Rock magnetic finger-printing of soil from a coal-fired thermal power plant.

We present seasonal rock magnetic data for 48 surficial soil samples collected seasonally around a coal-fired thermal power plant on the southwest coast of India to demonstrate how fly ash from the power plant is transported both spatially and seasonally. Sampling was carried out during pre-monsoon (March), early-monsoon (June), monsoon (September) and post-monsoon (December) seasons. Low- and high-frequency magnetic susceptibility (χlf and χhf), frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility (χfd), χfd %, isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM), "hard" IRM (HIRM), saturation IRM (SIRM) and inter-parametric ratios were determined for the samples. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used on limited number of samples. NOAA HYSPLIT MODEL backward trajectory analysis and principal component analysis were carried out on the data. Fly ash samples exhibit an average HIRM value (400.07 × 10(-5) Am(2) kg(-1)) that is comparable to that of soil samples. The pre- and post-monsoon samples show a consistent reduction in the concentration of magnetically "hard" minerals with increasing distance from the power plant. These data suggest that fly ash has indeed been transported from the power plant to the sampling locations. Hence, HIRM may perhaps be used as a proxy for tracking fly ash from coal-fired thermal power plants. Seasonal data show that the distribution of fly ash to the surrounding areas is minimum during monsoons. They also point to the dominance of SP magnetite in early-monsoon season, whereas magnetic depletion is documented in the monsoon season. This seasonal difference is attributable to both pedogenesis and anthropogenic activity i.e. operation of the thermal power plant.

Evaluation of serum ceruloplasmin in aggressive and chronic periodontitis patients.

BACKGROUND: Pro-inflammatory markers are seen to increase in inflammatory diseases like periodontitis. Detecting an increase in these markers is one of the diagnostic modality. One such marker, which can be detected, is the ceruloplasmin. Ceruloplasmin induces hypoxia and generates oxygen radicals at the site of aggressive periodontitis. It also causes a state of hypoferremia leading to increase in the natural resistance of the body. The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum levels of cerruloplasmin in both aggressive and chronic periodontitis patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood samples were collected from aggressive periodontitis patients (n = 20), chronic periodontitis patients (n = 20) and periodontally healthy patients (n = 20). The serum was extracted from all the blood samples and ceruloplasmin levels were spectroscopically evaluated through a new kinetic method, which used a norfloxacin based reagent. RESULTS: Serum ceruloplasmin levels were found to be significantly higher in aggressive periodontitis patients (P > 0.05) than in chronic periodontitis patients (P > 0.05) even though increase in the level of ceruloplasmin was found in chronic periodontitis. Periodontally healthy patients did not show increase in the levels of serum ceruloplasmin. The levels of serum ceruloplasmin also increased with the disease severity whose manifestations were increased bleeding on probing, increased pocket depth and increased attachment loss. CONCLUSION: Serum ceruloplasmin levels increased in both aggressive and chronic periodontitis patients, but more in aggressive periodontitis patients making it a potential marker for diagnosis of periodontitis.