavy metal applications total protein amount and peroxidase [EC 1.11.1.7] enzyme activity has been determined by spectrophotometrically. Changing in total protein amount and peroxidase activity in S. lycopersicum seedlings after heavy metal applications has been compared with control group. Depending the application of heavy metals on S. lycopersicum seedlings total protein amount decreased as 57% in 100 ppm of copper application and 10,9% increased in 10 ppm nickel application. The highest increases in peroxidase activity 100 ppm of copper applied and in proportion as 536,03% and treated group with 10 ppm nickel in proportion as 5.97%were determined.

Heavy metals in some moss species found around Camlihemsin district of Rize, Turkey

Abstract&#x0D; In recent years, environmental safety associated with heavy metal levels of a tourism area and its surrounding areas has been one of the basic security for tourists health. Various methods have been used for measuring concentrations of heavy metal levels in these areas. Biomonitoring organisms such as mosses provide quantitative information on the quality of the environment around them, and they respond to pollution by altering their physiology or their ability to accumulate heavy metals. The aim of this study is to assess the concentration of aluminum, manganese, iron, nickel, copper, and zinc levels in five different moss species collected around Camlihemsin district of Rize, by using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) Spectrometry. The average concentrations of heavy metals in moss samples were found ranged from 3.8-8.3% for aluminum, 0.1-0.47% for manganese, 2.3-3.8% for iron, 38.8-74.2 ppm for nickel, 92.1-495.3 ppm for copper, 187.3-334 ppm for zinc. This study has shown that Abietinella abietina, Hypnum cupressiforme, Plagiomnium undulate, Rhytidium rugosum, and Thuidium tamariscinum samples were used to assess the potential contamination of Al, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn contamination in the region and made important contributions toward the understanding of Al, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn baseline data can be used for identification of changes in the levels of these heavy metals in the studied area.&#x0D; Keywords: Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) Spectrometry, heavy metals, moss, biomonitor, environment.&#x0D;

Potential of miscanthus biochar to improve sandy soil health, in situ nickel immobilization in soil and nutritional quality of spinach

The complex interaction of biochar (BC) with soil health reflecting properties, the feedstock used to prepare BC and application rate of BC in sandy soil is still a question for the researchers. An incubation study was conducted where nine different sorts of BC, each prepared from the different feedstock, were applied at 2% rate to evaluate their relative suitability to improve sandy soil health. Results revealed that BC prepared from miscanthus (MIB) significantly increased soil medium and fine pores, available water content (AWC), electrical conductivity (EC), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) while decreased soil wide pores, pH, bulk density (BD) and particle density (PD) compared to the rest sorts of BC. Later, spinach was grown in pots containing same soil but spiked with 50 ppm nickel (Ni) and amended with 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5% rates of MIB. The results showed a significant increment in spinach biomass, reduction in the concentrations of Ni in spinach tissues and DTPA-extractable Ni with the increasing rate of MIB till 3% and later, no significant changes with 4 and 5% rates thereafter. However, significant improvement in the activities of antioxidant enzymes, chemical and biochemical attributes of spinach were observed at 5% MIB when compared to lower rates. Similarly, post-harvest soil physicochemical and enzymatic parameters were also significantly (P < 0.05) improved with increasing rates of MIB. This study implies that application of MIB at 5% rate can improve the nutritional quality of spinach, sandy soil health and can reduce Ni concentrations in spinach tissues.

Changes in Seedling Growth and Biochemical Contents in Abrus precatorius L. Under Nickel Treatment

An attempt was made to study the effect of nickel on the growth of Abrus precatorius, a medicinal plant growing in South Gujarat used in Ayurved. The seeds of Abrus precatorius were germinated in petri dishes by 25, 50, 100, 150, 200 ppm nickel sulphate solution for experimental work. The germination percentage, seedling growth, dry matter yield and changes in biochemical contents of total sugar, protein and pigments were investigated ten days after showing. The study indicates that the lower level of nickel has no adverse effect on germination, seedling growth and biochemical content whereas the higher concentration decreased the same accept the protein. Nickel increased the protein content at lower concentration and has been reducing effect at higher level.

An overview of trace elements in soils of Keana-Awe Brine-Fields, Middle Benue Trough, Nigeria

The objective of this study was to determine the concentration of trace elements in soils of Keana-Awe brine-fields. Composite soil samples were randomly collected at a depth of 0–15 cm and were analysed for molybdenum, zinc, arsenic, lead, cobalt, chromium, copper, barium and nickel using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS). Quantification of the degree of soil contamination by these trace elements was carried out using the enrichment factor (EF) and the geo-accumulation index (Igeo). The data were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA). The average concentrations were 1.56 ppm molybdenum, 1116.42 ppm zinc, 23.80 ppm arsenic, 71.40 ppm lead, 17.64 ppm cobalt, 237.35 ppm chromium, 24.16 ppm copper, 254.67 ppm barium and 143.71 ppm nickel. Cobalt, nickel and chromium showed positive loadings in component 1 with a total variance of 29.56%. Zinc, copper and lead showed positive loadings in component 2 with a total variance of 18.79%, while copper showed negative loading in component 3 with a total variance of 14.79%. Considering the concentration of trace elements in the soils and statistical analyses, we conclude that soils of the study area were severely enriched in molybdenum, cobalt, chromium, copper, barium, nickel, while arsenic and zinc are in excessive concentrations in the soils. These trace elements could have originated from geogenic and anthropogenic sources.

English

Two field experiments were conducted during two successive seasons to study the effect of foliar application with Phenylalanine (zero, 50 and 100 ppm) and /or nickel (zero, 50 and 100 ppm) on growth, yield and essential oil components of genoveser basil plant (Ocimum basilicum L. var. Genoveser). Application of the combined treatment (100 ppm Phenylalanine + 50 ppm nickel) resulted in the maximum values of all growth parameters, oil content and estimated yield of herb, leaves and oil. The essential oil was analyzed using a gas liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-Ms). All treatments proved that linalool was the main compound followed by 1,8 cineol, α-bergamotene, AE® cadinol and α-cadinol respectively. These compounds representing about 78.64% of the total oil constituents of genoveser basil. Application of 100 ppm Phenylalanine + 50 ppm nickel increased the relative percent of linalool, α-bergamotene, AE® cadinol α-cadinol except 1,8 cineole which was decreased by this treatment. Key words: Genoveser basil, phenylalanine, nickel, yield, essential oil constituents.

망간단괴 매트상 모의 침출용액으로부터 용매추출-전해채취 공정에 의한 구리의 회수

망간단괴 매트상 침출액 조성으로 제조 된 모의 용액(Cu 10.5 g/L, Co 2.0 g/L, Ni 15.0 g/L, Fe 0.2 g/L)으로부터 용매추출-전해채취 연속공정을 통해 구리를 분리-회수하기 위하여 규모 확대용 용매추출장치인 6단 혼합-침강기(mixer-settler : 추출 4단, 탈거 2단)와 전해조를 이용하였다. 용매추출의 경우 추출제로는 40%(v/v)의 LIX 84I, 탈거용액은 전해폐액(Cu 35.0 g/L, <TEX>$H_2SO_4$</TEX> 180 g/L)을 사용하였으며 추출단과 탈거단의 O/A 비는 각각 1/1과 1.5/1 이었다. 용매추출공정의 구리의 추출율과 탈거율은 각각 96.7%와 91.0%이었으며 탈거액(전해액)의 구리, 니켈, 코발트 그리고 철의 농도는 각각 50~51 g/L, 25 ppm, 5 ppm 그리고 3 ppm 이었다. 전해채취공정은 <TEX>$1.50A/dm^2$</TEX>의 전류밀도에서 98.9%의 전류효율을 나타내었으며, 99.833% 순도의 금속 구리를 얻었다. A scale-up test with a continuous solvent extraction and electro-winning system was carried out to separate and recover copper from a synthetic sulfuric acid solution (Cu 10.5 g/L, Co 2.0 g/L, Ni 15.0 g/L, Fe 0.2 g/L). The solution was introduced into mixer-settlers with four stages of extraction and two stages of stripping for continuous countercurrent solvent extraction to separate copper from nickel and cobalt. The loading was carried out using 40% LIX 84-I(v/v) as extractant with a phase ratio of A : O = 1 : 1. Meanwhile, the stripping was undertaken at a phase ratio of A : O = 1 : 1.5 using depleted electrolyte containing 35.0 g/L Cu and 180 g/L <TEX>$H_2SO_4$</TEX> as stripping solution. The extraction and stripping efficiencies were found to be 96.7% and 91.0%, respectively. The copper composition of the stripped solution (pregnant electrolyte) was 50.0 g/L Cu with impurities of 25 ppm nickel, 5 ppm cobalt and 3 ppm iron. In the electro-winning process, copper metal of 99.833 purity was yielded with current efficiency of 98.9% and current density of <TEX>$1.50A/dm^2$</TEX>.

Assessment of Toxic Metal Contamination of Bottom Sediments in Water Bodies in Urban Areas

A study was carried out on 20 water bodies of the same origin in southern Poland. The study objectives included the assessment of toxic metal contamination in the bottom sediments of the water bodies in comparison with the geochemical background and sediments found in the substrate (i.e., vicinity) of the water bodies (i.e., the formations present in the surroundings of the water body itself), thus demonstrating the scale of anthropogenic enrichment of bottom sediments with toxic metals and assessing the cumulative impact on water bodies. The following amounts of toxic metals were found in the bottom sediments of the water bodies examined: 181.7–35200.0 ppm for zinc, 33.3–1648.8 ppm for lead, 1.8–359 ppm for cadmium, 14.0–271.5 ppm for copper, 45.3–167.5 ppm for chromium, and 12–128.5 ppm for nickel. Ratios of the values measured to the geochemical background were as follows: 0.7–135.9 (Zn), 0.6–53.0 (Pb), 0.7–143.6 (Cd), 0.9–18.1 (Cu), 5.0–18.6 (Cr), 1.1–11.7 (Ni).

Paper spray ionization for ambient inorganic analysis

The feasibility of using paper spray ionization as an ambient ionization method for inorganic analysis was investigated. Aqueous solutions were spotted onto paper triangles and high voltage was applied to induce electrospray. In-source collision-induced dissociation assisted in breaking up clusters to produce mass spectra dominated by atomic ions and their corresponding oxides and hydroxides and high-resolution exact mass measurements were used to identify atomic ions in the presence of organic interferences. A feasibility test with a standard inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) test mixture demonstrated detection of 21 of 23 elements as M(+•) or [M + OH](+). The two undetected elements (boron and lithium) were below the minimum detectable m/z setting for the time-of-flight mass spectrometer used for these experiments. Untreated filter paper showed residual contamination from group I and group II elements. Excellent linearity was observed over the concentration range 0.1-1000 ppm for nickel(II) nitrate solutions containing 10 ppm cobalt(II) nitrate as internal standard. The method was applied to the analysis of lead-free solder, a bismuth subsalicylate tablet, permanent magnet materials and lead chromate pigment in a three-cent US postage stamp issued in 1948. Paper spray ionization was successfully applied to qualitative inorganic analysis. Quantitative analysis was shown to be possible with the use of internal standards. Initial detection limits were much higher than for comparable inductively coupled plasma and glow discharge methods, ranging from the high parts-per-billion range to the low parts-per-million range. The detection limits for some elements were limited at low levels by the presence of interferences that were not separated by the resolving power of the mass spectrometer. Despite these limitations, the simplicity and potential portability of paper spray may find some applications for elemental analysis.

Bioremoval of Nickel Using Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Soil samples were collected from an electroplating industry located at Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu and a nickel resistant bacterial strain was isolated and identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa which can remove nickel effectively from aqueous solutions. When 200, 400, 600 and 800 ppm of nickel concentrations were tested for ten days, more than 90% removal was observed in 1000 ppm nickel concentration. Among the different cell preparations tested, immobilized cells exhibited highest removal followed by free cells and autoclaved cells after fifty minutes.