Assessment of heavy metal residues in Brazilian poultry and swine tissue / Avaliação de resíduos de metais pesados em tecidos de aves e suínos

The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of arsenic, lead and cadmium residues in samples of liver, kidney and muscle of poultry and swine during the years from 2002 to 2008. A total of 1978 samples were analyzed: 1031 of poultry and 947 of swine from Brazilian slaughterhouses. The samples were analyzed at the National Agricultural Laboratory using the atomic absorption spectrometry technique. In poultry, the arsenic residues were detected in 53.6% of liver samples, although no results have exceeded the MRL. In kidneys, 39.7% of the samples showed measurable residues and there was no violation of the limits. Regarding lead, there were 5 contaminated liver samples and 24 contaminated kidney samples (1.5 and 3.6% respectively). In muscle tissue there was only one sample with residues...

Objetivou-se investigar a presença de resíduos de arsênico, chumbo e cádmio em amostras de fígado, rins e músculo de aves e suínos, durante os anos de 2002 a 2008. Um total de 1.978 amostras foi analisado: 1031 de aves e 947 de suínos provenientes de matadouros brasileiros. As amostras foram analisadas no Laboratório Nacional Agropecuário (Lanagro), sendo utilizada a técnica de espectrometria de absorção atômica. Em aves, os resíduos de arsênico foram detectados em 53,6% das amostras de fígado, embora sem exceder o LMR. Nos rins, 39,7% das amostras mostraram resíduos mensuráveis e não houve violação dos limites. Em relação ao chumbo, cinco amostras de fígado e 24 de amostras de rins estavam contaminadas (1,5 e 3,6%, respectivamente). No tecido muscular, houve apenas uma amostra com resíduos. Para o cádmio, 3,8% das amostras apresentavam valores abaixo do LMR. Resíduos de cádmio foram encontrados em 110 amostras de rins (16,3% testados), mas apenas uma ultrapassou o limite máximo permitido pela legislação nacional. Em suínos, resíduos de arsênico foram detectados em 15,3% das amostras de fígado, sem exceder o LMR. Nos rins, 14,2% das amostras apresentaram resíduos mensuráveis...

Synthesis of magnetite nanoparticles and evaluation of its efficiency for arsenic removal from simulated industrial waste water

In this study the efficiency of magnetic nanoparticles for removal of trivalent arsenic from synthetic industrial wastewater was evaluated. The nanoparticles was prepared by sol-gel method and characterized by X-ray methods including XRD, XRF, and SEM, and vibrating sample magnetometer [VSM]. The results showed that synthesized nanoparticles were in the size range of 40-300 nm, purity of about 90%, and magnetization of nanoparticles was 36.5emu/g. In initial conditions including: pH=7, As[III] concentration of 10 mg/L, nanomagnetite concentration of Ig/L, shaking speed of 250 rpm and 20 minute retention time, 82% of As [III] was removed. Competition from common coexisting ions such as Na[+], Ni[2+], Cu[2+], SO[4][2-], and Cl[-] was ignorable but for NO[3-] was significant. The adsorption data of magnetite nanoparticles fit well with Freundlich isotherm equations. The adsorption capacity of the Fe[3]O[4] for As [III] at pH=7 was obtained as 23.8 mg/g. It was concluded that magnetite nanoparticles have considerable potential in removal of As [III] from synthetic industrial wastewaters

Determinación de arsénico total en orina en Chile: comparación de laboratorios / Measurement of total arsenic in urine in Chile: comparison of laboratories

Para evaluar la concordancia entre laboratorios en las mediciones de arsénico total en orina e identificar aquél cuyas determinaciones son de mayor precisión y exactitud, se diseñó un estudio experimental en el que muestras de orina con concentraciones conocidas de arsénico (6,5, 196 y 570 ug/l) fueron enviadas en 4 partidas separadas a 3 laboratorios nacionales diferentes. Los resultados confirman que existe una gran variedad intra- e interlaboratorios. En este estudio, en el que se controlaron todos los factores de error producto de la manipulación de la muestra de orina previo al ingreso a los laboratorios, se evidenció errores en la identificación de las muestras y falta de exactitud y precisión en los resultados. Sólo uno de los laboratorios mostró un comportamiento relativamente satisfactorio. Ante la evidencia presentada, se recomienda a los usuarios exigir a los laboratorios las pruebas necesarias para asegurar su trazabilidad, sus sistemas de aseguramiento de calidad y los resultados de los ejercicios de intercomparación en los que deberían participar regularmente. Una vez identificado el mejor laboratorio, el usuario debe generar un programa de aseguramiento de calidad propio basado en el envío de muestras con concentraciones conocidas del analito mezcladas con las muestras biológicas de trabajadores reales.

Magnitude of arsenic toxicity in tube-well drinking water in Bangladesh and its adverse effects on human health including cancer: evidence from a review of the literature.

Only after a decade from 1993, arsenic contamination of groundwater in Bangladesh has been reported as the biggest arsenic catastrophe in the world. It is a burning public health issue in this country. More than 50 percent of the total population is estimated at risk of contamination. Already thousands of people have been affected by the disease arsenicosis. Many more may be on the way to manifest lesions in future. We conducted a review of previous studies and published articles including MEDLINE database on this issue. We found that 59 districts out of 64 have been already affected by arsenic in underground drinking water, where this particular source of drinking water is the main source for 97 percent of the rural people. The water is unfortunately now a great threat for the human being due to high level of arsenic. Continuous arsenic exposure can lead people to develop arsenicosis, which in turn elevates the risk of cancer. Skin lesions are the most common manifestations in arsenicosis patients. Relatively poor rural people and other socio-economically disadvantaged groups are more affected by this exposure. Until now cancer patients have been relatively limited in Bangladesh. One of the reasons may be that several years are needed to show cancer manifestations from the beginning of arsenic exposure. But it is suspected that after some years a large number of patients will appear with cancer in different sites for arsenic exposure in drinking water. Various studies have been conducted in arsenic affected countries - notably in Argentina, Chile, China, Japan, and Taiwan -to find the potential of arsenic exposure to cause development of cancer. Among the arsenic related cancers, liver, lung, skin, bladder and kidney cancers are reported to be prevalent in these countries. Unfortunately no scientific study has been yet conducted in Bangladesh to find the relationship between arsenic exposure and cancers in different sites of the body. So our aim is to conduct an ecological as well as a case-control study in the country in the future.

Arsénico en tubérculos de papa de las zonas de Junín (Valle de Mantaro) y Lima / Arsenic

Se ha cuantificado arsénico por el método espectrofotométrico de Vasac y Sedivec en tubérculos de papas de cultivos expuestos. Las muestras proceden del Valle del Mantaro (Junín) y de las zonas de Cañete, Barranca, Puente Piedra y Huachipa (Lima). La investigación se realizó en 50 tubérculos de diferentes variedades y formas de riego. El nivel medio de Arsénico en las muetras fue de 0,2572 ppm ñ 0,0132, con una desviación standard de 0,0927ñ0,0093 y cifras extremas de 0,095-0.500 ppm. Los valores promedios obtenidos de arsenico en los tubérculos es menos que los valores máximos aceptables de Canadá ya que solo constituyen el 25,72 por ciento de 1ppn, que es la cantidad máxima de arsénico aceptada en la papa, ya que a partir de ella produce efectos nocivos y tóxicos.

Cuantificación espectrofotométrico de arsénico en aguas de consumo humano en la vertiente del rio Rimac / Arsenic spectrophotometric cuantification in river Rimar water consumption

Se determinó que del total de muestras analizadas el 84.90 por ciento se encuentran sobre el límite permisible por la OMS (0.05 mg/lt). Se determinó, que no existe diferencia sustancial en concentraciones de arsénico como contaminante, en aguas de consumo humano que superan el nivel permitido entre: Agua potable (81,48 por ciento), agua rio, agua manantial, agua pozo (88,46 por ciento).