Roadside dust contamination with toxic metals along industrial area in Islamabad,Pakistan

An investigation has been carried out to understand the contamination characteristics of roadside dust in the industrial area of Islamabad, Pakistan. The amounts of Si, S, Cl, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ga, As, Se and Cd were determined from 95 roadside dust samples collected along the Islamabad industrial area using Proton Induced X-ray Emission （PIXE）. The results indicated that concentrations of all elements, except Cd, in the roadside dust were significant. The results of the enrichment factor show that the elementary composition of the roadside dust could be categorized as soil elements from the crust of the earth and elements from anthropogenic pollution. The high enrichment factors imply that elements such Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Ni, Co and S came from anthropogenic activities. The source of metal contamination was identified using multivariate statistical analysis. It has been concluded that Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Mn and Fe mainly originate from crustal sources; Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and Ga are associated with point-sources from industrial pollution/traffic; and S, Cl, K, As and Se are mainly related to oil/coal combustion.     

Accelerator-based trace element analysis of foods and agriculture products

An accelerator-based analytical method for measuring trace elements in foods and agricultural products was developed, optimized, validated and compared using reference standards. The method’s initial phase is a new, rapid and effective digestion process of a small mass analyte in an aqueous media containing H₂O₂. Digestion is initiated by radicals formed in water with pulsed UV (PUV) induced (laser) photolysis, which rapidly react with organic matter. After digestion, trace metals are pre-concentrated as carbamates and deposited as thin targets onto Teflon filters. Conventional particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) or X-ray fluorescence (XRF) methods are then used to analyze elements in the sample. When foods and other agricultural commodities (i.e., soils, feeds) are analyzed, the combined method named pulsed UV (PUV)/PIXE results in enhanced detection of trace elements such as Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb at ∼1 mg/kg (1 ppm) levels, without lengthy, acid-based digestions. It provides improvements in digestion kinetics and processing time enhancing analytical sensitivity and element recovery. Precision and recovery yields were confirmed with food reference standards. The analysis of edible foods from contaminated agricultural areas is also reported.     

Trace elements concentration in sediments of Orontes River using PIXE technique

Proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) has been used to measure trace elements in sediments of Orontes River. Measurements were carried out using a 2 MeV proton beam produced from of the 3 MV tandem accelerator. Sediment samples were collected from 11 sites covering the important potential pollution sources at the river. The accuracy of the experimental procedure was verified using a certified sediment reference material (IAEA-SL1) and was found to be less than 10%. The results have shown that Pb and As were within the natural levels. In contrast, high concentrations of other elements like Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn have been found at different sites and explained by local human and industrial activities.     

铬电镀工头发中重金属元素含量的测定和分析

头发是人体内重金属元素的排泄器官之一,头发中的重金属元素含量是体内重金属含量的一种反映。由于头发收集、运输、保存和处理较为方便,被检测对象也乐于接受,因此,国内外有关头发分析的报道很多。 随着工业的发展和文明建设的需要,对环境污染引起的疾病日益重视。职业病是环境医学的一个重要方面,而重金属元素的危害又是职业病的一个主要因素。众所周知,人体对各     

Elemental depth profiles in marine sediments of Singapore coastal waters

Thirty-eight core sediment samples were recently collected from different locations of the Singapore coastal region. The aim of the project was to trace the history of marine pollution in various coastal regions and to determine the impact of industrial activities. Two nuclear analytical techniques were employed in this study: particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE), Rutherford backscattering (RBS) as well as X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Combined together these techniques provide an excellent tool to determine elemental concentrations of more than 30 elements with detection limits as low as few ppm. Our results show that elemental concentrations in most of the regions do not show a significant variation with depth. However, in regions where industrial and shipping activities are high, for example the Port of Singapore area and the northern part of Johore Straits, the concentrations of metals like Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sn and Pb were found to have an obvious decreasing trend with the depth. In these cores, concentrations in the top 10–15 cm were sometimes ten times higher than the corresponding base line concentrations. Elemental depth profiles of Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Sn and Pb and their mean concentrations in various regions are reported and discussed.     

Biomonitoring study of seasonal anthropogenic influence at the Itamambuca beach (SP, Brazil)

The present work is focused on the study of a seasonal anthropogenic influence on the beach of Itamambuca (Ubatuba, SP, Brazil) carried out using Atherinella brasiliensis as biomonitor. In total 84 fish were caught between July 2004 and February 2005 in different locations at the beach and inside the Itamambuca river. The fish were pooled according to catch and their musculature was analyzed by Particle-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) and Rutherford Backscattering (RBS) techniques. While the concentration of light (matrix) elements like C and O were obtained using the RBS technique, major (Na, Mg, P, S, Cl, K and Ca) and trace (Si, Al, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Br and Sr) elements were measured by PIXE. The results show that differences were observed for several elemental concentrations of fish tissue between high season (spring-summer) and low season (winter-fall), indicating that increased human activity in the beach during high season may have some impact on the beach ecosystem. The role of the water salinity in the results is also discussed.     

上海市钢铁工业尘单颗粒分析

用高分辨率、高灵敏度的扫描质子微探针对上海市工业尘进行单颗粒分析,研究了在颗粒物中不同元素的分布以及元素平均含量随粒径大小的变化。结果表明,Fe、Cr、Mn等元素在颗粒物中均匀分布的,而K、Ca则富集在颗粒物的表面。而且这些元素的平均含量随粒径的变化呈现出一规律性,其中大部分重金属元素（如Cu、Cr、Ni、Zn、Pb）聚集在颗粒粒径＜5μm的颗粒物上。     

Characterization of natural and modified zeolites using ion beam analysis techniques

Zeolites are very important materials in catalytic and industrial processes. Natural, modified and synthetic zeolites have a wide range of uses because of their good adsorption, ion exchange capacity and catalytic properties. Mexico is an import source of natural zeolites, however their utilization in the natural form is limited due to the presence of trace metallic impurities. For example, metals such as vanadium and chromium inhibit the elimination of sulfur in hydrocarbons. Therefore, it is important to know the precise composition of the zeolite material. In this work, we report the elemental characterization of zeolites using various IBA techniques. ³He⁺ and ²H⁺ beams were used to measure the major element concentrations (Si, Al, O, C) by RBS and NRA. PIXE and SEM-EDS were used to measure the total trace element content (V, Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr, Zr, Pb, etc). Additionally, XRD was used to study the zeolite crystal structure.     

Trace elements of soil samples from mining area

The affect of mining activity on the environment has been long of public concern. The present paper deals with the elemental analysis of soil samples from a mine and the area around it, located in E 48°59′ and N 34°11′ in Hamadan province of Iran. Elemental analysis was done using Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) technique. Spectra analysis and quantification was done using GUPIX software. Besides the major elements Si, P, K, Ca, Mn and Fe the other elements, namely Cl, Ti, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr and Pb were also present. Arsenic could be detected in some samples only. The presence of Ba and Ce needs more investigations by other techniques due to overlap of the L X-rays of these elements with the K X-rays of the major elements Mn and Fe, etc. Many elements V, Cr, As and Pb are known to be toxic and needs further understanding and proper handling in the mining process.     

Potential of direct metal deposition technology for manufacturing thick functionally graded coatings and parts for reactors components

Direct metal deposition (DMD) is an automated 3D deposition process arising from laser cladding technology with co-axial powder injection to refine or refurbish parts. Recently DMD has been extended to manufacture large-size near-net-shape components. When applied for manufacturing new parts (or their refinement), DMD can provide tailored thermal properties, high corrosion resistance, tailored tribology, multifunctional performance and cost savings due to smart material combinations. In repair (refurbishment) operations, DMD can be applied for parts with a wide variety of geometries and sizes. In contrast to the current tool repair techniques such as tungsten inert gas (TIG), metal inert gas (MIG) and plasma welding, laser cladding technology by DMD offers a well-controlled heat-treated zone due to the high energy density of the laser beam. In addition, this technology may be used for preventative maintenance and design changes/up-grading. One of the advantages of DMD is the possibility to build functionally graded coatings (from 1 mm thickness and higher) and 3D multi-material objects (for example, 100 mm-sized monolithic rectangular) in a single-step manufacturing cycle by using up to 4-channel powder feeder. Approved materials are: Fe (including stainless steel), Ni and Co alloys, (Cu,Ni 10%), WC compounds, TiC compounds. The developed coatings/parts are characterized by low porosity (<1%), fine microstructure, and their microhardness is close to the benchmark value of wrought alloys after thermal treatment (Co-based alloy Stellite, Inox 316L, stainless steel 17-4PH). The intended applications concern cooling elements with complex geometry, friction joints under high temperature and load, light-weight mechanical support structures, hermetic joints, tubes with complex geometry, and tailored inside and outside surface properties, etc.     

白血病患者头发中钙及微量元素的初步研究

应用放射性核素~(238)Pu源激发X射线荧光法测定了63例白血病患者头发中钙及锶、铅、锌、铜、镍、铁、锰、铬、钛等9种微量元素的含量。与同期苏州地区115名正常成人头发微量元素相比,发现男女患者发中Zn、Cu和Ca含量均明显下降,而Pb含量均显著上升(p≤0.05或p<0.001)。此外男性患者发中Ni、Fe、Mn、Cr亦明显上升,而女性患者发中Sr明显下降(p<0.05或p<0.001)。男性白血病发病率高于女性,可能同男性患者发中Mn、Fe、Ni、Cr含量显著升高有关。     

X-ray microfluorescence analysis of pigments in decorative paintings from the sarcophagus cartonnage of an Egyptian mummy

This work characterized the elemental composition of the pigments used in decorative paintings from the sarcophagus cartonnage fragments of an Egyptian mummy, using μXRF with Synchrotron Radiation. This female mummy (n.158) is considered one of the most important pieces of the National Museum (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) because of its unconventional embalming with legs and arms swathed separately. The measurements were performed at the XRF beamline D09B of the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS), using white beam and a Si(Li) detector with resolution of 165 eV at 5.9 keV. The elements found in the samples were: Si, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Sr, Hg and Pb.     

用计算机模式识别法和PIXE法研究人发中元素在食管癌诊断中的作用

用ＰＩＸＥ方法对华北地区的４１４例食管癌、食管上皮重度增生病人和正常人的头发样品中的１２种元素进行了测定。经过ｔ检验发现，癌症病人与正常人比较，１０种元素（Ｓｉ，Ｓ，Ｃａ，Ｃｒ，Ｍｎ，Ｆｅ，Ｎｉ，Ｃｕ，Ｐｂ，Ｓｒ）有显著差异；食管上皮重度增生病人和正常人比较，９种元素（Ｓｉ，Ｐ，Ｓ，Ｃａ，Ｃｒ，Ｍｎ，Ｆｅ，Ｎｉ，Ｚｎ）有显著差异，说明头发中微量元素的变化先于人体内食管的癌变。用计算机模式识别法对上     

乳腺癌和乳腺增生症患者头发中钙及其他微量元素的初步研究

用２３８Ｐｕ源激发Ｘ射线荧法测定３２例乳腺癌和１０５例乳腺增生症女性患者头发中Ｃａ及Ｓｒ，Ｐｂ、Ｚｎ、Ｃｕ、Ｎｉ、Ｆｅ、Ｍｎ、Ｃｒ、Ｔｉ等９种微量元素含量。与５５例正常成年女性头发中微量元素相比，发现乳腺增生症组中的Ｓｒ、Ｚｎ、Ｃｕ、Ｍｎ和Ｃａ含量显著下降（ｐ＜０．００１），其他元素无显著差异；乳腺增生症组中的Ｓｒ、Ｍｎ、和Ｃａ含量明显下降（Ｐ＜０．０１），而Ｚｎ、Ｎｉ、Ｃｒ含量显著升高（Ｐ＜０．０５）；乳腺增生症组中的Ｓｒ、Ｚｎ、Ｃｕ、Ｎｉ、Ｍｎ、Ｃｒ和Ｔｉ含量明显下降而（Ｐ＜０．０５－Ｐ＜０．００１）。     

天津市区健康人头发中微量元素分析

地球上分布的元素主要通过饮食进入人体。它们被吸收到血液中供给各个组织的需要,参与人体的新陈代谢。人发可视作人体的一个微量元素排泄器官。由于头发生长缓慢,所以能在一定程度上反映人体较长一段时期内微量元素代谢的情况,从而可了解身体中微量元素的缺乏或过多的信息。世界卫生组织和国际原子能委员会都建议通过分析人发来标志     

Pollution assessment in the Trancão river basin (Portugal) by PIXE, EDXRF and isotopic analysis

This paper reports on the inorganic contamination assessment of a river basin and local water resources in order to establish quality standards. PIXE was applied to the elemental determination of the freeze-dried water dry residue and EDXRF was used for the evaluation of elemental content of sediments. To infer the water provenance the electrical conductivity was measured as well as the isotopic composition of surface waters using the ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratio. The combined isotopic and elemental composition information enables to establish dominant contamination contributions from the several tributaries. Moreover, the variability observed for certain parameters, associates them with specific basin regions as for instance, dry residue mass, conductivity and Br, or S, Cl and As or Cr, Ni, Zn and Pb which permit to establish both pollution characterisation and their origin (agriculture, industrial, etc.). At certain locations, enhanced concentrations of elements as Cr, Cu, Zn and Pb are observed both in sediments and in the surface water. The elemental particular associations also permit to characterise pollution sources.     

PIXE法分析棉酚对大鼠血清中微量元素的影响

PIXE(质子激发X射线发射)分析法适合分析生物医学样品中的微量元素。分析血清不仅取样方便和制靶容易,而且能观察某些疾病与血中微量元素异常的关系。 棉酚是我国发现的男性避孕药,具有肯定的抗生育作用。但也发现个别用药者出现肌无力等症。我们考虑到棉酚的副作用可能与它对人体内某些元素的影响有关。本实验用PIXE法分析大鼠血清中的微量元素,观察了醋酸棉酚对这些元素的影响。     

Detection of heavy metals in aqueous solution using PGNAA technique

A prompt gamma neutron activation analysis setup was developed for heavy metal detection in aqueous solutions with a 300 m Ci241Am-Be neutron source and a4 4 inch(diameter height) BGO detector. In the present work, heavy metals, including Mn, Cu, Ni, Cr and Zn, were measured by the setup. The minimum detectable concentrations of Mn, Cu, Ni, Cr and Zn were 246.6, 391.2, 218.1,301.5 and 2804.1 ppm, respectively. The minimum detectable concentration of each element and the linearity response between the characteristic peak counts and elements concentrations have been studied. And the results showed that all heavy metals had a good linear relationship between characteristic peak counts and concentrations.     

Analysis of blood and tissue in gallbladder cancer

Particle induced X-ray emission, particle induced γ-ray emission studies has been carried out to analyse normal and carcinoma tissues and blood samples of gallbladder of both sexes and seventeen trace elements namely Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Br and Pb were estimated in the tissue and blood samples. In the present study, concentration of Zn in the carcinoma gallbladder tissue is less than that of the normal gallbladder tissue. Tobacco habit could be one of the important factors to decrease the elemental concentrations in blood and tissue samples.     

Nuclear microscopy study of fish scales

Fish scales are useful to ichthyologists for purposes of classification, identification, age determination and history study. So far, all studies of fish scales, for whatsoever purposes, have relied on the use of optical or electron microscopes to study their form and structure. Employing the NUS nuclear microscope, we measured the concentrations of Sr, Zn, Fe, Mn, Ni, Cu, Cr, As, Se, Br and Pb in the scales of 17 fish species. The objective was to test the hypotheses that the trace elements in scales could be used for species differentiation, and that the fish scale could potentially be used as a monitor for the environment. Our preliminary results gave positive indications.