Determination of ammonium and biogenic amines by ion chromatography. A review.

The amount and type of chemical compounds found in food products and the environment, which are and should be controlled, is increasing. This is associated with toxicological knowledge, resulting regulations, rapid development of analytical methods and techniques, and sample preparation methods for analysis. These include, among others, ammonia derivatives such as ammonium, and amines, including biogenic amines. Their occurrence in the environment and food is related to their widespread use in many areas of life and their formation as a result of various physical and chemical changes. Analysts use various methods both classical and instrumental to theirs quantify in different matrices such as food, medicinal and environmental samples. Nevertheless, there is still a need for analytical methods with increased matrix-tolerance, selectivity, specificity, and higher sensitivity. While in the determination of ammonium, ion chromatography is a reference method. In the case of biogenic amines, its use for these purposes is not yet so common. However, given ion chromatography its advantages and rapid development, its importance can be expected to increase in the near future, especially at the expense of gas chromatography methods. This paper is a summary of the advantages and limitations of ion chromatography in this important analytical field and a literature review of the past 15 years.

Ion Chromatography and Related Techniques in Carboxylic Acids Analysis.

Ion chromatography (IC) is a variant of high-performance liquid chromatography. Its most important applications include the determination of inorganic and some organic ions in different types of liquid samples. The development of new types of stationary phases with various separation mechanisms, sample preparation methods, and detection modes has extended ion chromatography applications to practically all ionic and ionogenic substances, as well as extending sample types to include gaseous and solid matrices. Carboxylic acids and their derivatives are examples of compounds that are becoming more frequently analyzed using ion chromatography and related techniques. Their occurrence in the environment can be natural or anthropogenic in origin and are broadly used in various industries and daily life. This article discusses the applications of ion chromatography and related techniques for the determination of carboxylic acids in different types of liquid, solid, and gaseous matrices. It also presents detailed methodologies and literature data on this subject from the last 15 years.

Health risk assessment of selected metals through tap water consumption in Upper Silesia, Poland.

The research focused on assessing the risk to human health resulting from the content of selected Cr, Co, Mn, Cu, Ni, Pb, As, Zn and Sr metals in tap water supplied by Upper Silesia Water Plant to the inhabitants of the Upper Silesia region (Poland). It is the main supplier of drinking water to several million inhabitants of this agglomeration. Samples were taken and analyzed quarterly in 2019. The sampling points were chosen to help identify the source when an elevated level of a particular contaminant is observed. ICP-MS and ICP-OES have been used to measure the concentrations of those elements. The chronic daily intake (CDI), hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) results for non-carcinogenic risk assessment of metals in tap water has been assessed. CDI values of non-carcinogenic metals were higher in children than in adults; the CDI values for adults and children were found in the order of: Zn > Sr > Cu > Mn > Ni > Pb > Cr > Co > As. All the studied metals had HQ values below 1, the risks caused by the non-carcinogenic metals decreased in the following order: Zn > Cu > Co > As > Sr > Pb > Cr > Ni > Mn. HI values were also less than 1, that meaning that the analyzed tap water is safe for human consumption. The concentration of As, Cr, Cu, Mn and Ni in analyzed tap water is in accordance with Polish and international requirements.

Time and spatial variability in concentrations of selected metals and their species in water and bottom sediments of Dzierzno Duze (Poland).

Poland is an industrialized country in which industries (especially the heavy ones) have had a tremendous influence on the environment. It is particularly visible in the Upper Silesia region, where the observed air, soil and water pollution levels are the most highest. The aim of this study was to determine the time and spatial variability in: concentrations of selected metals (Co, Ni, Zn, Cr, Mn, Pb, Cd), and, to a limited extent, of Cu, V, Al and Sr; concentrations of inorganic ions (Cl-, SO42-, Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+) and values of pH, conductivity and redox potential. The enlisted parameters were determined for the water and bottom sediments of Dzierzno Duze, a water reservoir located in Poland (Upper Silesia region). Additionally, fractions of a few characteristic metals were determined in the bottom sediments of the discussed reservoir with the BCR method. The investigation was carried out in 2017. It showed that the reservoir surface water was not polluted with the determined metal contents. However, it was highly polluted with the inorganic ions. The metal contents determined in the bottom sediments were high. If the conditions for releasing them from the bottom sediments had been favorable, this situation could have posed a potentially considerable environmental threat.

Time and spatial variability in the concentrations of selected metals in water and bottom sediments of Plawniowice and Dzierzno Male reservoirs (Poland).

The migration of metals and metalloids between bottom sediments and water and the other way round is a complex process. Understanding those mechanisms is essential for recognizing transformations taking place in water reservoir ecosystems. The objective behind the following study was to define time and spatial correlations in the changes in total concentrations of selected elements (Cr, Zn, Co, Mn, Cu, Ni, Pb, As, Ba, Sb, Sr and V) in waters and bottom sediments from two water reservoirs located in Upper Silesia (Poland), i.e., Plawniowice and Dzierzno Male. The research was carried out to demonstrate whether the bottom sediments deposited in the discussed reservoirs could pose an environmental threat due to the possible release of toxic metals and metalloids into the pelagic zone. The obtained results constitute material helping to describe the bioavailability of particular elements. They also expose the existing environmental threats for such water reservoirs and their users.