Environmental variables associated with immature stage habitats of culicidae collected in aboriginal villages in Pahang, Malaysia.

Many of the most widely spread vector-borne diseases are water related, in that the mosquito vectors concerned breed or pass part of their lifecycle in or close to water. A major reason for the study of mosquito larval ecology is to gather information on environmental variables that may determine the species of mosquitoes and the distribution of larvae in the breeding habitats. Larval surveillance studies were conducted six times between May 2008 and October 2009 in Pos Lenjang, Kuala Lipis, Pahang. Twelve environmental variables were recorded for each sampling site, and samples of mosquito larvae were collected. Larval survey studies showed that anopheline and culicine larvae were collected from 79 and 67 breeding sites, respectively. All breeding sites were classified into nine habitat groups. Culicine larvae were found in all habitat groups, suggesting that they are very versatile and highly adaptable to different types of environment. Rock pools or water pockets with clear water formed on the bank of rivers and waterfalls were the most common habitats associated with An. maculatus. Environmental variables influence the suitability of aquatic habitats for anopheline and culicine larvae, but not significantly associated with the occurrence of both larvae genera (p>0.05). This study provides information on mosquito ecology in relation to breeding habitats that will be useful in designing and implementing larval control operations.

Sequential determination of iron(II) and iron(III) in pharmaceutical by flow-injection analysis with spectrophotometric detection.

A flow injection procedure for the sequential spectrophotometric determination of iron(II) and iron(III) in pharmaceutical products is described. The method is based on the catalytic effect of iron(II) on the oxidation of iodide by bromate at pH = 4.0. The reaction was monitored spectrophotometrically by measuring the absorbance of produced triiodide ion at 352 nm. The activating effect for the catalysis of iron(II) was extremely exhibited in the presence of oxalate ions, while oxalate acted as a masking agent for iron(III). The iron(III) in a sample solution could be determined by passing through a Cd-Hg reductor column introduced in the FIA system to reduce iron(III) to iron(II), which allows total iron determination. Under the optimum conditions, iron(II) and iron(III) could be determined over the range of 0.05 - 5.0 and 0.10 - 5.0 microg ml(-1), respectively with a sampling rate of 17 +/- 5 h(-1). The experimental limits of detection were 0.03 and 0.04 microg ml(-1) for iron(II) and iron(III), respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to the speciation of iron in pharmaceutical products.

A tetra-coordinate nickel(II) complex as neutral carrier for nitrate-selective PVC membrane electrode.

The potentiometric response properties and applications of a tetra-coordinate nickel(II) complex with relatively high selectivity toward nitrate ion are described. The nickel(II) complex of 5,7,12,14-tetramethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradeca-4,6,11,13-tetraene was used as a neutral carrier into plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membrane. The influence of several variables was investigated in order to optimize the potentiometric response and selectivity of the electrode. The resulting membrane electrode incorporating 31.0% PVC, 61.0% dioctyl phthalate (DOP) as plasticizer, 3% methyltrioctylammonium chloride (MTOAC) as a cationic additive and 5% carrier (all w/w) demonstrates a Nernstian response slope of -59.6 mV per decade over the concentration range of 5 x 10(-6)-1 x 10(-1) M NO(3)(-). The electrode exhibits a fast response time (< or =10 s), a detection limit of 2.5x10(-6) M, and can be used over a wide pH range of 4-12. The electrode shows improved selectivity in comparison to most of the previously reported nitrate-selective electrodes. It was successfully applied to the determination of nitrate ion in natural water samples.