Arsenic and antimony removal from drinking water by adsorption on granular ferric oxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Sazakli, Eleni; Zouvelou, Stavroula V; Kalavrouziotis, Ioannis; Leotsinidis, Michalis

2015-01-01

Arsenic and antimony occur in drinking water due to natural weathering or anthropogenic activities. There has been growing concern about their impact on health. The aim of this study was to assess the efficiency of a granular ferric oxide adsorbent medium to remove arsenic and antimony from drinking water via rapid small-scale column tests (RSSCTs). Three different water matrices - deionized, raw water treated with a reverse osmosis domestic device and raw water - were spiked with arsenic and/or antimony to a concentration of 100 μg L⁻¹. Both elements were successfully adsorbed onto the medium. The loadings until the guideline value was exceeded in the effluent were found to be 0.35-1.63 mg g⁻¹ for arsenic and 0.12-2.11 mg g⁻¹ for antimony, depending on the water matrix. Adsorption of one element was not substantially affected by the presence of the other. Aeration did not affect significantly the adsorption capacity. Granular ferric oxide could be employed for the simultaneous removal of arsenic and antimony from drinking water, whereas full-scale systems should be assessed via laboratory tests before their implementation.

Redox substoichiometric isotope dilution analysis of metallic arsenic for antimony

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kambara, Tomihisa; Yoshioka, Hiroe; Suzuki, Junsuke; Shibata, Yasue.

1979-01-01

In 1 M HCl solution Sb(III) reacts with N-benzoyl-N-phenylhydroxylamine (BPHA) to form a complex extractable into chloroform while the extraction of Sb(V) is negligible. The redox substoichiometric isotope dilution analysis based on this reaction was applied to the determination of antimony in metallic arsenic. After the dissolution of metallic arsenic, Sb(V) was separated from As(V) by a tribenzylamine extraction from 8 M HCl solution and the extracted Sb(V) was stripped into 0.5 M NaOH solution. Thereafter, all the Sb(V) were completely reduced to Sb(III) by bubbling SO 2 gas through 3 M HCl solution. As the substoichiometric reaction, the oxidation of Sb(III) to Sb(V) by a substoichiometric amount of potassium dichromate was used, followed by separation of these species by the BPHA extraction of Sb(III). The substoichiometric oxidation of Sb(III) was found to be quantitative over HCl concentration range from 0.8 to 1.2 M. The amount of antimony was determined by isotope dilution analysis using the method of carrier amount variation. By the present method the determination of as small as 0.36 μg antimony was accomplished with a good accuracy (relative error; 5.6%) and also the method was successfully applied to the determination of antimony in arsenic samples containing known amounts of Sb(III) and in metallic arsenic. The present method gives reliable results with the good accuracy and precision. (author)

Effects of nutrient and lime additions in mine site rehabilitation strategies on the accumulation of antimony and arsenic by native Australian plants.

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Wilson, Susan C; Leech, Calvin D; Butler, Leo; Lisle, Leanne; Ashley, Paul M; Lockwood, Peter V

2013-10-15

The effects of nutrient and lime additions on antimony (Sb) and arsenic (As) accumulation by native Australian and naturalised plants growing in two contaminated mine site soils (2,735 mg kg(-1) and 4,517 mg kg(-1) Sb; 826 mg kg(-1) and 1606 As mgkg(-1)) was investigated using a glasshouse pot experiment. The results indicated an increase in soil solution concentrations with nutrient addition in both soils and also with nutrient+lime addition for Sb in one soil. Metalloid concentrations in plant roots were significantly greater than concentrations in above ground plant parts. The metalloid transfer to above ground plant parts from the roots and from the soil was, however, low (ratio of leaf concentration/soil concentration≪1) for all species studied. Eucalyptus michaeliana was the most successful at colonisation with lowest metalloid transfer to above ground plant parts. Addition of nutrients and nutrients+lime to soils, in general, increased plant metalloid accumulation. Relative As accumulation was greater than that of Sb. All the plant species studied were suitable for consideration in the mine soil phytostabilisation strategies but lime additions should be limited and longer term trials also recommended. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Metalloido-porins: Essentiality of Nodulin 26-like intrinsic proteins in metalloid transport.

Science.gov (United States)

Pommerrenig, Benjamin; Diehn, Till Arvid; Bienert, Gerd Patrick

2015-09-01

Metalloids are a group of physiologically important elements ranging from the essential to the highly toxic. Arsenic, antimony, germanium, and tellurium are highly toxic to plants themselves and to consumers of metalloid-contaminated plants. Boron, silicon, and selenium fulfill essential or beneficial functions in plants. However, when present at high concentrations, boron and selenium cause toxicity symptoms that are detrimental to plant fitness and yield. Consequently, all plants require efficient membrane transport systems to control the uptake and extrusion of metalloids into or out of the plant and their distribution within the plant body. Several Nodulin 26-like intrinsic proteins (NIPs) that belong to the aquaporin plant water channel protein family facilitate the diffusion of uncharged metalloid species. Genetic, physiological, and molecular evidence is that NIPs from primitive to higher plants not only transport all environmentally important metalloids, but that these proteins have a major role in the uptake, translocation, and extrusion of metalloids in plants. As most of the metalloid-permeable NIP aquaporins are impermeable or are poorly permeable to water, these NIP channel proteins should be considered as physiologically essential metalloido-porins. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Conceptual design for treatment of mining and metallurgical wastewaters which contains arsenic and antimony

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Željko Kamberović

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a preliminary design for treatment of mining and metallurgical wastewaters (MMW from the basin of antimony “Zajača“, which contains high concentrations of arsenic and antimony. MMW have been investigated in laboratory, due to large difference in concentrations of pollutants. Metallurgical wastewaters were treated using iron (II-sulfate and lime milk used to adjust the pH value at 7. After chemical treatment of metallurgical wastewater and its joining with mining wastewater, residual amount of arsenic in water was below maximum allowed concentrations, while the concentration of antimony, remained above the maximum allowed value. The final phase of purification process was performed using ion exchange resin. After treatment of MMW, they can be used as technical water in the smelting process of secondary raw lead materials.

Dissimilatory antimonate reduction and production of antimony trioxide microcrystals by a novel microorganism.

Science.gov (United States)

Abin, Christopher A; Hollibaugh, James T

2014-01-01

Antimony (Sb) is a metalloid that has been exploited by humans since the beginning of modern civilization. The importance of Sb to such diverse industries as nanotechnology and health is underscored by the fact that it is currently the ninth-most mined metal worldwide. Although its toxicity mirrors that of its Group 15 neighbor arsenic, its environmental chemistry is very different, and, unlike arsenic, relatively little is known about the fate and transport of Sb, especially with regard to biologically mediated redox reactions. To further our understanding of the interactions between microorganisms and Sb, we have isolated a bacterium that is capable of using antimonate [Sb(V)] as a terminal electron acceptor for anaerobic respiration, resulting in the precipitation of antimonite [Sb(III)] as microcrystals of antimony trioxide. The bacterium, designated strain MLFW-2, is a sporulating member of a deeply branching lineage within the order Bacillales (phylum Firmicutes). This report provides the first unequivocal evidence that a bacterium is capable of conserving energy for growth and reproduction from the reduction of antimonate. Moreover, microbiological antimonate reduction may serve as a novel route for the production of antimony trioxide microcrystals of commercial significance to the nanotechnology industry.

Antimony smelting process generating solid wastes and dust: characterization and leaching behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Xuejun; Wang, Kunpeng; He, Mengchang; Liu, Ziwei; Yang, Hailin; Li, Sisi

2014-07-01

A large amount of solid waste has been produced by the antimony smelting process in the "World Capital of Antimony", Xikuangshan area in China. This study comprehensively investigated the physical and chemical characteristics of the various solid wastes, as well as the leaching behavior of the solid wastes, which included water-quenched slag, arsenic-alkali residue, desulfurized slag and blast furnace dust. These four types of waste were enriched in a variety of heavy metals and metalloids and more specifically with As and Sb levels up to 8.6 × 10⁴ and 3.16×10⁵ mg/kg, respectively, in arsenic-alkali residue. For desulfurized slag and water-quenched slag, the leaching concentration of Sb significantly exceeded the acceptable limits during the leaching tests using the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure and the synthetic precipitation leaching procedure. In addition, As leaching in arsenic-alkali residue was extraordinarily hazardous, being three orders of magnitude higher than the regulatory level of As. According to the results of the extraction tests, all the tested wastes were classified as hazardous waste. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Liquid-liquid extraction of arsenic, antimony, selenium and tellurium by zinc diethyldithiocarbamate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bajo, S.; Wyttenbach, A.

1978-03-01

The authors report the solvent extraction, oxidation, reduction, extraction in the presence of iron, and reextraction of arsenic, antimony, selenium and tellurium. These processes were studied using radioactive tracers. (G.T.H.)

Direct separation of arsenic and antimony oxides by high-temperature filtration with porous FeAl intermetallic.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Huibin; Liu, Xinli; Jiang, Yao; Gao, Lin; Yu, Linping; Lin, Nan; He, Yuehui; Liu, C T

2017-09-15

A temperature-controlled selective filtration technology for synchronous removal of arsenic and recovery of antimony from the fume produced from reduction smelting process of lead anode slimes was proposed. The chromium (Cr) alloyed FeAl intermetallic with an asymmetric pore structure was developed as the high-temperature filter material after evaluating its corrosive resistance, structural stability and mechanical properties. The results showed that porous FeAl alloyed with 20wt.% Cr had a long term stability in a high-temperature sulfide-bearing environment. The separation of arsenic and antimony trioxides was realized principally based on their disparate saturated vapor pressures at specific temperature ranges and the asymmetric membrane of FeAl filter elements with a mean pore size of 1.8μm. Pilot-scale filtration tests showed that the direct separation of arsenic and antimony can be achieved by a one-step or two-step filtration process. A higher removal percentage of arsenic can reach 92.24% at the expense of 6∼7% loss of antimony in the two-step filtration process at 500∼550°C and 300∼400°C. The FeAl filters had still good permeable and mechanical properties with 1041h of uninterrupted service, which indicates the feasibility of this high-temperature filtration technology. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

[Pollution characteristics of antimony, arsenic and mercury in human hair at Xikuangshan antimony mining area and Guiyang City, China].

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Bi-Jun; Wu, Feng-Chang; Deng, Qiu-Jing; Mo, Chang-Li; Zhu, Jing; Zeng, Li; Fu, Zhi-You; Li, Wen

2009-03-15

The concentration levels of antimony, arsenic and mercury in human hair collected from Xikuangshan antimony mining area and Guiyang City were determined by hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry after having been digested by nitric acid and perchloric acid. The contents of Sb, As and Hg are 15.9, 4.21, 1.79 microg/g in the samples from Xikuangshan antimony mining area and 0.532, 0.280, 0.338 microg/g in the samples from Guiyang City respectively. The contents of Sb, As and Hg in human hair of Xikuangshan antimony area are much higher than those of Guiyang City. The independent-samples t-test shows that there are no marked differences in the contents of Sb and As between male and female hair samples from both Xikuangshan antimony mining area and Guiyang City (p > 0.05), while Hg contents in male hair are apparently higher than those in female hair from Guiyang City (p mining area may significantly affect human health than in the un-mining areas.

Extraction of antimony and arsenic from sulphidic concentrates

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BalហPeter

2000-09-01

Full Text Available The efficiency of both mineral processing and extractive metallurgy of minerals depends on the separation of individual mineral components and on the exposure of their surface. The production of flotation concentrates, with particle sizes of tens of microns, is not sufficient for many hydrometallurgical processes to operate at their optimum. As a consequence, metallurgical plants require for the effective processing high temperatures and pressures and some sort of concentrate pretreatment. Mechanical activation is an innovative procedure where an improvement in hydrometallurgical processes can be attained via a combination of new surface area and formation of crystalline defects in minerals. The lowering of reaction temperatures, the increase of rate and amount of solubility, preparation of water soluble compounds, the necessity for simpler and less expensive reactors and shorter reaction times are some of the advantages of mechanical activation. The environmental aspects of these processes are particularly attractive.This paper is devoted to the examples of application of mechanochemical treatment in the processing of sulfidic concentrates. The sulphide concentrates of various origin (Peru, Chile, Slovakia were succesfully tested for antimony and arsenic extraction. The mechanochemical treatment improve the degree of recovery and the rate of leaching of both metals. Two modes of mechanochemical treatment were tested: the mechanical activation before leaching and the mechanochemical leaching which integrates mechanical activation and leaching into a common step. The flowsheet consisted of mechanochemical leaching in an attritor and further operations as filtration, cementation, antimony precipitation, crystallization and arsenic precipitation. The pilot plant unit was designed for 500 kg per day feed of tetrahedrite concentrate. For the antimony extraction, electrowinning has also been considered. The residue which is a CuAgAu concentrate was

Response of Soil Microbial Communities to Elevated Antimony and Arsenic Contamination Indicates the Relationship between the Innate Microbiota and Contaminant Fractions.

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Sun, Weimin; Xiao, Enzong; Xiao, Tangfu; Krumins, Valdis; Wang, Qi; Häggblom, Max; Dong, Yiran; Tang, Song; Hu, Min; Li, Baoqin; Xia, Bingqing; Liu, Wei

2017-08-15

Mining of sulfide ore deposits containing metalloids, such as antimony and arsenic, has introduced serious soil contamination around the world, posing severe threats to food safety and human health. Hence, it is important to understand the behavior and composition of the microbial communities that control the mobilization or sequestration of these metal(loid)s. Here, we selected two sites in Southwest China with different levels of Sb and As contamination to study interactions among various Sb and As fractions and the soil microbiota, with a focus on the microbial response to metalloid contamination. Comprehensive geochemical analyses and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing demonstrated distinct soil taxonomic inventories depending on Sb and As contamination levels. Stochastic gradient boosting indicated that citric acid extractable Sb(V) and As(V) contributed 5% and 15%, respectively, to influencing the community diversity. Random forest predicted that low concentrations of Sb(V) and As(V) could enhance the community diversity but generally, the Sb and As contamination impairs microbial diversity. Co-occurrence network analysis indicated a strong correlation between the indigenous microbial communities and various Sb and As fractions. A number of taxa were identified as core genera due to their elevated abundances and positive correlation with contaminant fractions (total Sb and As concentrations, bioavailable Sb and As extractable fractions, and Sb and As redox species). Shotgun metagenomics indicated that Sb and As biogeochemical redox reactions may exist in contaminated soils. All these observations suggest the potential for bioremediation of Sb- and As-contaminated soils.

Cuz1/Ynl155w, a Zinc-dependent Ubiquitin-binding Protein, Protects Cells from Metalloid-induced Proteotoxicity*

Science.gov (United States)

Hanna, John; Waterman, David; Isasa, Marta; Elsasser, Suzanne; Shi, Yuan; Gygi, Steven; Finley, Daniel

2014-01-01

Protein misfolding is a universal threat to cells. The ubiquitin-proteasome system mediates a cellular stress response capable of eliminating misfolded proteins. Here we identify Cuz1/Ynl155w as a component of the ubiquitin system, capable of interacting with both the proteasome and Cdc48. Cuz1/Ynl155w is regulated by the transcription factor Rpn4, and is required for cells to survive exposure to the trivalent metalloids arsenic and antimony. A related protein, Yor052c, shows similar phenotypes, suggesting a multicomponent stress response pathway. Cuz1/Ynl155w functions as a zinc-dependent ubiquitin-binding protein. Thus, Cuz1/Ynl155w is proposed to protect cells from metalloid-induced proteotoxicity by delivering ubiquitinated substrates to Cdc48 and the proteasome for destruction. PMID:24297164

Determination of concentration levels of arsenic, gold and antimony in particle-size fractions of gold ore using Neutron Activation Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nyarku, M.

2009-02-01

Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) has been used to quantify the concentrations of arsenic, gold and antimony in particle-size fractions of a gold ore. The ore, which was taken from the Ahafo project site of Newmont Ghana Gold Ltd, was first fractionated into fourteen (14) particle-size fractions using state-of-the-art analytical sieve machine. The minimum sieve mesh size used was 36 microns and grains >2000 microns were not considered for analysis. Results of the sieving were analysed with easysieve software. The < 36 microns sub fraction was found to be the optimum, hosting bulk of all three elements. For arsenic, the element was found to be highly concentrated in < 36 to +100 microns size fractions and erratically distributed from +150 microns fraction and above. For gold, in exception of the sub fraction <36 which had exceptionally high concentration, the element is distributed in all the size fractions but slightly 'plays out' in the +150 to +400 microns fractions. Antimony occurrence in the sample was relatively high in <36 microns size fraction followed by 600 - 800, 800 - 1000, 400 - 600 and 36 - 40 microns size fractions in that order. Gold content in the sample was far higher than that of arsenic and antimony. Gold concentration in the composite sample was in the range 564 - 8420 ppm. Arsenic levels were higher as compared to antimony. The range of arsenic concentration in the composite sample was 14.33 - 186.92 ppm. Antimony concentration was in the range 1.09 - 9.48 ppm. (au)

Arsenic exposure and outcomes of antimonial treatment in visceral leishmaniasis patients in Bihar, India: a retrospective cohort study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meghan R Perry

2015-03-01

Full Text Available In the late twentieth century, emergence of high rates of treatment failure with antimonial compounds (SSG for visceral leishmaniasis (VL caused a public health crisis in Bihar, India. We hypothesize that exposure to arsenic through drinking contaminated groundwater may be associated with SSG treatment failure due to the development of antimony-resistant parasites.A retrospective cohort design was employed, as antimony treatment is no longer in routine use. The study was performed on patients treated with SSG between 2006 and 2010. Outcomes of treatment were assessed through a field questionnaire and treatment failure used as a proxy for parasite resistance. Arsenic exposure was quantified through analysis of 5 water samples from within and surrounding the patient's home. A logistic regression model was used to evaluate the association between arsenic exposure and treatment failure. In a secondary analysis survival curves and Cox regression models were applied to assess the risk of mortality in VL patients exposed to arsenic.One hundred and ten VL patients treated with SSG were analysed. The failure rate with SSG was 59%. Patients with high mean local arsenic level had a non-statistically significant higher risk of treatment failure (OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 0.7-4.6, p = 0.23 than patients using wells with arsenic concentration <10 μg/L. Twenty one patients died in our cohort, 16 directly as a result of VL. Arsenic levels ≥ 10 μg/L increased the risk of all-cause (HR 3.27; 95% CI: 1.4-8.1 and VL related (HR 2.65; 95% CI: 0.96-7.65 deaths. This was time dependent: 3 months post VL symptom development, elevated risks of all-cause mortality (HR 8.56; 95% CI: 2.5-29.1 and of VL related mortality (HR 9.27; 95% CI: 1.8-49.0 were detected.This study indicates a trend towards increased treatment failure in arsenic exposed patients. The limitations of the retrospective study design may have masked a strong association between arsenic exposure and selection

Mineral Resource of the Month: Antimony

Science.gov (United States)

Guberman, David E.

2015-01-01

Antimony is a lustrous silvery-white semimetal or metalloid. Archaeological and historical studies indicate that antimony and its mineral sulfides have been used by humans for at least six millennia. The alchemist Basil Valentine is sometimes credited with “discovering” the element; he described the extraction of metallic antimony from stibnite in his treatise “The Triumphal Chariot of Antimony,” published sometime between 1350 and 1600. In the early 18th century, Jöns Jakob Berzelius chose the periodic symbol for antimony (Sb) based on stibium, which is the Latin name for stibnite.

A NOVEL METHOD OF THE HYDRIDE SEPARATION FOR THE DETERMINATION OF ARSENIC AND ANTIMONY BY AAS

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Ganden Supriyanto

2010-06-01

Full Text Available A novel method is proposed for the hydride separation when determinining of arsenic and antimony by AAS. A chromatomembrane cell was used as preconcentration-, extraction- and separation-manifold instead of the U-tube phase separator, which is normally fitted in continuous flow vapour systems generating conventionaly the hydrides. The absorbances of the hydrides produced were measured by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer at 193.7 nm and 217.6 nm. Under optimized analytical conditions, the calibration plot for arsenic was linear from 50 to 500 ng.mL-1 (r2 = 0.9982. The precision for three subsequent measurements of 500 ng.mL-1 arsenic gave rise to a relative standard deviation of 0.4%. The detection limit was 15 ng.mL-1, which is much lower compared with that of the conventional hydride system (2000 ng.mL-1. A similar result was observed in case of antimony: the detection limit was 8 ng.mL-1 when the proposed method was applied. Consequently, the sensitivity of the novel method surpasses systems with conventional hydride generation, i.e. the precision and the acuracy increase whereas the standard deviation and the detection limit decrease. The proposed method was applied in pharmacheutial analysis and the certified As-content of a commercial product was very sufficiently confirmed.   Keywords: Chromatomembrane Cell, Hydride separation, Arsenic detection, Antimony detection, AAS

Differences in antimony and arsenic releases from lead smelter fly ash in soils

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Ettler, V.; Mihaljevič, M.; Šebek, O.; Valigurova, R.; Klementová, Mariana

2012-01-01

Roč. 72, Supp. 4 (2012), s. 15-22 ISSN 0009-2819 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40320502 Keywords : Antimony * Arsenic * Lead smelting * Fly ash * Soil * Mobility Subject RIV: CA - Inorganic Chemistry Impact factor: 1.351, year: 2012

Monitoring of copper, arsenic and antimony levels in agricultural soils impacted and non-impacted by mining activities, from three regions in Chile.

Science.gov (United States)

De Gregori, Ida; Fuentes, Edwar; Rojas, Mariela; Pinochet, Hugo; Potin-Gautier, Martine

2003-04-01

This paper reports a comparative study of the concentration of three important environmental elements that are often found together in mineral deposits and then associated with mining activities; copper, arsenic and antimony. These elements were determined in 26 different agricultural soils from regions I, II and V in Chile, zones where the most important and biggest copper industries of this country are located. As background levels of these elements in soils have not been well established, in this study, both, impacted and non-impacted agricultural soils from different regions were considered. The relationships between the concentrations of these elements in soils were also examined. The concentration ranges for copper, arsenic and antimony were 11-530; 2.7-202 and 0.42-11 mg kg(-1) respectively. The copper concentrations in non-polluted soils from the north and central zone of Chile were similar. However, three sites from the north region have copper concentration as higher as 100 mg kg(-1), values that exceed the critical concentration for copper in soils. The concentration of arsenic and antimony in the north soils were higher than in non-impacted ones and, in the case of arsenic, greatly exceeded the world average concentration reported for this element in soils. The highest arsenic and antimony concentrations were found in Calama and Quillagua soils, two different sites in the Loa valley. The arsenic/antimony concentration ratio was higher in Quillagua soil. The high concentrations of three elements determined in impacted soils from region V (Puchuncaví and Catemu valleys) clearly shows the impact produced in this zone by the industrial and mining activities developed in their proximities. At Puchuncaví valley a clear decrease was observed in copper, arsenic and antimony concentrations in soils on the function of the distance from the industrial complex "Las Ventanas", and all concentrations exceeded the reported critical values for this matrix. Instead at

Simultaneous analysis of arsenic, antimony, selenium and tellurium in environmental samples using hydride generation ICPMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jankowski, L.M.; Breidenbach, R.; Bakker, I.J.I.; Epema, O.J.

2009-01-01

Full text: A quantitative method for simultaneous analysis of arsenic, antimony, selenium and tellurium in environmental samples is being developed using hydride generation ICPMS. These elements must be first transformed into hydride-forming oxidation states. This is particularly challenging for selenium and antimony because selenium is susceptible to reduction to the non-hydride-forming elemental state and antimony requires strong reducing conditions. The effectiveness of three reducing agents (KI, thiourea, cysteine) is studied. A comparison is made between addition of reducing agent to the sample and addition of KI to the NaBH 4 solution. Best results were obtained with the latter approach. (author)

The evolution of December 2004 tsunami deposits: temporal and spatial distribution of potentially toxic metalloids.

Science.gov (United States)

Kozak, Lidia; Niedzielski, Przemysław

2013-11-01

The article presents the results of research into the content of metalloid fractions in the tsunami deposits from southern Thailand. The following fractions, which are potentially most easily released from deposits to the environment, have been distinguished: the water soluble fraction, the exchangeable fraction extracted with the phosphate buffer and the fraction eluted with the solution of hydrochloric acid. The analytical technique atomic absorption spectrometry with hydride generation was applied. Spatial variability of the metalloid fractions in deposits and changes occurring in deposits over a period of several years of observation were determined. Based on the statistical analysis of the results, an attempt was made to determine the post-depositional release of deposits components to the environment. Based on the conducted research, the 4 years forming process of the arsenic, antimony and selenium occurrence after the deposition of sediments on land were described, as well as the balance in the amount of deposit components released to the environment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SYSTEM OPTIMIZATION FOR THE AUTOMATIC SIMULTANEOUS DETERMINATION OF ARSENIC, SELENIUM, AND ANTIMONY, USING HYDRIDE GENERATION INTRODUCTION TO AN INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA.

Science.gov (United States)

Pyen, Grace S.; Browner, Richard F.; Long, Stephen

1986-01-01

A fixed-size simplex has been used to determine the optimum conditions for the simultaneous determination of arsenic, selenium, and antimony by hydride generation and inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry. The variables selected for the simplex were carrier gas flow rate, rf power, viewing height, and reagent conditions. The detection limit for selenium was comparable to the preoptimized case, but there were twofold and fourfold improvements in the detection limits for arsenic and antimony, respectively. Precision of the technique was assessed with the use of artificially prepared water samples.

Aquaglyceroporins: ancient channels for metalloids

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharjee, Hiranmoy; Mukhopadhyay, Rita; Thiyagarajan, Saravanamuthu; Rosen, Barry P

2008-01-01

The identification of aquaglyceroporins as uptake channels for arsenic and antimony shows how these toxic elements can enter the food chain, and suggests that food plants could be genetically modified to exclude arsenic while still accumulating boron and silicon. PMID:19014407

Determination of the oxidation states of metals and metalloids: An analytical review

Science.gov (United States)

Vodyanitskii, Yu. N.

2013-12-01

The hazard of many heavy metals/metalloids in the soil depends on their oxidation state. The problem of determining the oxidation state has been solved due to the use of synchrotron radiation methods with the analysis of the X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES). The determination of the oxidation state is of special importance for some hazardous heavy elements (arsenic, antimony, selenium, chromium, uranium, and vanadium). The mobility and hazard of each of these elements depend on its oxidation state. The mobilities are higher at lower oxidation states of As, Cr, V, and Se and at higher oxidation states of Sb and U. The determination of the oxidation state of arsenic has allowed revealing its fixation features in the rhizosphere of hydrophytes. The known oxidation states of chromium and uranium are used for the retention of these elements on geochemical barriers. Different oxidation states have been established for vanadium displacing iron in goethite. The determination of the oxidation state of manganese in the rhizosphere and the photosynthetic apparatus of plants is of special importance for agricultural chemists.

Diel variation of arsenic, molybdenum and antimony in a stream draining natural As geochemical anomaly

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Drahota, P.; Nováková, B.; Matoušek, Tomáš; Mihaljevič, M.; Rohovec, Jan; Filippi, Michal

2013-01-01

Roč. 31, APR (2013), s. 84-93 ISSN 0883-2927 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30130516 Institutional support: RVO:68081715 ; RVO:67985831 Keywords : arsenic * molybdenum * antimony * trace elements * diel cycle Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation; DD - Geochemistry (GLU-S) Impact factor: 2.021, year: 2013

Investigating concentration distributions of arsenic, gold and antimony in grain-size fractions of gold ore using instrumental neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nyarku, M.; Nyarko, B.J.B.; Serfor-Armah, Y.; Osae, S.

2010-01-01

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) has been used to quantify concentrations of arsenic (As), gold (Au) and antimony (Sb) in grain-size fractions of a gold ore. The ore, which was taken from the Ahafo project site of Newmont Ghana Gold Ltd., was fractionated into 14 grain-size fractions using state-of-the-art analytical sieve machine. The minimum sieve mesh size used was 36 μm and grains >2000 μm were not considered for analysis. Result of the sieving was analysed with easysieve (registered) software. The<36 μm subfraction was found to be the optimum, hosting bulk of all three elements. Arsenic was found to be highly concentrated in<36-100 μm size fractions and erratically distributed in from 150 μm fraction and above. For gold, with the exception of the subfraction <36 μm which had exceptionally high concentration, the element was found to be approximately equally distributed in all the size fractions but slightly 'played out' in 150-400 μm size fractions. Antimony occurrence in the sample was relatively high in <36 μm size fraction followed by 600, 800, 400 and 36 μm size fractions in that order. Gold content in the sample was comparatively far greater than arsenic and antimony; this is indicative of level of gold mineralization in the concession where the sample ore was taken. The concentration of gold in the composite sample was in the range 564-8420 ppm as compared to 14.33-186.92 ppm for arsenic and 1.09-9.48 ppm for antimony. Elemental concentrations were correlated with each other and with grain-size fractions and the relationships between these descriptive parameters were established.

The use of masking agents in the determination, by hydride generation and atomic-absorption spectrophotometry, of arsenic, antimony, selenium, tellurium, and bismuth in the presence of noble metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kellerman, S.P.

1982-01-01

The effectiveness of thiosemicarbazide, tellurium, and potassium iodide as masking agents to eliminate interferences was assessed. Thiosemicarbazide was found to be effective in eliminating or reducing the interferences on arsenic, antimony, and bismuth, and tellurium reduced the interferences on selenium. The interferences on tellurium could not be eliminated. Arsenic, antimony, selenium, and bismuth were determined in metal sulphide concentrates that were spiked with the noble metals (defined here as gold plus all the platinum-group metals except osmium). The relative standard deviations for arsenic, antimony, bismuth, and selenium were 0,061, 0,017, 0,029, and 0,145 respectively. The values obtained for all the analytes agreed favourably with the preferred values for two in-house reference samples. The laboratory method is detailed in an appendix

Arsenic, Antimony, Chromium, and Thallium Speciation in Water and Sediment Samples with the LC-ICP-MS Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magdalena Jabłońska-Czapla

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Chemical speciation is a very important subject in the environmental protection, toxicology, and chemical analytics due to the fact that toxicity, availability, and reactivity of trace elements depend on the chemical forms in which these elements occur. Research on low analyte levels, particularly in complex matrix samples, requires more and more advanced and sophisticated analytical methods and techniques. The latest trends in this field concern the so-called hyphenated techniques. Arsenic, antimony, chromium, and (underestimated thallium attract the closest attention of toxicologists and analysts. The properties of those elements depend on the oxidation state in which they occur. The aim of the following paper is to answer the question why the speciation analytics is so important. The paper also provides numerous examples of the hyphenated technique usage (e.g., the LC-ICP-MS application in the speciation analysis of chromium, antimony, arsenic, or thallium in water and bottom sediment samples. An important issue addressed is the preparation of environmental samples for speciation analysis.

Arsenic and antimony geochemistry of mine wastes, associated waters and sediments at the Giant Mine, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fawcett, Skya E.; Jamieson, Heather E.; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; McCleskey, R. Blaine

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Antimony and arsenic were speciated in sediments and pore waters near Giant Mine. • Sediments will continue to be a source of arsenic and antimony to overlying water. • Aquatic vegetation traps contaminated sediment and takes up antimony and arsenic. - Abstract: Elevated levels of arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) in water and sediments are legacy residues found downstream from gold-mining activities at the Giant Mine in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada. To track the transport and fate of As and Sb, samples of mine-waste from the mill, and surface water, sediment, pore-water, and vegetation downstream of the mine were collected. Mine waste, pore-water, and sediment samples were analyzed for bulk chemistry, and aqueous and solid-state speciation. Sediment and vegetation chemistry were evaluated using scanning electron microscope imaging, synchrotron-based element mapping and electron microprobe analysis. The distributions of As and Sb in sediments were similar, yet their distributions in the corresponding pore-waters were mostly dissimilar, and the mobility of As was greater than that of Sb. Competition for sorption sites is the most likely cause of elevated Sb concentrations in relatively oxidized pore-water and surface water. The aqueous and solid-state speciation of As and Sb also differed. In pore-water, As(V) dominated in oxidizing environments and As(III) in reducing environments. In contrast, the Sb(V) species dominated in all but one pore-water sample, even under reducing conditions. Antimony(III) appears to preferentially precipitate or adsorb onto sulfides as evidenced by the prevalence of an Sb(III)-S secondary solid-phase and the lack of Sb(III)(aq) in the deeper zones. The As(V)–O solid phase became depleted with depth below the sediment–water interface, and the Sb(V)–O phase persisted under relatively reducing conditions. In the surficial zone at a site populated by Equisetum fluviatile (common horsetail), As and

Arsenic transport by zebrafish aquaglyceroporins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Landfear Scott M

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Arsenic is one of the most ubiquitous toxins and endangers the health of tens of millions of humans worldwide. It is a mainly a water-borne contaminant. Inorganic trivalent arsenic (AsIII is one of the major species that exists environmentally. The transport of AsIII has been studied in microbes, plants and mammals. Members of the aquaglyceroporin family have been shown to actively conduct AsIII and its organic metabolite, monomethylarsenite (MAsIII. However, the transport of AsIII and MAsIII in in any fish species has not been characterized. Results In this study, five members of the aquaglyceroporin family from zebrafish (Danio rerio were cloned, and their ability to transport water, glycerol, and trivalent arsenicals (AsIII and MAsIII and antimonite (SbIII was investigated. Genes for at least seven aquaglyceroporins have been annotated in the zebrafish genome project. Here, five genes which are close homologues to human AQP3, AQP9 and AQP10 were cloned from a zebrafish cDNA preparation. These genes were named aqp3, aqp3l, aqp9a, aqp9b and aqp10 according to their similarities to the corresponding human AQPs. Expression of aqp9a, aqp9b, aqp3, aqp3l and aqp10 in multiple zebrafish organs were examined by RT-PCR. Our results demonstrated that these aquaglyceroporins exhibited different tissue expression. They are all detected in more than one tissue. The ability of these five aquaglyceroporins to transport water, glycerol and the metalloids arsenic and antimony was examined following expression in oocytes from Xenopus leavis. Each of these channels showed substantial glycerol transport at equivalent rates. These aquaglyceroporins also facilitate uptake of inorganic AsIII, MAsIII and SbIII. Arsenic accumulation in fish larvae and in different tissues from adult zebrafish was studied following short-term arsenic exposure. The results showed that liver is the major organ of arsenic accumulation; other tissues such as gill, eye

Oral bioavailability of arsenic, antimony and a selection of metals in ashes; Oral biotillgaenglighet av arsenik, antimon och ett urval av metaller i askor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carlsson, Christel; Bendz, David; Jones, Celia

2008-06-15

In an earlier study, financed by Varmeforsk, 'Q4-238 Environmental guidelines for reuse of ash in civil engineering applications', the total content of arsenic and lead was shown to determine whether or not reuse of some of the ashes in construction work is feasible. The model used to calculate the guidelines uses the total concentration of metals to evaluate the health risks resulting from exposure to the ashes. The use of total concentration can lead to overly conservative risk assessments if a significant fraction of the total metal content is not bioavailable. Better precision in the risk assessment can be given by the use of the bioavailable fraction of arsenic and lead in the model. As a result, ashes which are rejected on the basis of total metal concentration may be acceptable for use in engineering construction when the assessment is based on the bioavailable fraction. The purpose of the study was to (i) compile information on the oral bioavailability of arsenic, antimony and a selection of metals in ashes and similar materials, and on in vitro methods for determination of oral bioavailability, and (ii) experimentally estimate oral bioavailability of arsenic, antimony and some metals in a selection of ashes by analysis of the gastrointestinal bioaccessibility of these elements. The investigated elements were antimony, arsenic, lead, cadmium, copper, chromium, nickel and zinc. In the literature study performed within the project a number of static and dynamic in vitro methods simulating gastrointestinal processes of contaminants were compiled. The methods include one or several segments, i.e. mouth, stomach and intestine. Among the compiled methods, the RIVM (Rijksinstituut voor volksgesundheid en milieu) in vitro method was used in the experimental part of the project. The advantages with the method was that: the method to a high degree mimicked the human gastrointestinal processes (the method included three segments mouth, stomach, and intestine

Antimony distribution and environmental mobility at an historic antimony smelter site, New Zealand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, N.J.; Craw, D.; Hunter, K.

2004-01-01

A historic antimony smelter site at Endeavour Inlet, New Zealand has smelter residues with up to 17 wt.% antimony. Residues include coarse tailings (cm scale particles, poorly sorted), sand tailings (well sorted) and smelter slag (blocks up to 30 cm across). All of this material has oxidised to some degree over the ca. 100 years since the site was abandoned. Oxidation has resulted in acidification of the residues down to pH 2-5. Smelter slag contains pyrrhotite (FeS) and metallic antimony, and oxidation is restricted to surfaces only. The coarse tailings are the most oxidised, and few sulfide grains persist. Unoxidised sand tailings contain 10-20 vol.% stibnite (Sb 2 S 3 ) containing up to 5% As, with subordinate arsenopyrite (FeAsS), and minor pyrite (FeS 2 ). The sand tailings are variably oxidised on a scale of 2-10 cm, but original depositional layering is preserved during oxidation and formation of senarmontite (Sb 2 O 3 ). Oxidation of sand tailings has resulted in localised mobility of both Sb and As on the cm scale, resulting in redistribution of these metalloids with iron oxyhydroxide around sand grain boundaries. Experiments demonstrate that Sb mobility decreases with time on a scale of days. Attenuation of both As and Sb occurs due to adsorption on to iron oxyhydroxides which are formed during oxidation of the smelter residues. There is no detectable loss of Sb or As from the smelter site into the adjacent river, <50 m away, which has elevated Sb (ca. 20 μg/l) and As (ca. 7 μg /l) from mineralised rocks upstream. Despite the high concentrations of Sb and As in the smelter residues, these metalloids are not being released into the environment. - High levels of antimony in primitive smelter soils remain largely immobile on the metre scale

Arsenic Methyltransferase

Science.gov (United States)

The metalloid arsenic enters the environment by natural processes (volcanic activity, weathering of rocks) and by human activity (mining, smelting, herbicides and pesticides). Although arsenic has been exploited for homicidal and suicidal purposes since antiquity, its significan...

Evaluation of the Content of Antimony, Arsenic, Bismuth, Selenium, Tellurium and Their Inorganic Forms in Commercially Baby Foods.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruiz-de-Cenzano, M; Rochina-Marco, A; Cervera, M L; de la Guardia, M

2017-12-01

Baby foods, from the Spanish market and prepared from meat, fish, vegetables, cereals, legumes, and fruits, were analyzed to obtain the concentration of antimony (Sb), arsenic (As), bismuth (Bi), and tellurium (Te) as toxic elements and selenium (Se) as essential element. An analytical procedure was employed based on atomic fluorescence spectroscopy which allowed to obtain accurate data at low levels of concentration. Values of 14 commercial samples, expressed in nanograms per gram fresh weight, ranged for Sb 0.66-6.9, As 4.5-242, Te 1.35-2.94, Bi 2.18-4.79, and Se 5.4-109. Additionally, speciation studies were performed based on data from a non-chromatographic screening method. It was concluded that tellurium and bismuth were mainly present as inorganic forms and selenium as organic form, and antimony and arsenic species depend on the ingredients of each baby food. Risk assessment considerations were made by comparing dietary intake of the aforementioned elements through the consumption of one baby food portion a day and recommended or tolerable guideline values.

Controls on the Mobility of Antimony in Mine Waste from Three Deposit Types

Science.gov (United States)

Jamieson, H.; Radková, A. B.; Fawcett, S.

2017-12-01

Antimony can be considered both a critical metal and an environmental hazard, with a toxicity similar to arsenic. It is concentrated in stibnite deposits, but also present in polymetallic and precious metal ores, frequently accompanied by arsenic. We have studied the mineralogical controls on the mobility of antimony in three types of mine waste: stibnite tailings from an antimony mine, tetrahedrite-bearing waste rock from copper mining, and gold mine tailings and ore roaster waste. Our results demonstrate that the tendency of antimony to leach into the aqueous environment or remain sequestered in solid phases depends on the primary host minerals and conditions governing the precipitation of secondary antimony-hosting phases. In tailings at the Beaver Brook antimony mine in Newfoundland, Canada, stibnite oxidizes rapidly, and secondary minerals such as the relatively insoluble Sb-Fe tripuhyite-like phase and Sb-bearing goethite. However, under dry conditions, the most important secondary Sb host is the Mg-Sb hydroxide brandholzite, but this easily soluble mineral disappears when it rains. Antimony that was originally hosted in tetrahedrite, a complex multi-element sulfosalt, in the historic waste rock piles at Špania Dolina-Piesky, Slovakia, is not as mobile as Cu and As during weathering but reprecipiates to a mixture of tripuhyite and romeite. Finally, the original antimony-hosting minerals, both stibnite and sulphosalts, in the gold ore at Giant Mine, Yellowknife, Canada were completely destroyed during ore roasting. In tailings-contaminated sediments, antimony persists in roaster-generated iron oxide phases, except under reducing conditions where some of the antimony forms a Sb-S phase. The combined presence of antimony and arsenic in mine waste complicates risk assessment but in general, our findings suggest that antimony is less mobile than arsenic in the environment.

Antimony Adsorption from Zarshouran Gold Mineral Processing Plant Wastewater by Nano Zero Valent Iron Coated on Bentonite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

nader nosrati

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The effluent from Zarshouran gold mineral processing plant contains high quantities of arsenic, antimony, mercury, and bismuth. These metals and metalloids are soluble in water and very toxic when they enter the environment. Their solubility in water causes the polluted area to extend beyond their point of origin. In this article, different methods of antimony removal from water and wastewater were reviewed and the zero-valent iron nanoparticles coated on Bentonite were selected as an effective and low cost material for removing antimony from wastewater. For the purposes of this study, zero-valent iron nanoparticles of 40-100 nanometers in size were synthesized by dropwise addition of sodium borohydride solution to an Iron (III aqueous solution at  ambient temperature and mixed with nitrogen gas. To avoid particle agglomeration and to enhance the product’s environmentally safe application, the  nanoparticles were coated on Bentonite and characterized by SEM/EDAX and BET. The experiments were carried out by intense mixing of the adsorbent with 10ml of real/synthtic wastewater samples in 20ml bottles.  The effects of pH, contact time, temperature, and adsorbent dosage on antimony removal efficiency were investigated under intense mixing using a magnetic mixer. Finally, the effluents were filtered upon completion of the experiments and used for atomic adsorption analysis. The results of the experiments showed that the adsorption isotherms of the synthesized nanoparticles obeyed the Langmuir and Freundlich models. The experiments carried out on real samples showed that antimony adsorption capacity for B-nZVI was 2.6 mg/g of the adsorbent and that the highest antimony removal efficiency was 99.56%.

Determination of arsenic, selenium and antimony by neutron activation analysis. Application to hair samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, H.A.; Hoede, D.; Nieuwendijk, B.J.T.; Sloot, H.A. van der; Teunissen, G.J.A.; Woittiez, J.R.W.

1983-04-01

A fast rabbit system for instrumental activation analysis with reactor neutrons is described. Its use in the determination of selenium in hair is discussed. A survey is given of the correction factors which are inherent to the use of short-lived radionuclides. An alternative to INAA is NAA based on the separation of arsenic, selenium and antimony by hydride evaporation and adsorption to active carbon. Data for some Standard Reference Materials are given. This work was done under research contract 2440/RI/RB with the IAEA

Determination by neutron activation analysis of loss of arsenic, antimony, bromine and mercury during lyophilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlson, M.; Litman, R.

1978-01-01

Neutron activation analysis has been used to monitor the loss of arsenic, as dimethylarsinic acid, (CH 3 ) 2 AsOOH, or as sodium arsenate (Na 2 HAsO 4 .7H 2 O), antimony (as potassium antimony, tartrate, KSbC 4 O 7 .1/2H 2 O) and bromine (as bromide ion) during lyophilization of acidified and neutral aqueous synthetic and environmental samples. Losses of Sb and As ranged from zero to 60%, while losses of bromine were constant (at 91%) in acidic solutions. The variable losses of As and Sb were due solely to the presence of and partial decomposition of the (CH 3 ) 2 AsOOH. Electrochemical oxidation of Br - to Br 2 is responsible for the high losses of bromine. In addition losses of mercury (as methylmercuric chloride) were 1O0% in both acidic and neutral aqueous synthetic samples during lyophilization. (author)

Determination and evaluation of the metals and metalloids in the Chapeu-de-couro (Echinodorus macrophyllus (Kunth) Micheli).

Science.gov (United States)

Barbosa, Uenderson Araujo; dos Santos, Ivanice Ferreira; dos Santos, Ana Maria Pinto; dos Santos, Debora Correia; da Costa, Grenivel Mota

2013-09-01

The Chapeu-de-couro (Echinodorus macrophyllus (Kunth) Micheli) is a native plant from Brazil, which has been mainly used in medicinal application being a potent antirheumatic and diuretic, in the production of soft drinks, and also in the ornamentation of aquariums. In this paper, the metals and metalloids for the leaves of chapeu-de-couro collected in the Paraguacu River from the city Cachoeira, Bahia State, Brazil, was determined and evaluated using multivariate analysis. The samples were digested using nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide and were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The accuracy of the method was confirmed by analysis of a certified reference material of apple leaves, furnished by National Institute of Standard and Technology. The study involved 15 samples of the Paraguacu River. The results expressed as milligrams of element per kilogram of sample demonstrated that the concentration ranges varied: 1.39-5.27 for chromium, 44.85-165.39 for manganese, 0.55-0.84 for arsenic, 0.01-3.94 for antimony, and 0.18-0.31 for lead. The principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis evidenced that the concentrations of the metals and metalloids varied according with the variations in the water of the Paraguacu.

Identification of Antimony- and Arsenic-Oxidizing Bacteria Associated with Antimony Mine Tailing

Science.gov (United States)

Hamamura, Natsuko; Fukushima, Koh; Itai, Takaaki

2013-01-01

Antimony (Sb) is a naturally occurring toxic element commonly associated with arsenic (As) in the environment and both elements have similar chemistry and toxicity. Increasing numbers of studies have focused on microbial As transformations, while microbial Sb interactions are still not well understood. To gain insight into microbial roles in the geochemical cycling of Sb and As, soils from Sb mine tailing were examined for the presence of Sb- and As-oxidizing bacteria. After aerobic enrichment culturing with AsIII (10 mM) or SbIII (100 μM), pure cultures of Pseudomonas- and Stenotrophomonas-related isolates with SbIII oxidation activities and a Sinorhizobium-related isolate capable of AsIII oxidation were obtained. The AsIII-oxidizing Sinorhizobium isolate possessed the aerobic arsenite oxidase gene (aioA), the expression of which was induced in the presence of AsIII or SbIII. However, no SbIII oxidation activity was detected from the Sinorhizobium-related isolate, suggesting the involvement of different mechanisms for Sb and As oxidation. These results demonstrate that indigenous microorganisms associated with Sb mine soils are capable of Sb and As oxidation, and potentially contribute to the speciation and mobility of Sb and As in situ. PMID:23666539

Enrichment of Gold in Antimony Matte by Direct Smelting of Refractory Gold Concentrate

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Tianzu; Xie, Boyi; Liu, Weifeng; Zhang, Duchao; Chen, Lin

2018-06-01

Conventional cyanidation technology achieves low gold recovery when used to process refractory gold concentrate. Based on the geochemical characteristics of gold deposit mineralization, a new method is proposed herein for gold enrichment in antimony matte by smelting of refractory gold concentrate. The effects of the FeO/SiO2 and CaO/SiO2 ratios, smelting temperature, and smelting time on the gold recovery were investigated in detail. The optimum conditions were determined to be FeO/SiO2 ratio of 1.2, CaO/SiO2 ratio of 0.4, smelting temperature of 1200°C, and smelting time of 45 min. The gold content in antimony matte and smelting slag was 96.68 and 1.13 g/t, respectively. The gold, antimony, and arsenic recovery was 97.72%, 26.89%, and 6.56%, respectively, with most of the antimony and arsenic volatilized into dust. Mineral liberation analyzer results showed that the antimony matte mainly consisted of FeS and FeO, with three phases, viz. FeAs, SbAs, and AuSb, embedded between them, indicating that gold was easily enriched with antimony and arsenic during smelting of refractory gold concentrate.

Enrichment of Gold in Antimony Matte by Direct Smelting of Refractory Gold Concentrate

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Tianzu; Xie, Boyi; Liu, Weifeng; Zhang, Duchao; Chen, Lin

2018-04-01

Conventional cyanidation technology achieves low gold recovery when used to process refractory gold concentrate. Based on the geochemical characteristics of gold deposit mineralization, a new method is proposed herein for gold enrichment in antimony matte by smelting of refractory gold concentrate. The effects of the FeO/SiO2 and CaO/SiO2 ratios, smelting temperature, and smelting time on the gold recovery were investigated in detail. The optimum conditions were determined to be FeO/SiO2 ratio of 1.2, CaO/SiO2 ratio of 0.4, smelting temperature of 1200°C, and smelting time of 45 min. The gold content in antimony matte and smelting slag was 96.68 and 1.13 g/t, respectively. The gold, antimony, and arsenic recovery was 97.72%, 26.89%, and 6.56%, respectively, with most of the antimony and arsenic volatilized into dust. Mineral liberation analyzer results showed that the antimony matte mainly consisted of FeS and FeO, with three phases, viz. FeAs, SbAs, and AuSb, embedded between them, indicating that gold was easily enriched with antimony and arsenic during smelting of refractory gold concentrate.

Linking Arsenic Metabolism and Toxic Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Although arsenic has been long recognized as a toxicant and a carcinogen, the molecular basis for few of its adverse effects are well understood. Like other metalloids, arsenic undergoes extensive metabolism involving oxidation state changes and formation of methyl-arsenic bonds ...

Environmental Source of Arsenic Exposure

OpenAIRE

Chung, Jin-Yong; Yu, Seung-Do; Hong, Young-Seoub

2014-01-01

Arsenic is a ubiquitous, naturally occurring metalloid that may be a significant risk factor for cancer after exposure to contaminated drinking water, cigarettes, foods, industry, occupational environment, and air. Among the various routes of arsenic exposure, drinking water is the largest source of arsenic poisoning worldwide. Arsenic exposure from ingested foods usually comes from food crops grown in arsenic-contaminated soil and/or irrigated with arsenic-contaminated water. According to a ...

Nature's refineries — Metals and metalloids in arc volcanoes

Science.gov (United States)

Henley, R.W.; Berger, Byron R.

2013-01-01

Chemical data for fumaroles and for atmospheric gas and ash plumes from active arc volcanoes provide glimpses of the rates of release of metal and metalloids, such as Tl and Cd, from shallow and mid-crust magmas. Data from copper deposits formed in ancient volcanoes at depths of up to about 1500 m in the fractures below paleo-fumaroles, and at around 2000–4000 m in association with sub-volcanic intrusions (porphyry copper deposits) provide evidence of sub-surface deposition of Cu–Au–Ag–Mo and a range of other minor elements including Te, Se, As and Sb. These deposits, or ‘sinks’, of metals consistently record sustained histories of magmatic gas streaming through volcanic systems interspersed by continuing intrusive and eruptive activity. Here we integrate data from ancient and modern volcanic systems and show that the fluxes of metals and metalloids are controlled by a) the maintenance of fracture permeability in the stressed crust below volcanoes and b) the chemical processes that are triggered as magmatic gas, initially undersaturated with metals and metalloids, expands from lithostatic to very low pressure conditions through fracture arrays. The recognition of gas streaming may also account for the phenomenon of ‘excess degassing’, and defines an integral, but generally understated, component of active volcanic systems – a volcanic gas core – that is likely to be integral to the progression of eruptions to Plinean state.Destabilization of solvated molecular metal and metalloid species in magmatic gas mixtures and changes in their redox state are triggered, as it expands to the surface by abrupt pressure drops, or throttles' in the fracture array that guides expansion to the surface. The electronically harder, low electronegativity metals, such as copper and iron, deposit rapidly in response to expansion followed more slowly by arsenic with antimony as sulfosalts. Heavy, large radius, softer elements such as bismuth, lead, and thallium

An improved method for the determination of trace levels of arsenic and antimony in geological materials by automated hydride generation-atomic absorption spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Crock, J.G.; Lichte, F.E.

1982-01-01

An improved, automated method for the determination of arsenic and antimony in geological materials is described. After digestion of the material in sulfuric, nitric, hydrofluoric and perchloric acids, a hydrochloric acid solution of the sample is automatically mixed with reducing agents, acidified with additional hydrochloric acid, and treated with a sodium tetrahydroborate solution to form arsine and stibine. The hydrides are decomposed in a heated quartz tube in the optical path of an atomic absorption spectrometer. The absorbance peak height for arsenic or antimony is measured. Interferences that exist are minimized to the point where most geological materials including coals, soils, coal ashes, rocks and sediments can be analyzed directly without use of standard additions. The relative standard deviation of the digestion and the instrumental procedure is less than 2% at the 50 ??g l-1 As or Sb level. The reagent-blank detection limit is 0.2 ??g l-1 As or Sb. ?? 1982.

Role of complex organic arsenicals in food in aggregate exposure to arsenic

Science.gov (United States)

For much of the world’s population, food is the major source of exposure to arsenic. Exposure to this non-essential metalloid at relatively low levels has been linked to a wide range of adverse health effects. Thus, evaluating foods as sources of exposure to arsenic is important ...

Stability studies of arsenic, selenium, antimony and tellurium species in water, urine, fish and soil extracts using HPLC/ICP-MS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindemann, T.; Prange, A.; Neidhart, B. [GKSS Research Centre, Geesthacht (Germany). Inst. of Physical and Chemical Analysis; Dannecker, W. [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Anorganische und Angewandte Chemie

2000-10-01

The stability of arsenic, selenium, antimony and tellurium species in water and urine (NIST SRM 2670n) as well as in extracts of fish and soil certified reference materials (DORM-2 and NIST SRM 2710) has been investigated. Stability studies were carried out with As(III), As(V), arsenobetaine, monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), phenylarsonic acid (PAA), Se(IV), Se(VI), selenomethionine, Sb(III), Sb(V) and Te(VI). Speciation analysis was performed by on-line coupling of anion exchange high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Best storage of aqueous mixtures of the examined species was achieved at 3 C whereas at -20 C species transformation especially of selenomethionine and Sb(V) took place and a new selenium species appeared within a period of 30 days. Losses and species transformations during extraction processes were investigated. Extraction of the spiked fish material with methanol/water led to partial conversion of Sb(III), Sb(V) and selenomethionine to two new antimony and one new selenium species. The other arsenic, selenium and tellurium species were almost quantitatively extracted. For soil spiked with MMA, PAA, Se(IV) and Sb(III), recoveries after extraction with water and sulfuric acid (0.01 mol/L) were below 20%. (orig.)

Partitioning geochemistry of arsenic and antimony, El Tatio Geyser Field, Chile

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Landrum, J.T. [Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78759 (United States); Bennett, P.C., E-mail: pbennett@mail.utexas.edu [Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78759 (United States); Engel, A.S. [Department of Geology and Geophysics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States); Alsina, M.A.; Pasten, P.A. [Departamento de Ingenieria Hidraulica y Ambiental, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago (Chile); Milliken, K. [Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78759 (United States)

2009-04-15

The abundance of As and Sb in aqueous, mineral and biological reservoirs was examined at El Tatio Geyser Field, a unique hydrothermal basin located in the Atacama Desert region of Chile. Here the concentration of total As and Sb in hydrothermal springs and discharge streams are the highest reported for a natural surface water, and the geyser basin represents a significant source of toxic elements for downstream users across Region II, Chile. The geyser waters are near neutral Na:Cl type with {approx}0.45 and 0.021 mmol L{sup -1} total As and Sb, respectively, primarily in the reduced (III) redox state at the discharge with progressive oxidation downstream. The ferric oxyhydroxides associated with the microbial mats and some mineral precipitates accumulate substantial As that was identified as arsenate by XAS analysis (>10 wt% in the mats). This As is easily mobilized by anion exchange or mild dissolution of the HFO, and the ubiquitous microbial mats represent a significant reservoir of As in this system. Antimony, in contrast, is not associated with the mineral ferric oxides or the biomats, but is substantially enriched in the silica matrix of the geyserite precipitates, up to 2 wt% as Sb{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Understanding the mobility and partitioning behavior of these metalloids is critical for understanding their eventual impact on regional water management.

Arsenic and Antimony Removal from Drinking Water by Adsorptive Media - U.S. EPA Demonstration Project at South Truckee Meadows General Improvement District (STMGID), NV, Final Performance Evaluation Report

Science.gov (United States)

This report documents the activities performed during and the results obtained from the operation of an arsenic and antimony removal technology demonstrated at the South Truckee Meadows General Improvement District (STMGID) in Washoe County, NV. The objectives of the project wer...

Effect of antimony substitution in iron pnictide compounds

OpenAIRE

Schmidt, D.; Braun, H. F.

2015-01-01

In the present study we have examined the effect of negative chemical pressure in iron pnictides. We have synthesized substitution series replacing arsenic by antimony in a number of 1111- and 122-iron arsenides and present their crystallographic and physical properties. The SDW transition temperature in LaFeAs$_{\\mathrm{1-x}}$Sb$_{\\mathrm{x}}$O decreases with increasing antimony content, while the superconducting transition temperature in LaFeAs$_{\\mathrm{1-x}}$Sb$_{\\mathrm{x}}$O$_{\\mathrm{0...

Intrinsic and extrinsic diffusion of phosphorus, arsenic, and antimony in germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brotzmann, Sergej; Bracht, Hartmut

2008-01-01

Diffusion experiments of phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), and antimony (Sb) in high purity germanium (Ge) were performed at temperatures between 600 and 920 deg. C. Secondary ion mass spectrometry and spreading resistance profiling were applied to determine the concentration profiles of the chemically and electrically active dopants. Intrinsic and extrinsic doping conditions result in a complementary error function and box-shaped diffusion profiles, respectively. These profiles demonstrate enhanced dopant diffusion under extrinsic doping. Accurate modeling of dopant diffusion is achieved on the basis of the vacancy mechanism taking into account singly negatively charged dopant-vacancy pairs and doubly negatively charged vacancies. The activation enthalpy and pre-exponential factor for dopant diffusion under intrinsic condition were determined to 2.85 eV and 9.1 cm 2 s -1 for P, 2.71 eV and 32 cm 2 s -1 for As, and 2.55 eV and 16.7 cm 2 s -1 for Sb. With increasing atomic size of the dopants the activation enthalpy decreases. This is attributed to differences in the binding energy of the dopant-vacancy pairs

Sorption of antimony on human teeth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nofal, M.; Amin, H.; Alian, G.

1997-01-01

The study of the uptake of toxic elements on human teeth represents an interesting research area, as the fate of these elements when present in the human food is of health significance. Since antimony is one of the common toxic elements and since, the chemical behaviour of antimony is similar to that of arsenic, one of the most important toxic elements commonly encountered in cases of food poisoning, it has been decided to investigate its uptake on human teeth and on other restoration materials. The radioactive tracer technique was used to evaluate the concentration of antimony sorbed on teeth. This tracer was obtained by irradiation of antimony metal in the reactor, subsequent dissolution in concentrated sulphuric acid, evaporation to dryness and making the solution 6 M in Hydrochloric acid (1). Antimony prepared in this way is in the trivalent state (Sb III). Sorption was studied in water, tea, coffee, red tea and chicken soup. The highest sorption was achieved from water and chicken soup and least sorption was noticed in case of coffee. The results are presented in the form of the depletion of the radioactivity (A) of antimony with time in presence of a tooth in water and other drinks

SELENIUM MODIFIES THE METABOLISM AND TOXICITY OF ARSENIC IN PRIMARY RAT HEPATOCYTES

Science.gov (United States)

ABSTRACTSelenium Modifies the Metabolism and Toxicity of Arsenic in Primary Rat Hepatocytes. Miroslav Styblo, David J. Thomas (2000) Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. Arsenic and selenium are metalloids with similar chemical properties and metabolic fates. Inorganic arsenic (iAs...

Novel Arsenic Nanoparticles Are More Effective and Less Toxic than As (III) to Inhibit Extracellular and Intracellular Proliferation of Leishmania donovani

Science.gov (United States)

Chakraborty, Sudipta; Bhar, Kaushik; Saha, Sandip; Chakrabarti, Rajarshi; Pal, Anjali

2014-01-01

Visceral leishmaniasis, a vector-borne tropical disease that is threatening about 350 million people worldwide, is caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani. Metalloids like arsenic and antimony have been used to treat diseases like leishmaniasis caused by the kinetoplastid parasites. Arsenic (III) at a relatively higher concentration (30 μg/mL) has been shown to have antileishmanial activity, but this concentration is reported to be toxic in several experimental mammalian systems. Nanosized metal (0) particles have been shown to be more effective than their higher oxidation state forms. There is no information so far regarding arsenic nanoparticles (As-NPs) as an antileishmanial agent. We have tested the antileishmanial properties of the As-NPs, developed for the first time in our laboratory. As-NPs inhibited the in vitro growth, oxygen consumption, infectivity, and intramacrophage proliferation of L. donovani parasites at a concentration which is about several fold lower than that of As (III). Moreover, this antileishmanial activity has comparatively less cytotoxic effect on the mouse macrophage cell line. It is evident from our findings that As-NPs have more potential than As (III) to be used as an antileishmanial agent. PMID:25614827

Arsenic tolerance in Arabidopsis is mediated by two ABCC-type phytochelatin transporters

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Won-Yong; Park, Jiyoung; Mendoza-Cózatl, David G.; Suter-Grotemeyer, Marianne; Shim, Donghwan; Hörtensteiner, Stefan; Geisler, Markus; Weder, Barbara; Rea, Philip A.; Rentsch, Doris; Schroeder, Julian I.; Lee, Youngsook; Martinoia, Enrico

2010-01-01

Arsenic is an extremely toxic metalloid causing serious health problems. In Southeast Asia, aquifers providing drinking and agricultural water for tens of millions of people are contaminated with arsenic. To reduce nutritional arsenic intake through the consumption of contaminated plants, identification of the mechanisms for arsenic accumulation and detoxification in plants is a prerequisite. Phytochelatins (PCs) are glutathione-derived peptides that chelate heavy metals and metalloids such as arsenic, thereby functioning as the first step in their detoxification. Plant vacuoles act as final detoxification stores for heavy metals and arsenic. The essential PC–metal(loid) transporters that sequester toxic metal(loid)s in plant vacuoles have long been sought but remain unidentified in plants. Here we show that in the absence of two ABCC-type transporters, AtABCC1 and AtABCC2, Arabidopsis thaliana is extremely sensitive to arsenic and arsenic-based herbicides. Heterologous expression of these ABCC transporters in phytochelatin-producing Saccharomyces cerevisiae enhanced arsenic tolerance and accumulation. Furthermore, membrane vesicles isolated from these yeasts exhibited a pronounced arsenite [As(III)]–PC2 transport activity. Vacuoles isolated from atabcc1 atabcc2 double knockout plants exhibited a very low residual As(III)–PC2 transport activity, and interestingly, less PC was produced in mutant plants when exposed to arsenic. Overexpression of AtPCS1 and AtABCC1 resulted in plants exhibiting increased arsenic tolerance. Our findings demonstrate that AtABCC1 and AtABCC2 are the long-sought and major vacuolar PC transporters. Modulation of vacuolar PC transporters in other plants may allow engineering of plants suited either for phytoremediation or reduced accumulation of arsenic in edible organs. PMID:21078981

Three Birds with One Fe3O4 Nanoparticle: Integration of Microwave Digestion, Solid Phase Extraction, and Magnetic Separation for Sensitive Determination of Arsenic and Antimony in Fish.

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Yun; Yu, Huimin; Wu, Li; Hou, Xiandeng; Yang, Lu; Zheng, Chengbin

2015-06-16

An environmentally friendly and fast sample treatment approach that integrates accelerated microwave digestion (MWD), solid phase extraction, and magnetic separation into a single step was developed for the determination of arsenic and antimony in fish samples by using Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). Compared to conventional microwave digestion, the consumption of HNO3 was reduced significantly to 12.5%, and the digestion time and temperature were substantially decreased to 6 min and 80 °C, respectively. This is largely attributed to Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles being a highly effective catalyst for rapid generation of oxidative radicals from H2O2, as well as an excellent absorber of microwave irradiation. Moreover, potential interferences from sample matrices were eliminated because the As and Sb species adsorbed on the nanoparticles were efficiently separated from the digests with a hand-held magnet prior to analysis. Limits of detection for arsenic and antimony were in the range of 0.01-0.06 μg g(-1) and 0.03-0.08 μg g(-1) by using hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry, respectively, and further improved to 0.002-0.005 μg g(-1) and 0.005-0.01 μg g(-1) when inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used as a detector. The precision of replicate measurements (n = 9) was better than 6% by analyzing 0.1 g test sample spiked with 1 μg g(-1) arsenic and antimony. The proposed method was validated by analysis of two certified reference materials (DORM-3 and DORM-4) with good recoveries (90%-106%).

Influence of Organic Matter - Mineral Interfacial Reactions on Metal(loid) Speciation and Bioaccessibility

Science.gov (United States)

Chorover, J.; Kong, S.; Root, R. A.; Thomas, A.

2015-12-01

Bioaccessibility of contaminant metals in geomedia is often measured on the basis of kinetic release to solution during in vitro reaction with biofluid simulants. We postulate that development of a predictive-mechanistic understanding of bioaccessibility requires knowledge of metal(loid) molecular speciation upon sample introduction, as well as its change over the course of the in vitro reaction. Our results - including data from batch, column, mesocosm and field studies pertaining to arsenic, lead, and zinc contaminated materials - indicate the strong influence of organic matter and associated biological activity on metal(loid) speciation in mine tailings and related model systems. Furthermore, presence/absence of organic matter during bioassays affects the kinetics of metal(loid) release into biofluid simulants through multiple mechanisms.

Sulfur redox chemistry governs diurnal antimony and arsenic cycles at Champagne Pool, Waiotapu, New Zealand

Science.gov (United States)

Ullrich, Maria K.; Pope, James G.; Seward, Terry M.; Wilson, Nathaniel; Planer-Friedrich, Britta

2013-07-01

Champagne Pool, a sulfidic hot spring in New Zealand, exhibits distinct diurnal variations in antimony (Sb) and arsenic (As) concentrations, with daytime high and night-time low concentrations. To identify the underlying mobilization mechanisms, five sites along the drainage channel of Champagne Pool were sampled every 2 h during a 24 h period. Temporal variations in elemental concentrations and Sb, As, and sulfur (S) speciation were monitored in the discharging fluid. Total trace element concentrations in filtered and unfiltered samples were analyzed using ICP-MS, and Sb, As and S species were determined by IC-ICP-MS. Sulfur speciation in the drainage channel was dominated by thiosulfate and sulfide at night, while sulfate dominated during the day. The distinct diurnal changes suggest that the transformations are caused by phototrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. These bacteria metabolize thiosulfate and sulfide in daylight to form sulfate and, as suggested by modeling with PhreeqC, elemental sulfur. Sulfide consumption during the day results in undersaturation of antimony sulfides, which triggers the additional release of dissolved Sb. For As, diurnal cycles were much more pronounced in speciation than in total concentrations, with di- and trithioarsenate forming at night due to excess sulfide, and monothioarsenate forming from arsenite and elemental sulfur during the day. Sulfur speciation was thus found to control Sb and As in terms of both solubility and speciation.

History of Arsenic as a Poison and Medicinal

Science.gov (United States)

Since ancient times, human exposure to the metalloid arsenic has been both intentional and unintentional. The intentional exposure to arsenic has been to inflict harm on others as well as to be a curative agent for those who are ill. The unintentional exposure has either been f...

Optimization of chemical and instrumental parameters in hydride generation laser-induced breakdown spectrometry for the determination of arsenic, antimony, lead and germanium in aqueous samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeşiller, Semira Unal; Yalçın, Serife

2013-04-03

A laser induced breakdown spectrometry hyphenated with on-line continuous flow hydride generation sample introduction system, HG-LIBS, has been used for the determination of arsenic, antimony, lead and germanium in aqueous environments. Optimum chemical and instrumental parameters governing chemical hydride generation, laser plasma formation and detection were investigated for each element under argon and nitrogen atmosphere. Arsenic, antimony and germanium have presented strong enhancement in signal strength under argon atmosphere while lead has shown no sensitivity to ambient gas type. Detection limits of 1.1 mg L(-1), 1.0 mg L(-1), 1.3 mg L(-1) and 0.2 mg L(-1) were obtained for As, Sb, Pb and Ge, respectively. Up to 77 times enhancement in detection limit of Pb were obtained, compared to the result obtained from the direct analysis of liquids by LIBS. Applicability of the technique to real water samples was tested through spiking experiments and recoveries higher than 80% were obtained. Results demonstrate that, HG-LIBS approach is suitable for quantitative analysis of toxic elements and sufficiently fast for real time continuous monitoring in aqueous environments. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The chemistry and behaviour of antimony in the soil environment with comparisons to arsenic: A critical review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, Susan C.; Lockwood, Peter V.; Ashley, Paul M.; Tighe, Matthew

2010-01-01

This article provides a critical review of the environmental chemistry of inorganic antimony (Sb) in soils, comparing and contrasting findings with those of arsenic (As). Characteristics of the Sb soil system are reviewed, with an emphasis on speciation, sorption and phase associations, identifying differences between Sb and As behaviour. Knowledge gaps in environmentally relevant Sb data for soils are identified and discussed in terms of the limitations this imposes on understanding the fate, behaviour and risks associated with Sb in environmental soil systems, with particular reference to mobility and bioavailability. - A critical and comparative review of Sb and As chemistry and associations in soil systems identifies research directions needed for better understanding of risks.

Arsenic pollution in the Yellowknife area from gold smelter activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutchinson, T.C.; Aufreiter, S.; Hancock, R.G.V.

1982-01-01

Gold mined at Yelloknife in the North West Territories of Canada is associated with arsenopyrite ores which necessitates the oxidation of the arsenic and sulphur by roasting at two Yellowknife smelters. As 2 O 3 and SO 2 are emitted into the atmosphere, and despite improvements in emission control, significant emissions still occur. In order to asses the arsenic contamination in the local environment and the potential exposures to man, soil samples and samples of the native vegetation were collected in and around Yellowknife and the two smelters. Arsenic and antimony analyses were done by instrumental neutron activation analysis using the SLOWPOKE facility at University of Toronto. Zinc, copper, lead and cadmium analyses were done by atomic adsorption spectrophotometry. Arsenic was found to be accumulated in the soils in the vicinity of the two smelters to levels of several thousand ppm. Antimony levels were about 10% of arsenic and were highly correlated with arsenic. Zinc occured to 500 ppm around the smelters. Soil arsenic levels are sufficiently high to inhibit root growth in soils over a very extensive area. (author)

Arsenic and Antimony Removal from Drinking Water by Point-of-Entry Reverse Osmosis Coupled with Dual Plumbing Distribution - U.S. EPA Demonstration Project at Carmel Elementary School in Carmel, ME -Final Performance Evaluation Report

Science.gov (United States)

This report documents the activities performed for and the results obtained from the arsenic and antimony removal treatment technology demonstration project at the Carmel Elementary School (CES) in Carmel, ME. An innovative approach of employing point of entry (POE) reverse osmo...

Coupled S and Sr isotope evidences for elevated arsenic concentrations in groundwater from the world's largest antimony mine, Central China

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Bing; Zhou, Aiguo; Zhou, Jianwei; Liu, Cunfu; Huang, Yuliu; Li, Ligang

2018-02-01

The Xikuangshan(XKS) mine, the world's largest antimony mine, was chosen for a detailed arsenic hydrogeochemical study because of the elevated arsenic in bedrock aquifers used by local residents. Hydrochemical data, δ34S values of dissolved SO42- and 87Sr/86Sr ratios have been analyzed to identify the predominant geochemical processes that control the arsenic mobilization within the aquifers. Groundwater samples can be divided into three major types: low arsenic groundwater (0-50 μg/L), high arsenic groundwater (50-1000 μg/L) and anomalous high arsenic groundwater (>1000 μg/L). Arsenic occurs under oxidizing conditions at the XKS Sb mine as the HAsO42- anion. The Ca/Na ratio correlates significantly with HCO3-/Na and Sr/Na ratios, indicating that carbonate dissolution and silicate weathering are the dominant processes controlling groundwater hydrochemistry. The δ34S values of the groundwater indicate that dissolved SO42- in groundwater is mainly sourced from the oxidation of sulfide minerals, and elevated As concentrations in groundwater are influenced by the mixing of mine water and surface water. Furthermore, the δ34S values are not correlated with dissolved As concentrations and Fe concentrations, suggesting that the reduction dissolution of Fe(III) hydroxides is not the dominant process controlling As mobilization. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios imply that elevated As concentrations in groundwater are primarily derived from the interaction with the stibnite and silicified limestone. More specifically, the excess-Na ion, the feature of Ca/Na ratio, and the spatial association of elevated As concentrations in groundwater collectively suggest that high and anomalous high arsenic groundwater are associated with smelting slags and, in particular, the arsenic alkali residue. In general, the hydrochemistry analysis, especially the S and Sr isotope evidences elucidate that elevated As concentrations and As mobilization are influenced by several geochemical processes

Determination of arsenic antimony and selenium in water by neutron activation and coprecipitation with bismuth sulfide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertini, L.M.; Cohen, I.M.

1984-01-01

A method was developed for determination of arsenic, antimony and selenium in water samples, based on neutron activation and separation by coprecipitation with bismuth sulfide. Experiments performed with the aid of radioactive tracers proved that As(III), Sb(III) and Se, either as Se(IV) or Se(VI), were quantitatively coprecipitated in 1.2 N HCl, provided they were present in masses larger than 10 ng, 50 ng, and 20 ng, respectively; 24 Na and 82 Br were collected at minimum percentages (0.5 and 2) when using hold-back carriers, whereas no appreciable coprecipitation of 32 P was observed. Interferences by other trace elements were also investigated, finding that they were negligible in most of the cases. The method was applied to the analysis of underground water samples from the province of Cordoba (Republica Argentina). The characteristics of this method and the results are discussed. 12 references, 2 tables

Bioaccumulation trends of arsenic and antimony in a freshwater ecosystem affected by mine drainage

Science.gov (United States)

Dovick, Meghan A.; Kulp, Thomas R.; Arkle, Robert .; Pilliod, David S.

2015-01-01

We compared As and Sb bioaccumulation and biomagnification when these metalloids co-occurred at varying environmental concentrations in a stream and wetlands near a contaminated mine site in Idaho (USA). We measured As and Sb concentrations in water and substrate samples, and in tissues of organisms representing several trophic levels. Bioaccumulation of both As and Sb was observed in stream organisms with the following trend of bio-diminution with increasing trophic level: primary producers > tadpoles > macroinvertebrates > trout. We also note reductions in metalloid concentrations in one of two stream remediation reaches engineered within the past 17 years to ameliorate metalloid contamination in the stream. Several wetlands contained thick microbial mats and were highly populated with boreal toad tadpoles that fed on them. The mats were extremely contaminated (up to 76 564 mg kg–1 As and 675 mg kg–1 Sb) with amorphous As- and Sb-bearing minerals that we interpret as biogenic precipitates from geomicrobiological As- and Sb-cycling. Ingested mat material provided a direct source of metalloids to tadpoles, and concentrations of 3867 mg kg–1 (As) and 375 mg kg–1 (Sb) reported here represent the highest whole body As and Sb levels ever reported in living tadpoles. The bulk of tadpole metalloid burden remained in the gut despite attempts to purge the tadpoles prior to analysis. This study adds to a number of recent investigations reporting bioaccumulation, but not biomagnification, of As and Sb in food webs. Moreover, our results suggest that tadpoles, in particular, may be more resistant to metalloid contamination than previously assumed.

Supercritical water treatment of heavy metal and arsenic metalloid-bioaccumulating-biomass.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jianxin; Chen, Jinbo; Chen, Shan

2018-08-15

Hyperaccumulator biomass, as a promising resource for renewable energy that can be converted into valuable fuel productions with high conversion efficiency, must be considered as hazardous materials and be carefully treated before further reuse due to the high contents of heavy metals. In this study, Pteris vittata L., an As-hyperaccumulator biomass was treated by an effective and environmental friendly method-supercritical water gasification (SCWG) using a bench-scale batch reactor. The contents of heavy metals (Cd, Pb and Zn) and arsenic metalloid in solid, liquid and gaseous products during SCWG process were thoroughly investigated. The speciation fractions including exchangeable, reducible, oxidizable and residual fractions of each heavy metal as the proportion of the total contents in solid residue were presented and the transformations trend of these heavy metals during the SCWG process was especially demonstrated. The significant operating parameters, including reaction temperature (395-445 °C), pressure (21-27 MPa) and residence time (0-40 min) were varied to explore their effects on the contents and forms. Moreover, the environmental risks of heavy metals in solid residues were evaluated based on risk assessment code, taking into consideration the speciation fractions and bioavailability. It was highlighted that although heavy metals particularly Pb and Zn tended to accumulate in solid residues with a maximum increment of about 50% in the total content, they were mostly converted to more stable oxidizable and residual fractions, and thus the ecotoxicity and bioavailability were greatly mitigated with no obvious increase in direct toxicity fractions. Each tested heavy metal presented no or low risk to the environments after SCWG treatments, meaning that the environmental pollution levels were markedly reduced with no or low risk to the environment. This study highlights the remarkable ability of SCWG for the heavy metal stabilization. Copyright �

Arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase and the inorganic arsenic methylation phenotype

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Jiaxin; Waters, Stephen B.; Drobna, Zuzana; Devesa, Vicenta; Styblo, Miroslav; Thomas, David J.

2005-01-01

Inorganic arsenic is enzymatically methylated; hence, its ingestion results in exposure to the parent compound and various methylated arsenicals. Both experimental and epidemiological evidences suggest that some of the adverse health effects associated with chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic may be mediated by these methylated metabolites. If i As methylation is an activation process, then the phenotype for inorganic arsenic methylation may determine risk associated with exposure to this metalloid. We examined inorganic arsenic methylation phenotypes and arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase genotypes in four species: three that methylate inorganic arsenic (human (Homo sapiens), rat (Rattus norwegicus), and mouse (Mus musculus)) and one that does not methylate inorganic arsenic (chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes). The predicted protein products from arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase are similar in size for rat (369 amino acid residues), mouse (376 residues), and human (375 residues). By comparison, a 275-nucleotide deletion beginning at nucleotide 612 in the chimpanzee gene sequence causes a frameshift that leads to a nonsense mutation for a premature stop codon after amino acid 205. The null phenotype for inorganic arsenic methylation in the chimpanzee is likely due to the deletion in the gene for arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase that yields an inactive truncated protein. This lineage-specific loss of function caused by the deletion event must have occurred in the Pan lineage after Homo-Pan divergence about 5 million years ago

Arsenic-transforming microbes and their role in biomining processes

OpenAIRE

Drewniak, L.; Sklodowska, A.

2013-01-01

It is well known that microorganisms can dissolve different minerals and use them as sources of nutrients and energy. The majority of rock minerals are rich in vital elements (e.g., P, Fe, S, Mg and Mo), but some may also contain toxic metals or metalloids, like arsenic. The toxicity of arsenic is disclosed after the dissolution of the mineral, which raises two important questions: (1) why do microorganisms dissolve arsenic-bearing minerals and release this metal into the environment in a tox...

Evaluation of the efficiency of the processes of purification of antimony to semiconductor grade purity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walis, L.; Rowinska, L.; Panczyk, E.

1992-01-01

A complex of techniques for purification of antimony from arsenic has been examined with the aid of radiotracer 76 As. The investigated processes comprised vacuum distillation, zone melting and remelting of the metal under artificial slags. The purification efficiencies for the above processes were high and amounted to 94% (for 30% of the charge), 50% (for 50% of the charge) and 99.5% (for 60% of the charge), respectively. Attempts were made to determine the kinetics of the separation of arsenic from antimony by distillation. The application of the radioactive tracer made it possible to determine rapidly the distribution of impurities after each stage of the process within a wide concentration range (10 -2 -10 -7 g/g). (author). 7 refs, 4 figs, 6 tabs

The occurrence and distribution of high-arsenic, selenium, tin and antimony in bottom sediments of Burullus lagoon and its effects on human health, Egypt

Science.gov (United States)

El-Badry, Abd El-Monsef Ahmed; Khalifa, Moataz M.

2017-12-01

Burullus lagoon is one of four natural water bodies known as northern Egyptian delta lakes. The lagoon extended maximum long of 53 km long and maximum width 13 km with an area about 420 km2. The pollution of bottom sediment of the Burullus lagoon is indicative of both water and food web quality in general. A few research were carried out related to study of arsenic, selenium, tin and antimony. The main objective of this study is assessment of environmental effects of arsenic, selenium, tin and antimony metals, twenty-one samples were collect from bottom sediments sample among sites covering the Burullus Lagoon during summer 2014, and analyzed by using simultaneous inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometer. The contamination with these metals was evaluate by applying index of contamination factor (CF) and geoaccumulation (Igeo). The relative order of abundance of the potentially toxic metals in the lagoon's sediment is Se > Sn > Sb > As The territory around inlet and southeastern drain show considerable pollution by the studied toxic metals. The main reason for such pollution resulting from industrial activities and agricultural drains. The disregards of the anthropogenic activities are the main reason of pollution in the studied lagoon. Construction of special units for treatment and purification of all types of drainage and wastewater (agricultural, industrial). Successive analysis of lake water to assess the amount of pollutants to make suitable decisions. Take an action to prohibit throwing of wastes in the lagoon. Consumption of the lake water for agricultural and industrial must be under control in order to decrease water pollution.

Laboratory dust generation and size-dependent characterization of metal and metalloid-contaminated mine tailings deposits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonzales, Patricia; Felix, Omar [Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, 1133 E. James E. Rogers Way, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Alexander, Caitlin; Lutz, Eric [Division of Community, Environment, and Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, 1656 E. Mabel St., Tucson, AZ 85724 (United States); Ela, Wendell [Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, 1133 E. James E. Rogers Way, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Eduardo Sáez, A., E-mail: esaez@arizona.edu [Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, 1133 E. James E. Rogers Way, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)

2014-09-15

Highlights: • A laboratory dust fractionator was developed for the production of respirable dust. • The size-dependent distribution of arsenic and lead in mine tailings dust is reported. • Metal and metalloid contaminants are enriched in particles smaller than 10 μm. • Lead isotope signatures show spread of mine tailings particles onto surrounding soils. - Abstract: The particle size distribution of mine tailings material has a major impact on the atmospheric transport of metal and metalloid contaminants by dust. Implications to human health should be assessed through a holistic size-resolved characterization involving multidisciplinary research, which requires large uniform samples of dust that are difficult to collect using conventional atmospheric sampling instruments. To address this limitation, we designed a laboratory dust generation and fractionation system capable of producing several grams of dust from bulk materials. The equipment was utilized in the characterization of tailings deposits from the arsenic and lead-contaminated Iron King Superfund site in Dewey-Humboldt, Arizona. Results show that metal and metalloid contaminants are more concentrated in particles of <10 μm aerodynamic diameter, which are likely to affect surrounding communities and ecosystems. In addition, we traced the transport of contaminated particles from the tailings to surrounding soils by identifying Pb and Sr isotopic signatures in soil samples. The equipment and methods developed for this assessment ensure uniform samples for further multidisciplinary studies, thus providing a tool for comprehensive representation of emission sources and associated risks of exposure.

Laboratory dust generation and size-dependent characterization of metal and metalloid-contaminated mine tailings deposits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzales, Patricia; Felix, Omar; Alexander, Caitlin; Lutz, Eric; Ela, Wendell; Eduardo Sáez, A.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A laboratory dust fractionator was developed for the production of respirable dust. • The size-dependent distribution of arsenic and lead in mine tailings dust is reported. • Metal and metalloid contaminants are enriched in particles smaller than 10 μm. • Lead isotope signatures show spread of mine tailings particles onto surrounding soils. - Abstract: The particle size distribution of mine tailings material has a major impact on the atmospheric transport of metal and metalloid contaminants by dust. Implications to human health should be assessed through a holistic size-resolved characterization involving multidisciplinary research, which requires large uniform samples of dust that are difficult to collect using conventional atmospheric sampling instruments. To address this limitation, we designed a laboratory dust generation and fractionation system capable of producing several grams of dust from bulk materials. The equipment was utilized in the characterization of tailings deposits from the arsenic and lead-contaminated Iron King Superfund site in Dewey-Humboldt, Arizona. Results show that metal and metalloid contaminants are more concentrated in particles of <10 μm aerodynamic diameter, which are likely to affect surrounding communities and ecosystems. In addition, we traced the transport of contaminated particles from the tailings to surrounding soils by identifying Pb and Sr isotopic signatures in soil samples. The equipment and methods developed for this assessment ensure uniform samples for further multidisciplinary studies, thus providing a tool for comprehensive representation of emission sources and associated risks of exposure

Influence of mycorhization and soil organic matters on lead and antimony transfers to vegetables cultivated in urban gardens: environmental and sanitary consequences

Science.gov (United States)

Pierart, Antoine; Braud, Armelle; Lebeau, Thierry; Séjalon-Delmas, Nathalie; Dumat, Camille

2014-05-01

. References: Feng, R., Wei, C., Tu, S., Ding, Y., Wang, R., Guo, J., 2013. The uptake and detoxification of antimony by plants: a review. Environ. Exp. Bot. 96, 28-34. Foucault, Y., Lévêque, T., Xiong, T., Schreck, E., Austruy, A., Shahid, M., Dumat, C., 2013. Green manure plants for remediation of soils polluted by metals and metalloids: Ecotoxicity and human bioavailability assessment. Chemosphere 93, 1430-1435. Gu, H.H., Li, F.P., Yu, Q., Gao, Y.Q., Yuan, X.T., 2013. The Roles of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus Glomus mosseae and Festuca arundinacea in Phytostabilization of Lead/Zinc Tailings. Adv. Mater. Res. 699, 245-250. Lebeau, T., Braud, A., Jézéquel, K., 2008. Performance of bioaugmentation-assisted phytoextraction applied to metal contaminated soils: A review. Environ. Pollut. 153, 497-522. Sharma, A., Sharma, H., 2013. Role of Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhiza in the Mycoremediation of Heavy Toxic Metals From Soil. Int J LifeSc Bt Pharm Res 2, 2418-2431. Wu, F., Fu, Z., Liu, B., Mo, C., Chen, B., Corns, W., Liao, H., 2011. Health risk associated with dietary co-exposure to high levels of antimony and arsenic in the world's largest antimony mine area. Sci. Total Environ. 409, 3344-3351. Xiong, T., Austruy, A., Dappe, V., Leveque, T., Sobanska, S., Foucault, Y., Dumat, C., 2013. Phytotoxicity and bioaccessibility of metals for vegetables exposed to atmosphere fine particles in polluted urban areas". Urban Environmental Pollution, Asian Edition, 17-20, Beijing, China.

Efficiency of manganese dioxide for the removal of antimony from aqueous solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasany, S.M.; Najamuddin; Ikram, M.

1993-01-01

The sorption of antimony onto manganese dioxide from aqueous solution has been investigated as a function of shaking time, composition of electrolyte, concentration of sorbent and sorbate, Maximum sorption of antimony has been achieved from deionized water after 15 minutes shaking at 45 cm/sup 3/g/sup -1/ V/W ratio. The influence of different anions and cations on the sorption has also been examined. EDTA, tartrate, citrate and Fe(II) decreased the sorption significantly. Among the metal ions tested only Se (IV) has shown strong sorption than antimony whereas Co(II), Hf (IV) and Te(IV) indicated low sorption affinity under similar experimental conditions. The sorption of antimony was also tested by different isotherms. The data fitted only to Freyndlich and D-R models. The sorption capacity of 7.71 m mole g/sup -1/, mean energy of sorption of 8.9 kJ mole/sup -1/ and of B = 0.00632 mole/sup 2/kJ/sup -2/ have been system. It is concluded that manganese dioxide can be used for the removal of antimony from industrial effluents and for its recovery from very dilute solutions. The oxide can also be applied for the separation of antimony, selenium and arsenic from Te(IV). (author)

ASSESSING SOIL ARSENIC BIOAVAILABILITY IN THE LABORATORY MOUSE

Science.gov (United States)

Variation among soils in the bioavailability of arsenic can be a critical determinant of the risk posed by exposure to these soils. Although in vitro techniques can provide vital data on aspects of bioavailability of metals and metalloids from soils, these results must be valida...

Heavy metals and metalloids as a cause for protein misfolding and aggregation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tamás, Markus J; Sharma, Sandeep K; Ibstedt, Sebastian; Jacobson, Therese; Christen, Philipp

2014-02-25

While the toxicity of metals and metalloids, like arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead and chromium, is undisputed, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not entirely clear. General consensus holds that proteins are the prime targets; heavy metals interfere with the physiological activity of specific, particularly susceptible proteins, either by forming a complex with functional side chain groups or by displacing essential metal ions in metalloproteins. Recent studies have revealed an additional mode of metal action targeted at proteins in a non-native state; certain heavy metals and metalloids have been found to inhibit the in vitro refolding of chemically denatured proteins, to interfere with protein folding in vivo and to cause aggregation of nascent proteins in living cells. Apparently, unfolded proteins with motile backbone and side chains are considerably more prone to engage in stable, pluridentate metal complexes than native proteins with their well-defined 3D structure. By interfering with the folding process, heavy metal ions and metalloids profoundly affect protein homeostasis and cell viability. This review describes how heavy metals impede protein folding and promote protein aggregation, how cells regulate quality control systems to protect themselves from metal toxicity and how metals might contribute to protein misfolding disorders.

Induction of Human Squamous Cell-Type Carcinomas by Arsenic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez, V. D.; Becker-Santos, D. D.; Vucic, E. A.; Lam, S.; Lam, W. L.

2011-01-01

Arsenic is a potent human carcinogen. Around one hundred million people worldwide have potentially been exposed to this metalloid at concentrations considered unsafe. Exposure occurs generally through drinking water from natural geological sources, making it difficult to control this contamination. Arsenic biotransformation is suspected to have a role in arsenic-related health effects ranging from acute toxicities to development of malignancies associated with chronic exposure. It has been demonstrated that arsenic exhibits preference for induction of squamous cell carcinomas in the human, especially skin and lung cancer. Interestingly, keratins emerge as a relevant factor in this arsenic-related squamous cell-type preference. Additionally, both genomic and epi genomic alterations have been associated with arsenic-driven neoplastic process. Some of these aberrations, as well as changes in other factors such as keratins, could explain the association between arsenic and squamous cell carcinomas in humans.

Dietary compounds as modulators of metals and metalloids toxicity.

Science.gov (United States)

Jadán-Piedra, Carlos; Chiocchetti, Gabriela Matuoka; Clemente, María Jesús; Vélez, Dinoraz; Devesa, Vicenta

2017-07-07

A large part of the population is exposed to metals and metalloids through the diet. Most of the in vivo studies on its toxicokinetics and toxicity are conducted by means of exposure through drinking water or by intragastric or intraperitoneal administration of aqueous standards, and therefore they do not consider the effect of the food matrix on the exposure. Numerous studies show that some components of the diet can modulate the toxicity of these food contaminants, reducing their effect on a systemic level. Part of this protective role may be due to a reduction of intestinal absorption and subsequent tissue accumulation of the toxic element, although it may also be a consequence of their ability to counteract the toxicity directly by their antioxidant and/or anti-inflammatory activity, among other factors. The present review provides a compilation of existing information about the effect that certain components of the diet have on the toxicokinetics and toxicity of the metals and metalloids of greatest toxicological importance that are present in food (arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury), and of their most toxic chemical species.

Determination of arsenic, antimony, bismuth, cadmium, copper, lead, molybdenum, silver and zinc in geological materials by atomic-absorption spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Viets, J.G.; O'Leary, R. M.; Clark, Robert J.

1984-01-01

Arsenic, antimony, bismuth, cadmium, copper, lead, molybdenum, silver and zinc are very useful elements in geochemical exploration. In the proposed method, geological samples are fused with potassium pyrosulphate and the fusate is dissolved in a solution of hydrochloric acid, ascorbic acid and potassium iodide. When this solution is shaken with a 10% V/V Aliquat 336 - isobutyl methyl ketone organic phase, the nine elements of interest are selectively partitioned in the organic phase. All nine elements can then be determined in the organic phase using flame atomic-absorption spectrometry. The method is rapid and allows the determination of Ag and Cd at levels down to 0.1 p.p.m., Cu, Mo, and Zn down to 0.5 p.p.m., Pb, Bi and Sb down to 1 p.p.m. and As down to 5 p.p.m. in geological materials.

Mineralogical controls on antimony and arsenic mobility during tetrahedrite-tennantite weathering at historic mine sites Špania Dolina-Piesky and Lubietová-Svätodušná, Slovakia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bor,; #269; inová rAdková, AnežkA; Jamieson, Heather; Lalinská-Voleková, Bronislava; Majzlan, Juraj; Števko, Martin; Chovan, Martin

2018-01-01

The legacy of copper (Cu) mining at Špania Dolina-Piesky and Lubietová-Svätodušná (central Slovakia) is waste rock and soil, surface waters, and groundwaters contaminated with antimony (Sb), arsenic (As), Cu, and other metals. Copper ore is hosted in chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) and sulfosalt solid-solution tetrahedrite-tennantite {Cu6[Cu4(Fe,Zn)2]Sb4S13–Cu6[Cu4(Fe,Zn)2]As4S13} that show wide-spread oxidation characteristic by olive-green color secondary minerals. Tetrahedrite-tennantite can be a significant source of As and Sb contamination. Synchrotron-based μ-XRD, μ-XRF, and μ-XANES combined with electron microprobe analyses have been used to determine the mineralogy, chemical composition, element distribution, and Sb speciation in tetrahedrite-tennantite oxidation products in waste rock. Our results show that the mobility of Sb is limited by the formation of oxidation products such as tripuhyite and roméite group mineral containing 36.54 wt% Sb for samples where the primary mineral chemical composition is close to tetrahedrite end-member. Antimony K-edge μ-XANES spectra of these oxidation products indicate that the predominant Sb oxidation state is 5+. Arsenic and Cu are also hosted by amorphous phases containing 6.23 wt% Sb on average and these are intergrown with tripuhyite and roméite. Antimony in this environment is not very mobile, meaning it is not easily released from solid phases to water, especially compared to As, Cu, and S. For samples where the primary sulfosalt is close to tennantite composition, the oxidation products associated with tennantite relicts contain 2.43 wt% Sb and are amorphous. The variable solubility of the secondary minerals that have been identified is expected to influence mobility of Sb and As in near-surface environment.

Antimony

Science.gov (United States)

Seal, Robert R.; Schulz, Klaus J.; DeYoung,, John H.; Sutphin, David M.; Drew, Lawrence J.; Carlin, James F.; Berger, Byron R.; Schulz, Klaus J.; DeYoung,, John H.; Seal, Robert R.; Bradley, Dwight C.

2017-12-19

Antimony is an important mineral commodity used widely in modern industrialized societies. The element imparts strength, hardness, and corrosion resistance to alloys that are used in many areas of industry, including in lead-acid storage batteries. Antimony’s leading use is as a fire retardant in safety equipment and in household goods, such as mattresses. The U.S. Government has considered antimony to be a critical mineral mainly because of its use in military applications. The great majority of the world’s antimony comes from China, and much of the remainder is shipped to China for smelting. Antimony resources are unevenly distributed around the world. China has the bulk of the world’s identified resources; other countries that have identified antimony resources include Bolivia, Canada, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Tajikistan, and Turkey. Resources in the United States are located mainly in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Nevada. The most significant antimony mineral deposits occur in geologic environments with a thick sequence of siliciclastic sedimentary rocks in areas with significant fault and fracture systems. The most common antimony ore mineral is stibnite (Sb2 S3 ), but more than 100 other minerals also contain antimony. The presence of antimony in surface waters and groundwaters results primarily from rock weathering, soil runoff, and anthropogenic sources. Global emissions of antimony to the atmosphere average 6,100 metric tons per year. Empirical data suggest that the acid-generating potential of antimony mine waste is low.

Environmental source of arsenic exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Jin-Yong; Yu, Seung-Do; Hong, Young-Seoub

2014-09-01

Arsenic is a ubiquitous, naturally occurring metalloid that may be a significant risk factor for cancer after exposure to contaminated drinking water, cigarettes, foods, industry, occupational environment, and air. Among the various routes of arsenic exposure, drinking water is the largest source of arsenic poisoning worldwide. Arsenic exposure from ingested foods usually comes from food crops grown in arsenic-contaminated soil and/or irrigated with arsenic-contaminated water. According to a recent World Health Organization report, arsenic from contaminated water can be quickly and easily absorbed and depending on its metabolic form, may adversely affect human health. Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration regulations for metals found in cosmetics to protect consumers against contaminations deemed deleterious to health; some cosmetics were found to contain a variety of chemicals including heavy metals, which are sometimes used as preservatives. Moreover, developing countries tend to have a growing number of industrial factories that unfortunately, harm the environment, especially in cities where industrial and vehicle emissions, as well as household activities, cause serious air pollution. Air is also an important source of arsenic exposure in areas with industrial activity. The presence of arsenic in airborne particulate matter is considered a risk for certain diseases. Taken together, various potential pathways of arsenic exposure seem to affect humans adversely, and future efforts to reduce arsenic exposure caused by environmental factors should be made.

Environmental Source of Arsenic Exposure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin-Yong Chung

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Arsenic is a ubiquitous, naturally occurring metalloid that may be a significant risk factor for cancer after exposure to contaminated drinking water, cigarettes, foods, industry, occupational environment, and air. Among the various routes of arsenic exposure, drinking water is the largest source of arsenic poisoning worldwide. Arsenic exposure from ingested foods usually comes from food crops grown in arsenic-contaminated soil and/or irrigated with arsenic-contaminated water. According to a recent World Health Organization report, arsenic from contaminated water can be quickly and easily absorbed and depending on its metabolic form, may adversely affect human health. Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration regulations for metals found in cosmetics to protect consumers against contaminations deemed deleterious to health; some cosmetics were found to contain a variety of chemicals including heavy metals, which are sometimes used as preservatives. Moreover, developing countries tend to have a growing number of industrial factories that unfortunately, harm the environment, especially in cities where industrial and vehicle emissions, as well as household activities, cause serious air pollution. Air is also an important source of arsenic exposure in areas with industrial activity. The presence of arsenic in airborne particulate matter is considered a risk for certain diseases. Taken together, various potential pathways of arsenic exposure seem to affect humans adversely, and future efforts to reduce arsenic exposure caused by environmental factors should be made.

Sequestration of arsenic in ombrotrophic peatlands

Science.gov (United States)

Rothwell, James; Hudson-Edwards, Karen; Taylor, Kevin; Polya, David; Evans, Martin; Allott, Tim

2014-05-01

Peatlands can be important stores of arsenic but we are lacking spectroscopic evidence of the sequestration pathways of this toxic metalloid in peatland environments. This study reports on the solid-phase speciation of anthropogenically-derived arsenic in atmospherically contaminated peat from the Peak District National Park (UK). Surface and sub-surface peat samples were analysed by synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy on B18 beamline at Diamond Light Source (UK). The results suggest that there are contrasting arsenic sequestration mechanisms in the peat. The bulk arsenic speciation results, in combination with strong arsenic-iron correlations at the surface, suggest that iron (hydr)oxides are key phases for the immobilisation of arsenic at the peat surface. In contrast, the deeper peat samples are dominated by arsenic sulphides (arsenopyrite, realgar and orpiment). Given that these peats receive inputs solely from the atmosphere, the presence of these sulphide phases suggests an in-situ authigenic formation. Redox oscillations in the peat due to a fluctuating water table and an abundant store of legacy sulphur from historic acid rain inputs may favour the precipitation of arsenic sequestering sulphides in sub-surface horizons. Oxidation-induced loss of these arsenic sequestering sulphur species by water table drawdown has important implications for the mobility of arsenic and the quality of waters draining peatlands.

Using Systems Biology Approaches to Elucidate the Mechanisms of Arsenic Reduction in Shewanella Sp. ANA-3

OpenAIRE

Watson, Ruth Pamela Tilus

2015-01-01

Arsenic is a naturally occurring ubiquitous metalloid that is usually associated with Iron, sulfur and other compounds in the earth’s crust. In some places around the world the bio-geochemical conditions can cause the mineral bound form of arsenic (arsenate) to be reduced to a more water-soluble form (arsenite). In its reduced state, arsenic can seep from the soil down into ground water aquifers and contaminate drinking water supplies. The effects of drinking arsenic tainted water are devasta...

Low-level environmental metals and metalloids and incident pregnancy loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Buck Louis, Germaine M; Smarr, Melissa M; Sundaram, Rajeshwari; Steuerwald, Amy J; Sapra, Katherine J; Lu, Zhaohui; Parsons, Patrick J

2017-04-01

Environmental exposure to metals and metalloids is associated with pregnancy loss in some but not all studies. We assessed arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead concentrations in 501 couples upon trying for pregnancy and followed them throughout pregnancy to estimate the risk of incident pregnancy loss. Using Cox proportional hazard models, we estimated hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for pregnancy loss after covariate adjustment for each partner modeled individually then we jointly modeled both partners' concentrations. Incidence of pregnancy loss was 28%. In individual partner models, the highest adjusted HRs were observed for female and male blood cadmium (HR=1.08; CI 0.81, 1.44; HR=1.09; 95% CI 0.84, 1.41, respectively). In couple based models, neither partner's blood cadmium concentrations were associated with loss (HR=1.01; 95% CI 0.75, 1.37; HR=0.92; CI 0.68, 1.25, respectively). We observed no evidence of a significant relation between metal(loids) at these environmentally relevant concentrations and pregnancy loss. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Arsenic Mobility and Availability in Sediments by Application of BCR Sequential Extractions Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larios, R.; Fernandez, R.; Rucandio, M. I.

2011-01-01

Arsenic is a metalloid found in nature, both naturally and due to anthropogenic activities. Among them, mining works are an important source of arsenic release to the environment. Asturias is a region where important mercury mines were exploited, and in them arsenic occurs in para genesis with mercury minerals. The toxicity and mobility of this element depends on the chemical species it is found. Fractionation studies are required to analyze the mobility of this metalloid in soils and sediments. Among them, the proposed by the Bureau Community of Reference (BCR) is one of the most employed. This method attempts to divide up, by operationally defined stages, the amount of this element associated with carbonates (fraction 1), iron and manganese oxy hydroxides (fraction 2), organic matter and sulphides (fraction 3), and finally as the amount associated residual fraction to primary and secondary minerals, that is, from the most labile fractions to the most refractory ones. Fractionation of arsenic in sediments from two mines in Asturias were studied, La Soterrana and Los Rueldos. Sediments from La Soterrana showed high levels of arsenic in the non-residual phases, indicating that the majority of arsenic has an anthropogenic origin. By contrast, in sediments from Los Rueldos most of the arsenic is concentrated in the residual phase, indicating that this element remains bound to very refractory primary minerals, as is also demonstrated by the strong correlation of arsenic fractionation and the fractionation of elements present in refractory minerals, such as iron, aluminum and titanium. (Author) 51 refs.

Evaluation of silkworm excrement and mushroom dreg for the remediation of multiple heavy metal/metalloid contaminated soil using pakchoi.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ruigang; Guo, Junkang; Xu, Yingming; Ding, Yongzhen; Shen, Yue; Zheng, Xiangqun; Feng, Renwei

2016-02-01

The economical, environmental friendly and efficient materials to remediate the pollution with multiple heavy metals and metalloids are scarce. Silkworm excrement (SE) and mushroom dregs (MD) are two types of agricultural wastes, and they are widely used to improve the soil fertility in many regions of China. A pot experiment with sixteen treatments was set up to assess the possibility of using SE and MD to stabilize heavy metals and metalloids and reduce their uptake in pakchoi cultivated in slightly contaminated soils with arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn). The results showed that the single addition of SE obviously stimulated the growth of pakchoi, reduced the contents of all tested heavy metals and metalloids in the edible part of pakchoi and availability of Zn and Cd in soil. The single MD treatment showed an inferior ability to enhance the growth and reduce the contents of heavy metals and metalloids in the edible part of pakchoi. The combined utilization of SE and MD appeared not to show better effects than their individual treatment when using them to remediate this contaminated soil. Some potential mechanisms on the stimulation on pakchoi growth and decreasing the accumulation of heavy metals and metalloids in pakchoi subjected to SE were suggested, including: (1) enhancing soil pH to impact the availability of heavy metals and metalloids; (2) improve the fertility of soil; (3) sulfhydryl groups of organic materials in SE play a role in conjugating heavy metals and metalloids to affect their availability in soil; and (4) stimulating the growth of pakchoi so as to show a "dilution effect" of heavy metals and metalloids. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Antimony Toxicity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shyam Sundar

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Antimony toxicity occurs either due to occupational exposure or during therapy. Occupational exposure may cause respiratory irritation, pneumoconiosis, antimony spots on the skin and gastrointestinal symptoms. In addition antimony trioxide is possibly carcinogenic to humans. Improvements in working conditions have remarkably decreased the incidence of antimony toxicity in the workplace. As a therapeutic, antimony has been mostly used for the treatment of leishmaniasis and schistosomiasis. The major toxic side-effects of antimonials as a result of therapy are cardiotoxicity (~9% of patients and pancreatitis, which is seen commonly in HIV and visceral leishmaniasis co-infections. Quality control of each batch of drugs produced and regular monitoring for toxicity is required when antimonials are used therapeutically.

Antimony Toxicity

OpenAIRE

Sundar, Shyam; Chakravarty, Jaya

2010-01-01

Antimony toxicity occurs either due to occupational exposure or during therapy. Occupational exposure may cause respiratory irritation, pneumoconiosis, antimony spots on the skin and gastrointestinal symptoms. In addition antimony trioxide is possibly carcinogenic to humans. Improvements in working conditions have remarkably decreased the incidence of antimony toxicity in the workplace. As a therapeutic, antimony has been mostly used for the treatment of leishmaniasis and schistosomiasis. The...

Blood and urinary levels of metals and metalloids in the general adult population of Northern France: The IMEPOGE study, 2008-2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Nisse, Catherine; Tagne-Fotso, Romuald; Howsam, Mike; Richeval, Camille; Labat, Laurence; Leroyer, Ariane

2017-04-01

The assessment of human chemical risks related to occupational or environmental exposure to pollutants requires the use of both accurate exposure indicators and reference values. The objective of this study was to evaluate the blood and urinary levels of various metals and metalloids in a sample of adults aged 20-59 years of the general population of Northern France, a formerly heavily industrialised area that retains some industrial activity. A cross-sectional study was conducted between 2008 and 2010, enrolling 2000 residents of Northern France. The quota method was used to guarantee the representativeness of the participants on a sex, age, social category and smoking status basis, according to the census done by the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. The levels of 14 metals: aluminium (Al), antimony (Sb), total arsenic (As), beryllium (Be), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), thallium (Tl), vanadium (V) and zinc (Zn) were quantified by ICP-MS in urine and blood samples. A total of 982 men and 1018 women participated, allowing the analysis of 1992 blood and 1910 urine samples. Some metal(loid)s were detected in over 99% of the blood (Cd, Co, Mn, Ni, Pb) and urine (As, Co, Pb, Zn) samples and the remaining metals in 84-99% of the samples, with the exception of blood V (19%), blood Be (57%) and urine Be (58%). Mean blood levels of Pb and Zn were significantly higher in men, and Mn, Co and Cr in women. In urine, mean Pb, Tl and Sb concentrations were significantly higher in men, and Al and Co in women. Current smokers had significantly higher mean levels of blood Cd and Pb and lower blood Co, Mn and Hg. In urine (adjusted on urinary creatinine), the smokers had higher mean levels of Cd, Pb, V and Zn and lower mean levels of As, Co, and Hg. Overall, the mean urinary levels of most metal(loid)s found in the general population of Northern France were higher than those found in the

Trapping interference effects of arsenic, antimony and bismuth hydrides in collection of selenium hydride within iridium-modified transversally-heated graphite tube atomizer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Furdikova, Zuzana [Department of Environmental Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Brno University of Technology, Purkynova 118, CZ-61200 Brno (Czech Republic); Institute of Analytical Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic v.v.i., Veveri 97, CZ-60200, Brno (Czech Republic); Docekal, Bohumil [Institute of Analytical Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic v.v.i., Veveri 97, CZ-60200, Brno (Czech Republic)], E-mail: docekal@iach.cz

2009-04-15

Interference effects of co-generated hydrides of arsenic, antimony and bismuth on trapping behavior of selenium hydride (analyte) within an iridium-modified, transversely heated graphite tube atomizer (THGA) were investigated. A twin-channel hydride generation system was used for independent separate generation and introduction of analyte and interferent hydrides, i.e. in a simultaneous and/or sequential analyte-interferent and interferent-analyte mode of operation. The influence of the analyte and modifier mass, interferent amount, trapping temperature and composition of the gaseous phase was studied. A simple approach for the elimination of mutual interference effects by modification of the gaseous phase with oxygen in a substoichiometric ratio to chemically generated hydrogen is proposed and the suppression of these interference effects is demonstrated. A hypothesis on the mechanism of trapping and mutual interference effects is drawn.

Arsenic in the environment: enrichments in the Slovenian soils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mateja Gosar

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Arsenic, a toxic element with metalloid properties, is found in detectable concentrations in environmental samples. In nature it is enriched in metal (sulphide ore deposits, mainly as arsenides of Cu, Ni and Fe. Arsenic compounds are used mainly in agricultureand forestry as pesticides and herbicides. The ecosystem can be contaminated with arsenic via both natural and anthropogenic sources. Uses of arsenic contaminated water present so far the greatest health hazard. Occurrences of mining related arsenic problems havealso been recorded in many parts of the world.The impact of mining and metallurgic industry with regard to arsenic contents in soils in some potentially contaminated areas in Slovenia is discussed. Enriched contents of arsenic were found in Mežica. Arsenic correlates very well with lead, zinc and other heavymetals which are enriched as a result of long lasting lead production in the area. Also in Celje and Jesenice arsenic has the same distribution pattern as other anthropogenically introduced pollutants. In Idrija there are some slightly arsenic enriched areas, but there is no correlation with mercury, so the origin of arsenic in not clear yet.

Urinary arsenic speciation and its correlation with 8-OHdG in Chinese residents exposed to arsenic through coal burning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, X.; Pi, J.B.; Li, B.; Xu, Y.Y.; Jin, Y.P.; Sun, G.F. [China Medical University, Shenyang (China). Dept. for Occupational & Environmental Health

2008-10-15

In contrast to arsenicosis caused by consumption of water contaminated by naturally occurring inorganic arsenic, human exposure to this metalloid through coal burning has been rarely reported. In this study, arsenic speciation and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels in urine were determined in the Chinese residents exposed to arsenic through coal burning in Guizhou, China, an epidemic area of chronic arsenic poisoning caused by coal burning. The urinary concentrations of inorganic arsenic (iAs), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) and total arsenic (tAs) of high-arsenic exposed subjects were significantly higher than those of low-arsenic exposed residents. A biomarker of oxidative DNA damage, urinary 8-OHdG level was significantly higher in high-arsenic exposed subjects than that of low exposed. Significant positive correlations were found between 8-OHdG levels and concentrations of iAs, MMA, DMA and tAs, respectively. In addition, a significant negative correlation was observed between 8-OHdG levels and the secondary methylation ratio (DMA/(MMA + DMA)). The results suggest that chronic arsenic exposure through burning coal rich in arsenic is associated with oxidative DNA damages, and that secondary methylation capacity is potentially related to the susceptibility of individuals to oxidative DNA damage induced by arsenic exposure through coal burning in domestic living.

Relationships between seminal plasma metals/metalloids and semen quality, sperm apoptosis and DNA integrity.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yi-Xin; Wang, Peng; Feng, Wei; Liu, Chong; Yang, Pan; Chen, Ying-Jun; Sun, Li; Sun, Yang; Yue, Jing; Gu, Long-Jie; Zeng, Qiang; Lu, Wen-Qing

2017-05-01

This study aimed to investigate the relationships between environmental exposure to metals/metalloids and semen quality, sperm apoptosis and DNA integrity using the metal/metalloids levels in seminal plasma as biomarkers. We determined 18 metals/metalloids in seminal plasma using an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry among 746 men recruited from a reproductive medicine center. Associations of these metals/metalloids with semen quality (n = 746), sperm apoptosis (n = 331) and DNA integrity (n = 404) were evaluated using multivariate linear and logistic regression models. After accounting for multiple comparisons and confounders, seminal plasma arsenic (As) quartiles were negatively associated with progressive and total sperm motility using multivariable linear regression analysis, which were in accordance with the trends for increased odds ratios (ORs) for below-reference semen quality parameters in the logistic models. We also found inverse correlations between cadmium (Cd) quartiles and progressive and total sperm motility, whereas positive correlations between zinc (Zn) quartiles and sperm concentration, between copper (Cu) and As quartiles and the percentage of tail DNA, between As and selenium (Se) quartiles and tail extent and tail distributed moment, and between tin (Sn) categories and the percentage of necrotic spermatozoa (all P trend <0.05). These relationships remained after the simultaneous consideration of various elements. Our results indicate that environmental exposure to As, Cd, Cu, Se and Sn may impair male reproductive health, whereas Zn may be beneficial to sperm concentration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Two facets of world arsenic problem solution: crop poisoning restriction and enforcement of phytoremediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kofroňová, Monika; Mašková, Petra; Lipavská, Helena

2018-05-07

This review provides insights into As toxicity in plants with focus on photosynthesis and sugar metabolism as important arsenic targets and simultaneously defence tools against accompanying oxidative stress. Heavy metal contamination is a great problem all over the world. Arsenic, a metalloid occurring naturally in the Earth's crust, also massively spreads out in the environment by human activities. Its accumulation in crops poses a severe health risk to humans and animals. Besides the restriction of human-caused contamination, there are two basic ways how to cope with the problem: first, to limit arsenic accumulation in harvestable parts of the crops; second, to make use of some arsenic hyperaccumulating plants for phytoremediation of contaminated soils and waters. Progress in the use of both strategies depends strongly on the level of our knowledge on the physiological and morphological processes resulting from arsenic exposure. Arsenic uptake is mediated preferentially by P and Si transporters and its accumulation substantially impairs plant metabolism at numerous levels including damages through oxidative stress. Rice is a predominantly studied crop where substantial progress has been made in understanding of the mechanisms of arsenic uptake, distribution, and detoxification, though many questions still remain. Full exploitation of plant potential for soil and water phytoremediations also requires deep understanding of the plant response to this toxic metalloid. The aim of this review is to summarize data regarding the effect of arsenic on plant physiology with a focus on mechanisms providing increased arsenic tolerance and/or hyperaccumulation. The emphasis is placed on the topic unjustifiably neglected in the previous reviews - i.e., carbohydrate metabolism, tightly connected to photosynthesis, and beside others involved in plant ability to cope with arsenic-induced oxidative and nitrosative stresses.

Distribution and transfer of potentially toxic metal(loid)s in Juncus effusus from the indigenous zinc smelting area, northwest region of Guizhou Province, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Yishu; Chen, Jun; Wei, Huairui; Li, Shibin; Jin, Tao; Yang, Ruidong

2018-05-15

We collected samples (i.e., the aerial parts and roots of Juncus effusus and their growth media) in the indigenous zinc smelting area in the northwest region of Guizhou Province, China, and we measured and analyzed potentially toxic metal(loid)s (arsenic, As; cadmium, Cd; chromium, Cr; copper, Cu; mercury, Hg; lead, Pb and zinc, Zn) in these samples. The results include the following: First, there is a high concentration of one or more potentially toxic metal(loid)s in the slag and surrounding soil in the research area. This situation might be caused by metal(loid) damage or contamination due to the circumstances. Additionally, Juncus effusus in the indigenous zinc smelting area are contaminated by some potentially toxic metal(loid)s; since they are used for Chinese medical materials, it is especially significant that their As, Cd and Pb concentrations are greater than their limited standard values. Finally, both the bioconcentration factors and transfer factors for most potentially toxic metal(loid)s in Juncus effusus are less than 1 in the study area. Therefore, we suggest that Juncus effusus could be used for phytostabilization or as a pioneer plant for phytoremediation of potentially toxic metal(loid)s because it has a tolerance and exclusion mechanism for these metal(loid)s in the research district. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The filter feeder Dreissena polymorpha affects nutrient, silicon, and metal(loid) mobilization from freshwater sediments.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaller, Jörg; Planer-Friedrich, Britta

2017-05-01

Organic sediments in aquatic ecosystems are well known sinks for nutrients, silicon, and metal(loid)s. Organic matter-consuming organisms like invertebrate shredders, grazers, and bioturbators significantly affect element fixation or remobilization by changing redox conditions or binding properties of organic sediments. Little is known about the effect of filter feeders, like the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha, an invasive organism in North American and European freshwater ecosystems. A laboratory batch experiment exposing D. polymorpha (∼1200 organisms per m 2 ) to organic sediment from a site contaminated with arsenic, copper, lead, and uranium revealed a significant uptake and accumulation of arsenic, copper, iron, and especially uranium both into the soft body tissues and the seashell. This is in line with previous observations of metal(loid) accumulation from biomonitoring studies. Regarding its environmental impact, D. polymorpha significantly contributed to mobilization of silicon, iron, phosphorus, arsenic, and copper and to immobilization of uranium (p < 0.001), probably driven by redox conditions, microbial activity within the gut system, or active control of element homeostasis. No net mobilization or immobilization was observed for zinc and lead, because of their low mobility at the prevailing pH of 7.5-8.5. The present results suggest that D. polymorpha can both ameliorate (nutrient mobilization, immobilization of toxicants mobile under oxic conditions) or aggravate negative effects (mobilization of toxicants mobile under reducing conditions) in ecosystems. Relating the results of the present study to observed population densities in natural freshwater ecosystems suggests a significant influence of D. polymorpha on element cycling and needs to be considered in future studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hijacking membrane transporters for arsenic phytoextraction

Science.gov (United States)

LeBlanc, Melissa S.; McKinney, Elizabeth C.; Meagher, Richard B.; Smith, Aaron P.

2012-01-01

Arsenic is a toxic metalloid and recognized carcinogen. Arsenate and arsenite are the most common arsenic species available for uptake by plants. As an inorganic phosphate (Pi) analog, arsenate is acquired by plant roots through endogenous Pi transport systems. Inside the cell, arsenate is reduced to the thiol-reactive form arsenite. Glutathione (GSH)-conjugates of arsenite may be extruded from the cell or sequestered in vacuoles by members of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) family of transporters. In the present study we sought to enhance both plant arsenic uptake through Pi transporter overexpression, and plant arsenic tolerance through ABC transporter overexpression. We demonstrate that Arabidopsis thaliana plants overexpressing the high-affinity Pi transporter family members, AtPht1;1 or AtPht1;7, are hypersensitive to arsenate due to increased arsenate uptake. These plants do not exhibit increased sensitivity to arsenite. Co-overexpression of the yeast ABC transporter YCF1 in combination with AtPht1;1 or AtPht1;7 suppresses the arsenate-sensitive phenotype while further enhancing arsenic uptake. Taken together, our results support an arsenic transport mechanism in which arsenate uptake is increased through Pi transporter overexpression, and arsenic tolerance is enhanced through YCF1-mediated vacuolar sequestration. This work substantiates the viability of coupling enhanced uptake and vacuolar sequestration as a means for developing a prototypical engineered arsenic hyperaccumulator. PMID:23108027

The Potential Use of Vetiveria zizanioides for the Phytoremediation of Antimony, Arsenic and Their Co-Contamination.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirza, Nosheen; Mubarak, Hussani; Chai, Li-Yuan; Yong, Wang; Khan, Muhammad Jamil; Khan, Qudrat Ullah; Hashmi, Muhammad Zaffar; Farooq, Umar; Sarwar, Rizwana; Yang, Zhi-Hui

2017-10-01

Antimony (Sb) and arsenic (As) contaminations are the well reported and alarming issues of various contaminated smelting and mining sites all over the world, especially in China. The present hydroponic study was to assess the capacity of Vetiveria zizanioides for Sb, As and their interactive accumulations. The novelty of the present research is this that the potential of V. zizanioides for Sb and As alone and their interactive accumulation are unaddressed. This is the first report about the interactive co-accumulation of Sb and As in V. zizanioides. Highest applied Sb and As contaminations significantly inhibited the plant growth. Applied Sb and As alone significantly increased their concentrations in the roots/shoot of V. zizanioides. While co-contamination of Sb and As steadily increased their concentrations, in the plant. The co-contamination of Sb and As revealed a positive correlation between the two, as they supplemented the uptake and accumulation of each other. The overall translocation (TF) and bioaccumulation factors (BF) of Sb in V. zizanioides, were 0.75 and 4. While the TF and BF of As in V. zizanioides, were 0.86 and 10. V. zizanioides proved as an effective choice for the phytoremediation and ecosystem restoration of Sb and As contaminated areas.

Absorption of foliar-applied arsenic by the arsenic hyperaccumulating fern (Pteris vittata L.)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bondada, Bhaskar R.; Tu, Shuxin; Ma, Lena Q

2004-10-01

The fact that heavy metals can enter various domains of the plant system through foliar pathways spurred us to explore if the fronds of the Chinese brake fern (Pteris vittata L.), a hyperaccumulator of arsenic, a carcinogenic metalloid, was proficient in absorbing arsenic in the form of sprays. The specific objective of this study was to investigate the impact of frond age, form of arsenic, and time of application on the absorption of foliar-applied arsenic by the brake fern; also examined were the effects of foliar sprays on surface ultrastructure and arsenic speciation in the frond following absorption. Foliar sprays of different arsenic concentrations (0, 50, 100, 200, and 400 ppm) were applied to young and fertile fronds. A positive linear relationship existed between arsenic concentration and absorption; the arsenic concentration of fronds increased from 50 to 200 ppm. Time-course analysis with excised pinnae indicated an initial linear increase followed by a plateau at 48 h. The young fronds with immature sori absorbed more arsenic (3100 ppm) than the fertile mature fronds (890 ppm). In the frond, the arsenic absorption was greatest in the lamina of the pinnae followed by the sori and the rachis. Applying arsenic during night (20:00-22:00 h) or afternoon (12:00-14:00 h) resulted in greater absorption of arsenic than the application in the morning (08:00-10:00 h). The arsenic absorption was greater through abaxial surfaces than through adaxial surfaces. The brake fern absorbed more arsenic when it was applied in the form of arsenite. Regardless of the form of arsenic and the surface it was applied to, arsenic occurred as arsenite, the reduced and the most toxic form of arsenic, after having been absorbed by the fronds. Scanning electron microscopy revealed no surface morphological alterations following all arsenic sprays. The study unequivocally illustrated that the Chinese brake fern absorbed foliar-applied arsenic with great efficiency. Consequently, the

Absorption of foliar-applied arsenic by the arsenic hyperaccumulating fern (Pteris vittata L.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bondada, Bhaskar R.; Tu, Shuxin; Ma, Lena Q.

2004-01-01

The fact that heavy metals can enter various domains of the plant system through foliar pathways spurred us to explore if the fronds of the Chinese brake fern (Pteris vittata L.), a hyperaccumulator of arsenic, a carcinogenic metalloid, was proficient in absorbing arsenic in the form of sprays. The specific objective of this study was to investigate the impact of frond age, form of arsenic, and time of application on the absorption of foliar-applied arsenic by the brake fern; also examined were the effects of foliar sprays on surface ultrastructure and arsenic speciation in the frond following absorption. Foliar sprays of different arsenic concentrations (0, 50, 100, 200, and 400 ppm) were applied to young and fertile fronds. A positive linear relationship existed between arsenic concentration and absorption; the arsenic concentration of fronds increased from 50 to 200 ppm. Time-course analysis with excised pinnae indicated an initial linear increase followed by a plateau at 48 h. The young fronds with immature sori absorbed more arsenic (3100 ppm) than the fertile mature fronds (890 ppm). In the frond, the arsenic absorption was greatest in the lamina of the pinnae followed by the sori and the rachis. Applying arsenic during night (20:00-22:00 h) or afternoon (12:00-14:00 h) resulted in greater absorption of arsenic than the application in the morning (08:00-10:00 h). The arsenic absorption was greater through abaxial surfaces than through adaxial surfaces. The brake fern absorbed more arsenic when it was applied in the form of arsenite. Regardless of the form of arsenic and the surface it was applied to, arsenic occurred as arsenite, the reduced and the most toxic form of arsenic, after having been absorbed by the fronds. Scanning electron microscopy revealed no surface morphological alterations following all arsenic sprays. The study unequivocally illustrated that the Chinese brake fern absorbed foliar-applied arsenic with great efficiency. Consequently, the

Exiguobacterium mediated arsenic removal and its protective effect against arsenic induced toxicity and oxidative damage in freshwater fish, Channa striata

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neha Pandey

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Arsenic is a toxic metalloid existing widely in the environment, and its removal from contaminated water has become a global challenge. The use of bacteria in this regard finds a promising solution. In the present study, Exiguobacterium sp. As-9, which is an arsenic resistant bacterium, was selected with respect to its arsenic removal efficiency. Quantification of arsenic in the water treated with bacterium showed that Exiguobacterium efficiently removed up to 99% of arsenic in less than 20 h. In order to reveal the possible effect of this bacterium in removal of arsenic from water and protecting fishes from the detrimental effects of arsenic, we initiated a range of studies on fresh water fish, Channa striata. It was observed that the fishes introduced into bacteria treated water displayed no symptoms of arsenic toxicity which was marked by a decreased oxidative damage, whereas the fishes exposed to arsenic revealed a significant (p < 0.05 increase in the oxidative stress together with the elevated levels of malondialdehyde. Determination of the bioaccumulation of arsenic in the liver tissues of C. striata using hydride generation atomic absorption spectrophotometry (HG-AAS revealed an increased As(III accumulation in the fishes exposed to arsenic whereas the arsenic level in the control and bacteria treated fishes were found below the detectable limit. In conclusion, this study presents the strategies of bacterial arsenic removal with possible directions for future research.

Prediction of arsenic and antimony transporter major intrinsic proteins from the genomes of crop plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Azad, Abul Kalam; Ahmed, Jahed; Alum, Md Asraful; Hasan, Md Mahbub; Ishikawa, Takahiro; Sawa, Yoshihiro

2018-02-01

Major intrinsic proteins (MIPs), commonly known as aquaporins, transport water and non-polar small solutes. Comparing the 3D models and the primary selectivity-related motifs (two Asn-Pro-Ala (NPA) regions, the aromatic/arginine (ar/R) selectivity filter, and Froger's positions (FPs)) of all plant MIPs that have been experimentally proven to transport arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb), some substrate-specific signature sequences (SSSS) or specificity determining sites (SDPs) have been predicted. These SSSS or SDPs were determined in 543 MIPs found in the genomes of 12 crop plants; the As and Sb transporters were predicted to be distributed in noduline-26 like intrinsic proteins (NIPs), and every plant had one or several As and Sb transporter NIPs. Phylogenetic grouping of the NIP subfamily based on the ar/R selectivity filter and FPs were linked to As and Sb transport. We further determined the group-wise substrate selectivity profiles of the NIPs in the 12 crop plants. In addition to two NPA regions, the ar/R filter, and FPs, certain amino acids especially in the pore line, loop D, and termini contribute to the functional distinctiveness of the NIP groups. Expression analysis of transcripts in different organs indicated that most of the As and Sb transporter NIPs were expressed in roots. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Roles for root iron plaque in sequestration and uptake of heavy metals and metalloids in aquatic and wetland plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Tripathi, Rudra D; Tripathi, Preeti; Dwivedi, Sanjay; Kumar, Amit; Mishra, Aradhana; Chauhan, Puneet S; Norton, Gareth J; Nautiyal, Chandra S

2014-10-01

Toxic metal(loid) contamination of soil and sediment poses long term risk to soil and human health through plant-human or plant-animal-human food chain pathways. Iron plaque (IP) formation is frequent in aquatic and wetland plant species and is responsible for the sequestration of various metal(loids). The presence of IP may act as a buffer or barrier and may thus enhance or reduce the uptake of potentially phytotoxic metals and metalloids by plants. If IP acts as a barrier, then low IP producing macrophytes/aquatic plants may be better accumulators of toxic metals and may find use in constructed wetlands for remediation of pollutants, while high IP forming edible plant species could be safer for human consumption. Conversely, if IP acts as a buffer for mineral nutrients and toxic elements then those cultivars may be rich in nutrients, but may also cause toxicity. However, an ecotoxicological risk is also inevitable if IP rich macrophyte roots containing heavy metals are consumed by herbivores. In this review, we summarize the current understanding about the role of IP in metal and metalloid sequestration, uptake, and transport. Furthermore, we will address the role of root IP in Oryza sativa for arsenic (As) sequestration leading to lower grain As translocation, reducing the risk of human exposure.

Comparative proteomic analysis reveals heart toxicity induced by chronic arsenic exposure in rats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huang, Qingyu; Xi, Guochen; Alamdar, Ambreen

2017-01-01

Arsenic is a widespread metalloid in the environment, which poses a broad spectrum of adverse effects on human health. However, a global view of arsenic-induced heart toxicity is still lacking, and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. By performing a comparative quantitative...... proteomic analysis, the present study aims to investigate the alterations of proteome profile in rat heart after long-term exposure to arsenic. As a result, we found that the abundance of 81 proteins were significantly altered by arsenic treatment (35 up-regulated and 46 down-regulated). Among these, 33...... proteins were specifically associated with cardiovascular system development and function, including heart development, heart morphology, cardiac contraction and dilation, and other cardiovascular functions. It is further proposed that the aberrant regulation of 14 proteins induced by arsenic would disturb...

Antimony

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bredsdorff, Lea; Nielsen, Elsa

The Danish Environmental Protection Agency has requested an evaluation of health hazards by exposure to antimony. This resulted in the present report which includes estimation of a quality criterion in soil for antimony....

Decreased vaccine antibody titers following exposure to multiple metals and metalloids in e-waste-exposed preschool children.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Xinjiang; Xu, Xijin; Zeng, Xiang; Xu, Long; Zeng, Zhijun; Huo, Xia

2017-01-01

We explored acquired immunity resulting from vaccination in 3 to 7-year-old children, chronically exposed to multiple heavy metals and metalloids, in an e-waste recycling area (Guiyu, China). Child blood levels of ten heavy metals and metalloids, including lead (Pb), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se), and seven vaccine antibodies (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, polio, measles) were measured. The exposed group had higher levels of blood Pb, Mn, Cu, Zn and Cr compared to the reference group (P 10 μg/dL) and high blood Cu and Zn (upper median value of each group) to be inversely associated with seven antibody titers. Antibody titers increased with age, BMI, high blood Mn (>15 μg/L), and high blood Cd and Ni (upper median value of each group). Results suggest multiple heavy metal and metalloid exposure, especially to Pb, Zn and Cu, may be a risk factor inhibiting the development of child immunity, resulting in decreased child antibody levels against vaccines. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Market Basket Survey of Horticultural Fruits for Arsenic and Trace Metal Contamination in Southeast Nigeria and Potential Health Risk Implications

OpenAIRE

Chigozie Damian Ezeonyejiaku; Maximilian Obinna Obiakor

2017-01-01

Background. Elevated arsenic and trace metal contamination of the terrestrial food chain represents one of the most significant environmental risk exposures for human populations in developing countries. Metalloid and metal contamination in horticultural crop produce such as fruit is a public health concern in Nigeria. Local fruits are cheap sources of vitamins and minerals for the resident population and pose an important dietary threat of metal(loid) toxicity through consumption. Objecti...

Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films Reveals Differences in Antimony and Arsenic Mobility in a Contaminated Wetland Sediment during an Oxic-Anoxic Transition.

Science.gov (United States)

Arsic, Maja; Teasdale, Peter R; Welsh, David T; Johnston, Scott G; Burton, Edward D; Hockmann, Kerstin; Bennett, William W

2018-02-06

Antimony (Sb) and arsenic (As) are priority environmental contaminants that often co-occur at mining-impacted sites. Despite their chemical similarities, Sb mobility in waterlogged sediments is poorly understood in comparison to As, particularly across the sediment-water interface (SWI) where changes can occur at the millimeter scale. Combined diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) and diffusive equilibration in thin films (DET) techniques provided a high resolution, in situ comparison between Sb, As, and iron (Fe) speciation and mobility across the SWI in contaminated freshwater wetland sediment mesocosms under an oxic-anoxic-oxic transition. The shift to anoxic conditions released Fe(II), As(III), and As(V) from the sediment to the water column, consistent with As release being coupled to the reductive dissolution of iron(III) (hydr)oxides. Conversely, Sb(III) and Sb(V) effluxed to the water column under oxic conditions and fluxed into the sediment under anoxic conditions. Porewater DGT-DET depth profiles showed apparent decoupling between Fe(II) and Sb release, as Sb was primarily mobilized across the SWI under oxic conditions. Solid-phase X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) revealed the presence of an Sb(III)-S phase in the sediment that increased in proportion with depth and the transition from oxic to anoxic conditions. The results of this study showed that Sb mobilization was decoupled from the Fe cycle and was, therefore, more likely linked to sulfur and/or organic carbon (e.g., most likely authigenic antimony sulfide formation or Sb(III) complexation by reduced organic sulfur functional groups).

Roles of biomarkers in evaluating interactions among mixtures of lead, cadmium and arsenic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Gensheng; Fowler, Bruce A.

2008-01-01

Human exposure to environmental chemicals is most correctly characterized as exposure to mixtures of these agents. The metals/metalloids, lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As), are among the leading toxic agents detected in the environment. Exposure to these elements, particularly at chronic low dose levels, is still a major public health concern. Concurrent exposure to Pb, Cd, or As may produce additive or synergistic interactions or even new effects that are not seen in single component exposures. Evaluating these interactions on a mechanistic basis is essential for risk assessment and management of metal/metalloid mixtures. This paper will review a number of individual studies that addressed interactions of these metals/metalloids in both experimental and human exposure studies with particular emphasis on biomarkers. In general, co-exposure to metal/metalloid mixtures produced more severe effects at both relatively high dose and low dose levels in a biomarker-specific manner. These effects were found to be mediated by dose, duration of exposure and genetic factors. While traditional endpoints, such as morphological changes and biochemical parameters for target organ toxicity, were effective measures for evaluating the toxicity of high dose metal/metalloid mixtures, biomarkers for oxidative stress, altered heme biosynthesis parameters, and stress proteins showed clear responses in evaluating toxicity of low dose metal/metalloid mixtures. Metallothionein, heat shock proteins, and glutathione are involved in regulating interactive effects of metal/metalloid mixtures at low dose levels. These findings suggest that further studies on interactions of these metal/metalloid mixtures utilizing biomarker endpoints are highly warranted

High levels of antimony in dust from e-waste recycling in southeastern China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bi, Xiangyang; Li, Zhonggen; Zhuang, Xiaochun; Han, Zhixuan; Yang, Wenlin

2011-01-01

Environmental contamination due to uncontrolled e-waste recycling is an emerging global issue. Antimony (Sb) is a toxic element used in semiconductor components and flame retardants for circuit board within electronic equipment. When e-waste is recycled, Sb is released and contaminates the surrounding environment; however, few studies have characterized the extent of this problem. In this study, we investigated Sb and arsenic (As) distributions in indoor dust from 13 e-waste recycling villages in Guiyu, Guangdong Province, southeastern China. Results revealed significantly elevated concentrations of Sb (6.1-232 mg/kg) in dust within all villages, which were 3.9-147 times higher than those from the non e-waste sites, indicating e-waste recycling was an important source of Sb pollution. On the contrary, As concentrations (5.4-17.7 mg/kg) in e-waste dusts were similar to reference values from the control sites. Therefore, dusts emitted from e-waste recycling may be characterized by high Sb/As ratios, which may help identify the contamination due to the e-waste recycling activities. - Highlights: → Antimony and arsenic concentrations in dust from e-waste recycling were investigated. → E-waste recycling is an important emerging source of Sb pollution. → Sb/As ratios may help identify the e-waste contamination.

High levels of antimony in dust from e-waste recycling in southeastern China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bi, Xiangyang, E-mail: bixy@cug.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074 (China); Faculty of Earth Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074 (China); Li, Zhonggen [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002 (China); Zhuang, Xiaochun [Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074 (China); Han, Zhixuan [State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074 (China); Faculty of Earth Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074 (China); Yang, Wenlin [Faculty of Earth Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074 (China)

2011-11-01

Environmental contamination due to uncontrolled e-waste recycling is an emerging global issue. Antimony (Sb) is a toxic element used in semiconductor components and flame retardants for circuit board within electronic equipment. When e-waste is recycled, Sb is released and contaminates the surrounding environment; however, few studies have characterized the extent of this problem. In this study, we investigated Sb and arsenic (As) distributions in indoor dust from 13 e-waste recycling villages in Guiyu, Guangdong Province, southeastern China. Results revealed significantly elevated concentrations of Sb (6.1-232 mg/kg) in dust within all villages, which were 3.9-147 times higher than those from the non e-waste sites, indicating e-waste recycling was an important source of Sb pollution. On the contrary, As concentrations (5.4-17.7 mg/kg) in e-waste dusts were similar to reference values from the control sites. Therefore, dusts emitted from e-waste recycling may be characterized by high Sb/As ratios, which may help identify the contamination due to the e-waste recycling activities. - Highlights: {yields} Antimony and arsenic concentrations in dust from e-waste recycling were investigated. {yields} E-waste recycling is an important emerging source of Sb pollution. {yields} Sb/As ratios may help identify the e-waste contamination.

Arsenic pollution sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Garelick, Hemda; Jones, Huw; Dybowska, Agnieszka; Valsami-Jones, Eugenia

2008-01-01

Arsenic is a widely dispersed element in the Earth's crust and exists at an average concentration of approximately 5 mg/kg. There are many possible routes of human exposure to arsenic from both natural and anthropogenic sources. Arsenic occurs as a constituent in more than 200 minerals, although it primarily exists as arsenopyrite and as a constituent in several other sulfide minerals. The introduction of arsenic into drinking water can occur as a result of its natural geological presence in local bedrock. Arsenic-containing bedrock formations of this sort are known in Bangladesh, West Bengal (India), and regions of China, and many cases of endemic contamination by arsenic with serious consequences to human health are known from these areas. Significant natural contamination of surface waters and soil can arise when arsenic-rich geothermal fluids come into contact with surface waters. When humans are implicated in causing or exacerbating arsenic pollution, the cause can almost always be traced to mining or mining-related activities. Arsenic exists in many oxidation states, with arsenic (III) and (V) being the most common forms. Similar to many metalloids, the prevalence of particular species of arsenic depends greatly on the pH and redox conditions of the matrix in which it exists. Speciation is also important in determining the toxicity of arsenic. Arsenic minerals exist in the environment principally as sulfides, oxides, and phosphates. In igneous rocks, only those of volcanic origin are implicated in high aqueous arsenic concentrations. Sedimentary rocks tend not to bear high arsenic loads, and common matrices such as sands and sandstones contain lower concentrations owing to the dominance of quartz and feldspars. Groundwater contamination by arsenic arises from sources of arsenopyrite, base metal sulfides, realgar and orpiment, arsenic-rich pyrite, and iron oxyhydroxide. Mechanisms by which arsenic is released from minerals are varied and are accounted for by

Physical, Chemical, and Biological Methods for the Removal of Arsenic Compounds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. T. Lim

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Arsenic is a toxic metalloid which is widely distributed in nature. It is normally present as arsenate under oxic conditions while arsenite is predominant under reducing condition. The major discharges of arsenic in the environment are mainly due to natural sources such as aquifers and anthropogenic sources. It is known that arsenite salts are more toxic than arsenate as it binds with vicinal thiols in pyruvate dehydrogenase while arsenate inhibits the oxidative phosphorylation process. The common mechanisms for arsenic detoxification are uptaken by phosphate transporters, aquaglyceroporins, and active extrusion system and reduced by arsenate reductases via dissimilatory reduction mechanism. Some species of autotrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms use arsenic oxyanions for their regeneration of energy. Certain species of microorganisms are able to use arsenate as their nutrient in respiratory process. Detoxification operons are a common form of arsenic resistance in microorganisms. Hence, the use of bioremediation could be an effective and economic way to reduce this pollutant from the environment.

Perturbations in immune responses induced by concurrent subchronic exposure to arsenic and endosulfan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aggarwal, Manoj; Naraharisetti, Suresh Babu; Dandapat, S.; Degen, G.H.; Malik, J.K.

2008-01-01

The metalloid arsenic and the chlorinated insecticide endosulfan are common environmental contaminants. Humans, animals, and birds are exposed to these chemicals through water and food. Although health effects due to either arsenic or endosulfan exposure are documented, the toxicological impact of co-exposure to these environmental pollutants is unpredictable and unknown. The present study was undertaken to assess whether concurrent exposure to arsenic and endosulfan induces significant alterations in immunological functions. Day-old chicks were exposed to 3.7 ppm of arsenic via drinking water and to 30 ppm of endosulfan-mixed feed either individually or concurrently for up to 60 days. All the chicks were vaccinated with Ranikhet disease virus (F-strain; RD-F) on days 1 and 30. During the course of study and at term, parameters of cellular and humoral immunity were determined. None of the treatments altered the absolute body weight or body weight gain, except arsenic significantly reduced weight gain on day 60. Absolute, but not the relative, weights of spleen, thymus and bursa of Fabricius were significantly reduced in all the treatment groups. The metalloid and insecticide combination significantly depressed the ability of peripheral blood and splenic lymphocytes to proliferate in response to antigen RD-F and mitogen Con A. The delayed type hypersensitivity response to 2,4-dinitro-1-chlorobenzene or to PHA-P was also significantly decreased. Nitric oxide production by RD-F or lipopolysaccharide-stimulated peripheral blood and splenic mononuclear cells was significantly suppressed following concurrent exposure to arsenic and endosulfan. Furthermore, the combined exposure also decreased the antibody response to RD-F. The suppression of cellular and humoral immune responses was also evident following administration of individual compounds, and it was not exacerbated following concurrent exposure. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the suppression

Antimony bioavailability in mine soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flynn, Helen C.; Meharg, Andy A.; Bowyer, Phillipa K.; Paton, Graeme I.

2003-01-01

Antimony has low bioavailability in mining and smelting contaminated soils and bacterial biosensors are not suitable for its detection. - Five British former mining and smelting sites were investigated and found to have levels of total Sb of up to 700 mg kg -1 , indicating high levels of contamination which could be potentially harmful. However, this level of Sb was found to be biologically unavailable over a wide range of pH values, indicating that Sb is relatively unreactive and immobile in the surface layers of the soil, remaining where it is deposited rather than leaching into lower horizons and contaminating ground water. Sb, sparingly soluble in water, was unavailable to the bacterial biosensors tested. The bioluminescence responses were correlated to levels of co-contaminants such as arsenic and copper, rather than to Sb concentrations. This suggests that soil contamination by Sb due to mining and smelting operations is not a severe risk to the environment or human health provided that it is present as immobile species and contaminated sites are not used for purposes which increase the threat of exposure to identified receptors. Co-contaminants such as arsenic and copper are more bioavailable and may therefore be seen as a more significant risk

Spatial clustering of metal and metalloid mixtures in unregulated water sources on the Navajo Nation - Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoover, Joseph H; Coker, Eric; Barney, Yolanda; Shuey, Chris; Lewis, Johnnye

2018-08-15

Contaminant mixtures are identified regularly in public and private drinking water supplies throughout the United States; however, the complex and often correlated nature of mixtures makes identification of relevant combinations challenging. This study employed a Bayesian clustering method to identify subgroups of water sources with similar metal and metalloid profiles. Additionally, a spatial scan statistic assessed spatial clustering of these subgroups and a human health metric was applied to investigate potential for human toxicity. These methods were applied to a dataset comprised of metal and metalloid measurements from unregulated water sources located on the Navajo Nation, in the southwest United States. Results indicated distinct subgroups of water sources with similar contaminant profiles and that some of these subgroups were spatially clustered. Several profiles had metal and metalloid concentrations that may have potential for human toxicity including arsenic, uranium, lead, manganese, and selenium. This approach may be useful for identifying mixtures in water sources, spatially evaluating the clusters, and help inform toxicological research investigating mixtures. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antimony trioxide-induced apoptosis is dependent on SEK1/JNK signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Mann, Koren K; Davison, Kelly; Colombo, Myrian; Colosimo, April L; Diaz, Zuanel; Padovani, Alessandra M S; Guo, Qi; Scrivens, P James; Gao, Wenli; Mader, Sylvie; Miller, Wilson H

2006-01-05

Very little is known concerning the toxicity of antimony, despite its commercial use as a flame retardant and medical use as a treatment for parasitic infections. Our previous studies show that antimony trioxide (Sb(2)O(3)) induces growth inhibition in patient-derived acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cell lines, a disease in which a related metal, arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)), is used clinically. However, signaling pathways initiated by Sb(2)O(3) treatment remain undefined. Here, we show that Sb(2)O(3) treatment of APL cells is associated with increased apoptosis as well as differentiation markers. Sb(2)O(3)-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) correlated with increased apoptosis. In addition, when we decreased the buffering capacity of the cell by depleting glutathione, ROS production and apoptosis was enhanced. Arsenic-resistant APL cells with increased glutathione levels exhibited increased cross-resistance to Sb(2)O(3). Based on studies implicating c-jun kinase (JNK) in the mediation of the response to As(2)O(3), we investigated the role for JNK in Sb(2)O(3)-induced apoptosis. Sb(2)O(3) activates JNK and its downstream target, AP-1. In fibroblasts with a genetic deletion in SEK1, an upstream regulator of JNK, Sb(2)O(3)-induced growth inhibition as well as JNK activation was decreased. These data suggest roles for ROS and the SEK1/JNK pathway in the cytotoxicity associated with Sb(2)O(3) exposure.

[Distributions and influencing factors of total dissolved inorganic antimony in the coastal area of Zhejiang and Fujian].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xu-Zhou; Ren, Jing-Ling; Liu, Zong-Guang; Fan, Xiao-Peng; Liu, Cheng-Gang; Wu, Ying

2014-02-01

Antimony has been ubiquitously present in the aquatic environment as a toxic and rare metalloid element. The contamination of antimony and its compounds in the environment is increasingly severe, so it has been received extensive attention by the international scientific community. The cruise was carried out in the coastal area of Zhejiang and Fujian provinces in the East China Sea (ECS) in May 2008. The concentrations of total dissolved inorganic antimony (TDISb) were measured by Hydride Generation-Atomic Fluorescence (HG-AFS). The concentration ranges of TDISb in the surface and bottom layer were 0.68-5.64 nmol x L(-1) and 0.71-5.25 nmol x L(-1) with averages of 2.25 and 1.79 nmol x L(-1), respectively. The concentration of TDISb in the study area was lower than the environmental quality standards for surface water of China and drinking water standards of World Health Organization (about 41.08 nmol x L(-1)), indicating that it remained at the pristine level. The concentration of TDISb decreased gradually from the coastal area to the central ECS shelf with higher concentration in the surface layer than the bottom. Water mass mixing, adsorption/desorption behavior on the surface of the suspended particulate matters (SPM) and biological activities were the main influence factors of TDISb biogeochemistry in the study area.

Determination of antimony in antimony oxide by EDXRF and NAA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, M.; Swain, K.K.; Wagh, D.N.; Verma, R.

2015-01-01

It is proposed to use 124 Sb - 9 Be neutron source for starting Proto Type Fast Breeder Reactor, IGCAR, Kalpakkam. 124 Sb (γ-ray energy = 1.69 MeV; t 1/2 = 60 d) is obtained by irradiating antimony oxide and as per specification, antimony content in the oxide should be ≥ 83.0 % i.e antimony should be in the form of trioxide. Although gravimetry is the most precise and accurate method for % level analysis, it is tedious and time consuming. In this work, the study reported the determination of antimony by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry and validation of the result by neutron activation analysis (NAA) technique. Antimony oxide encapsulated in stainless steel tube (internal diameter = 0.5 mm) was received from BHAVINI, Kalpakkam. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement indicated that the sample was antimony trioxide. For EDXRF analysis, calibration standards were prepared by mixing spectroscopic grade antimony trioxide with microcrystalline cellulose (2.5 to 20 mg g -1 of antimony) and pellets were made by using hydraulic press. Sample pellets were also prepared by mixing with microcrystalline cellulose. EDXRF measurement was carried out using Jordan Valley, EX-3600 M spectrometer with a Rhodium X-ray source. Characteristic K α X-ray of Sb (26.35 keV) was used for quantification. A typical XRF spectrum of the sample is shown after XRF analysis, sample and standard pellets were sealed in clean polyethylene bags and were irradiated in AHWR critical facility reactor, BARC for 4 h. Gamma ray measurement of irradiated samples were carried out using HPGe detector and 564.2 keV gamma ray of 122 Sb was used for quantification

Field-portable-XRF reveals the ubiquity of antimony in plastic consumer products.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Andrew; Filella, Montserrat

2017-04-15

Very little systematic information exists on the occurrence and concentrations of antimony (Sb) in consumer products. In this study, a Niton XL3t field-portable-X-ray fluorescence (FP-XRF) spectrometer was deployed in situ and in the laboratory to provide quantitative information on Sb dissipated in plastic items and fixtures (including rubber, textile and foamed materials) from the domestic, school, vehicular and office settings. The metalloid was detected in 18% of over 800 measurements performed, with concentrations ranging from about 60 to 60,000μgg -1 . The highest concentrations were encountered in white, electronic casings and in association with similar concentrations of Br, consistent with the use of antimony oxides (e.g. Sb 2 O 3 ) as synergistic flame retardants. Concentrations above 1000μgg -1 , and with or without Br, were also encountered in paints, piping and hosing, adhesives, whiteboards, Christmas decorations, Lego blocks, document carriers, garden furniture, upholstered products and interior panels of private motor vehicles. Lower concentrations of Sb were encountered in a wide variety of items but its presence (without Br) in food tray packaging, single-use drinks bottles, straws and small toys were of greatest concern from a human health perspective. While the latter observations are consistent with the use of antimony compounds as catalysts in the production of polyethylene terephthalate, co-association of Sb and Br in many products not requiring flame retardancy suggests that electronic casings are widely recycled. Further research is required into the mobility of Sb when dissipated in new, recycled and aged polymeric materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microbial contributions to coupled arsenic and sulfur cycling in the acid-sulfide hot spring Champagne Pool, New Zealand.

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Hug, Katrin; Maher, William A; Stott, Matthew B; Krikowa, Frank; Foster, Simon; Moreau, John W

2014-01-01

Acid-sulfide hot springs are analogs of early Earth geothermal systems where microbial metal(loid) resistance likely first evolved. Arsenic is a metalloid enriched in the acid-sulfide hot spring Champagne Pool (Waiotapu, New Zealand). Arsenic speciation in Champagne Pool follows reaction paths not yet fully understood with respect to biotic contributions and coupling to biogeochemical sulfur cycling. Here we present quantitative arsenic speciation from Champagne Pool, finding arsenite dominant in the pool, rim and outflow channel (55-75% total arsenic), and dithio- and trithioarsenates ubiquitously present as 18-25% total arsenic. In the outflow channel, dimethylmonothioarsenate comprised ≤9% total arsenic, while on the outflow terrace thioarsenates were present at 55% total arsenic. We also quantified sulfide, thiosulfate, sulfate and elemental sulfur, finding sulfide and sulfate as major species in the pool and outflow terrace, respectively. Elemental sulfur concentration reached a maximum at the terrace. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA genes from metagenomic sequencing revealed the dominance of Sulfurihydrogenibium at all sites and an increased archaeal population at the rim and outflow channel. Several phylotypes were found closely related to known sulfur- and sulfide-oxidizers, as well as sulfur- and sulfate-reducers. Bioinformatic analysis revealed genes underpinning sulfur redox transformations, consistent with sulfur speciation data, and illustrating a microbial role in sulfur-dependent transformation of arsenite to thioarsenate. Metagenomic analysis also revealed genes encoding for arsenate reductase at all sites, reflecting the ubiquity of thioarsenate and a need for microbial arsenate resistance despite anoxic conditions. Absence of the arsenite oxidase gene, aio, at all sites suggests prioritization of arsenite detoxification over coupling to energy conservation. Finally, detection of methyl arsenic in the outflow channel, in conjunction with

Adsorption combined with superconducting high gradient magnetic separation technique used for removal of arsenic and antimony.

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Zenglu; Joshi, Tista Prasai; Liu, Ruiping; Li, Yiran; Liu, Huijuan; Qu, Jiuhui

2018-02-05

Manganese iron oxide (MnFe 2 O 4 ), an excellent arsenic(As)/antimony(Sb) removal adsorbent, is greatly restricted for the solid-liquid separation. Through the application of superconducting high gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) technique, we herein constructed a facility for the in situ solid-liquid separation of micro-sized MnFe 2 O 4 adsorbent in As/Sb removal process. To the relative low initial concentration 50.0μgL -1 , MnFe 2 O 4 material sorbent can still decrease As or Sb below US EPA's drinking water standard limit. The separation of MnFe 2 O 4 was mainly relied on the flow rate and the amount of steel wools in the HGMS system. At a flow rate 1Lmin -1 and 5% steel wools filling rate, the removal efficacies of As and Sb in natural water with the system were achieved to be 94.6% and 76.8%, respectively. At the meantime, nearly 100% micro-sized MnFe 2 O 4 solid in the continuous field was readily to be separated via HGMS system. In a combination with the experiment results and finite element simulation, the separation was seemed to be independent on the magnetic field intensity, and the maximum separation capacities in various conditions were well predicted using the Thomas model (R 2 =0.87-0.99). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microbial contributions to coupled arsenic and sulfur cycling in the acid-sulfide hot spring Champagne Pool, New Zealand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katrin eHug

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Acid-sulfide hot springs are analogs of early Earth geothermal systems where microbial metal(loid resistance likely first evolved. Arsenic is a metalloid enriched in the acid-sulfide hot spring Champagne Pool (Waiotapu, New Zealand. Arsenic speciation in Champagne Pool follows reaction paths not yet fully understood with respect to biotic contributions and coupling to biogeochemical sulfur cycling. Here we present quantitative arsenic speciation from Champagne Pool, finding arsenite dominant in the pool, rim and outflow channel (55-75% total arsenic, and dithio- and trithioarsenates ubiquitously present as 18-25% total arsenic. In the outflow channel, dimethylmonothioarsenate comprised ≤9% total arsenic, while on the outflow terrace thioarsenates were present at 55% total arsenic. We also quantified sulfide, thiosulfate, sulfate and elemental sulfur, finding sulfide and sulfate as major species in the pool and outflow terrace, respectively. Elemental sulfur reached a maximum at the terrace. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA genes from metagenomic sequencing revealed the dominance of Sulfurihydrogenibium at all sites and an increased archaeal population at the rim and outflow channel. Several phylotypes were found closely related to known sulfur- and sulfide-oxidizers, as well as sulfur- and sulfate-reducers. Bioinformatic analysis revealed genes underpinning sulfur redox transformations, consistent with sulfur speciation data, and illustrating a microbial role in sulfur-dependent transformation of arsenite to thioarsenate. Metagenomic analysis also revealed genes encoding for arsenate reductase at all sites, reflecting the ubiquity of thioarsenate and a need for microbial arsenate resistance despite anoxic conditions. Absence of the arsenite oxidase gene, aio, at all sites suggests prioritization of arsenite detoxification over coupling to energy conservation. Finally, detection of methyl arsenic in the outflow channel, in conjunction with

Arsenic: A Review of the Element's Toxicity, Plant Interactions, and Potential Methods of Remediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hettick, Bryan E; Cañas-Carrell, Jaclyn E; French, Amanda D; Klein, David M

2015-08-19

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element with a long history of toxicity. Sites of contamination are found worldwide as a result of both natural processes and anthropogenic activities. The broad scope of arsenic toxicity to humans and its unique interaction with the environment have led to extensive research into its physicochemical properties and toxic behavior in biological systems. The purpose of this review is to compile the results of recent studies concerning the metalloid and consider the chemical and physical properties of arsenic in the broad context of human toxicity and phytoremediation. Areas of focus include arsenic's mechanisms of human toxicity, interaction with plant systems, potential methods of remediation, and protocols for the determination of metals in experimentation. This assessment of the literature indicates that controlling contamination of water sources and plants through effective remediation and management is essential to successfully addressing the problems of arsenic toxicity and contamination.

Potent heme-degrading action of antimony and antimony-containing parasiticidal agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Drummond, G S; Kappas, A

1981-02-01

The ability of antimony and antimony-containing parasiticidal agents to enhance the rate of heme degradation in liver and kidney was investigated. Trivalent antimony was shown to be an extremely potent inducer of heme oxygenase, the initial and rate-limiting enzyme in heme degradation, in both organs, whereas the pentavalent form was a weak inducer of this enzyme. The ability of antimony to induce heme oxygenase was dose-dependent, independent of the salt used, and not a result of a direct activation of the enzyme in vitro. Concomitant with heme oxygenase induction by antimony, microsomal heme and cytochrome P-450 contents decreased, the cyto-chrome P-450-dependent mixed function oxidase system was impaired, and delta-ami-nolevulinate synthase (ALAS), the rate-limiting enzyme of heme synthesis, underwent the sequential changes-initial inhibition followed by rebound induction-usually associated with the administration of transition elements such as cobalt. Antimony induction of heme oxygenase however, unlike the enzyme induction elicited by cobalt, was not prevented either by cysteine administered orally or as a cysteine metal complex, or by simultaneous zinc administration. Desferoxamine also did not block heme oxygenase induction by antimony, but this chelator did prevent the rebound increase in ALAS activity associated with antimony or cobalt treatment. Antimony-containing parasiticidal drugs were also potent inducers of heme oxygenase in liver and kidney. The heme degradative action of these drugs may be related in part to the jaundice commonly associated with the prolonged therapeutic use of these agents. The heme-oxygenase-inducing action of antimony-containing parasiticidal drugs is a newly defined biological property of these compounds. The relation between the parasiticidal and the heme-oxygenase-inducing actions of such drugs is unknown. However, certain parasites contain hemoproteins or require heme compounds during their life cycle. It may therefore be

Treatability study of arsenic, fluoride and nitrate from drinking water by adsorption process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbas, N.; Irfan, M.; Butt, M.T.

2014-01-01

Natural contamination of nitrate, fluoride, arsenic and dissolved salts in ground water sources is the main health menace at present in different parts of Pakistan. The metalloids especially arsenic, fluoride and nitrate pose severe health hazards to human being. The present research work investigated the removal techniques for arsenic, fluoride and nitrate from drinking water by adsorption process. Ion exchange resins, activated carbon and activated alumina were used for removal of selected contaminants. These adsorbents were evaluated by comparing their removal efficiency as well as requisite operator skills. The result of activated alumina was found good as compared to activated carbon, mix bed resins and ion exchange resins (IRA-400) for maximum removal of arsenic, nitrate and fluoride. The removal efficiency of arsenic, fluoride and nitrate were found 96%, 99%, 98% respectively in case of activated alumina. The advantage of adsorption process is easy to use and relatively cheaper as compared to other treatment methodologies. (author)

Arsenic and skin cancer – Case report with chemoprevention

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Uwe Wollina

2016-04-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Introduction: Arsenic is a potentially hazardous metalloid that can cause skin cancer. We want to demonstrate a case of chronic arsenicosis and the potential of chemoprevention with retinoids. Case Report: This is a case report of a 72-year-old male patient who was exposed to arsenics by dust and direct skin contact over 3 years in a chemical plant in the late fourties. He developed multiple arsenic keratosis clincialll resembling actinic keratoses, Bowen’s disease and palmar minute keratoses. To prevent a transformation into invasive cancer and to lower the burden of precancerous and in situ cancer lesions, he was treated orally with acitretin 20 mg/day. During 9 months of chemopreventive retinoid therapy a partial response of pre-existent skin lesions was noted. Treatment was well tolerated. During follow-up of 5 years no invasive malignancy developed. Conclusions: Intense exposure to arsenics during a relatively short period of 3 years bears a life-long health hazard with the delayed development of multiple in situ carcinomas and precancerous lesions. Chemoprevention with retinoids can induce a partial response.

Antimony in the Contaminated Site of El Triunfo, Baja California Sur, Mexico

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Marmolejo-Rodríguez A. J.

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Antimony has properties similar to arsenic with some of its compounds toxic to humans. Therefore it is necessary to control the wastes accumulated by anthropogenic activities, such as mining, where it is in tailings to be released to the environment. According to the Environment Protection Agency, the maximum value in sediments is 11.2 mg Sb kg–1 and the Earth’s crust average is 0.2 mg Sb kg–1. In this semiarid area, the drainage basin El Carrizal is impacted with wastes of an abandoned gold mine at the Mining District El Triunfo (MD – ET which have tailings with 17,600 mg kg–1 of antimony. In the main dry river (arroyo, the Sb content is between 0.6 and 122 mg kg–1. This element is transported from the source throughout the fluvial basin to discharge into the Pacific Ocean. In the arroyo mouth we collected one sedimentary core and the sediment from dunes (28.6 – 45.7 and 6.43 – 7.74 mg Sb kg–1. This research concluded the antimony is enriched in this semiarid system, with Normalized Enrichment Factors severely enriched mainly in arroyo sediments close to the MD-ET

Health and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals pollution in an antimony mining region: a case study from South China.

Science.gov (United States)

Fei, Jiang-Chi; Min, Xiao-Bo; Wang, Zhen-Xing; Pang, Zhi-Hua; Liang, Yan-Jie; Ke, Yong

2017-12-01

In recent years, international research on the toxicity of the heavy metal, antimony, has gradually changed focus from early medical and pharmacological toxicology to environmental toxicology and ecotoxicology. However, little research has been conducted for sources identification and risk management of heavy metals pollution by long-term antimony mining activities. In this study, a large number of investigations were conducted on the temporal and spatial distribution of antimony and related heavy metal contaminants (lead, zinc, and arsenic), as well as on the exposure risks for the population for the Yuxi river basin in the Hunan province, China. The scope of the investigations included mine water, waste rock, tailings, agricultural soil, surface water, river sediments, and groundwater sources of drinking water. Health and ecological risks from exposure to heavy metal pollution were evaluated. The main pollution sources of heavy metals in the Yuxi River basin were analyzed. Remediation programs and risk management strategies for heavy metal pollution were consequently proposed. This article provides a scientific basis for the risk assessment and management of heavy metal pollution caused by antimony basin ore mining.

A review of the epidemiologic literature on the role of environmental arsenic exposure and cardiovascular diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, C.-H.; Hsiao, C.K.; Chen, C.-L.; Hsu, L.-I; Chiou, H.-Y.; Chen, S.-Y.; Hsueh, Y.-M.; Wu, M.-M.; Chen, C.-J.

2007-01-01

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Arsenic is a ubiquitous metalloid in the crust of the earth. Chronic arsenic poisoning is becoming an emerging epidemic in Asia. Epidemiological studies have shown that chronic arsenic poisoning through ingestion of arsenic-contaminated water is associated with various cardiovascular diseases in dose-response relationships. These cardiovascular disorders include carotid atherosclerosis detected by ultrasonography, impaired microcirculation, prolonged QT interval and increased QT dispersion in electrocardiography, and clinical outcomes such as hypertension, blackfoot disease (a unique peripheral vascular disease endemic in southwestern Taiwan), coronary artery disease and cerebral infarction. Chronic arsenic poisoning is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The adverse cardiovascular effects of long-term arsenic exposure may be persistent and/or irreversible. Arsenic-induced cardiovascular diseases in human population may result from the interaction among genetic, environment and nutritional factors. The major adverse cardiovascular effect of chronic arsenic poisoning has been established qualitatively and quantitatively in the high arsenic exposure areas, but the low-dose effect of arsenic on cardiovascular diseases remains to be explored. Cardiovascular death is the major cause of mortality worldwide, and a small increased risk may imply a large quantity of excess mortality

Tin-antimony oxide oxidation catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berry, Frank J. [Open University, Department of Chemistry (United Kingdom)

1998-12-15

Tin-antimony oxide catalysts for the selective oxidation of hydrocarbons have been made by precipitation techniques. The dehydration of the amorphous dried precipitate by calcination at increasingly higher temperatures induces the crystallisation of a rutile-related tin dioxide-type phase and the segregation of antimony oxides which volatilise at elevated temperatures. The rutile-related tin dioxide-type phase contains antimony(V) in the bulk and antimony(III) in the surface. Specific catalytic activity for the oxidative dehydrogenation of butene to butadiene is associated with materials with large concentrations of antimony(III) in the surface.

The environmental geochemistry of Arsenic – An overview

Science.gov (United States)

Bowell, Robert J.; Alpers, Charles N.; Jamieson, Heather E.; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; Majzlan, Juraj

2014-01-01

Arsenic is one of the most prevalent toxic elements in the environment. The toxicity, mobility, and fate of arsenic in the environment are determined by a complex series of controls dependent on mineralogy, chemical speciation, and biological processes. The element was first described by Theophrastus in 300 B.C. and named arsenikon (also arrhenicon; Caley and Richards 1956) referring to its “potent” nature, although it was originally considered an alternative form of sulfur (Boyle and Jonasson 1973). Arsenikon is believed to be derived from the earlier Persian, zarnik (online etymology dictionary, http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=arsenic). It was not until the thirteenth century that an alchemist, Albertus Magnus, was able to isolate the element from orpiment, an arsenic sulfide (As2S3). The complex chemistry required to do this led to arsenic being considered a “bastard metal” or what we now call a “metalloid,” having properties of both metals and non-metals. As a chemical element, arsenic is widely distributed in nature and can be concentrated in many different ways. In the Earth’s crust, arsenic is concentrated by magmatic and hydrothermal processes and has been used as a “pathfinder” for metallic ore deposits, particularly gold, tin, copper, and tungsten (Boyle and Jonasson 1973; Cohen and Bowell 2014). It has for centuries been considered a potent toxin, is a common poison in actual and fictional crimes, and has led to significant impacts on human health in many areas of the world (Cullen 2008; Wharton 2010).

A comparative study of ion exchange properties of antimony (III) tungstoselenite with those of antimony (III) tungstate and antimony (III) selenite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janardanan, C.; Nair, S.M.K.

1996-01-01

A new inorganic ion exchanger, antimony (III) tungstoselenite, has been prepared and characterised. Its exchange capacity and distribution coefficients for various metal ions and the effects of temperature and electrolyte concentrations on ion exchange capacity have been compared with antimony (III) tungstate and antimony (III) selenite. Six binary separations using the exchanger have been carried out. (author). 7 refs., 1 tab

Effects of gamma-sterilization on DOC, uranium and arsenic remobilization from organic and microbial rich stream sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaller, Joerg; Weiske, Arndt; Dudel, E. Gert

2011-01-01

Organic-rich sediments are known to be effective accumulators for uranium and arsenic. Much is known about the capacity for metal or metalloid fixation by microbes and organic compounds as well as inorganic sediment particles. Experiments investigating the effect of microbes on the process of metal fixation in sediments require sterilized sediments as control treatment which is often realized by gamma-sterilization. Only few studies show that gamma-sterilization has an effect on the remobilization of metal and metalloids and on their physico-chemical properties. These studies deal with sediments with negligible organic content whereas almost nothing is known about organic-rich sediments including a probably high microbial activity. In view of this, we investigated the effect of gamma-sterilization of organic-rich sediments on uranium and arsenic fixation and release. After ten days within an exposure experiment we found a significant higher remobilization of uranium and arsenic in sterile compared to unsterile treatments. In line with these findings the content of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), manganese, and iron increased to even significantly higher concentration in the sterile compared to unsterile treatment. Gamma-sterilization seems to change the physico-chemical properties of organic-rich sediments. Microbial activity is effectively eliminated. From increased DOC concentrations in overlaying water it is concluded that microbes are eventually killed with leaching of cellular compounds in the overlaying water. This decreases the adsorption capacity of the sediment and leads to enhanced uranium and arsenic remobilization. - Research highlight s : →Remobilization of uranium and arsenic is higher in gamma-sterile treatments. →DOC mobilization is also higher in sterilized treatment. →Adsorption capacity in sediments is reduced by release of DOC.

Arsenic and antimony geochemistry of mine wastes, associated waters and sediments at the Giant Mine, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Fawcett, Skya E.; Jamieson, Heather E.; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; McCleskey, R. Blaine

2015-01-01

Elevated levels of arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) in water and sediments are legacy residues found downstream from gold-mining activities at the Giant Mine in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada. To track the transport and fate of As and Sb, samples of mine-waste from the mill, and surface water, sediment, pore-water, and vegetation downstream of the mine were collected. Mine waste, pore-water, and sediment samples were analyzed for bulk chemistry, and aqueous and solid-state speciation. Sediment and vegetation chemistry were evaluated using scanning electron microscope imaging, synchrotron-based element mapping and electron microprobe analysis. The distributions of As and Sb in sediments were similar, yet their distributions in the corresponding pore-waters were mostly dissimilar, and the mobility of As was greater than that of Sb. Competition for sorption sites is the most likely cause of elevated Sb concentrations in relatively oxidized pore-water and surface water. The aqueous and solid-state speciation of As and Sb also differed. In pore-water, As(V) dominated in oxidizing environments and As(III) in reducing environments. In contrast, the Sb(V) species dominated in all but one pore-water sample, even under reducing conditions. Antimony(III) appears to preferentially precipitate or adsorb onto sulfides as evidenced by the prevalence of an Sb(III)-S secondary solid-phase and the lack of Sb(III)(aq) in the deeper zones. The As(V)–O solid phase became depleted with depth below the sediment–water interface, and the Sb(V)–O phase persisted under relatively reducing conditions. In the surficial zone at a site populated by Equisetum fluviatile (common horsetail), As and Sb were associated with organic material and appeared mobile in the root zone. In the zone below active plant growth, As and Sb were associated primarily with inorganic phases suggesting a release and reprecipitation of these elements upon plant death. The co-existence of reduced

Arsenic in groundwater: a summary of sources and the biogeochemical and hydrogeologic factors affecting arsenic occurrence and mobility

Science.gov (United States)

Barringer, Julia L.; Reilly, Pamela A.; Bradley, Paul M.

2013-01-01

Arsenic (As) is a metalloid element (atomic number 33) with one naturally occurring isotope of atomic mass 75, and four oxidation states (-3, 0, +3, and +5) (Smedley and Kinniburgh, 2002). In the aqueous environment, the +3 and +5 oxidation states are most prevalent, as the oxyanions arsenite (H3AsO3 or H2AsO3- at pH ~9-11) and arsenate (H2AsO4- and HAsO42- at pH ~4-10) (Smedley and Kinniburgh, 2002). In soils, arsine gases (containing As3-) may be generated by fungi and other organisms (Woolson, 1977). The different forms of As have different toxicities, with arsine gas being the most toxic form. Of the inorganic oxyanions, arsenite is considered more toxic than arsenate, and the organic (methylated) arsenic forms are considered least toxic (for a detailed discussion of toxicity issues, the reader is referred to Mandal and Suzuki (2002)). Arsenic is a global health concern due to its toxicity and the fact that it occurs at unhealthful levels in water supplies, particularly groundwater, in more than 70 countries (Ravenscroft et al., 2009) on six continents.

Comparative proteomic analysis reveals heart toxicity induced by chronic arsenic exposure in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Qingyu; Xi, Guochen; Alamdar, Ambreen; Zhang, Jie; Shen, Heqing

2017-10-01

Arsenic is a widespread metalloid in the environment, which poses a broad spectrum of adverse effects on human health. However, a global view of arsenic-induced heart toxicity is still lacking, and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. By performing a comparative quantitative proteomic analysis, the present study aims to investigate the alterations of proteome profile in rat heart after long-term exposure to arsenic. As a result, we found that the abundance of 81 proteins were significantly altered by arsenic treatment (35 up-regulated and 46 down-regulated). Among these, 33 proteins were specifically associated with cardiovascular system development and function, including heart development, heart morphology, cardiac contraction and dilation, and other cardiovascular functions. It is further proposed that the aberrant regulation of 14 proteins induced by arsenic would disturb cardiac contraction and relaxation, impair heart morphogenesis and development, and induce thrombosis in rats, which is mediated by the Akt/p38 MAPK signaling pathway. Overall, these findings will augment our knowledge of the involved mechanisms and develop useful biomarkers for cardiotoxicity induced by environmental arsenic exposure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Health risk assessment of heavy metals and metalloid in drinking water from communities near gold mines in Tarkwa, Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Bortey-Sam, Nesta; Nakayama, Shouta M M; Ikenaka, Yoshinori; Akoto, Osei; Baidoo, Elvis; Mizukawa, Hazuki; Ishizuka, Mayumi

2015-07-01

Concentrations of heavy metals and metalloid in borehole drinking water from 18 communities in Tarkwa, Ghana, were measured to assess the health risk associated with its consumption. Mean concentrations of heavy metals (μg/L) exceeded recommended values in some communities. If we take into consideration the additive effect of heavy metals and metalloid, then oral hazard index (HI) results raise concerns about the noncarcinogenic adverse health effects of drinking groundwater in Huniso. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) guidelines, HI values indicating noncarcinogenic health risk for adults and children in Huniso were 0.781 (low risk) and 1.08 (medium risk), respectively. The cancer risk due to cadmium (Cd) exposure in adults and children in the sampled communities was very low. However, the average risk values of arsenic (As) for adults and children through drinking borehole water in the communities indicated medium cancer risk, but high cancer risk in some communities such as Samahu and Mile 7. Based on the USEPA assessment, the average cancer risk values of As for adults (3.65E-05) and children (5.08E-05) indicated three (adults) and five (children) cases of neoplasm in a hundred thousand inhabitants. The results of this study showed that residents in Tarkwa who use and drink water from boreholes could be at serious risk from exposure to these heavy metals and metalloid.

Comparative proteomic analysis reveals heart toxicity induced by chronic arsenic exposure in rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Qingyu; Xi, Guochen; Alamdar, Ambreen; Zhang, Jie; Shen, Heqing

2017-01-01

Arsenic is a widespread metalloid in the environment, which poses a broad spectrum of adverse effects on human health. However, a global view of arsenic-induced heart toxicity is still lacking, and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. By performing a comparative quantitative proteomic analysis, the present study aims to investigate the alterations of proteome profile in rat heart after long-term exposure to arsenic. As a result, we found that the abundance of 81 proteins were significantly altered by arsenic treatment (35 up-regulated and 46 down-regulated). Among these, 33 proteins were specifically associated with cardiovascular system development and function, including heart development, heart morphology, cardiac contraction and dilation, and other cardiovascular functions. It is further proposed that the aberrant regulation of 14 proteins induced by arsenic would disturb cardiac contraction and relaxation, impair heart morphogenesis and development, and induce thrombosis in rats, which is mediated by the Akt/p38 MAPK signaling pathway. Overall, these findings will augment our knowledge of the involved mechanisms and develop useful biomarkers for cardiotoxicity induced by environmental arsenic exposure. - Highlights: • Arsenic exposure has been associated with a number of adverse health effects. • The molecular mechanisms involved in arsenic-induced cardiotoxicity remain unclear. • Differential proteins were identified in arsenic-exposed rat heart by proteomics. • Arsenic induces heart toxicity through the Akt/p38 MAPK signaling pathway. - Label-free quantitative proteomic analysis of rat heart reveals putative mechanisms and biomarkers for arsenic-induced cardiotoxicity.

Arsenic Mobility and Availability in Sediments by Application of BCR Sequential Extractions Method; Movilidad y Disponibilidad de Arsenico en Sedimentos Mediante la Aplicacion del Metodo de Extracciones Secuenciales BCR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Larios, R.; Fernandez, R.; Rucandio, M. I.

2011-05-13

Arsenic is a metalloid found in nature, both naturally and due to anthropogenic activities. Among them, mining works are an important source of arsenic release to the environment. Asturias is a region where important mercury mines were exploited, and in them arsenic occurs in para genesis with mercury minerals. The toxicity and mobility of this element depends on the chemical species it is found. Fractionation studies are required to analyze the mobility of this metalloid in soils and sediments. Among them, the proposed by the Bureau Community of Reference (BCR) is one of the most employed. This method attempts to divide up, by operationally defined stages, the amount of this element associated with carbonates (fraction 1), iron and manganese oxy hydroxides (fraction 2), organic matter and sulphides (fraction 3), and finally as the amount associated residual fraction to primary and secondary minerals, that is, from the most labile fractions to the most refractory ones. Fractionation of arsenic in sediments from two mines in Asturias were studied, La Soterrana and Los Rueldos. Sediments from La Soterrana showed high levels of arsenic in the non-residual phases, indicating that the majority of arsenic has an anthropogenic origin. By contrast, in sediments from Los Rueldos most of the arsenic is concentrated in the residual phase, indicating that this element remains bound to very refractory primary minerals, as is also demonstrated by the strong correlation of arsenic fractionation and the fractionation of elements present in refractory minerals, such as iron, aluminum and titanium. (Author) 51 refs.

Arsenic: bioaccessibility from seaweed and rice, dietary exposure calculations and risk assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Brandon, Esther F A; Janssen, Paul J C M; de Wit-Bos, Lianne

2014-01-01

Arsenic is a metalloid that occurs in food and the environment in different chemical forms. Inorganic arsenic is classified as a class I carcinogen. The inorganic arsenic intake from food and drinking water varies depending on the geographic arsenic background. Non-dietary exposure to arsenic is likely to be of minor importance for the general population within the European Union. In Europe, arsenic in drinking water is on average low, but food products (e.g. rice and seaweed) are imported from all over the world including from regions with naturally high arsenic levels. Therefore, specific populations living in Europe could also have a high exposure to inorganic arsenic due to their consumption pattern. Current risk assessment is based on exposure via drinking water. For a good estimation of the risks of arsenic in food, it is important to investigate if the bioavailability of inorganic arsenic from food is different from drinking water. The present study further explores the issue of European dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic via rice and seaweed and its associated health risks. The bioavailability of inorganic arsenic was measured in in vitro digestion experiments. The data indicate that the bioavailability of inorganic arsenic is similar for rice and seaweed compared with drinking water. The calculated dietary intake for specific European Union populations varied between 0.44 and 4.51 µg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹. The margins of exposure between the inorganic intake levels and the BMDL0.5 values as derived by JECFA are low. Decreasing the intake of inorganic arsenic via Hijiki seaweed could be achieved by setting legal limits similar to those set for rice by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in July 2014.

Iron interference in arsenic absorption by different plant species, analysed by neutron activation, k0-method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uemura, George; Matos, Ludmila Vieira da Silva; Silva, Maria Aparecida da; Menezes, Maria Angela de Barros Correia

2009-01-01

Natural arsenic contamination is a cause for concern in many countries of the world including Argentina, Bangladesh, Chile, China, India, Mexico, Thailand, United States of America and also in Brazil, specially in the Iron Quadrangle area, where mining activities have been contributing to aggravate natural contamination. Among other elements, iron is capable to interfere with the arsenic absorption by plants; iron ore has been proposed to remediate areas contaminated by the mentioned metalloid. In order to verify if iron can interfere with arsenic absorption by different taxa of plants, specimens of Brassicacea and Equisetaceae were kept in a 1/4 Murashige and Skoog basal salt solution (M and S), with 10 μgL -1 of arsenic acid. And varying concentrations of iron. The specimens were analysed by neutron activation analysis, k 0 -method, a routine technique in CDTN, and also very appropriate for arsenic studies. The preliminary results were quite surprising, showing that iron can interfere with arsenic absorption by plants, but in different ways, according to the species studied. (author)

Comparison Study on the Estimation of the Spatial Distribution of Regional Soil Metal(loids Pollution Based on Kriging Interpolation and BP Neural Network

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Zhenyi Jia

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Soil pollution by metal(loids resulting from rapid economic development is a major concern. Accurately estimating the spatial distribution of soil metal(loid pollution has great significance in preventing and controlling soil pollution. In this study, 126 topsoil samples were collected in Kunshan City and the geo-accumulation index was selected as a pollution index. We used Kriging interpolation and BP neural network methods to estimate the spatial distribution of arsenic (As and cadmium (Cd pollution in the study area. Additionally, we introduced a cross-validation method to measure the errors of the estimation results by the two interpolation methods and discussed the accuracy of the information contained in the estimation results. The conclusions are as follows: data distribution characteristics, spatial variability, and mean square errors (MSE of the different methods showed large differences. Estimation results from BP neural network models have a higher accuracy, the MSE of As and Cd are 0.0661 and 0.1743, respectively. However, the interpolation results show significant skewed distribution, and spatial autocorrelation is strong. Using Kriging interpolation, the MSE of As and Cd are 0.0804 and 0.2983, respectively. The estimation results have poorer accuracy. Combining the two methods can improve the accuracy of the Kriging interpolation and more comprehensively represent the spatial distribution characteristics of metal(loids in regional soil. The study may provide a scientific basis and technical support for the regulation of soil metal(loid pollution.

Liquid liquid phase distribution equilibria of arsenic and its application to water samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, A.; Ahmed, S.; Rusheed, A.

1999-01-01

The presence of arsenic, a toxic element, in the environment, especially in water is a serious pollution problem. The treatment of such contaminated water by ion-exchange or absorption on natural materials is time consuming and/or expensive. The removal of arsenic using 2-benzyl pyridine in benzene and its application to polluted water is described. The present technique reported herein concentrates the arsenic, up to 500 fold or even better. The time required for equilibration is only three minutes or less. No special reagent or solution is required for stripping of arsenic and simple water serves this purpose. The partition coefficients are maximal for concentrated acid solutions which are 10 M HCl +0.1 The presence of arsenic, a toxic element, in the environment, especially in water is a serious pollution problem. The treatment of such contaminated water by ion-exchange or absorption on natural materials is time consuming M KI. Arsenic can be selectively separated from associated copper, cobalt, nickel, iron, chromium and antimony. The method may find its application for the removal/ recovery of arsenic from contaminated soil, residues of incinerator and waste water from smelting of gold, silver and copper ores. (author)

Arsenic in your food: potential health hazards from arsenic found in rice

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Munera-Picazo S

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Sandra Munera-Picazo,1 Marina Cano-Lamadrid,1 María Concepción Castaño-Iglesias,2 Francisco Burló,1 Ángel A Carbonell-Barrachina11Food Quality and Safety Group, Department of Agro-Food Technology, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Orihuela, 2Servicio de Pediatría, Hospital Universitario San Juan de Alicante, Alicante, SpainAbstract: Rice is a staple food for over half of the world population, but there is some concern about the occurrence of arsenic (As in this cereal and the possible overexposure to this metalloid. Recently, the Codex Alimentarius Commission established a maximum limit of 200 µg kg–1 for inorganic arsenic (iAs in rice. Because the maximum content of As in water has been reduced to 10 µg L–1, intoxication through rice and rice-based products can be considered an important source of As poisoning. The chronic effects of this iAs exposure can be lung and bladder cancer, skin lesions, or other noncarcinogenic diseases. There is clear evidence of high levels of iAs in rice and rice-based products. Different solutions for the reduction of As intake are proposed at different levels: 1 during the plant-growing process through agronomic practices, 2 pretreatment of rice before its use in the food industry, 3 optimization of the conditions of unit operations during processing, and 4 by cooking.Keywords: arsenic speciation, food safety, dietary exposure, Oryza sativa

Uptake and Transformation of Methylated and Inorganic Antimony in Plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Ying; Mestrot, Adrien; Schulin, Rainer; Tandy, Susan

2018-01-01

Used as a hardening agent in lead bullets, antimony (Sb) has become a major contaminant in shooting range soils of some countries including Switzerland. Soil contamination by Sb is also an environmental problem in countries with Sb-mining activities such as China and Bolivia. Because of its toxicity and relatively high mobility, there is concern over the risk of Sb transfer from contaminated soils into plants, and thus into the food chain. In particular there is very little information on the environmental behavior of methylated antimony, which can be produced by microbial biomethylation of inorganic Sb in contaminated soils. Using a new extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) method, we investigated antimony speciation in roots and shoots of wheat, fescue, rye, and ryegrass plants exposed to trimethyl antimony(V) (TMSb), antimonite (Sb(III)), and antimonate (Sb(V)) in hydroponics. The total root Sb concentrations followed the order Sb(III) treatment > Sb(V) treatment > TMSb treatment, except for fescue. Shoot Sb concentrations, however, did not differ among the three treatments. In the Sb(V) treatment small quantities of TMSb were found in the roots, whereas no TMSb was detected in the roots of Sb(III)-treated plants. In contrast, similar concentrations of TMSb were found in the shoots in both inorganic Sb treatments. The results indicate that biomethylation of Sb may occur in plants. In the TMSb treatment TMSb was the major Sb species, but the two inorganic Sb species were also found both in shoots and roots along with some unknown Sb species, suggesting that also TMSb demethylation may occur within plant tissues. The results furthermore indicate that methylated Sb is more mobile in plants than inorganic Sb species. Knowledge about this is important in risk assessments of Sb-contaminated sites, as methylation may render Sb more toxic than inorganic Sb, as it is known for arsenic (As).

Variations of arsenic species content in edible Boletus badius growing at polluted sites over four years.

Science.gov (United States)

Mleczek, Mirosław; Niedzielski, Przemysław; Rzymski, Piotr; Siwulski, Marek; Gąsecka, Monika; Kozak, Lidia

2016-07-02

The content of arsenic (As) in mushrooms can vary depending on the concentration level of this metalloid in the soil/substrate. The present study evaluated the content of arsenic in Boletus badius fruiting bodies collected from polluted and non-polluted sites in relation to the content of this element in overgrown substrate. It was found that mushrooms from the arsenic-polluted sites contained mean concentrations from 49 to 450 mg As kg(-1) dry matter (d.m.), with the greatest content found for specimens growing in close proximity of sludge deposits (490±20 mg As kg(-1)d.m.). The mean content of total arsenic in mushrooms from clean sites ranged from 0.03 to 0.37 mg kg(-1) It was found that B. badius could tolerate arsenic in soil substrate at concentrations of up to 2500 mg kg(-1), at least. In different years of investigation, shifts in particular arsenic forms, as well as a general increase in the accumulation of organic arsenic content, were observed. The results of this study clearly indicate that B. badius should not be collected for culinary purposes from any sites that may be affected by pollution.

Comparison Study on the Estimation of the Spatial Distribution of Regional Soil Metal(loid)s Pollution Based on Kriging Interpolation and BP Neural Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Zhenyi; Zhou, Shenglu; Su, Quanlong; Yi, Haomin; Wang, Junxiao

2017-12-26

Soil pollution by metal(loid)s resulting from rapid economic development is a major concern. Accurately estimating the spatial distribution of soil metal(loid) pollution has great significance in preventing and controlling soil pollution. In this study, 126 topsoil samples were collected in Kunshan City and the geo-accumulation index was selected as a pollution index. We used Kriging interpolation and BP neural network methods to estimate the spatial distribution of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) pollution in the study area. Additionally, we introduced a cross-validation method to measure the errors of the estimation results by the two interpolation methods and discussed the accuracy of the information contained in the estimation results. The conclusions are as follows: data distribution characteristics, spatial variability, and mean square errors (MSE) of the different methods showed large differences. Estimation results from BP neural network models have a higher accuracy, the MSE of As and Cd are 0.0661 and 0.1743, respectively. However, the interpolation results show significant skewed distribution, and spatial autocorrelation is strong. Using Kriging interpolation, the MSE of As and Cd are 0.0804 and 0.2983, respectively. The estimation results have poorer accuracy. Combining the two methods can improve the accuracy of the Kriging interpolation and more comprehensively represent the spatial distribution characteristics of metal(loid)s in regional soil. The study may provide a scientific basis and technical support for the regulation of soil metal(loid) pollution.

A comparative study of boron and arsenic (III) rejection from brackish water by reverse osmosis membranes

KAUST Repository

Teychene, Benoî t; Collet, Gaelle; Gallard, Hervé ; Croue, Jean Philippe

2013-01-01

This study aims to compare at lab-scale the rejection efficiency of several reverse osmosis membranes (RO) toward arsenic (III) and boron during the filtration of a synthetic brackish water. The effect of pH and operating conditions on the rejection of each RO membrane was studied. Two types of membrane were investigated: "brackish water" and "sea water" membranes. Our results showed that the metalloid rejection depends on the membrane type, pH and transmembrane pressure applied. Increasing pH above the dissociation constant (pKa) of each specie improves significantly the metalloid rejection by RO membranes, whatever the membrane type. Moreover, at identical operating conditions (pH, transmembrane pressure), results showed that the brackish water membranes have a higher water flux and exhibit lower metalloid rejection. The highest As(III) rejection value for the tested brackish water membranes was 99% obtained at pH = 9.6 and 40 bars, whereas it was found that the sea water RO membranes could highly reject As(III), more than 99%, even at low pH and low pressure (pH = 7.6 and 24 bars).Regarding Boron rejection, similar conclusions could be drawn. The sea water RO membranes exert higher removal, with a high rejection value above 96% over the tested conditions. More generally, this study showed that, whatever the operating conditions or the tested membranes, the boron and As(III) permeate concentrations are below the WHO guidelines. In addition, new data about the boron and arsenic permeability of each tested RO membrane was brought thanks to a theoretical calculation. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

A comparative study of boron and arsenic (III) rejection from brackish water by reverse osmosis membranes

KAUST Repository

Teychene, Benoît

2013-02-01

This study aims to compare at lab-scale the rejection efficiency of several reverse osmosis membranes (RO) toward arsenic (III) and boron during the filtration of a synthetic brackish water. The effect of pH and operating conditions on the rejection of each RO membrane was studied. Two types of membrane were investigated: "brackish water" and "sea water" membranes. Our results showed that the metalloid rejection depends on the membrane type, pH and transmembrane pressure applied. Increasing pH above the dissociation constant (pKa) of each specie improves significantly the metalloid rejection by RO membranes, whatever the membrane type. Moreover, at identical operating conditions (pH, transmembrane pressure), results showed that the brackish water membranes have a higher water flux and exhibit lower metalloid rejection. The highest As(III) rejection value for the tested brackish water membranes was 99% obtained at pH = 9.6 and 40 bars, whereas it was found that the sea water RO membranes could highly reject As(III), more than 99%, even at low pH and low pressure (pH = 7.6 and 24 bars).Regarding Boron rejection, similar conclusions could be drawn. The sea water RO membranes exert higher removal, with a high rejection value above 96% over the tested conditions. More generally, this study showed that, whatever the operating conditions or the tested membranes, the boron and As(III) permeate concentrations are below the WHO guidelines. In addition, new data about the boron and arsenic permeability of each tested RO membrane was brought thanks to a theoretical calculation. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

THE ATOMIC WEIGHT OF ANTIMONY

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

张青莲; 钱秋宇; 赵墨田

1989-01-01

With enriched antimony isotopes of 99.224 atom% 121Sb and 99.528 atom% 123Sb, twotracer solutions were prepared, whose antimony content was ascertained by the isotopicdilution analysis utilizing an accurately assayed laboratory standard. Mass spectrometricmeasurements were made on a Finnigan MAT- 261 instrument to find the ratio of masses121 and 123. Five synthetic mixtures formed from the tracers served to determine thecorrection factor of mass discrimination. The isotopic abundances thus found for the anti-mony in the mineral stibnite together with the known nuclidic masses yield an accurateatomic weight of antimony as 121 .7575± 0 .0009.

Arsenic: it's extent of pollution and toxicosis: An animal perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tapan Kumar Das

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Arsenic poisoning is now considered as one of the biggest environmental disaster and a major public health issue. Incidence of arsenicpoisoning has been reported from many parts of the world. While Bangladesh and West Bengal (India account for the most of the incidence, occasional reports from Mexico, Taiwan and mainland China have also appeared.It is a natural metalloid found in low concentrations in virtually every part of the environment as it is used in a wide variety of industrial applications, from computers to fireworks. Ground water arsenic is the major source of poisoning in animals and human. About 80% of ingested arsenic is absorbed and metabolized in liver and then excreted through urine and faeces while upon chronic exposure, it is deposited in liver, kidney and skin. Human populations are also being exposed to this poison by consuming the milk of affected animal.Inorganic forms of arsenic are more toxic compared to organic forms. Acute toxicity is rare in nature in comparison to chronic toxicity, which is prevalent in contaminated areas. Most non-ruminants are more susceptible to intoxication than ruminants. Chronic exposure of arsenic in animals and human beings causes severe adverse effects in the form of lowered immunity, diseases and production performances. [Vet World 2013; 6(1.000: 53-58

Synthesis and application of antimony pent(isooctyl thioglycollate)

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

LIU You-nian; LI Hong-bing; SHU Wan-gen; CHEN Qi-yuan

2005-01-01

A new type of thermal stabilizer, antimony pent(isooctyl thioglycollate)(Sb(SCH2COOC8H17)5), was synthesized by using antimony trioxide, isooctanol and thioglycolic acid in 2 steps. Firstly, antimony trioxide was oxidized into colloidal antimony peroxide. Then antimony peroxide and isooctyl thioglycollate reacted stoichiometrically for 2 h with the yield of 87%. This compound was used as thermal stabilizer for polyvinyl chloride(PVC). The results show that the thermal stability time is 52 min at 200 ℃ by heat-ageing oven test when adding 2.5% thermal stabilizer to PVC resin. Compared with antimony tris(isooctyl thiolycollate), the initial thermal stability of antimony pent(isooctyl thioglycollate) is better than that of antimony tris(isooctyl thioglycollate), while the long-term thermal stability time is shorter than that of antimony tris(isooctyl thioglycollate). Meanwhile, the synergism of antimony pent(isooctyl thioglycollate) with calcium stearate was studied, indicating that when the mass ratio of antimony pent(isooctyl thioglycollate) to calcium stearate is 2:1, the thermal stability time of PVC is 58 min.

Arsenic-induced oxidative myocardial injury: protective role of arjunolic acid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manna, Prasenjit; Sinha, Mahua; Sil, Parames C. [Bose Institute, Department of Chemistry, Kolkata, West Bengal (India)

2008-03-15

Arsenic, one of the most harmful metalloids, is ubiquitous in the environment. The present study has been carried out to investigate the protective role of a triterpenoid saponin, arjunolic acid (AA) against arsenic-induced cardiac oxidative damage. In the study, NaAsO{sub 2} was chosen as the source of arsenic. The free radical scavenging activity and the effect of AA on the intracellular antioxidant power were determined from its 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl radical scavenging ability and ferric reducing/antioxidant power assay, respectively. Oral administration of NaAsO{sub 2} at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight for 2 days caused significant accumulation of arsenic in cardiac tissues of the experimental mice in association with the reduction in cardiac antioxidant enzymes activities, namely superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase. Arsenic intoxication also decreased the cardiac glutathione (GSH) and total thiol contents and increased the levels of oxidized glutathione (GSSG), lipid peroxidation end products and protein carbonyl content. Treatment with AA at a dose of 20 mg/kg body weight for 4 days prior to NaAsO{sub 2} intoxication protected the cardiac tissue from arsenic-induced oxidative impairment. In addition to oxidative stress, arsenic administration increased total cholesterol level as well as the reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level in the sera of the experimental mice. AA pretreatment, however, could prevent this hyperlipidemia. Histological studies on the ultrastructural changes in cardiac tissue supported the protective activity of AA also. Combining all, results suggest that AA could protect cardiac tissues against arsenic-induced oxidative stress probably due to its antioxidant property. (orig.)

Arsenic, Anaerobes, and Astrobiology

Science.gov (United States)

Stolz, J. F.; Oremland, R. S.; Switzer Blum, J.; Hoeft, S. E.; Baesman, S. M.; Bennett, S.; Miller, L. G.; Kulp, T. R.; Saltikov, C.

2013-12-01

, Ganymede, Titan or Enceladus (formed by cryo-concentration), arsenotrophy could serve as a credible means of microbial energy conservation. Regrettably, the direct search for arsenic biomarkers is restricted because only one stable isotope exists (75As), which rules out the use of stable isotopic ratios in this regard. However, antimony oxyanions often co-occur with arsenic in the environment. Its two stable isotopes (123Sb and 121Sb) hold the potential to be exploited as a proxy isotopic biomarker for the fingerprint of microbial arsenotrophy. Whether such an approach is feasible needs to be investigated.

Improved Density Functional Tight Binding Potentials for Metalloid Aluminum Clusters

Science.gov (United States)

2016-06-01

unlimited IMPROVED DENSITY-FUNCTIONAL TIGHT BINDING POTENTIALS FOR METALLOID ALUMINUM CLUSTERS by Joon H. Kim June 2016 Thesis Advisor...DATES COVERED Master’s thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE IMPROVED DENSITY-FUNCTIONAL TIGHT BINDING POTENTIALS FOR METALLOID ALUMINUM CLUSTERS 5. FUNDING...repulsive potentials for use in density-functional tight binding (DFTB) simulations of low-valence aluminum metalloid clusters . These systems are under

Vermiremediation of metal(loid)s via Eichornia crassipes phytomass extraction: A sustainable technique for plant amelioration.

Science.gov (United States)

Majumdar, Arnab; Barla, Anil; Upadhyay, Munish Kumar; Ghosh, Dibyarpita; Chaudhuri, Punarbasu; Srivastava, Sudhakar; Bose, Sutapa

2018-08-15

Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth), imparts deficiency of soluble arsenic and other toxic metal (loid)s through rhizofiltration and phytoaccumulation. Without proper management strategy, this phytoremediation of metal (loid)s might fail and get reverted back to the environment, contaminating the nearby water bodies. This study, focused on bio-conversion of phytoremediating hyacinths, spiked with 100 times and greater arsenic, lead and cadmium concentrations than the average water contamination, ranging in 58.81 ± 0.394, 16.74 ± 0.367, 12.18 ± 0.153 mg Kg -1 arsenic, 18.95 ± 0.212, 9.53 ± 0.054, 6.83 ± 0.306 mg kg -1 lead and 2.79 ± 0.033, 1.39 ± 0.025, 0.92 ± 0.045 mg kg -1 cadmium, respectively in root, shoot and leaves, proving it's phytoaccumulation capacity. Next, these hyacinths has been used as a source of organic supplement for preparing vermicompost using Eisenia fetida following analysis of total metal content and sequential extraction. Control soil was having 134.69 ± 2.47 mg kg -1 arsenic in compare to 44.6 ± 0.91 mg kg -1 at premature stage of compost to 23.9 ± 1.55 mg kg -1 at mature compost indicating sustainable fate of phytoremediated vermicompost. This vermiremediation of arsenic and other toxic elements, restricted the bioavailability of soil pollutants. Furthermore, processed compost amended as organic fertilizer, growing chickpea, coriander, tomato and chilli plant, resulted in negligible metal(loid)s in treated samples, enhancing also plant's growth and production. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inorganic arsenic impairs differentiation and functions of human dendritic cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macoch, Mélinda; Morzadec, Claudie; Fardel, Olivier; Vernhet, Laurent

2013-01-01

Experimental studies have demonstrated that the antileukemic trivalent inorganic arsenic prevents the development of severe pro-inflammatory diseases mediated by excessive Th1 and Th17 cell responses. Differentiation of Th1 and Th17 subsets is mainly regulated by interleukins (ILs) secreted from dendritic cells (DCs) and the ability of inorganic arsenic to impair interferon-γ and IL-17 secretion by interfering with the physiology of DCs is unknown. In the present study, we demonstrate that high concentrations of sodium arsenite (As(III), 1–2 μM) clinically achievable in plasma of arsenic-treated patients, block differentiation of human peripheral blood monocytes into immature DCs (iDCs) by inducing their necrosis. Differentiation of monocytes in the presence of non-cytotoxic concentrations of As(III) (0.1 to 0.5 μM) only slightly impacts endocytotic activity of iDCs or expression of co-stimulatory molecules in cells activated with lipopolysaccharide. However, this differentiation in the presence of As(III) strongly represses secretion of IL-12p70 and IL-23, two major regulators of Th1 and Th17 activities, from iDCs stimulated with different toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists in metalloid-free medium. Such As(III)-exposed DCs also exhibit reduced mRNA levels of IL12A and/or IL12B genes when activated with TLR agonists. Finally, differentiation of monocytes with non-cytotoxic concentrations of As(III) subsequently reduces the ability of activated DCs to stimulate the release of interferon-γ and IL-17 from Th cells. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that clinically relevant concentrations of inorganic arsenic markedly impair in vitro differentiation and functions of DCs, which may contribute to the putative beneficial effects of the metalloid towards inflammatory autoimmune diseases. Highlights: ► Inorganic arsenic impairs differentiation and functions of human dendritic cells (DCs) ► Arsenite (> 1 μM) blocks differentiation of dendritic cells by

Inorganic arsenic impairs differentiation and functions of human dendritic cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Macoch, Mélinda; Morzadec, Claudie [UMR INSERM U1085, Institut de Recherche sur la Santé, l' Environnement et le Travail (IRSET), Université de Rennes 1, 2 avenue du Professeur Léon Bernard, 35043 Rennes (France); Fardel, Olivier [UMR INSERM U1085, Institut de Recherche sur la Santé, l' Environnement et le Travail (IRSET), Université de Rennes 1, 2 avenue du Professeur Léon Bernard, 35043 Rennes (France); Pôle Biologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Rennes, 2 rue Henri Le Guilloux, 35033 Rennes (France); Vernhet, Laurent, E-mail: laurent.vernhet@univ-rennes1.fr [UMR INSERM U1085, Institut de Recherche sur la Santé, l' Environnement et le Travail (IRSET), Université de Rennes 1, 2 avenue du Professeur Léon Bernard, 35043 Rennes (France)

2013-01-15

Experimental studies have demonstrated that the antileukemic trivalent inorganic arsenic prevents the development of severe pro-inflammatory diseases mediated by excessive Th1 and Th17 cell responses. Differentiation of Th1 and Th17 subsets is mainly regulated by interleukins (ILs) secreted from dendritic cells (DCs) and the ability of inorganic arsenic to impair interferon-γ and IL-17 secretion by interfering with the physiology of DCs is unknown. In the present study, we demonstrate that high concentrations of sodium arsenite (As(III), 1–2 μM) clinically achievable in plasma of arsenic-treated patients, block differentiation of human peripheral blood monocytes into immature DCs (iDCs) by inducing their necrosis. Differentiation of monocytes in the presence of non-cytotoxic concentrations of As(III) (0.1 to 0.5 μM) only slightly impacts endocytotic activity of iDCs or expression of co-stimulatory molecules in cells activated with lipopolysaccharide. However, this differentiation in the presence of As(III) strongly represses secretion of IL-12p70 and IL-23, two major regulators of Th1 and Th17 activities, from iDCs stimulated with different toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists in metalloid-free medium. Such As(III)-exposed DCs also exhibit reduced mRNA levels of IL12A and/or IL12B genes when activated with TLR agonists. Finally, differentiation of monocytes with non-cytotoxic concentrations of As(III) subsequently reduces the ability of activated DCs to stimulate the release of interferon-γ and IL-17 from Th cells. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that clinically relevant concentrations of inorganic arsenic markedly impair in vitro differentiation and functions of DCs, which may contribute to the putative beneficial effects of the metalloid towards inflammatory autoimmune diseases. Highlights: ► Inorganic arsenic impairs differentiation and functions of human dendritic cells (DCs) ► Arsenite (> 1 μM) blocks differentiation of dendritic cells by

Extraction of antimony from nitric acid solutions using tributyl phosphate. II. Tributyl phosphate-antimony(V)-nitric acid system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lakaev, V.S.; Smelov, V.S.

1989-01-01

The extraction of pentavalent antimony from nitric acid solutions using tributyl phosphate has been investigated. A possible mechanism for the extraction of antimony(V) has been determined and the (pre)concentration constant for the process has been calculated. The composition of the extracted antimony(V) complex has been deduced. A negative effect of temperature on the distribution coefficient for antimony(V) has also been demonstrated

Arsenic Hyperaccumulation Strategies: An Overview

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zahra Souri

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Arsenic (As pollution, which is on the increase around the world, poses a growing threat to the environment. Phytoremediation, an important green technology, uses different strategies, including As uptake, transport, translocation, and detoxification, to remediate this metalloid. Arsenic hyperaccumulator plants have developed various strategies to accumulate and tolerate high concentrations of As. In these plants, the formation of AsIII complexes with GSH and phytochelatins and their transport into root and shoot vacuoles constitute important mechanisms for coping with As stress. The oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS production is one of the principal toxic effects of As; moreover, the strong antioxidative defenses in hyperaccumulator plants could constitute an important As detoxification strategy. On the other hand, nitric oxide activates antioxidant enzyme and phytochelatins biosynthesis which enhances As stress tolerance in plants. Although several studies have focused on transcription, metabolomics, and proteomic changes in plants induced by As, the mechanisms involved in As transport, translocation, and detoxification in hyperaccumulator plants need to be studied in greater depth. This review updates recent progress made in the study of As uptake, translocation, chelation, and detoxification in As hyperaccumulator plants.

Expression profiling of Crambe abyssinica under arsenate stress identifies genes and gene networks involved in arsenic metabolism and detoxification

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Kandasamy Suganthi

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Arsenic contamination is widespread throughout the world and this toxic metalloid is known to cause cancers of organs such as liver, kidney, skin, and lung in human. In spite of a recent surge in arsenic related studies, we are still far from a comprehensive understanding of arsenic uptake, detoxification, and sequestration in plants. Crambe abyssinica, commonly known as 'abyssinian mustard', is a non-food, high biomass oil seed crop that is naturally tolerant to heavy metals. Moreover, it accumulates significantly higher levels of arsenic as compared to other species of the Brassicaceae family. Thus, C. abyssinica has great potential to be utilized as an ideal inedible crop for phytoremediation of heavy metals and metalloids. However, the mechanism of arsenic metabolism in higher plants, including C. abyssinica, remains elusive. Results To identify the differentially expressed transcripts and the pathways involved in arsenic metabolism and detoxification, C. abyssinica plants were subjected to arsenate stress and a PCR-Select Suppression Subtraction Hybridization (SSH approach was employed. A total of 105 differentially expressed subtracted cDNAs were sequenced which were found to represent 38 genes. Those genes encode proteins functioning as antioxidants, metal transporters, reductases, enzymes involved in the protein degradation pathway, and several novel uncharacterized proteins. The transcripts corresponding to the subtracted cDNAs showed strong upregulation by arsenate stress as confirmed by the semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Conclusions Our study revealed novel insights into the plant defense mechanisms and the regulation of genes and gene networks in response to arsenate toxicity. The differential expression of transcripts encoding glutathione-S-transferases, antioxidants, sulfur metabolism, heat-shock proteins, metal transporters, and enzymes in the ubiquitination pathway of protein degradation as well as several unknown

Expression profiling of Crambe abyssinica under arsenate stress identifies genes and gene networks involved in arsenic metabolism and detoxification

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

Background Arsenic contamination is widespread throughout the world and this toxic metalloid is known to cause cancers of organs such as liver, kidney, skin, and lung in human. In spite of a recent surge in arsenic related studies, we are still far from a comprehensive understanding of arsenic uptake, detoxification, and sequestration in plants. Crambe abyssinica, commonly known as 'abyssinian mustard', is a non-food, high biomass oil seed crop that is naturally tolerant to heavy metals. Moreover, it accumulates significantly higher levels of arsenic as compared to other species of the Brassicaceae family. Thus, C. abyssinica has great potential to be utilized as an ideal inedible crop for phytoremediation of heavy metals and metalloids. However, the mechanism of arsenic metabolism in higher plants, including C. abyssinica, remains elusive. Results To identify the differentially expressed transcripts and the pathways involved in arsenic metabolism and detoxification, C. abyssinica plants were subjected to arsenate stress and a PCR-Select Suppression Subtraction Hybridization (SSH) approach was employed. A total of 105 differentially expressed subtracted cDNAs were sequenced which were found to represent 38 genes. Those genes encode proteins functioning as antioxidants, metal transporters, reductases, enzymes involved in the protein degradation pathway, and several novel uncharacterized proteins. The transcripts corresponding to the subtracted cDNAs showed strong upregulation by arsenate stress as confirmed by the semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Conclusions Our study revealed novel insights into the plant defense mechanisms and the regulation of genes and gene networks in response to arsenate toxicity. The differential expression of transcripts encoding glutathione-S-transferases, antioxidants, sulfur metabolism, heat-shock proteins, metal transporters, and enzymes in the ubiquitination pathway of protein degradation as well as several unknown novel proteins serve as

Remediation of heavy metal(loid)s contaminated soils--to mobilize or to immobilize?

Science.gov (United States)

Bolan, Nanthi; Kunhikrishnan, Anitha; Thangarajan, Ramya; Kumpiene, Jurate; Park, Jinhee; Makino, Tomoyuki; Kirkham, Mary Beth; Scheckel, Kirk

2014-02-15

Unlike organic contaminants, metal(loid)s do not undergo microbial or chemical degradation and persist for a long time after their introduction. Bioavailability of metal(loid)s plays a vital role in the remediation of contaminated soils. In this review, the remediation of heavy metal(loid) contaminated soils through manipulating their bioavailability using a range of soil amendments will be presented. Mobilizing amendments such as chelating and desorbing agents increase the bioavailability and mobility of metal(loid)s. Immobilizing amendments such of precipitating agents and sorbent materials decrease the bioavailabilty and mobility of metal(loid)s. Mobilizing agents can be used to enhance the removal of heavy metal(loid)s though plant uptake and soil washing. Immobilizing agents can be used to reduce the transfer to metal(loid)s to food chain via plant uptake and leaching to groundwater. One of the major limitations of mobilizing technique is susceptibility to leaching of the mobilized heavy metal(loid)s in the absence of active plant uptake. Similarly, in the case of the immobilization technique the long-term stability of the immobilized heavy metal(loid)s needs to be monitored. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antimony (SbIII) reduces growth, declines photosynthesis, and modifies leaf tissue anatomy in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Vaculík, Marek; Mrázová, Anna; Lux, Alexander

2015-12-01

The role of antimony (Sb)--a non-essential trace metalloid--in physiological processes running in crops is still poorly understood. Present paper describes the effect of Sb tartrate (SbIII) on growth, Sb uptake, photosynthesis, photosynthetic pigments, and leaf tissue organization in young sunflower plants grown in hydroponics. We found that growth of below- and aboveground part was reduced with increasing concentration of Sb in the medium. Although Sb was mostly taken up by sunflower roots and only small part (1-2%) was translocated to the shoots, decline in photosynthesis, transpiration, and decreased content of photosynthetic pigments were observed. This indicates that despite relatively low mobility of Sb in root-shoot system, Sb in shoot noticeably modifies physiological status and reduced plant growth. Additionally, leaf anatomical changes indicated that Sb reduced the size of intercellular spaces and made leaf tissue more compact.

Antimony in aquatic systems

OpenAIRE

Filella, Montserrat; Belzile, Nelson; Chen, Yuwei; Elleouet, C.; May, P. M.; Mavrocordatos, D.; Nirel, P.; Porquet, A.; Quentel, F.; Silver, S.

2003-01-01

Antimony is ubiquitous in the environment. In spite of its proven toxicity, it has received scant attention so far. This communication presents an overview of current knowledge as well as the early results of a concerted, multidisciplinary effort to unveil antimony behaviour and fate in natural aquatic systems.

Inorganic arsenic represses interleukin-17A expression in human activated Th17 lymphocytes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morzadec, Claudie; Macoch, Mélinda; Robineau, Marc; Sparfel, Lydie [UMR INSERM U1085, Institut de Recherche sur la Santé, l' Environnement et le Travail (IRSET), Université de Rennes 1, 2 avenue du Professeur Léon Bernard, 35043 Rennes (France); Fardel, Olivier [UMR INSERM U1085, Institut de Recherche sur la Santé, l' Environnement et le Travail (IRSET), Université de Rennes 1, 2 avenue du Professeur Léon Bernard, 35043 Rennes (France); Pôle Biologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Rennes, 2 rue Henri Le Guilloux, 35033 Rennes (France); Vernhet, Laurent, E-mail: laurent.vernhet@univ-rennes1.fr [UMR INSERM U1085, Institut de Recherche sur la Santé, l' Environnement et le Travail (IRSET), Université de Rennes 1, 2 avenue du Professeur Léon Bernard, 35043 Rennes (France)

2012-08-01

Trivalent inorganic arsenic [As(III)] is an efficient anticancer agent used to treat patients suffering from acute promyelocytic leukemia. Recently, experimental studies have clearly demonstrated that this metalloid can also cure lymphoproliferative and/or pro-inflammatory syndromes in different murine models of chronic immune-mediated diseases. T helper (Th) 1 and Th17 lymphocytes play a central role in development of these diseases, in mice and humans, especially by secreting the potent pro-inflammatory cytokine interferon-γ and IL-17A, respectively. As(III) impairs basic functions of human T cells but its ability to modulate secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines by differentiated Th lymphocytes is unknown. In the present study, we demonstrate that As(III), used at concentrations clinically achievable in plasma of patients, has no effect on the secretion of interferon-γ from Th1 cells but almost totally blocks the expression and the release of IL-17A from human Th17 lymphocytes co-stimulated for five days with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibodies, in the presence of differentiating cytokines. In addition, As(III) specifically reduces mRNA levels of the retinoic-related orphan receptor (ROR)C gene which encodes RORγt, a key transcription factor controlling optimal IL-17 expression in fully differentiated Th17 cells. The metalloid also blocks initial expression of IL-17 gene induced by the co-stimulation, probably in part by impairing activation of the JNK/c-Jun pathway. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that As(III) represses expression of the major pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-17A produced by human Th17 lymphocytes, thus strengthening the idea that As(III) may be useful to treat inflammatory immune-mediated diseases in humans. -- Highlights: ► Arsenic inhibits secretion of IL-17A from human naïve and memory Th17 lymphocytes. ► Arsenic represses early expression of IL-17A gene in human activated T lymphocytes. ► Arsenic interferes with activation of

ARSENIC REMOVAL FROM DRINKING WATER BY ADSORPTIVE MEDIA. U.S. EPA DEMONSTRATION PROJECT AT SOUTH TRUCKEE MEADOWS GENERAL IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT (STMIG), NV. INTERIM EVALUATION REPORT

Science.gov (United States)

This report documents the activities performed during and the results obtained from the first 32 weeks of operation of an arsenic and antimony removal technology currently being demonstrated at the South Truckee Meadows General Improvement District (STMGID) in Washoe County, NV. ...

Chlorination of antimony and its volatilization treatment of waste antimony-uranium composite oxide catalyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawada, K.; Enokida, Y.

2011-01-01

For the waste antimony-uranium composite oxide catalyst, the chlorination of antimony and its volatilization treatment were proposed, and evaluated using hydrogen chloride gas at 873-1173 K. During the treatment, the weight loss of the composite oxide sample, which resulted from the volatilization of antimony, was confirmed. An X-ray diffraction analysis showed that uranium oxide, U 3 O 8 , was formed during the reaction. After the treatment at 1173 K for 1 h, almost all the uranium contained in the waste catalyst was dissolved by a 3 M nitric acid solution at 353 K within 10 min, although that of the non-treated catalyst was less than 0.1%. It was found that the chlorination and volatilization treatment was effective to separate antimony from the composite oxide catalyst and change uranium into its removable form. (orig.)

Metal interferences and their removal prior to the determination of As(T) and As(III) in acid mine waters by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

McCleskey, R. Blaine; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; Ball, James W.

2003-01-01

Hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HGAAS) is a sensitive and selective method for the determination of total arsenic (arsenic(III) plus arsenic(V)) and arsenic(III); however, it is subject to metal interferences for acid mine waters. Sodium borohydride is used to produce arsine gas, but high metal concentrations can suppress arsine production. This report investigates interferences of sixteen metal species including aluminum, antimony(III), antimony(V), cadmium, chromium(III), chromium(IV), cobalt, copper(II), iron(III), iron(II), lead, manganese, nickel, selenium(IV), selenium(VI), and zinc ranging in concentration from 0 to 1,000 milligrams per liter and offers a method for removing interfering metal cations with cation exchange resin. The degree of interference for each metal without cation-exchange on the determination of total arsenic and arsenic(III) was evaluated by spiking synthetic samples containing arsenic(III) and arsenic(V) with the potential interfering metal. Total arsenic recoveries ranged from 92 to 102 percent for all metals tested except antimony(III) and antimony(V) which suppressed arsine formation when the antimony(III)/total arsenic molar ratio exceeded 4 or the antimony(V)/total arsenic molar ratio exceeded 2. Arsenic(III) recoveries for samples spiked with aluminum, chromium(III), cobalt, iron(II), lead, manganese, nickel, selenium(VI), and zinc ranged from 84 to 107 percent over the entire concentration range tested. Low arsenic(III) recoveries occurred when the molar ratios of metals to arsenic(III) were copper greater than 120, iron(III) greater than 70, chromium(VI) greater than 2, cadmium greater than 800, antimony(III) greater than 3, antimony(V) greater than 12, or selenium(IV) greater than 1. Low recoveries result when interfering metals compete for available sodium borohydride, causing incomplete arsine production, or when the interfering metal oxidizes arsenic(III). Separation of interfering metal cations using

40 CFR 721.4668 - Hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of metalloid oxyanions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... metalloid oxyanions. 721.4668 Section 721.4668 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.4668 Hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of metalloid oxyanions. (a... hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of metalloid oxyanions (PMN P-94-1557) is subject to reporting under...

Environmental occurrence of arsenic in Colombia: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso, David L.; Latorre, Sergio; Castillo, Elianna; Brandão, Pedro F.B.

2014-01-01

The international literature on the presence of arsenic (As) in Latin America does not disclose the true magnitude of the presence of As in Colombia. In this paper, we summarize the literature on As occurrence in Colombia. The data reveal that As is present in matrices such as soil, sediments and water and in the food chain. Some of the As concentrations exceed the limits specified by national and international regulations. Arsenic higher concentrations are associated with mining regions (e.g., soils, up to 148 mg/kg; sediments, up to 1400 mg/kg) and agricultural areas (e.g., vegetables, up to 5.40 mg/kg; irrigation water, up to 255 μg/L), and underscore the potential human and environmental risks associated with the presence of As in the country. This review highlights the importance of focusing research on understanding the occurrence, origin and distribution of As in Colombia to better understand its environmental and public health impact. -- Highlights: • Information about arsenic (As) studies in Colombia is provided. • Occurrence of As in Colombia. • Compilation help to increase knowledge of As presence in Latin America. • Need for more research on the occurrence, origin, distribution, speciation and remediation of As in Colombia. -- This review communicates the untold story of arsenic in Colombia and draws attention to the need for more rigorous research on the metalloid. It also contributes to the information available on As in Latin America

Bioaccumulation and phyto-translocation of arsenic, chromium and zinc by Jatropha curcas L.: impact of dairy sludge and biofertilizer.

Science.gov (United States)

Yadav, Santosh Kumar; Juwarkar, Asha A; Kumar, G Phani; Thawale, Prashant R; Singh, Sanjeev K; Chakrabarti, Tapan

2009-10-01

The present study was planned to remediate the metalloid and metal contaminated soil by using non-edible and economic plant species Jatropha curcas L. The experiment was conducted on pots to improve the survival rate, metal tolerance and growth response of the plant on soil; having different concentrations of arsenic, chromium and zinc. The soil was amended with dairy sludge and bacterial inoculum (Azotobacter chroococcum) as biofertilizer. The results of the study showed that the bioaccumulation potential was increased with increase in metalloid and metal concentration in soil system. Application of dairy sludge significantly reduces the DTPA-extractable As, Cr and Zn concentration in soil. The application of organic amendment stabilizes the As, Cr and Zn and reduced their uptake in plant tissues.

Use of human metabolic studies and urinary arsenic speciation is assessing arsenic exposure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, L.R.; Farmer, J.G. (Memphis State Univ., TN (United States) Univ. of Edinburgh (United Kingdom))

1991-01-01

The use of hair and nail analyses to assess human exposure to the trace metalloid arsenic (As) is hindered by the possibility of external contamination. Even though urine represents the major excretory route, its use as an indicator of exposure is limited when no distinction is made between the nontoxic organoarsenical (arsenobetaine) excreted following the consumption of seafood and the toxic inorganic forms of As and related metabolites. The development of analytical techniques capable of separating the different chemical species of As in urine have shown that the ingestion of inorganic As (AsV or AsIII) by animals and man triggers an in vivo reduction/methylation process resulting in excretion of the less toxic species, monomethylarsonic acid (MMAA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMAA). This paper establishes the uptake, bio-transformation and elimination patterns reflected in urinary As following carefully controlled experimental exposure.

Cloud point extraction combined with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry for the speciation of antimony(III) and antimony(V) in food packaging materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Xiuming; Wen Shengping; Xiang Guoqiang

2010-01-01

A simple, sensitive method for the speciation of inorganic antimony by cloud point extraction combined with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) is presented and evaluated. The method based on the fact that formation of a hydrophobic complex of antimony(III) with ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC) at pH 5.0 and subsequently the hydrophobic complex enter into surfactant-rich phase, whereas antimony(V) remained in aqueous solutions. Antimony(III) in surfactant-rich phase was analyzed by ETAAS after dilution by 0.2 mL nitric acid in methanol (0.1 M), and antimony(V) was calculated by subtracting antimony(III) from the total antimony after reducing antimony(V) to antimony(III) by L-cysteine. The main factors affecting the cloud point extraction, such as pH, concentration of APDC and Triton X-114, equilibrium temperature and incubation time, sample volume were investigated in detail. Under the optimum conditions, the detection limit (3σ) of the proposed method was 0.02 ng mL -1 for antimony(III), and the relative standard deviation was 7.8% (c = 1.0 ng mL -1 , n = 7). The proposed method was successfully applied to speciation of inorganic antimony in the leaching solutions of different food packaging materials with satisfactory results.

Contrasting controls on arsenic and lead budgets for a degraded peatland catchment in Northern England

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rothwell, James J.; Taylor, Kevin G.; Evans, Martin G.; Allott, Timothy E.H.

2011-01-01

Atmospheric deposition of trace metals and metalloids from anthropogenic sources has led to the contamination of many European peatlands. To assess the fate and behaviour of previously deposited arsenic and lead, we constructed catchment-scale mass budgets for a degraded peatland in Northern England. Our results show a large net export of both lead and arsenic via runoff (282 ± 21.3 gPb ha -1 y -1 and 60.4 ± 10.5 gAs ha -1 y -1 ), but contrasting controls on this release. Suspended particulates account for the majority of lead export, whereas the aqueous phase dominates arsenic export. Lead release is driven by geomorphological processes and is a primary effect of erosion. Arsenic release is driven by the formation of a redox-dynamic zone in the peat associated with water table drawdown, a secondary effect of gully erosion. Degradation of peatland environments by natural and anthropogenic processes has the potential to release the accumulated pool of legacy contaminants to surface waters. - Highlights: → The fluvial outputs of arsenic and lead in the degraded peatland are an order-of-magnitude greater than atmospheric inputs. → The particulate phase dominates fluvial lead export, whereas the aqueous phase dominates fluvial arsenic export. → Lead export is a primary effect of peat erosion, whereas arsenic export is a secondary effect of peat erosion. - Degraded peatlands can be significant sources of previously deposited arsenic and lead

Phytoremediation of arsenic from the contaminated soil using transgenic tobacco plants expressing ACR2 gene of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Science.gov (United States)

Nahar, Noor; Rahman, Aminur; Nawani, Neelu N; Ghosh, Sibdas; Mandal, Abul

2017-11-01

We have cloned, characterized and transformed the AtACR2 gene (arsenic reductase 2) of Arabidopsis thaliana into the genome of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum, var Sumsun). Our results revealed that the transgenic tobacco plants are more tolerant to arsenic than the wild type ones. These plants can grow on culture medium containing 200μM arsenate, whereas the wild type can barely survive under this condition. Furthermore, when exposed to 100μM arsenate for 35days the amount of arsenic accumulated in the shoots of transgenic plants was significantly lower (28μg/g d wt.) than that found in the shoots of non-transgenic controls (40μg/g d wt.). However, the arsenic content in the roots of transgenic plants was significantly higher (2400μg/g d. wt.) than that (2100μg/g d. wt.) observed in roots of wild type plants. We have demonstrated that Arabidopsis thaliana AtACR2 gene is a potential candidate for genetic engineering of plants to develop new crop cultivars that can be grown on arsenic contaminated fields to reduce arsenic content of the soil and can become a source of food containing no arsenic or exhibiting substantially reduced amount of this metalloid. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Solubility behaviour of antimony(III) and antimony(V) solids in basic aqueous solutions at 300oC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lemire, R.J.; Tosello, N.B.; Halliday, J.D.

1999-12-01

The major contributions of the isotopes 122 Sb and 124 Sb to activity transport in a CANDU reactor primary heat transport system (HTS), have been associated with oxygen ingress during reactor shutdown. As part of a program to minimize the release and redeposition of these isotopes, the solubilities of antimony(III) and (V) oxides and salts have been measured in basic solutions at temperatures from 25 to 300 o C. The results provide information on the charge and the stability as a function of temperature of antimony solution species and, hence, a guide to the trends in the temperature dependence of the solubilities of antimony solids. In solutions in which oxidation of antimony(III) to antimony(V) is minimized, the solubility of Sb 2 O 3 increases by about two orders of magnitude between 25 and 200 o C, and then levels out or decreases slightly. At 250 o C, in oxidizing solutions, Sb 2 O 5 ·xH 2 O and simple sodium antimonate(V) were found to be unstable in sodium hydroxide solutions with respect to the solid, Na 2α [H(H 2 O)] 2-2α Sb 2 O 6 , which has a pyrochlore structure. The solubility of this partially protonated sodium antimonate increases from 25 to 200 o C and decreases at temperatures above 250 o C. These solubility changes for the antimony (V) solids reflect changes in the stability of the anionic antimony solution species (SbO 3 - or Sb(OH) 6 - ), even though the compositions of antimony-containing solids in basic oxidizing solutions are strongly dependent on the cations and their aqueous phase concentrations. All solids used in the present experiments would be expected to generate total solution antimony concentrations ≥ 0.00005 mol·dm -3 in any neutral or basic aqueous solutions (assuming no added sodium salts). Therefore, under HTS conditions, precipitation of any antimony oxides or mixed oxides is unlikely. It cannot be ruled out that hydrated Sb 2 O 5 (especially the pyrochlore form) might be less soluble in near-neutral, low

Biochemical mechanisms of signaling: perspectives in plants under arsenic stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Islam, Ejazul; Khan, Muhammad Tahir; Irem, Samra

2015-04-01

Plants are the ultimate food source for humans, either directly or indirectly. Being sessile in nature, they are exposed to various biotic and abiotic stresses because of changing climate that adversely effects their growth and development. Contamination of heavy metals is one of the major abiotic stresses because of anthropogenic as well as natural factors which lead to increased toxicity and accumulation in plants. Arsenic is a naturally occurring metalloid toxin present in the earth crust. Due to its presence in terrestrial and aquatic environments, it effects the growth of plants. Plants can tolerate arsenic using several mechanisms like phytochelation, vacuole sequestration and activation of antioxidant defense systems. Several signaling mechanisms have evolved in plants that involve the use of proteins, calcium ions, hormones, reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide as signaling molecules to cope with arsenic toxicity. These mechanisms facilitate plants to survive under metal stress by activating their defense systems. The pathways by which these stress signals are perceived and responded is an unexplored area of research and there are lots of gaps still to be filled. A good understanding of these signaling pathways can help in raising the plants which can perform better in arsenic contaminated soil and water. In order to increase the survival of plants in contaminated areas there is a strong need to identify suitable gene targets that can be modified according to needs of the stakeholders using various biotechnological techniques. This review focuses on the signaling mechanisms of plants grown under arsenic stress and will give an insight of the different sensory systems in plants. Furthermore, it provides the knowledge about several pathways that can be exploited to develop plant cultivars which are resistant to arsenic stress or can reduce its uptake to minimize the risk of arsenic toxicity through food chain thus ensuring food security. Copyright © 2015

Preparation of antimony-doped nanoparticles by hydrothermal method

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

JIANG Ming-xi; YANG Tian-zu; GU Ying-ying; DU Zuo-juan; LIU Jian-ling

2005-01-01

Antimony-doped tin oxide(ATO) nanoparticles were prepared by the mild hydrothermal method at 200 ℃ using sodium stannate, antimony oxide, sodium hydroxide and sulfuric acid as the starting materials. The doped powders were examined by differential thermal analysis(DTA), X-ray diffractometry(XRD) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM). The doping levels of antimony were determined by volumetric method and iodimetry.The results show that antimony is incorporated into the crystal lattice of tin oxide and the doping levels of antimony in the resulting powders are 2.4%, 4.3 % and 5.1 % (molar fraction). The mean particle size of ATO nanoparticles is in the range of 25 - 30 nm. The effects of antimony doping level on the crystalline size and crystallinity were also discussed.

Preparation and properties of antimony thin film anode materials

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

SU Shufa; CAO Gaoshao; ZHAO Xinbing

2004-01-01

Metallic antimony thin films were deposited by magnetron sputtering and electrodeposition. Electrochemical properties of the thin film as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries were investigated and compared with those of antimony powder. It was found that both magnetron sputtering and electrodeposition are easily controllable processes to deposit antimony films with fiat charge/discharge potential plateaus. The electrochemical performances of antimony thin films, especially those prepared with magnetron sputtering, are better than those of antimony powder. The reversible capacities of the magnetron sputtered antimony thin film are above 400 mA h g-1 in the first 15 cycles.

The Effects of Arbuscular-Mycorrhizal Fungi and Phosphorous on Arsenic Uptake by Sunflower Plant in Soils Spiked with Arsenite and Arsenate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saeed Bagherifam

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Arsenic is a highly toxic metalloid in group 15 of periodic table. The information on environmental behaviour of arsenic, however, is still scarce. Contamination of soils and water with arsenic and antimony due to their widespread industrial application and mining activities has raised serious environmental concerns. Nearly all Arsenic-contaminated soils results from human activities and it has different environmental and sociological impacts. Various strategies and methods have been proposed for environmental management and remediation of contaminated soils. Among all methods, the phytoremediation is receiving more attention due to its cost effective and environmental friendly characteristics. In the case of arsenic contaminated soils, there are effective factors such as soil fertility, nutrients content and microorganisms function, which can improve the uptake of As by plants. Up to now, several studies have been evaluated the effects of symbiotic fungal association in plants on increasing nutrients and toxic elements uptake. Many of authors reported that the mycorrhizal symbiosis increases the uptake of toxic elements in root and shoot of plants and consequently improve the efficacy of phytostabilization and phytoextraction processes. There are conflicting results about the effect of arbuscular- mycorrhizal fungi (AMF on As uptake by various plants. Chen et al. (4 found that Glomus mosseae symbiosis with plant reduces As concentration and enhance phosphorus content in shoot and root of plant. Whilst Cozzolino et al. (7 reported that the AMF increases as concentration in shoot and root of cabbage. Phosphorus has important role on mycorrhizal symbiosis and also As uptake by plants. Therefore, current study was conducted to evaluated effect of Glomus intraradices and Glomus mosseae symbiosis with sunflower and also soil phosphorus concentration on uptake of arsenic from arsenite and arsenate contaminated soils. Materials and

Total and bioavailable arsenic concentration in arid soils and its uptake by native plants from the pre-Andean zones in Chile.

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz, O; Tapia, Y; Pastene, R; Montes, S; Núñez, N; Vélez, D; Montoro, R

2011-06-01

Arsenic is the most important contaminant of the environment in northern Chile. Soil samples and plant organs from three native plant species, Pluchea absinthioides, Atriplex atacamensis and Lupinus microcarpus, were collected from arid zones in order to determine the total and bioavailable arsenic concentrations in soils and to assess the bioconcentration factor (BCF) and transport index (Ti) of arsenic in the plants. Total arsenic concentrations in soils (pH 8.3-8.5) where A. atacamensis and P. absinthioides were collected, reached levels considered to be contaminated (54.3 ± 15.4 and 52.9 ± 9.9 mg kg⁻¹, respectively), and these values were approximately ten times higher than in soils (pH 7.6) where L. microcarpus was collected. Bioavailable arsenic ranged from 0.18 to 0.42% of total arsenic concentration. In the three plant species, arsenic concentration in leaves were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher than in roots. L. microcarpus showed the highest arsenic concentration in its leaves (9.7 ± 1.6 mg kg⁻¹) and higher values of BCF (1.8) and Ti (6.1), indicating that this species has a greater capacity to accumulate and translocate the metalloid to the leaf than do the other species.

Solubility behaviour of antimony(III) and antimony(V) solids in basic aqueous solutions at 300{sup o}C

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lemire, R.J.; Tosello, N.B.; Halliday, J.D

1999-12-01

The major contributions of the isotopes {sup 122}Sb and {sup 124}Sb to activity transport in a CANDU reactor primary heat transport system (HTS), have been associated with oxygen ingress during reactor shutdown. As part of a program to minimize the release and redeposition of these isotopes, the solubilities of antimony(III) and (V) oxides and salts have been measured in basic solutions at temperatures from 25 to 300{sup o}C. The results provide information on the charge and the stability as a function of temperature of antimony solution species and, hence, a guide to the trends in the temperature dependence of the solubilities of antimony solids. In solutions in which oxidation of antimony(III) to antimony(V) is minimized, the solubility of Sb{sub 2}O{sub 3} increases by about two orders of magnitude between 25 and 200{sup o}C, and then levels out or decreases slightly. At 250{sup o}C, in oxidizing solutions, Sb{sub 2}O{sub 5}{center_dot}xH{sub 2}O and simple sodium antimonate(V) were found to be unstable in sodium hydroxide solutions with respect to the solid, Na{sub 2{alpha}}[H(H{sub 2}O)]{sub 2-2{alpha}}Sb{sub 2}O{sub 6}, which has a pyrochlore structure. The solubility of this partially protonated sodium antimonate increases from 25 to 200{sup o}C and decreases at temperatures above 250{sup o}C. These solubility changes for the antimony (V) solids reflect changes in the stability of the anionic antimony solution species (SbO{sub 3}{sup -} or Sb(OH){sub 6}{sup -}), even though the compositions of antimony-containing solids in basic oxidizing solutions are strongly dependent on the cations and their aqueous phase concentrations. All solids used in the present experiments would be expected to generate total solution antimony concentrations {>=} 0.00005 mol{center_dot}dm{sup -3} in any neutral or basic aqueous solutions (assuming no added sodium salts). Therefore, under HTS conditions, precipitation of any antimony oxides or mixed oxides is unlikely. It cannot be

Etude des interactions entre la plante Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh et le ver de terre Aporrectodea caliginosa (Savigny) : application à la phytoremédiation de l'arsenic et de l'antimoine

OpenAIRE

Jana , Ulrike

2009-01-01

Arsenic and antimony do not belong to the major pollutants of the environment but are offen foun associated with other contaminants. In France, more specifically in Auvergne region, a large number of old mining site where antimony was extracted are currently abandoned. As they present several risks for the neighbourhood populations, their habilitaion appears to be essential. The main idea if this PhD work is to test a catalysor: the earthworms in order to increase phytoremédiation efficacity....

Perspectives of antimony compounds in oncology

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Pankaj SHARMA; Diego PEREZ; Armando CABRERA; Nee ROSAS; Jose Luis ARIAS

2008-01-01

Antimony, a natural element that has been used as a drug for over more than 100 years, has remarkable therapeutic efficacy in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia. This review focuses on recent advances in developing antimony anti- cancer agents with an emphasis on antimony coordination complexes, Sb (Ⅲ) and Sb (V). These complexes, which include many organometallic complexes, may provide a broader spectrum of antitumoral activity. They were compared with classical platinum anticancer drugs. The review covers the literature data pub- lished up to 2007. A number of antimonials with different antitumoral activities are known and have diverse applications, even though little research has been done on their possibilities. It might be feasible to develop more specific and effective inhibitors for phosphatase-targeted, anticancer therapeutics through the screen- ing of sodium stibogluconate (SSG) and potassium antimonyltartrate-related compounds, which are comprised of antimony conjugated to different organic moieties. For example, SSG appears to be a better inhibitor than suramin which is a compound known for its antineoplastic activity against several types of cancers.

Evolution of Metal(Loid) Binding Sites in Transcriptional Regulators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ordonez, E.; Thiyagarajan, S.; Cook, J.D.; Stemmler, T.L.; Gil, J.A.; Mateos, L.M.; Rosen, B.P.

2009-05-22

Expression of the genes for resistance to heavy metals and metalloids is transcriptionally regulated by the toxic ions themselves. Members of the ArsR/SmtB family of small metalloregulatory proteins respond to transition metals, heavy metals, and metalloids, including As(III), Sb(III), Cd(II), Pb(II), Zn(II), Co(II), and Ni(II). These homodimeric repressors bind to DNA in the absence of inducing metal(loid) ion and dissociate from the DNA when inducer is bound. The regulatory sites are often three- or four-coordinate metal binding sites composed of cysteine thiolates. Surprisingly, in two different As(III)-responsive regulators, the metalloid binding sites were in different locations in the repressor, and the Cd(II) binding sites were in two different locations in two Cd(II)-responsive regulators. We hypothesize that ArsR/SmtB repressors have a common backbone structure, that of a winged helix DNA-binding protein, but have considerable plasticity in the location of inducer binding sites. Here we show that an As(III)-responsive member of the family, CgArsR1 from Corynebacterium glutamicum, binds As(III) to a cysteine triad composed of Cys{sup 15}, Cys{sup 16}, and Cys{sup 55}. This binding site is clearly unrelated to the binding sites of other characterized ArsR/SmtB family members. This is consistent with our hypothesis that metal(loid) binding sites in DNA binding proteins evolve convergently in response to persistent environmental pressures.

Antimony: a flame fighter

Science.gov (United States)

Wintzer, Niki E.; Guberman, David E.

2015-01-01

Antimony is a brittle, silvery-white semimetal that conducts heat poorly. The chemical compound antimony trioxide (Sb2O3) is widely used in plastics, rubbers, paints, and textiles, including industrial safety suits and some children’s clothing, to make them resistant to the spread of flames. Also, sodium antimonate (NaSbO3) is used during manufacturing of high-quality glass, which is found in cellular phones.

Identification of an S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) dependent arsenic methyltransferase in Danio rerio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamdi, Mohamad [Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309 (United States); Yoshinaga, Masafumi; Packianathan, Charles; Qin, Jie [Department of Cellular Biology and Pharmacology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, FL33199 (United States); Hallauer, Janell; McDermott, Joseph R. [Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309 (United States); Yang, Hung-Chi [Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Sciences, Chang-Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Kwei-San 333, Taiwan (China); Tsai, Kan-Jen [School of Medical Laboratory and Biotechnology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Liu, Zijuan, E-mail: liu2345@oakland.edu [Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309 (United States)

2012-07-15

Arsenic methylation is an important cellular metabolic process that modulates arsenic toxicity and carcinogenicity. Biomethylation of arsenic produces a series of mono-, di- and tri-methylated arsenic metabolites that can be detected in tissues and excretions. Here we report that zebrafish exposed to arsenite (As{sup III}) produces organic arsenicals, including MMA{sup III}, MMA{sup V} and DMA{sup V} with characteristic tissue ratios, demonstrating that an arsenic methylation pathway exists in zebrafish. In mammals, cellular inorganic arsenic is methylated by a SAM-dependent arsenic methyltransferase, AS3MT. A zebrafish arsenic methyltransferase homolog, As3mt, was identified by sequence alignment. Western blotting analysis showed that As3mt was universally expressed in zebrafish tissues. Prominent expression in liver and intestine correlated with methylated arsenic metabolites detected in those tissues. As3mt was expressed in and purified from Escherichia coli for in vitro functional studies. Our results demonstrated that As3mt methylated As{sup III} to DMA{sup V} as an end product and produced MMA{sup III} and MMA{sup V} as intermediates. The activity of As3mt was inhibited by elevated concentrations of the substrate As{sup III} as well as the metalloid selenite, which is a well-known antagonistic micronutrient of arsenic toxicity. The activity As3mt was abolished by substitution of either Cys160 or Cys210, which corresponds to conserved cysteine residues in AS3MT homologs, suggesting that they are involved in catalysis. Expression in zebrafish of an enzyme that has a similar function to human and rodent orthologs in catalyzing intracellular arsenic biomethylation validates the applicability of zebrafish as a valuable vertebrate model for understanding arsenic-associated diseases in humans. -- Highlights: ► Zebrafish methylated As{sup III} to MMA{sup III}, MMA{sup V} and DMA{sup V}. ► A zebrafish arsenic methyltransferase (As3mt) was purified in E. coli. �

Pharmacokinetic of antimony in mice with cutaneous Leishmaniasis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borborema, Samanta E.T.; Nascimento, Nanci do [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares IPEN/CNEN-SP, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Lab. de Biologia Molecular]. E-mails: samanta@usp.br; nnascime@ipen.br; Andrade Junior, Heitor F. de [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares IPEN/CNEN-SP, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Lab. de Biologia Molecular; Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); E-mail: hfandrad@usp.br; Osso Junior, Joao A. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares IPEN/CNEN-SP, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Centro de Radiofarmacia]. E-mail: jaosso@ipen.br

2007-07-01

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) remains a major world health problem, with about 1.5 million new cases each year. Caused by protozoa Leishmania, in South America, this infection can vary from a chronic skin ulcer, to an erosive mucosal disease and severe facial disfigurement. Pentavalent antimony (Sb{sup +5}) as sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam) or meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime) are main drugs for treating most forms of human leishmaniasis. For six decades, despite the recent developments, the effective therapy to cutaneous leishmaniasis has been based on long parenteral courses of such drugs, even though these are fairly costly, toxic and inconvenient to use, without adequate knowledge on their pharmacokinetics or mechanism of action. Pharmacokinetics studies could be based on bioactive traceable drugs, usually with radioactive isotopes, but antimony radioisotopes are unavailable commercially. Neutron irradiation is a powerful tool in the analysis of mineral content of samples, for antimony, there are at least two main isotopes that could be formed after neutron irradiation in nuclear reactor. The aim of the present study was to construct antimony salts with those radioisotopes to obtain tracers to compare the pharmacokinetic and the tissue distribution of neutron irradiated meglumine antimoniate in healthy and cutaneous leishmaniasis experimentally infected mice. Meglumine antimoniate, (Glucantime, Aventis, S.P, Brazil), was neutron irradiated inside the IEA-R1 nuclear reactor (IPEN/CNEN-SP), producing two radioisotopes {sup 122}Sb and {sup 124}Sb. Its biodistribution was verified in BALB/c mice experimentally infected with Leishmania (Leishmania) Amazonensis, which received a single intraperitoneal dose of the drug. At different times after injection, the tissues and blood were excised and activity measured in a NaI (Tl) scintillation counter. Compared with the healthy mice, experimentally infected mice had significantly lower maximum concentration of antimony

Pharmacokinetic of antimony in mice with cutaneous Leishmaniasis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borborema, Samanta E.T.; Nascimento, Nanci do; Osso Junior, Joao A.

2007-01-01

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) remains a major world health problem, with about 1.5 million new cases each year. Caused by protozoa Leishmania, in South America, this infection can vary from a chronic skin ulcer, to an erosive mucosal disease and severe facial disfigurement. Pentavalent antimony (Sb +5 ) as sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam) or meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime) are main drugs for treating most forms of human leishmaniasis. For six decades, despite the recent developments, the effective therapy to cutaneous leishmaniasis has been based on long parenteral courses of such drugs, even though these are fairly costly, toxic and inconvenient to use, without adequate knowledge on their pharmacokinetics or mechanism of action. Pharmacokinetics studies could be based on bioactive traceable drugs, usually with radioactive isotopes, but antimony radioisotopes are unavailable commercially. Neutron irradiation is a powerful tool in the analysis of mineral content of samples, for antimony, there are at least two main isotopes that could be formed after neutron irradiation in nuclear reactor. The aim of the present study was to construct antimony salts with those radioisotopes to obtain tracers to compare the pharmacokinetic and the tissue distribution of neutron irradiated meglumine antimoniate in healthy and cutaneous leishmaniasis experimentally infected mice. Meglumine antimoniate, (Glucantime, Aventis, S.P, Brazil), was neutron irradiated inside the IEA-R1 nuclear reactor (IPEN/CNEN-SP), producing two radioisotopes 122 Sb and 124 Sb. Its biodistribution was verified in BALB/c mice experimentally infected with Leishmania (Leishmania) Amazonensis, which received a single intraperitoneal dose of the drug. At different times after injection, the tissues and blood were excised and activity measured in a NaI (Tl) scintillation counter. Compared with the healthy mice, experimentally infected mice had significantly lower maximum concentration of antimony and high

Role of organic amendments on enhanced bioremediation of heavy metal(loid) contaminated soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jin Hee; Lamb, Dane; Paneerselvam, Periyasamy; Choppala, Girish; Bolan, Nanthi; Chung, Jae-Woo

2011-01-30

As land application becomes one of the important waste utilization and disposal practices, soil is increasingly being seen as a major source of metal(loid)s reaching food chain, mainly through plant uptake and animal transfer. With greater public awareness of the implications of contaminated soils on human and animal health there has been increasing interest in developing technologies to remediate contaminated sites. Bioremediation is a natural process which relies on soil microorganisms and higher plants to alter metal(loid) bioavailability and can be enhanced by addition of organic amendments to soils. Large quantities of organic amendments, such as manure compost, biosolid and municipal solid wastes are used as a source of nutrients and also as a conditioner to improve the physical properties and fertility of soils. These organic amendments that are low in metal(loid)s can be used as a sink for reducing the bioavailability of metal(loid)s in contaminated soils and sediments through their effect on the adsorption, complexation, reduction and volatilization of metal(loid)s. This review examines the mechanisms for the enhanced bioremediation of metal(loid)s by organic amendments and discusses the practical implications in relation to sequestration and bioavailability of metal(loid)s in soils. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antimony-Induced Neurobehavioral and Biochemical Perturbations in Mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanu, Tanzina; Anjum, Adiba; Jahan, Momotaj; Nikkon, Farjana; Hoque, Mominul; Roy, Apurba Kumar; Haque, Azizul; Himeno, Seiichiro; Hossain, Khaled; Saud, Zahangir Alam

2018-03-08

Groundwater used for drinking has been contaminated with naturally occurring inorganic arsenic and other metals, and metal-contaminated drinking water is the biggest threat to public health in Bangladesh. Toxic metals present in the drinking water have a strong relationship with chronic diseases in humans. Antimony (Sb), a naturally occurring metal, has been reported to be present in the drinking water along with other heavy metals in Bangladesh. Although Sb is present in the environment, very little attention has been given to the toxic effects of Sb. The present study was designed to investigate the in vivo effects of Sb on neurobehavioral changes like anxiety, learning and memory impairment, and blood indices related to organ dysfunction. Mice exposed to antimony potassium-tartrate hydrate (Sb) (10 mg/kg body weight) significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the time spent in open arms while increased the time spent in closed arms compared to the control mice in elevated plus maze. The mean latency time of control group to find the platform decreased (p < 0.05) significantly during 7 days learning as compared to Sb-treated group in Morris water maze test, and Sb-exposed group spent significantly (p < 0.05) less time in the desired quadrant as compared to the control group in probe trial. Sb treatment also significantly altered blood indices related to liver and kidney dysfunction. Additionally, Sb-induced biochemical alterations were associated with significant perturbations in histological architecture of liver and kidney of Sb-exposed mice. These data suggest that Sb has a toxic effect on neurobehavioral and biochemical changes in mice.

Leaching capacity of metals-metalloids and recovery of valuable materials from waste LCDs.

Science.gov (United States)

Savvilotidou, Vasiliki; Hahladakis, John N; Gidarakos, Evangelos

2015-11-01

The purpose of Directive 2012/19/EU which is related to WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), also known as "e-waste", is to contribute to their sustainable production and consumption that would most possibly be achieved by their recovery, recycling and reuse. Under this perspective, the present study focused on the recovery of valuable materials, metals and metalloids from LCDs (Liquid Crystal Displays). Indium (In), arsenic (As) and stibium (Sb) were selected to be examined for their Leaching Capacity (R) from waste LCDs. Indium was selected mainly due to its rarity and preciousness, As due to its high toxicity and wide use in LCDs and Sb due to its recent application as arsenic's replacement to improve the optimal clarity of a LCD screen. The experimental procedure included disassembly of screens along with removal and recovery of polarizers via thermal shock, cutting, pulverization and digestion of the shredded material and finally leaching evaluation of the aforementioned elements. Leaching tests were conducted under various temperatures, using various solid:liquid (S/L) ratios and solvents (acid mixtures), to determine the optimal conditions for obtaining the maximum leaching capacities. The examined elements exhibited different leaching behaviors, mainly due to the considerable diversity in their inherent characteristic properties. Indium demonstrated the highest recovery percentages (approximately 60%), while the recovery of As and Sb was unsuccessful, obtaining poor leaching percentages (0.16% and 0.5%, respectively). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Arsenic bioavailability in soils before and after soil washing: the use of Escherichia coli whole-cell bioreporters.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Youngdae; Kang, Yerin; Chae, Yooeun; Kim, Sunghoon; Lee, Youngshim; Jeong, Seung-Woo; An, Youn-Joo

2016-02-01

We investigated the quantification of bioavailable arsenic in contaminated soils and evaluation of soil-washing processes in the aspect of bioavailability using a novel bacterial bioreporter developed in present study. The whole-cell bioreporter (WCB) was genetically engineered by fusing the promoter of nik operon from Escherichia coli and green fluorescent protein as a sensing domain and reporter domain. Among eight well-known hazardous heavy metals and metalloid, this system responded specifically to arsenic, thereby inferring association of As(III) with NikR inhibits the repression. Moreover, the response was proportional to the concentration of As(III), thereby it was capable to determine the amount of bioavailable arsenic quantitatively in contaminated soils. The bioavailable portion of arsenic was 5.9 (3.46-10.96) and 0.9 (0.27-1.74) % of total from amended and site soils, respectively, suggesting the bioavailability of arsenic in soils was related to the soil properties and duration of aging. On the other hand, only 1.37 (0.21-2.97) % of total arsenic was extracted into soil solutions and 19.88 (11.86-28.27) % of arsenic in soil solution was bioavailable. This result showed that the soluble arsenic is not all bioavailable and most of bioavailable arsenic in soils is water non-extractable. In addition, the bioavailable arsenic was increased after soil-washing while total amount was decreased, thereby suggesting the soil-washing processes release arsenic associated with soil materials to be bioavailable. Therefore, it would be valuable to have a tool to assess bioavailability and the bioavailability should be taken into consideration for soil remediation plans.

Mine waste acidic potential and distribution of antimony and arsenic in waters of the Xikuangshan mine, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Jianwei; Nyirenda, Mathews T.; Xie, Lina; Li, Yi; Zhou, Baolong; Zhu, Yue; Liu, Huilin

2017-01-01

The Xikuangshan (XKS) mine in China has vast quantities of waste material and reported antimony (Sb) and arsenic (As) contamination of water in the mine area. This study estimated the potential of acid mine drainage (AMD) generation by waste material at XKS mine by using paste pH, acid base accounting and net acid generation geochemical static tests. Distribution of Sb and As in surface and groundwater in relation to mine waste AMD producing potential was also investigated. Thirty four (34) water samples and representative samples of three mine wastes from different periods (fresh, 10 and 50 years) were collected for this study: waste rock, smelting slag and tailings. The AMD prediction shows that waste rock (from 10 year period) is acid producing while the fresh mine waste had alkaline paste pH indicating the presence of reactive carbonates. Hence AMD generation may have occurred after a long time due to dissolution of carbonates. Water analysis found Sb with higher concentration than As with means of 3.74 mg/L and 0.19 mg/L respectively. Highest Sb and As concentrations were observed in the North mine along the water flow path from waste heaps and tailing pond; Mine water in the South mine also had elevated Sb and As concentrations. Mining activities at the XKS mine have accelerated Sb and As releases because of the disturbed natural equilibrium. Proper mine waste management and collection and treatment of outflow from the waste rock heaps and tailing ponds seem to be a promising mitigation options. - Highlights: • High levels of Sb and As were detected in alkaline water at Xikuangshan mine. • Static test showed that mine waste aged over 10 years was acid generating. • Mine waste influenced the high concentration of Sb and As in water. • The Sb/As ratios in water favored Sb because of high Sb content in the ore body.

Inhibition of DNA-double strand break repair by antimony compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Sentaro; Sato, Hiroshi; Kubota, Yoshihisa; Utsumi, Hiroshi; Bedford, Joel S.; Okayasu, Ryuichi

2002-01-01

DNA double strand breaks (DSBs), induced by γ-irradiation in Chinese hamster ovary cells, were used to examine whether antimony compounds affect the repair of DNA damage. The cells were first incubated with antimony trichloride or antimony potassium tartrate (both Sb(III)) for 2 h, and then irradiated with γ-rays at a dose of 40 Gy. The DNA DSB was quantified with pulsed field gel electrophoresis immediately after irradiation (non-repair group) as well as at 30 min post-irradiation (repair group). The degree of repair inhibition was determined by the differences in the amount of DNA DSB between non-repair and repair groups. Both antimony compounds inhibited repair of DNA DSB in a dose dependent manner. In trichloride, 0.2 mM antimony significantly inhibited the rejoining of DSB, while 0.4 mM was necessary in potassium antimony tartrate. The mean lethal doses, D 0 , for the treatment with antimony trichloride and antimony potassium tartrate, were approximately 0.21 and 0.12 mM, respectively. This indicates that the repair inhibition by antimony trichloride occurred in the dose range near D 0 , but the antimony potassium tartrate inhibited the repair at doses where most cells lost their proliferating ability. This is the first report to indicate that antimony compounds may inhibit the repair of radiation-induced DNA DSB

Research on the Characteristics and Mechanism of the Cumulative Release of Antimony from an Antimony Smelting Slag Stacking Area under Rainfall Leaching

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yingying; Deng, Renjian

2017-01-01

We aimed to study the characteristics and the mechanism of the cumulative release of antimony at an antimony smelting slag stacking area in southern China. A series of dynamic and static leaching experiments to simulate the effects of rainfall were carried out. The results showed that the release of antimony from smelting slag increased with a decrease in the solid-liquid ratio, and the maximum accumulated release was found to be 42.13 mg Sb/kg waste and 34.26 mg Sb/kg waste with a solid/liquid ratio of 1 : 20; the maximum amount of antimony was released within 149–420 μm size fraction with 7.09 mg/L of the cumulative leaching. Also, the antimony release was the greatest and most rapid at pH 7.0 with the minimum release found at pH 4.0. With an increase in rainfall duration, the antimony release increased. The influence of variation in rainfall intensity on the release of antimony from smelting slag was small. PMID:28804669

FIRST REPORT ON OTOTOXICITY OF MEGLUMINE ANTIMONIATE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cláudia Maria Valete-Rosalino

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Pentavalent antimonials are the first drug of choice in the treatment of tegumentary leishmaniasis. Data on ototoxicity related with such drugs is scarcely available in literature, leading us to develop a study on cochleovestibular functions. Case Report: A case of a tegumentary leishmaniasis patient, a 78-year-old man who presented a substantial increase in auditory threshold with tinnitus and severe rotatory dizziness during the treatment with meglumine antimoniate, is reported. These symptoms worsened in two weeks after treatment was interrupted. Conclusion: Dizziness and tinnitus had already been related to meglumine antimoniate. However, this is the first well documented case of cochlear-vestibular toxicity related to meglumine antimoniate.

How can we adapt to geological scarcity of antimony? Investigation of antimony's substitutability and of other measures to achieve a sustainable use

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Henckens, M.L.C.M.; Driessen, P.P.J.; Worrell, E.

Abstract Antimony is an element that is applied in many useful applications for mankind. However, antimony resources are very scarce, when comparing the current extraction rates with the availability of antimony containing ores. From an inter-temporal sustainability perspective, current generations

The exposure to and health effects of antimony

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cooper, Ross G.; Harrison, Adrian Paul

2009-01-01

. Antimony toxicity is dependent on the exposure dose, duration, route (breathing, eating, drinking, or skin contact), other chemical exposures, age, sex, nutritional status, family traits, life style, and state of health. Chronic exposure to antimony in the air at levels of 9 mg/m3 may exacerbate irritation...... of the eyes, skin, and lungs. Long-term inhalation of antimony can potentiate pneumoconiosis, altered electrocardiograms, stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach ulcers, results which were confirmed in laboratory animals. Although there were investigations of the effect of antimony in sudden infant...

The assembly of metals chelation by thiols and vacuolar compartmentalization conferred increased tolerance to and accumulation of cadmium and arsenic in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Jiangbo; Xu, Wenzhong; Ma, Mi

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Simultaneous transformation of AsPCS1 and ScYCF1 into Arabidopsis thaliana which is sensitive to heavy metals, leads to transgenic plants tolerant to Arsenic and cadmium. ► Dual-gene transgenic Arabidopsis showed higher accumulation of Arsenic and cadmium than single and non-transgenic plants. ► Our results proved that improved thiol peptides synthesis and vacuolar compartmentation in plant dramatically boosted the survival rates of plants when exposed to heavy metals. ► A new strategy for efficient phytoremediation of heavy metals by stacking genes transformation in plants was developed in this article. - Abstract: Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana were developed to increase tolerance for and accumulation of heavy metals and metalloids by simultaneous overexpression of AsPCS1 and YCF1 (derived from garlic and baker's yeast) based on the fact that chelation of metals and vacuolar compartmentalization are the main strategies for heavy metals/metalloids detoxification and tolerance in plants. Dual-gene transgenic lines had the longest roots and the highest accumulation of Cd and As than single-gene transgenic lines and wildtype. When grown on cadmium or arsenic (arsenite/arsenate), Dual-gene transgenic lines accumulated over 2–10 folds cadmium/arsenite and 2–3 folds arsenate than wild type or plants expressing AsPCS1 or YCF1 alone. Such stacking modified genes involved in chelation of toxic metals and vacuolar compartmentalization represents a highly promising new tool for use in phytoremediation efforts.

Genomic responses to arsenic in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana María Sánchez-Riego

Full Text Available Arsenic is a ubiquitous contaminant and a toxic metalloid which presents two main redox states in nature: arsenite [As(III] and arsenate [As(V]. Arsenic resistance in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 is mediated by the arsBHC operon and two additional arsenate reductases encoded by the arsI1 and arsI2 genes. Here we describe the genome-wide responses to the presence of arsenate and arsenite in wild type and mutants in the arsenic resistance system. Both forms of arsenic produced similar responses in the wild type strain, including induction of several stress related genes and repression of energy generation processes. These responses were transient in the wild type strain but maintained in time in an arsB mutant strain, which lacks the arsenite transporter. In contrast, the responses observed in a strain lacking all arsenate reductases were somewhat different and included lower induction of genes involved in metal homeostasis and Fe-S cluster biogenesis, suggesting that these two processes are targeted by arsenite in the wild type strain. Finally, analysis of the arsR mutant strain revealed that ArsR seems to only control 5 genes in the genome. Furthermore, the arsR mutant strain exhibited hypersentivity to nickel, copper and cadmium and this phenotype was suppressed by mutation in arsB but not in arsC gene suggesting that overexpression of arsB is detrimental in the presence of these metals in the media.

Effect of antimony on lead-acid battery negative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahato, B.K.; Bullock, K.R.; Strebe, J.L.; Wilkinson, D.F.

1985-01-01

The role of antimony on the lead-acid battery negative in terms of its effect on charge efficiency, its effect on gassing overpotential, its interactive influence with lignin expander in controlling the charge efficiency, and its retentive behavior or purging characteristics as SbH 3 in the overcharge gas stream was investigated. Linear potential sweep (LPS) cycling of Plante-type lead electrodes were used to determine the effect of antimony on gassing overpotential and to monitor its concentration either in the active material or the exit gas stream. Results showed a significant contribution of antimony in decreasing charge efficiency and an overwhelming role of lignin expander in suppressing the effect of antimony on charge efficiency. The critical lead-electrode potential for purging antimony from the electrode is close to -1275 mV (vs. Hg/Hg 2 SO 4 )

Arsenic stability and mobilization in soil at an amenity grassland overlying chemical waste (St. Helens, UK)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hartley, William [School of Biological and Earth Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF (United Kingdom)], E-mail: w.hartley@ljmu.ac.uk; Dickinson, Nicholas M. [School of Biological and Earth Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF (United Kingdom); Clemente, Rafael [Department of Soil and Water Conservation and Organic Waste Management, Centro de Edafologia y Biologia Aplicada del Segura, CSIC, Apartado 4195, 30080 Murcia (Spain); French, Christopher [School of Biological and Earth Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF (United Kingdom); Piearce, Trevor G. [Biological Sciences Division, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ (United Kingdom); Sparke, Shaun; Lepp, Nicholas W. [School of Biological and Earth Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF (United Kingdom)

2009-03-15

A 6.6 ha grassland, established on a former chemical waste site adjacent to a residential area, contains arsenic (As) in surface soil at concentrations 200 times higher than UK Soil Guideline Values. The site is not recognized as statutory contaminated land, partly on the assumption that mobility of the metalloid presents a negligible threat to human health, groundwater and ecological receptors. Evidence for this is evaluated, based on studies of the effect of organic (green waste compost) and inorganic (iron oxides, lime and phosphate) amendments on As fractionation, mobility, plant uptake and earthworm communities. Arsenic mobility in soil was low but significantly related to dissolved organic matter and phosphate, with immobilization associated with iron oxides. Plant uptake was low and there was little apparent impact on earthworms. The existing vegetation cover reduces re-entrainment of dust-blown particulates and pathways of As exposure via this route. Minimizing risks to receptors requires avoidance of soil exposure, and no compost or phosphate application. - Stabilization of alkali industry waste requires careful management to minimise soil arsenic mobilization and dispersal to the wider environment.

Effect of precipitation route on the properties of antimony trioxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdullah, Abdul Halim; Noor, Nor Hayati Mohd; Ramli, Irmawati; Hashim, Mansor

2008-01-01

Antimony trioxide was prepared, using antimony potassium tartarate as starting material, via forward and reverse precipitation technique. The characteristics of the resulting antimony oxides were determined by BET surface area method, differential thermogravimetry analysis (DTG), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and SEM. The DTG curves for all uncalcined samples showed only a single endothermic peak which indicated that the sample is antimony trioxide. Unlike forward precipitation technique which resulted in a single antimony trioxide phase which is senarmontite, reverse precipitation technique produced antimony trioxide with both senarmontite and valentinite phase. Upon calcinations at 723 K, a small amount of Sb 2 O 4 with cervantite phase was formed at the expense of Sb 2 O 3 senarmontite phase as detected from the XRD pattern and infrared spectrum of RSb. The effect of preparation route on the properties of the antimony trioxide produced was clearly demonstrated

Uptake, translocation and transformation of antimony in rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai, Fei; Ren, Jinghua; Tao, Shu; Wang, Xilong

2016-01-01

Antimony (Sb), as a toxic metalloid, has been gaining increasing research concerns due mainly to its severe pollution in many places. Rice has been identified to be the dominant intake route of Sb by residents close to the Sb mining areas. A hydroponic experiment was conducted to investigate the difference in uptake, translocation and transformation of Sb in rice seedlings of four cultivars exposed to 0.2 or 1.0 mg/L of Sb(V). The results showed that mass concentration of iron plaque (mg/kg FW) formed at the root surfaces of cultivar N was the highest among all tested cultivars at both low and high exposure levels of Sb(V). The accumulated Sb concentration in iron plaque significantly increased with an increase in mass concentration of iron plaque formed at the rice root. The total amount of iron plaque (mg/pot) at rice root generally increased with increasing exposed Sb(V) concentration, which was closely associated with the increasing lipid peroxidation in roots. Concentration percentage of Sb in rice root significantly reduced as the corresponding value in the iron plaque increased, suggesting that iron plaque formation strongly suppressed uptake of Sb by rice root. Sb concentration in rice tissues followed an order: root > stem, leaf. The japonica rice (cultivars N and Z) exhibited a stronger translocation tendency of Sb from root to stem than indica hybrid rice (cultivars F and G). Translocation of Sb from root of cultivar F to its stem and leaf was sharply enhanced with increasing Sb exposure concentration. Sb(V) could be reduced to Sb(III) in rice tissues, especially in stems (10–26% of the total Sb). For the sake of food safety, the difference in uptake, translocation and transformation of Sb in rice species planted in Sb-contaminated soils should be taken into consideration. - Highlights: • Sb(V) caused lipid peroxidation and increased iron plaque formation at root surface. • The iron plaque may suppress uptake of Sb by rice. • Cultivars

Determination of physiological, taxonomic, and molecular characteristics of a cultivable arsenic-resistant bacterial community.

Science.gov (United States)

Cordi, A; Pagnout, C; Devin, S; Poirel, J; Billard, P; Dollard, M A; Bauda, P

2015-09-01

A collection of 219 bacterial arsenic-resistant isolates was constituted from neutral arsenic mine drainage sediments. Isolates were grown aerobically or anaerobically during 21 days on solid DR2A medium using agar or gelan gum as gelling agent, with 7 mM As(III) or 20 mM As(V) as selective pressure. Interestingly, the sum of the different incubation conditions used (arsenic form, gelling agent, oxygen pressure) results in an overall increase of the isolate diversity. Isolated strains mainly belonged to Proteobacteria (63%), Actinobacteria (25%), and Bacteroidetes (10%). The most representative genera were Pseudomonas (20%), Acinetobacter (8%), and Serratia (15%) among the Proteobacteria; Rhodococcus (13%) and Microbacterium (5%) among Actinobacteria; and Flavobacterium (13%) among the Bacteroidetes. Isolates were screened for the presence of arsenic-related genes (arsB, ACR3(1), ACR3(2), aioA, arsM, and arrA). In this way, 106 ACR3(1)-, 74 arsB-, 22 aioA-, 14 ACR3(2)-, and one arsM-positive PCR products were obtained and sequenced. Analysis of isolate sensitivity toward metalloids (arsenite, arsenate, and antimonite) revealed correlations between taxonomy, sensitivity, and genotype. Antimonite sensitivity correlated with the presence of ACR3(1) mainly present in Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria, and arsenite or antimonite resistance correlated with arsB gene presence. The presence of either aioA gene or several different arsenite carrier genes did not ensure a high level of arsenic resistance in the tested conditions.

Antimony and sleep-related disorders: NHANES 2005-2008.

Science.gov (United States)

Scinicariello, Franco; Buser, Melanie C; Feroe, Aliya G; Attanasio, Roberta

2017-07-01

Antimony is used as a flame-retardant in textiles and plastics, in semiconductors, pewter, and as pigments in paints, lacquers, glass and pottery. Subacute or chronic antimony poisoning has been reported to cause sleeplessness. The prevalence of short sleep duration (sleep apnea (OSA) affects 12-28 million US adults. Insufficient sleep and OSA have been linked to the development of several chronic conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and depression, conditions that pose serious public health threats. To investigate whether there is an association between antimony exposure and sleep-related disorders in the US adult population using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2008. We performed multivariate logistic regression to analyze the association of urinary antimony with several sleep disorders, including insufficient sleep and OSA, in adult (ages 20 years and older) participants of NHANES 2005-2008 (n=2654). We found that participants with higher urinary antimony levels had higher odds to experience insufficient sleep (≤6h/night) (OR 1.73; 95%CI; 1.04, 2.91) as well as higher odds to have increased sleep onset latency (>30min/night). Furthermore, we found that higher urinary antimony levels in participants were associated with OSA (OR 1.57; 95%CI; 1.05, 2.34), sleep problems, and day-time sleepiness. In this study, we found that urinary antimony was associated with higher odds to have insufficient sleep and OSA. Because of the public health implications of sleep disorders, further studies, especially a prospective cohort study, are warranted to evaluate the association between antimony exposure and sleep-related disorders. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Antimony removal from aqueous solutions using Zirconium hydroxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrescu, D.; Velciu, L.; Bucur, C.

2016-01-01

In this paper it is presented an experimental test for non-radioactive antimony removal from aqueous solutions using zirconium hydroxide powder. Also, it was studied how the temperature and pH influences antimony adsorption onto zirconium hydroxide surface. After the adsorption, solutions were filtered on Cellulose Mixed Ester Membrane with 0.2 μm pore size to remove the zirconium powder and then the aqueous solutions were sent to Inductively Coupled Plasma Optic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) for quantitative analysis of Sb. Zirconium hydroxide powders were examined by optical microscopy. For the solutions that were tested at pH 4.5 and 10.2 the antimony concentration dropped below the detection limit of ICP-OES device, proof of antimony adsorption on zirconium hydroxide. Also, for the other tested solutions which had pH=12 the antimony concentration reduced with 77% and 80%. The temperature had no influence upon adsorption mechanism. (authors)

In vitro antileishmanial properties of neutron-irradiated meglumine antimoniate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borborema, Samanta Etel Treiger; Nascimento, Nanci do [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN/SP), SP (Brazil). Lab. de Biologia Molecular]. E-mail: samanta@usp.br; Osso Junior, Joao Alberto [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN/SP), SP (Brazil). Centro de Radiofarmacia]. E-mail: jaosso@ipen.br; Andrade Junior, Heitor Franco de [Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo (IMT-SP), SP (Brazil). Lab. de Protozoologia]. E-mail:hfandrad@usp.br

2005-10-15

Pentavalent antimony, as meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime) or sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam), is the main treatment for leishmaniasis, a complex of diseases caused by the protozoan Leishmania, and an endemic and neglected threat in Brazil. Despite over half a century of clinical use, their mechanism of action, toxicity and pharmacokinetic data remain unknown. The analytical methods for determination of antimony in biological systems remain complex and have low sensitivity. Radiotracer studies have a potential in pharmaceutical development. The aim of this study was to obtain a radiotracer for antimony, with suitable physical and biological properties. Meglumine antimoniate was neutron irradiated inside the IEA-R1 nuclear reactor, producing two radioisotopes {sup 122} Sb and {sup 124} Sb, with high radionuclidic purity and good specific activity. This compound showed the same antileishmanial activity as the native compound. The use of the radiotracers, easily created by neutron irradiation, could be an interesting tool to solve important questions in antimonial pharmacology. (author)

Mineral resource of the month: antimony

Science.gov (United States)

,

2008-01-01

The article describes the characteristics and industrial uses of antimony. Antimony, which is produced as a byproduct of mining other metals such as gold, lead or silver, is used in everything from flame retardants, batteries, ceramics and glass. It is also used in glass for television picture tubes, computer monitors, pigments and catalysts.

Arsenic downregulates tight junction claudin proteins through p38 and NF-κB in intestinal epithelial cell line, HT-29

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Chang Hee; Seok, Jin Sil; Petriello, Michael C.; Han, Sung Gu

2017-01-01

Arsenic is a naturally occurring metalloid that often is found in foods and drinking water. Human exposure to arsenic is associated with the development of gastrointestinal problems such as fluid loss, diarrhea and gastritis. Arsenic is also known to induce toxic responses including oxidative stress in cells of the gastrointestinal track. Tight junctions (TJs) regulate paracellular permeability and play a barrier role by inhibiting the movement of water, solutes and microorganisms in the paracellular space. Since oxidative stress and TJ damage are known to be associated, we examined whether arsenic produces TJ damage such as downregulation of claudins in the human colorectal cell line, HT-29. To confirm the importance of oxidative stress in arsenic-induced TJ damage, effects of the antioxidant compound (e.g., N-acetylcysteine (NAC)) were also determined in cells. HT-29 cells were treated with arsenic trioxide (40 μM, 12 h) to observe the modified expression of TJ proteins. Arsenic decreased expression of TJ proteins (i.e., claudin-1 and claudin-5) and transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) whereas pretreatment of NAC (5–10 mM, 1 h) attenuated the observed claudins downregulation and TEER. Arsenic treatment produced cellular oxidative stress via superoxide generation and lowering glutathione (GSH) levels, while NAC restored cellular GSH levels and decreased oxidative stress. Arsenic increased phosphorylation of p38 and nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65, while NAC attenuated these intracellular events. Results demonstrated that arsenic can damage intestinal epithelial cells by proinflammatory process (oxidative stress, p38 and NF-κB) which resulted in the downregulation of claudins and NAC can protect intestinal TJs from arsenic toxicity.

ANTIMONY INDUCED CRYSTALLIZATION OF AMORPHOUS SILICON

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Y. Wang; H.Z. Li; C.N. Yu; G.M. Wu; I. Gordon; P. Schattschneider; O. Van Der Biest

2007-01-01

Antimony induced crystallization of PVD (physics vapor deposition) amorphous silicon can be observed on sapphire substrates. Very large crystalline regions up to several tens of micrometers can be formed. The Si diffraction patterns of the area of crystallization can be observed with TEM (transmission electron microscopy). Only a few and much smaller crystals of the order of 1μm were formed when the antimony layer was deposited by MBE(molecular beam epitaxy) compared with a layer formed by thermal evaporation. The use of high vacuum is essential in order to observe any Sb induced crystallization at all. In addition it is necessary to take measures to limit the evaporation of the antimony.

Arsenic tolerant Trichoderma sp. reduces arsenic induced stress in chickpea (Cicer arietinum).

Science.gov (United States)

Tripathi, Pratibha; Singh, Poonam C; Mishra, Aradhana; Srivastava, Suchi; Chauhan, Reshu; Awasthi, Surabhi; Mishra, Seema; Dwivedi, Sanjay; Tripathi, Preeti; Kalra, Alok; Tripathi, Rudra D; Nautiyal, Chandra S

2017-04-01

Toxic metalloids including arsenic (As) can neither be eliminated nor destroyed from environment; however, they can be converted from toxic to less/non-toxic forms. The form of As species and their concentration determines its toxicity in plants. Therefore, the microbe mediated biotransformation of As is crucial for its plant uptake and toxicity. In the present study the role of As tolerant Trichoderma in modulating As toxicity in chickpea plants was explored. Chickpea plants grown in arsenate spiked soil under green house conditions were inoculated with two plant growth promoting Trichoderma strains, M-35 (As tolerant) and PPLF-28 (As sensitive). Total As concentration in chickpea tissue was comparable in both the Trichoderma treatments, however, differences in levels of organic and inorganic As (iAs) species were observed. The shift in iAs to organic As species ratio in tolerant Trichoderma treatment correlated with enhanced plant growth and nutrient content. Arsenic stress amelioration in tolerant Trichoderma treatment was also evident through rhizospheric microbial community and anatomical studies of the stem morphology. Down regulation of abiotic stress responsive genes (MIPS, PGIP, CGG) in tolerant Trichoderma + As treatment as compared to As alone and sensitive Trichoderma + As treatment also revealed that tolerant strain enhanced the plant's potential to cope with As stress as compared to sensitive one. Considering the bioremediation and plant growth promotion potential, the tolerant Trichoderma may appear promising for its utilization in As affected fields for enhancing agricultural productivity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evidence of arsenic release promoted by disinfection by-products within drinking-water distribution systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Andra, Syam S; Makris, Konstantinos C; Botsaris, George; Charisiadis, Pantelis; Kalyvas, Harris; Costa, Costas N

2014-02-15

Changes in disinfectant type could trigger a cascade of reactions releasing pipe-anchored metals/metalloids into finished water. However, the effect of pre-formed disinfection by-products on the release of sorbed contaminants (arsenic-As in particular) from drinking water distribution system pipe scales remains unexplored. A bench-scale study using a factorial experimental design was performed to evaluate the independent and interaction effects of trihalomethanes (TTHM) and haloacetic acids (HAA) on arsenic (As) release from either scales-only or scale-biofilm conglomerates (SBC) both anchored on asbestos/cement pipe coupons. A model biofilm (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) was allowed to grow on select pipe coupons prior experimentation. Either TTHM or HAA individual dosing did not promote As release from either scales only or SBC, detecting water. In the case of scales-only coupons, the combination of the highest spike level of TTHM and HAA significantly (pwater in pipe networks remains to be investigated in the field. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The assembly of metals chelation by thiols and vacuolar compartmentalization conferred increased tolerance to and accumulation of cadmium and arsenic in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo, Jiangbo [Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093 (China); Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Biomass-Energy Conversion, The Institute of Bioengineering and Technology, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou 040100 (China); Xu, Wenzhong [Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093 (China); Ma, Mi, E-mail: mami@ibcas.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093 (China)

2012-01-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Simultaneous transformation of AsPCS1 and ScYCF1 into Arabidopsis thaliana which is sensitive to heavy metals, leads to transgenic plants tolerant to Arsenic and cadmium. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Dual-gene transgenic Arabidopsis showed higher accumulation of Arsenic and cadmium than single and non-transgenic plants. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Our results proved that improved thiol peptides synthesis and vacuolar compartmentation in plant dramatically boosted the survival rates of plants when exposed to heavy metals. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A new strategy for efficient phytoremediation of heavy metals by stacking genes transformation in plants was developed in this article. - Abstract: Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana were developed to increase tolerance for and accumulation of heavy metals and metalloids by simultaneous overexpression of AsPCS1 and YCF1 (derived from garlic and baker's yeast) based on the fact that chelation of metals and vacuolar compartmentalization are the main strategies for heavy metals/metalloids detoxification and tolerance in plants. Dual-gene transgenic lines had the longest roots and the highest accumulation of Cd and As than single-gene transgenic lines and wildtype. When grown on cadmium or arsenic (arsenite/arsenate), Dual-gene transgenic lines accumulated over 2-10 folds cadmium/arsenite and 2-3 folds arsenate than wild type or plants expressing AsPCS1 or YCF1 alone. Such stacking modified genes involved in chelation of toxic metals and vacuolar compartmentalization represents a highly promising new tool for use in phytoremediation efforts.

Arsenic transforming abilities of groundwater bacteria and the combined use of Aliihoeflea sp. strain 2WW and goethite in metalloid removal

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Corsini, A.; Zaccheo, P.; Muyzer, G.; Andreoni, V.; Cavalca, L.

2014-01-01

Several technologies have been developed for lowering arsenic in drinking waters below the World Health Organization limit of 10 μg/L. When in the presence of the reduced form of inorganic arsenic, i.e. arsenite, one options is pre-oxidation of arsenite to arsenate and adsorption on iron-based

Microbial diversity and community structure in an antimony-rich tailings dump.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Enzong; Krumins, Valdis; Dong, Yiran; Xiao, Tangfu; Ning, Zengping; Xiao, Qingxiang; Sun, Weimin

2016-09-01

To assess the impact of antimony (Sb) on microbial community structure, 12 samples were taken from an Sb tailings pile in Guizhou Province, Southwest China. All 12 samples exhibited elevated Sb concentrations, but the mobile and bioaccessible fractions were small in comparison to total Sb concentrations. Besides the geochemical analyses, microbial communities inhabiting the tailing samples were characterized to investigate the interplay between the microorganisms and environmental factors in mine tailings. In all samples, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were the most dominant phyla. At the genus level, Thiobacillus, Limnobacter, Nocardioides, Lysobacter, Phormidium, and Kaistobacter demonstrated relatively high abundances. The two most abundant genera, Thiobacillus and Limnobacter, are characterized as sulfur-oxidizing bacteria and thiosulfate-oxidizing bacteria, respectively, while the genus Lysobacter contains arsenic (As)-resistant bacteria. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicates that TOC and the sulfate to sulfide ratio strongly shaped the microbial communities, suggesting the influence of the environmental factors in the indigenous microbial communities.

Establishment and characterization of arsenic trioxide resistant KB/ATO cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yun-Kai; Dai, Chunling; Yuan, Chun-Gang; Wu, Hsiang-Chun; Xiao, Zhijie; Lei, Zi-Ning; Yang, Dong-Hua; Le, X Chris; Fu, Liwu; Chen, Zhe-Sheng

2017-09-01

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) is used as a chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia. However, increasing drug resistance is reducing its efficacy. Therefore, a better understanding of ATO resistance mechanism is required. In this study, we established an ATO-resistant human epidermoid carcinoma cell line, KB/ATO, from its parental KB-3-1 cells. In addition to ATO, KB/ATO cells also exhibited cross-resistance to other anticancer drugs such as cisplatin, antimony potassium tartrate, and 6-mercaptopurine. The arsenic accumulation in KB/ATO cells was significantly lower than that in KB-3-1 cells. Further analysis indicated that neither application of P-glycoprotein inhibitor, breast cancer resistant protein (BCRP) inhibitor, or multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1) inhibitor could eliminate ATO resistance. We found that the expression level of ABCB6 was increased in KB/ATO cells. In conclusion, ABCB6 could be an important factor for ATO resistance in KB/ATO cells. The ABCB6 level may serve as a predictive biomarker for the effectiveness of ATO therapy.

Electrical properties of cadmium telluride films doped with antimony

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atdaev, B.S.; Garyagdyev, G.; Grin', V.F.; Noskov, A.I.

1989-01-01

Effect of cadmium telluride doping with antimony on electric and photoelectric properties is investigated. Temperature dependence of dark (σ d ) and photoconductivity (σ p ) during excitation from the range of proper absorption in the temperature range 77-300 K and spectral distribution of photoconductivity at 300 K are investigated. It is shown that in the process of doping antimony diffusses intensively over CdTe grain boundaries, decreasing potential barriers between them and due to diffusion into CdTe grains it changes their electrical properties. The acceptor character of antimony impurity can be caused by antimony diffusion into tellurium sublattice owing to proximity of their ionic and covalent radii

Arsenic trioxide mediates HAPI microglia inflammatory response and subsequent neuron apoptosis through p38/JNK MAPK/STAT3 pathway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mao, Jiamin; Yang, Jianbing; Zhang, Yan; Li, Ting; Wang, Cheng; Xu, Lingfei; Hu, Qiaoyun; Wang, Xiaoke; Jiang, Shengyang; Nie, Xiaoke; Chen, Gang

2016-01-01

Arsenic is a widely distributed toxic metalloid all over the world. Inorganic arsenic species are supposed to affect astrocytic functions and to cause neuron apoptosis in CNS. Microglias are the key cell type involved in innate immune responses in CNS, and microglia activation has been linked to inflammation and neurotoxicity. In this study, using ELISA, we showed that Arsenic trioxide up-regulated the expression and secretion of IL-1β in a dose-dependent manner and a time-dependent manner in cultured HAPI microglia cells. The secretion of IL-1β caused the apoptosis of SH-SY5Y. These pro-inflammatory responses were inhibited by the STAT3 blocker, AG490 and P38/JNK MAPK blockers SB202190, SP600125. Further, Arsenic trioxide exposure could induce phosphorylation and activation of STAT3, and the translocation of STAT3 from the cytosol to the nucleus in this HAPI microglia cell line. Thus, the STAT3 signaling pathway can be activated after Arsenic trioxide treatment. However, P38/JNK MAPK blockers SB202190, SP600125 also obviously attenuated STAT3 activation and transnuclear transport induced by Arsenic trioxide. In concert with these results, we highlighted that the secretion of IL-1β and STAT3 activation induced by Arsenic trioxide can be mediated by elevation of P38/JNK MAPK in HAPI microglia cells and then induced the toxicity of neurons. - Highlights: • Arsenic trioxide exposure induced expression of IL-β in HAPI microglia. • Arsenic trioxide exposure induced activation of MAPK pathways in HAPI microglia. • Arsenic trioxide exposure induced activation of STAT3 pathways in HAPI microglia. • The expression of IL-β though P38/JNK MAPK/STAT3 pathways in HAPI microglia.

Arsenic trioxide mediates HAPI microglia inflammatory response and subsequent neuron apoptosis through p38/JNK MAPK/STAT3 pathway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mao, Jiamin [Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001 (China); Yang, Jianbing [Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001 (China); Zhang, Yan [Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001 (China); Li, Ting [Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001 (China); Wang, Cheng [Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001 (China); Xu, Lingfei; Hu, Qiaoyun; Wang, Xiaoke; Jiang, Shengyang [Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001 (China); Nie, Xiaoke [Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001 (China); Chen, Gang, E-mail: chengang@ntu.edu.cn [Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001 (China)

2016-07-15

Arsenic is a widely distributed toxic metalloid all over the world. Inorganic arsenic species are supposed to affect astrocytic functions and to cause neuron apoptosis in CNS. Microglias are the key cell type involved in innate immune responses in CNS, and microglia activation has been linked to inflammation and neurotoxicity. In this study, using ELISA, we showed that Arsenic trioxide up-regulated the expression and secretion of IL-1β in a dose-dependent manner and a time-dependent manner in cultured HAPI microglia cells. The secretion of IL-1β caused the apoptosis of SH-SY5Y. These pro-inflammatory responses were inhibited by the STAT3 blocker, AG490 and P38/JNK MAPK blockers SB202190, SP600125. Further, Arsenic trioxide exposure could induce phosphorylation and activation of STAT3, and the translocation of STAT3 from the cytosol to the nucleus in this HAPI microglia cell line. Thus, the STAT3 signaling pathway can be activated after Arsenic trioxide treatment. However, P38/JNK MAPK blockers SB202190, SP600125 also obviously attenuated STAT3 activation and transnuclear transport induced by Arsenic trioxide. In concert with these results, we highlighted that the secretion of IL-1β and STAT3 activation induced by Arsenic trioxide can be mediated by elevation of P38/JNK MAPK in HAPI microglia cells and then induced the toxicity of neurons. - Highlights: • Arsenic trioxide exposure induced expression of IL-β in HAPI microglia. • Arsenic trioxide exposure induced activation of MAPK pathways in HAPI microglia. • Arsenic trioxide exposure induced activation of STAT3 pathways in HAPI microglia. • The expression of IL-β though P38/JNK MAPK/STAT3 pathways in HAPI microglia.

Effect doses for protection of human health predicted from physicochemical properties of metals/metalloids.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ying; Wu, Fengchang; Liu, Yuedan; Mu, Yunsong; Giesy, John P; Meng, Wei; Hu, Qing; Liu, Jing; Dang, Zhi

2018-01-01

Effect doses (EDs) of metals/metalloids, usually obtained from toxicological experiments are required for developing environmental quality criteria/standards for use in assessment of hazard or risks. However, because in vivo tests are time-consuming, costly and sometimes impossible to conduct, among more than 60 metals/metalloids, there are sufficient data for development of EDs for only approximately 25 metals/metalloids. Hence, it was deemed a challenge to derive EDs for additional metals by use of alternative methods. This study found significant relationships between EDs and physicochemical parameters for twenty-five metals/metalloids. Elements were divided into three classes and then three individual empirical models were developed based on the most relevant parameters for each class. These parameters included log-βn, ΔE 0 and X m 2 r, respectively (R 2  = 0.988, 0.839, 0.871, P metalloids. Here, these alternative models for deriving thresholds of toxicity that could be used to perform preliminarily, screen-level health assessments for metals are presented. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The glass-forming ability of model metal-metalloid alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Kai; Liu, Yanhui; Schroers, Jan [Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520 (United States); Center for Research on Interface Structures and Phenomena, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520 (United States); Shattuck, Mark D. [Department of Physics and Benjamin Levich Institute, The City College of the City University of New York, New York, New York 10031 (United States); Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520 (United States); O’Hern, Corey S. [Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520 (United States); Center for Research on Interface Structures and Phenomena, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520 (United States); Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520 (United States); Department of Applied Physics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520 (United States)

2015-03-14

Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) are amorphous alloys with desirable mechanical properties and processing capabilities. To date, the design of new BMGs has largely employed empirical rules and trial-and-error experimental approaches. Ab initio computational methods are currently prohibitively slow to be practically used in searching the vast space of possible atomic combinations for bulk glass formers. Here, we perform molecular dynamics simulations of a coarse-grained, anisotropic potential, which mimics interatomic covalent bonding, to measure the critical cooling rates for metal-metalloid alloys as a function of the atomic size ratio σ{sub S}/σ{sub L} and number fraction x{sub S} of the metalloid species. We show that the regime in the space of σ{sub S}/σ{sub L} and x{sub S} where well-mixed, optimal glass formers occur for patchy and LJ particle mixtures, coincides with that for experimentally observed metal-metalloid glass formers. Thus, our simple computational model provides the capability to perform combinatorial searches to identify novel glass-forming alloys.

40 CFR 721.5547 - Antimony double oxide.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Antimony double oxide. 721.5547 Section 721.5547 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT SIGNIFICANT NEW USES OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES Significant New Uses for Specific Chemical Substances § 721.5547 Antimony double oxide. (a)...

Antimony measurement in high pressure reactor water loop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svarc, V.; Dudjakova, K.; Martykan, M.; Sus, F.; Kysela, J.

2005-01-01

RVS 3 loop is highly contaminated due to antimony main circulating pump bearings. Antimony is one of the major contaminant in PWR units. Different technologies to remove Sb from the systems have been tried. (N.T.)

Potential of rice husks for antimony removal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khalid, Nasir; Ahmad, Shujaat; Toheed, Aqidat; Ahmed, Jamil

2000-01-01

The adsorption behavior of rice husks for antimony ions from aqueous solutions has been investigated as a function of appropriate electrolyte, equilibration time, hydrogen ions, amount of adsorbent, concentration of adsorbate, effect of diverse ions and temperature. The best conditions in which this material can be used as adsorbent have been explored. The radiotracer technique was employed to determine the distribution of antimony ( 122 Sb) using a batch method. Maximum adsorption was observed at 0.01 mol L -1 acid solutions (HNO 3 , HCl, H 2 SO 4 and HClO 4 ) using 1.0 g of adsorbent for 1.92x10 -5 mol L -1 antimony concentration in 10 min equilibration time. Studies show that the adsorption decreases with the increase in the concentrations of all the acids. The adsorption data follow the Freundlich isotherm over the range of 1.92x10 -5 to 2.05x10 -4 mol L -1 antimony concentration. The characteristic Freundlich constants i.e., 1/n=0.82±0.05 and K=4.61±0.07 m mol g -1 have been computed for the sorption system. The uptake of antimony increases with the rise in temperature (299-323 K). Thermodynamic quantities i.e., ΔG 0 , ΔS 0 and ΔH 0 have also been calculated for the system. The sorption process was found to be endothermic

Arsenic Uptake and Translocation in Plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Nannan; Wang, Jingchao; Song, Won-Yong

2016-01-01

Arsenic (As) is a highly toxic metalloid that is classified as a non-threshold class-1 carcinogen. Millions of people worldwide suffer from As toxicity due to the intake of As-contaminated drinking water and food. Reducing the As concentration in drinking water and food is thus of critical importance. Phytoremediation of soil contaminated with As and the reduction of As contamination in food depend on a detailed understanding of As uptake and transport in plants. As transporters play essential roles in As uptake, translocation and accumulation in plant cells. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of As transport in plants, with an emphasis on As uptake, mechanisms of As resistance and the long-distance translocation of As, especially the accumulation of As in grains through phloem-mediated transport. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effects of different drying processes on the concentrations of metals and metalloids in plant materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anawar, H.M.; Canha, N.; Freitas, M.C; Santa Regina, I.; Garcia-Sanchez, A.

2011-01-01

The drying process of fresh plant materials may affect the porous structure, dehydration and a number of quality characteristics of these materials. Therefore, this study has investigated the effect of different drying processes on the variation of metal and metalloid concentrations in the dried plant materials. Seven varieties of native plant species collected from Sao Domingos mine were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) to investigate the effects of freeze-drying (FD), ambient air-drying (AAD) and oven-drying (OD) process on the concentrations of metals and metalloids in the plant biomass. Comparison of ambient air-dried, oven-dried and freeze-dried preparations allows a phenomenological description of the dehydration artefacts. In the quantitative analysis of metals and metalloids, FD and OD plant samples show the higher concentrations of metals and metalloids when compared to those in the AAD plant biomass. The freeze-drying process is comparatively reliable for determination of metals and metalloids concentrations in plant materials. (author)

Thermodynamic Behavior of Lead-Antimony Alloy in Vacuum Distillation

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

1989-01-01

The distribution of metals in Pb-Sb ailoy during vacuum distillation was calculated.The composition curve of vapor-liquid phases determined by this work is different from those of. other researchers.The curve intersects the diagonal at C.The compositions of vapor and liquid at C are identical.The antimony content of vapor on the left of C is less than that of liquid,and the vapor on the right-side of C contains more antimony.These characteristics can be applied to the elimination of antimony from crude lead or the elimination of lead from crude antimony.The position of C moves rightwards with temperature increment.The discrepency among the compositions of C suggested by diffrent authors was explained.

The potential DNA toxic changes among workers exposed to antimony trioxide.

Science.gov (United States)

El Shanawany, Safaa; Foda, Nermine; Hashad, Doaa I; Salama, Naglaa; Sobh, Zahraa

2017-05-01

Occupational exposure to antimony has gained much interest when specific toxic effects were noticed among workers processing antimony. Thus, the aim of the present work was to investigate the potential DNA oxidative damage occurring among Egyptian workers occupationally exposed to antimony trioxide. The study was conducted on 25 subjects exposed to antimony trioxide while working in the polymerization process of polyester in Misrayon and Polyester Fiber Company, KafrEldawwar, Beheira, Egypt. Urinary antimony levels were assessed using inductive coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and considered as a biological exposure index. DNA damage and total oxidant capacity (TOC) were assessed using ELISA. DNA damage was detected in the form of increased apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites among antimony trioxide-exposed workers compared to control subjects, but it could not be explained by oxidative mechanisms due to lack of significant correlation between DNA damage and measured TOC. Antimony trioxide might have a genotoxic impact on occupationally exposed workers which could not be attributed to oxidative stress in the studied cases.

21 CFR 862.3110 - Antimony test system.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Antimony test system. 862.3110 Section 862.3110 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CLINICAL CHEMISTRY AND CLINICAL TOXICOLOGY DEVICES Clinical Toxicology Test Systems § 862.3110 Antimony test system. (a) Identification. A...

Research approaches to address uncertainties in the risk assessment of arsenic in drinking water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hughes, Michael F.; Kenyon, Elaina M.; Kitchin, Kirk T.

2007-01-01

Inorganic arsenic (iAs), an environmental drinking water contaminant, is a human toxicant and carcinogen. The public health community has developed recommendations and regulations that limit human exposure to iAs in drinking water. Although there is a vast amount of information available to regulators on the exposure, disposition and the health-related effects of iAs, there is still critical information about the toxicology of this metalloid that is needed. This necessary information includes identification of the chemical species of arsenic that is (are) the active toxicant(s), the mode(s) of action for its various toxicities and information on potentially susceptible populations. Because of these unknown factors, the risk assessment of iAs still incorporates default assumptions, leading to uncertainties in the overall assessment. The characteristics of a scientifically defensible risk assessment for iAs are that it must: (1) quantitatively link exposure and target tissue dose of active metabolites to key events in the mode of action for major health effects and (2) identify sources of variation in susceptibility to arsenic-induced health effects and quantitatively evaluate their impact wherever possible. Integration of research to address these goals will better protect the health of iAs-exposed populations

Blocking of indium incorporation by antimony in III-V-Sb nanostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez, A M; Beltran, A M; Ben, T; Molina, S I; Beanland, R; Gass, M H; De la Pena, F; Walls, M; Taboada, A G; Ripalda, J M

2010-01-01

The addition of antimony to III-V nanostructures is expected to give greater freedom in bandgap engineering for device applications. One of the main challenges to overcome is the effect of indium and antimony surface segregation. Using several very high resolution analysis techniques we clearly demonstrate blocking of indium incorporation by antimony. Furthermore, indium incorporation resumes when the antimony concentration drops below a critical level. This leads to major differences between nominal and actual structures.

Studies on the dissolution of antimony doped ferrites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keny, S.J.; Kumbhar, A.G.; Sanjukta, A.; Pandey, S.; Venkateswaran, G.; Ramanathan, S.

2008-01-01

Antimony (Sb) present in the PHT (primary heat transport) pump seals and bearings of PHWRs (Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor) is released during operation of the reactor and gets deposited on the in-core zircaloy surfaces. Neutron flux in the reactor core activates this Sb to 122 Sb (t 1/2 2.6 days) and 124 Sb (t 1/2 60 days). Release of this Sb (radioactive antimony) and its deposition on out of core surfaces occurs due to oxygen ingress in the system during shutdown periods and off normal conditions. Sb deposition on the magnetite bearing carbon steel surface of the PHT system results in increase of radiation fields. The consequence of this is low apparent decontamination factors observed after system decontamination. Once Sb is deposited on bare carbon steel (CS) surface or magnetite bearing carbon steel surface it is not amenable for removal by normal reductive decontamination process. It has to decay by its own half-life or has to be removed by oxidative dissolution. To understand the role of antimony and its removal on the ion exchange column, antimony doped ferrites were prepared and their dissolution in CNA (citric acid, NTA, Ascorbic acid; 1.4+1.4+1.7 mM) formulation was studied. The time taken for the dissolution of antimony-doped ferrites was found to increase with increasing Sb content in the ferrite. The point of zero charge (pzc) value of Sb substituted magnetite was determined to understand its adsorption on carbon steel surfaces of the PHT system. The pzc values for Fe 3 O 4 and Sb 2 O 3 , with H + / OH - as only potential determining ions in the aqueous medium, were 6.5 and 1.7 respectively. While, pzc of magnetite in typical decontamination formulations was below 3. The pzc for aqueous suspension of antimony-substituted magnetite (sintered at 1173 K) was 4.4. On the other hand, in CEA (citric acid, EDTA, Ascorbic acid) formulation up to a pH of 1.5, surface charge on the antimony-substituted magnetite was negative. Hence, even at this low pH, pzc

Antimony leaching from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic used for bottled drinking water.

Science.gov (United States)

Westerhoff, Paul; Prapaipong, Panjai; Shock, Everett; Hillaireau, Alice

2008-02-01

Antimony is a regulated contaminant that poses both acute and chronic health effects in drinking water. Previous reports suggest that polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics used for water bottles in Europe and Canada leach antimony, but no studies on bottled water in the United States have previously been conducted. Nine commercially available bottled waters in the southwestern US (Arizona) were purchased and tested for antimony concentrations as well as for potential antimony release by the plastics that compose the bottles. The southwestern US was chosen for the study because of its high consumption of bottled water and elevated temperatures, which could increase antimony leaching from PET plastics. Antimony concentrations in the bottled waters ranged from 0.095 to 0.521 ppb, well below the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 6 ppb. The average concentration was 0.195+/-0.116 ppb at the beginning of the study and 0.226+/-0.160 ppb 3 months later, with no statistical differences; samples were stored at 22 degrees C. However, storage at higher temperatures had a significant effect on the time-dependent release of antimony. The rate of antimony (Sb) release could be fit by a power function model (Sb(t)=Sb 0 x[Time, h]k; k=8.7 x 10(-6)x[Temperature ( degrees C)](2.55); Sb 0 is the initial antimony concentration). For exposure temperatures of 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, and 85 degrees C, the exposure durations necessary to exceed the 6 ppb MCL are 176, 38, 12, 4.7, 2.3, and 1.3 days, respectively. Summertime temperatures inside of cars, garages, and enclosed storage areas can exceed 65 degrees C in Arizona, and thus could promote antimony leaching from PET bottled waters. Microwave digestion revealed that the PET plastic used by one brand contained 213+/-35 mgSb/kg plastic; leaching of all the antimony from this plastic into 0.5L of water in a bottle could result in an antimony concentration of 376 ppb. Clearly, only a small

Metal(loid) allocation and nutrient retranslocation in Pinus halepensis trees growing on semiarid mine tailings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parraga-Aguado, Isabel, E-mail: isabel.parraga@upct.es [Universidad Politecnica de Cartagena, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agraria Paseo Alfonso XIII, Cartagena 48. 30203 (Spain); Querejeta, Jose-Ignacio [Water and Soil Conservation Department, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura CEBAS-CSIC Campus Universitario de Espinardo, PO Box 164, Espinardo-Murcia ES-30100 (Spain); González-Alcaraz, María Nazaret; Conesa, Hector M. [Universidad Politecnica de Cartagena, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agraria Paseo Alfonso XIII, Cartagena 48. 30203 (Spain)

2014-07-01

The goal of this study was to evaluate internal metal(loid) cycling and the risk of metal(loid) accumulation in litter from Pinus halepensis trees growing at a mine tailing disposal site in semiarid Southeast Spain. Internal nutrient retranslocation was also evaluated in order to gain insight into the ability of pine trees to cope with the low-fertility soil conditions at the tailings. We measured metal(loid) concentrations in the foliage (young and old needles), woody stems and fresh leaf litter of pine trees growing on tailings. The nutrient status and stable isotope composition of pine foliage (δ{sup 13}C, δ{sup 15}N, δ{sup 18}O as indicators of photosynthesis and water use efficiency) were also analyzed. Tailing soil properties in vegetation patches and in adjacent bare soil patches were characterized as well. Significant amounts of metal(loid)s such us Cd, Cu, Pb and Sb were immobilized in the woody stems of Pinus halepensis trees growing on tailings. Leaf litterfall showed high concentrations of As, Cd, Sb, Pb and Zn, which thereby return to the soil. However, water extractable metal(loid) concentrations in tailing soils were similar between vegetation patches (mineral soil under the litter layer) and bare soil patches. The pines growing on mine tailings showed very low foliar P concentrations in all leaf age classes, which suggests severe P deficiency. Young (current year) needles showed lower accumulation of metal(loid)s, higher nutrient concentrations (P and K), and higher water use efficiency (as indicated by and δ{sup 13}C and δ{sup 18}O data) than older needles. Substantial nutrient resorption occurred before leaf litterfall, with 46% retranslocation efficiency for P and 89% for K. In conclusion, phytostabilization of semiarid mine tailings with Pinus halepensis is feasible but would require careful monitoring of the trace elements released from litterfall, in order to assess the long term risk of metal(loid) transfer to the food chain

Metal(loid) allocation and nutrient retranslocation in Pinus halepensis trees growing on semiarid mine tailings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parraga-Aguado, Isabel; Querejeta, Jose-Ignacio; González-Alcaraz, María Nazaret; Conesa, Hector M.

2014-01-01

The goal of this study was to evaluate internal metal(loid) cycling and the risk of metal(loid) accumulation in litter from Pinus halepensis trees growing at a mine tailing disposal site in semiarid Southeast Spain. Internal nutrient retranslocation was also evaluated in order to gain insight into the ability of pine trees to cope with the low-fertility soil conditions at the tailings. We measured metal(loid) concentrations in the foliage (young and old needles), woody stems and fresh leaf litter of pine trees growing on tailings. The nutrient status and stable isotope composition of pine foliage (δ 13 C, δ 15 N, δ 18 O as indicators of photosynthesis and water use efficiency) were also analyzed. Tailing soil properties in vegetation patches and in adjacent bare soil patches were characterized as well. Significant amounts of metal(loid)s such us Cd, Cu, Pb and Sb were immobilized in the woody stems of Pinus halepensis trees growing on tailings. Leaf litterfall showed high concentrations of As, Cd, Sb, Pb and Zn, which thereby return to the soil. However, water extractable metal(loid) concentrations in tailing soils were similar between vegetation patches (mineral soil under the litter layer) and bare soil patches. The pines growing on mine tailings showed very low foliar P concentrations in all leaf age classes, which suggests severe P deficiency. Young (current year) needles showed lower accumulation of metal(loid)s, higher nutrient concentrations (P and K), and higher water use efficiency (as indicated by and δ 13 C and δ 18 O data) than older needles. Substantial nutrient resorption occurred before leaf litterfall, with 46% retranslocation efficiency for P and 89% for K. In conclusion, phytostabilization of semiarid mine tailings with Pinus halepensis is feasible but would require careful monitoring of the trace elements released from litterfall, in order to assess the long term risk of metal(loid) transfer to the food chain. - Highlights: • Significant

Effect of temperature during ion sputtering on the surface segregation rate of antimony in an iron-antimony alloy at higher temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oku, M.; Hirokawa, K.; Kimura, H.; Suzuki, S.

1986-01-01

The surface segregation of antimony in an iron-0.23 at% antimony alloy was studied by XPS. The segregation rate in the temperature range between 800 and 900 K depends on the temperature during sputtering with argon ion of kinetic energy of 1 keV. The sputtering at room temperature or 473 K gives higher values of the segregation rate than those at 673 K. Both cases give the activation energy of 170 kJmol -1 for the surface segregation rate. The segregation of antimony is not observed after the sample is heated at 1000 K. (author)

The investigation of antimony extraction with tributyl phosphate from nitric acid solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lakaev, V.S.; Smelov, V.S.

1988-01-01

Experimental data on trivalent antimony extraction with tributyl phosphate from nitric acid solutions containing (3.2-4.3)x10 -6 mol/l of antimony-125 isotope are presented. Possible mechanism of antimony (3) extraction is determined and the concentration constant for this process is calculated. Effect of temperature on the extraction of trivalent antimony is estimated. The values of enthalpy, free enthalpy and entropy are determined

Multiscale Characterization and Quantification of Arsenic Mobilization and Attenuation During Injection of Treated Coal Seam Gas Coproduced Water into Deep Aquifers

Science.gov (United States)

Rathi, Bhasker; Siade, Adam J.; Donn, Michael J.; Helm, Lauren; Morris, Ryan; Davis, James A.; Berg, Michael; Prommer, Henning

2017-12-01

Coal seam gas production involves generation and management of large amounts of co-produced water. One of the most suitable methods of management is injection into deep aquifers. Field injection trials may be used to support the predictions of anticipated hydrological and geochemical impacts of injection. The present work employs reactive transport modeling (RTM) for a comprehensive analysis of data collected from a trial where arsenic mobilization was observed. Arsenic sorption behavior was studied through laboratory experiments, accompanied by the development of a surface complexation model (SCM). A field-scale RTM that incorporated the laboratory-derived SCM was used to simulate the data collected during the field injection trial and then to predict the long-term fate of arsenic. We propose a new practical procedure which integrates laboratory and field-scale models using a Monte Carlo type uncertainty analysis and alleviates a significant proportion of the computational effort required for predictive uncertainty quantification. The results illustrate that both arsenic desorption under alkaline conditions and pyrite oxidation have likely contributed to the arsenic mobilization that was observed during the field trial. The predictive simulations show that arsenic concentrations would likely remain very low if the potential for pyrite oxidation is minimized through complete deoxygenation of the injectant. The proposed modeling and predictive uncertainty quantification method can be implemented for a wide range of groundwater studies that investigate the risks of metal(loid) or radionuclide contamination.

Metals and metalloids in PM10 in Nandan County, Guangxi, China, and the health risks posed.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Guanghui; Song, Bo; Xia, Deshang; Yang, Zijie; Wang, Fopeng

2018-03-16

Intense mining, smelting, and tailing activities of polymetallic ore deposits have affected the environment in Nandan County, Guangxi, China. Samples of particulates with aerodynamic diameters low or equal 10 μm (PM 10 ) were collected in Nandan County to investigate the concentrations of and health risks posed by 17 metals and metalloids in the PM 10 . The metal and metalloid concentrations were lower than those found in other industrial cities. The mean Cr concentration was 7.48 ng/m 3 . Significant higher metal and metalloid concentrations were found in PM 10 from mining areas (Dachang and Chehe) than from the control area (Liuzhai) (p metalloids in PM 10 at all the sites were low, but the non-carcinogenic risks posed to children by all the metals and metalloids together exceeded the safe level (i.e., risk value > 1). The carcinogenic risks posed by Cd, Ni, and Pb were negligible at all sites, while As, Co, and Cr posed potential carcinogenic risks to the residents.

Electron irradiation effects in amorphous antimony thin films obtained by cluster-beam deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fuchs, G.; Treilleux, M.; Santos Aires, F.; Cabaud, B.; Melinon, P.; Hoareau, A. (Lyon-1 Univ., 69 - Villeurbanne (France))

1991-03-01

In order to understand the differences existing between films obtained with a classical molecular beam deposition (MBD) and the new low-energy cluster beam deposition (LECBD), transmission electron microscopy has been used to characterize the first stages of antimony LECBD. Antimony deposits are discontinuous and amorphous up to 2 nm in thickness. They are formed with isolated amorphous antimony particles surrounded by an amorphous antimony oxide shell. Moreover, under electron beam exposure in the microscope, an amorphous-crystal transformation has been observed in the oxide shell. Electron irradiation induces the formation of a crystallized antimony oxide (Sb{sub 2}O{sub 3}) around the amorphous antimony core. (author).

Remediation of Heavy Metal(loid)s Contaminated Soils – To Mobilize or To Immobilize?

Science.gov (United States)

Unlike organic contaminants, metal(loid)s do not undergo microbial or chemical degradation and persist for a long time after their introduction. Bioavailability of metal(loid)s plays a vital role in the remediation of contaminated soils. In this review, the remediation of heavy ...

Investigation of antimony extraction from nitric acid solutions by tributyl phosphate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lakaev, V.S.; Smelov, V.S.

1988-01-01

The effect of iodide, hydrogen and pertechnetate ions on antimony extraction by tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP) from aqueous nitric acid solutions under irradiated nuclear fuel processing is investigated at room temperature. The coefficients of antimony distribution are shown to increase at the presence of technetium ions 2-3 times and iodine ions - 100 and more times. Variation of hydrogen ion concentration does not affect antimony extraction. The schemes of the mechanism of antimony extraction at the pressence of iodide and pertechnetate ions are presented. Compositions of the formed compounds are given

Thermodynamic analysis of separating lead and antimony in chloride system

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

CHEN Jin-zhong; CAO Hua-zhen; LI Bo; YUAN Hai-jun; ZHENG Guo-qu; YANG Tian-zu

2009-01-01

In chloride system, thermodynamic analysis is a useful guide to separate lead and antimony as well as to understand the separation mechanism. An efficient and feasible way for separating lead and antimony was discussed. The relationships of [Pb2+][Cl-]2-lg[Cl]T and E-lg[Cl]T in Pb-Sb-Cl-H2O system were studied, and the solubilities of lead chloride at different antimony concentrations were calculated based on principle of simultaneous equilibrium. The results show that insoluble salt PbCl2 will only exist stably in a certain concentration range of chlorine ion. This concentration range of chlorine ion expands a little with increasing the concentration of antimony in the system while narrows as the system acidity increases. The solubility of Pb2+ in solution decreases with increasing the concentration of antimony in the system, whereas increases with increasing the concentration of total chlorine. The concentration range of total chlorine causing lead solubility less than 0.005 mol/L increases monotonically.

Assessment of Industrial Antimony Exposure and Immunologic Function for Workers in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Chin-Ching; Chen, Yi-Chun

2017-06-26

This study investigated antimony exposure among employees in industries in Taiwan and evaluated whether their immunologic markers were associated with antimony exposure. We recruited 91 male workers and 42 male office administrators from 2 glass manufacturing plants, 1 antimony trioxide manufacturing plants, and 2 engineering plastic manufacturing plants. Air samples were collected at worksites and administrative offices, and each participant provided specimens of urine, blood, and hair to assay antimony levels. We also determined white blood cells, lymphocyte, and monocyte, IgA, IgE, and IgG in blood specimens. The mean antimony concentration in the air measured at worksites was much higher in the antimony trioxide plant (2.51 ± 0.57 mg/m³) than in plastic plants (0.21 ± 0.06 mg/m³) and glass plants (0.14 ± 0.01 mg/m³). Antimony levels in blood, urine, and hair measured for participants were correlated with worksites and were higher in workers than in administrators. The mean serum IgG, IgA, and IgE levels were lower in workers than in administrators ( p industrial plants than for administrators. This study suggests serum IgG, IgA, and IgE levels are negatively associated with antimony exposure.

Champagne Pool (New Zealand) Thermophiles Yield Insights into the Evolution of Microbial Arsenic Resistance

Science.gov (United States)

Hug, K.; Krikowa, F.; Morgan, X.; Maher, W. A.; Stott, M. B.; Moreau, J. W.

2011-12-01

Arsenic is a highly toxic metalloid typically enriched in geothermal waters due to aqueous weathering of arsenic-bearing minerals. Investigation of enzymatic pathways by which thermophilic microorganisms cope with toxic arsenic levels may yield insights into the evolution of arsenic resistance mechanisms on the early Earth. At Wai-O-Tapu in the Taupo Volcanic Zone on the North Island of New Zealand, hot springs with temperatures of 30-90°C and elemental sulfur concentrations (expressed as equivalent sulfate) from 340 to 850 mg/l establish a range of environmental conditions. Total arsenic concentrations varied from 0.083 mg/l to 56 mg/l. Arsenic speciation analysis elucidated various biogeochemical arsenic transformations occurring within different springs. For example, in the Alum Cliff spring oxidizing conditions (Eh = 225 mV) were expected to stabilize dissolved arsenate (AsO43-). However, HPLC-ICPMS analyses yielded dissolved arsenate and arsenite (AsO33-) concentrations of 0.25 mg/l versus 43.3 mg/l, respectively, and point towards microbial arsenate reduction as the likely mechanism for arsenic redox transformation. 16S rRNA gene cloning of Alum Cliff DNA showed a predominantly archaeal population with the dominant clone "AC1_A1" most closely related (99% sequence similarity, NCBI BLAST°) to the uncultured Sulfolobus clone "ChP_97P" found in Champagne Pool (Childs et al., 2008). The closest isolated relative to AC1_A1 is Sulfolobus tokodaii str. TW with a sequence similarity of 94%. Arsenic speciation measurements from the Alum Cliff spring suggest that clone AC1_A1 features the arsenate reduction resistance mechanism, and we hypothesize therefore that an arsC (homolog or analog) provides this functionality. The organic arsenic species monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), detected via HPLC-ICPMS at concentrations ranging from 1 μg/l to 12 μg/l in various springs, may also implicate microbial methyl-group transfers as an active

Voltammetric detection of antimony in natural water on cathodically pretreated microcrystalline boron doped diamond electrode: A possibility how to eliminate interference of arsenic without surface modification.

Science.gov (United States)

Lukáčová-Chomisteková, Zuzana; Culková, Eva; Bellová, Renata; Melicherčíková, Danica; Durdiak, Jaroslav; Beinrohr, Ernest; Rievaj, Miroslav; Tomčík, Peter

2018-02-01

Very simple and fast electroanalytical method for the detection Sb(III) on chemically unmodified boron-doped diamond electrode (BDDE) has been developed. Voltammetric behavior of antimony was investigated in various acidic supporting electrolytes and the most suitable medium for the determination of Sb(III) on bare BDDE has been 6molL -1 HClO 4 solution. The analytical performance was studied with differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) with optimized conditions (deposition potential -1V vs. Ag/ AgCl and deposition time 240s). An analysis of possible effects due to the presence of other metal ions (especially As(III)) in the solution was eliminated using NaH 2 PO 4 as supporting electrolyte with addition EDTA as selective complexing agent for Sb(III). Speciation of antimony was also investigated. The detection limit of this analytical strategy achieved value of 1.08 × 10 -7 molL -1 . The proposed method was validated and applied for natural water from former antimony mines as real samples. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Behaviour of antimony during thermal treatment of Sb-rich halogenated waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klein, J.; Dorge, S.; Trouve, G.; Venditti, D.; Durecu, S.

2009-01-01

Antimony compounds have a wide range of industrial applications, particularly as additives in flame retardants. To ensure environmentally friendly waste incineration of Sb-rich wastes, it is essential to strengthen the knowledge about the fate of antimony and the potential formation of harmful species. Investigations should be conducted particularly in relation with the main operational parameters controlling the process, chiefly temperature, residence time and air supply in the oven and in the post-combustion zone, prior final adapted cleaning of the flue-gas stream. Experimental studies focusing on antimony behaviour were undertaken through laboratory-scale thermal treatment at 850 deg. C and 1100 deg. C of a Sb-rich halogenated waste, originating from the sector of flame retardants formulation. The configuration of our laboratory experimental device allowed to achieve only low oxidative conditions in the waste bed, but high oxidative strength coupled with high temperature and sufficient gas residence time in the post-combustion zone, as prescribed during the incineration of hazardous wastes. Atomic absorption spectroscopy was used to assess the partition of antimony in the different compartments of the process. The oxidation degree of antimony in the gas-phase was determined by the use of electrochemical techniques, namely polarography coupled with anodic stripping voltamperometry. The partition of antimony between the residual ash and the gas-phase under moderate oxidative conditions in the waste bed was constant, whatever the temperature: the volatilization rate for antimony was ∼64%, while a ∼36% fraction remained in the residual bottom ashes. But interestingly, while at 850 o C, antimony was mainly present in the gas-phase at a +III oxidation degree, an increase in temperature of 250 o C favoured the presence of antimony to its highest oxidation degree +V in the flue-gas stream, a valence known to be involved in less toxic species.

Behaviour of antimony during thermal treatment of Sb-rich halogenated waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klein, J. [Laboratoire Gestion des Risques et Environnement, 25 rue de Chemnitz, 68200 Mulhouse (France); Dorge, S., E-mail: sophie.dorge@uha.fr [Laboratoire Gestion des Risques et Environnement, 25 rue de Chemnitz, 68200 Mulhouse (France); Trouve, G. [Laboratoire Gestion des Risques et Environnement, 25 rue de Chemnitz, 68200 Mulhouse (France); Venditti, D.; Durecu, S. [TREDI Departement de Recherche, Technopole de Nancy-Brabois, 9 avenue de la Foret de Haye, BP 184, 54505 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy (France)

2009-07-30

Antimony compounds have a wide range of industrial applications, particularly as additives in flame retardants. To ensure environmentally friendly waste incineration of Sb-rich wastes, it is essential to strengthen the knowledge about the fate of antimony and the potential formation of harmful species. Investigations should be conducted particularly in relation with the main operational parameters controlling the process, chiefly temperature, residence time and air supply in the oven and in the post-combustion zone, prior final adapted cleaning of the flue-gas stream. Experimental studies focusing on antimony behaviour were undertaken through laboratory-scale thermal treatment at 850 deg. C and 1100 deg. C of a Sb-rich halogenated waste, originating from the sector of flame retardants formulation. The configuration of our laboratory experimental device allowed to achieve only low oxidative conditions in the waste bed, but high oxidative strength coupled with high temperature and sufficient gas residence time in the post-combustion zone, as prescribed during the incineration of hazardous wastes. Atomic absorption spectroscopy was used to assess the partition of antimony in the different compartments of the process. The oxidation degree of antimony in the gas-phase was determined by the use of electrochemical techniques, namely polarography coupled with anodic stripping voltamperometry. The partition of antimony between the residual ash and the gas-phase under moderate oxidative conditions in the waste bed was constant, whatever the temperature: the volatilization rate for antimony was {approx}64%, while a {approx}36% fraction remained in the residual bottom ashes. But interestingly, while at 850 {sup o}C, antimony was mainly present in the gas-phase at a +III oxidation degree, an increase in temperature of 250 {sup o}C favoured the presence of antimony to its highest oxidation degree +V in the flue-gas stream, a valence known to be involved in less toxic species.

RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF METHYLMERCURY AND OTHER METAL(LOID)S IN MADAGASCAR UNPOLISHED RICE (Oryza sativa L.)

Science.gov (United States)

Rothenberg, Sarah E.; Mgutshini, Noma L.; Bizimis, Michael; Johnson-Beebout, Sarah E.; Ramanantsoanirina, Alain

2014-01-01

The rice ingestion rate in Madagascar is among the highest globally; however studies concerning metal(loid) concentrations in Madagascar rice are lacking. For Madagascar unpolished rice (n=51 landraces), levels of toxic elements (e.g., total mercury, methylmercury, arsenic and cadmium) as well as essential micronutrients (e.g., zinc and selenium) were uniformly low, indicating potentially both positive and negative health effects. Aside from manganese (Wilcoxon rank sum, p<0.01), no significant differences in concentrations for all trace elements were observed between rice with red bran (n=20) and brown bran (n=31) (Wilcoxon rank sum, p=0.06–0.91). Compared to all elements in rice, rubidium (i.e., tracer for phloem transport) was most positively correlated with methylmercury (Pearson's r=0.33, p<0.05) and total mercury (r=0.44, p<0.05), while strontium (i.e., tracer for xylem transport) was least correlated with total mercury and methylmercury (r<0.01 for both), suggesting inorganic mercury and methylmercury were possibly more mobile in phloem compared to xylem. PMID:25463705

First principles calculation of two dimensional antimony and antimony arsenide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pillai, Sharad Babu, E-mail: sbpillai001@gmail.com; Narayan, Som; Jha, Prafulla K. [Department. of Physics, Faculty of Science, The M. S. University of Baroda, Vadodara-390002 (India); Dabhi, Shweta D. [Department of Physics, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar-364001 (India)

2016-05-23

This work focuses on the strain dependence of the electronic properties of two dimensional antimony (Sb) material and its alloy with As (SbAs) using density functional theory based first principles calculations. Both systems show indirect bandgap semiconducting character which can be transformed into a direct bandgap material with the application of relatively small strain.

Uptake and accumulation of potentially toxic elements in colonized plant species around the world's largest antimony mine area, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Jiumei; Tan, Di; Deng, Sihan; Lei, Ming

2018-04-11

To provide information on reclamation of multi-heavy metal polluted soils with conception of phytostabilization, a field survey on the uptake and accumulation of potentially toxic elements such as antimony (Sb), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) in colonized plant species around the world's largest antimony mine area, China, was conducted. Samples including leaves and shoots (including roots and stems) of colonized plants as well as rhizospheric soils were collected from eight sampling zones in the studied area. The results showed that the contents of Cu, Zn, and Pb in rhizospheric soils below plants were comparable to the corresponding background values of Hunan province, otherwise Sb, Cd, and As contents were extremely high (17-106, 17-87, and 3-7 times of the corresponding background values). The highest concentration of Sb was found in Aster subulatus (410 mg kg -1 ); Cd, As, and Zn were in Herba bidentis bipinnatae (10.9, 264, and 265 mg kg -1 , respectively); and Cu was in Artemisia lavandulaefolia (27.1 mg kg -1 ). It also exhibited that all the contents of As in leaves were several times of those in shoots of plants, Cd and other heavy metals showed in a similar pattern in several studied species, implying that the uptake route of these heavy metals via foliar might contribute to the accumulation. With high bioconcentration factors of heavy metals (more than 1, except for Zn), together with the growth abundance, Herba bidentis bipinnatae was considered as the most suitable colonized species for phytostabilization of the multi-heavy metal pollution in soils on this antimony mine area.

Heavy weight vehicle traffic and its relationship with antimony content in human blood.

Science.gov (United States)

Quiroz, Waldo; De Gregori, Ida; Basilio, Paola; Bravo, Manuel; Pinto, Marcela; Lobos, Maria Gabriela

2009-05-01

Brake pads systems are nowadays considered as one of the most important sources of antimony in airborne particulate matter. One way that antimony can enter the body is through the lungs and specially by the interaction of antimony with -SH groups present in erythrocyte membrane cells. In spite of that, there are no studies about antimony enrichment in blood of workers exposed to high vehicle traffic. Port workers are generally exposed to heavy weight vehicle traffic. In Chile the biggest marine port is found in Valparaíso City. In this study antimony in whole blood and its fractions (erythrocytes-plasma and erythrocytes membranes-cytoplasm) of 45 volunteers were determined. The volunteers were port workers from Valparaíso city, and two control groups, one from Valparaíso and another from Quebrada Alvarado, the latter being a rural area located about 100 Km away from Valparaíso. The results demonstrate that port workers are highly impacted by antimony emissions from heavy weight vehicle traffic showing an average concentration of 27 +/- 9 ng Sb kg(-1), 5-10 times higher than the concentration of antimony in the blood of control groups. These are the highest antimony levels in blood ever reported in the literature. The highest antimony percentages (>60%) were always found in the erythrocyte fractions. However, the exposure degree to vehicle traffic is significant over antimony distribution in plasma, erythrocytes and cytoplasm. This results shows that the antimony mass in the erythrocyte membranes, was approximately constant at 1.0 +/- 0.1 ng Sb g(-1) of whole blood in all blood samples analyzed.

Arsenic absorption by members of the Brassicacea family, analysed by neutron activation, k0-method - preliminary results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uemura, George; Matos, Ludmila Vieira da Silva; Silva, Maria Aparecida da; Ferreira, Alexandre Santos Martorano; Menezes, Maria Angela de Barros Correia

2009-01-01

Natural arsenic contamination is a cause for concern in many countries of the world including Argentina, Bangladesh, Chile, China, India, Mexico, Thailand and the United States of America and also in Brazil, specially in the Iron Quadrangle area, where mining activities has been contributing to aggravate natural contamination. Brassicacea is a plant family with edible species (arugula, cabbage, cauliflower, cress, kale, mustard, radish), ornamental ones (alysssum, field pennycress, ornamental cabbages and kales) and some species are known as metal and metalloid accumulators (Indian mustard, field pennycress), like chromium, nickel, and arsenic. The present work aimed at studying other taxa of the Brassicaceae family to verify their capability in absorbing arsenic, under controlled conditions, for possible utilisation in remediation activities. The analytical method chosen was neutron activation analysis, k 0 method, a routine technique at CDTN, and also very appropriate for arsenic studies. To avoid possible interference from solid substrates, like sand or vermiculite, attempts were carried out to keep the specimens in 1/4 Murashige and Skoog basal salt solution (M and S). Growth was stumped, plants withered and perished, showing that modifications in M and S had to be done. The addition of nickel and silicon allowed normal growth of the plant specimens, for periods longer than usually achieved (more than two months); yielding samples large enough for further studies with other techniques, like ICP-MS, and other targets, like speciation studies. The results of arsenic absorption are presented here and the need of nickel and silicon in the composition of M and S is discussed. (author)

Lung inflammation biomarkers and lung function in children chronically exposed to arsenic

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olivas-Calderón, Edgar, E-mail: edgar_olivascalderon@hotmail.com [Department of Environmental Health, Biomedical Research Center, School of Medicine, University of Coahuila, Torreon, Coahuila (Mexico); School of Medicine, University Juarez of Durango, Gomez Palacio, Durango (Mexico); Recio-Vega, Rogelio, E-mail: rrecio@yahoo.com [Department of Environmental Health, Biomedical Research Center, School of Medicine, University of Coahuila, Torreon, Coahuila (Mexico); Gandolfi, A. Jay, E-mail: gandolfi@pharmacy.arizona.edu [Southwest Environmental Health Science Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States); Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States); Lantz, R. Clark, E-mail: lantz@email.arizona.edu [Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States); Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States); González-Cortes, Tania, E-mail: taniagc2201@hotmail.com [Department of Environmental Health, Biomedical Research Center, School of Medicine, University of Coahuila, Torreon, Coahuila (Mexico); Gonzalez-De Alba, Cesar, E-mail: cesargonzalezalba@hotmail.com [Department of Environmental Health, Biomedical Research Center, School of Medicine, University of Coahuila, Torreon, Coahuila (Mexico); Froines, John R., E-mail: jfroines@ucla.edu [Center for Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Espinosa-Fematt, Jorge A., E-mail: dr.jorge.espinosa@gmail.com [School of Medicine, University Juarez of Durango, Gomez Palacio, Durango (Mexico)

2015-09-01

Evidence suggests that exposure to arsenic in drinking water during early childhood or in utero has been associated with an increase in respiratory symptoms or diseases in the adulthood, however only a few studies have been carried out during those sensitive windows of exposure. Recently our group demonstrated that the exposure to arsenic during early childhood or in utero in children was associated with impairment in the lung function and suggested that this adverse effect could be due to a chronic inflammation response to the metalloid. Therefore, we designed this cross-sectional study in a cohort of children associating lung inflammatory biomarkers and lung function with urinary As levels. A total of 275 healthy children were partitioned into four study groups according with their arsenic urinary levels. Inflammation biomarkers were measured in sputum by ELISA and the lung function was evaluated by spirometry. Fifty eight percent of the studied children were found to have a restrictive spirometric pattern. In the two highest exposed groups, the soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products' (sRAGE) sputum level was significantly lower and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) concentration was higher. When the biomarkers were correlated to the urinary arsenic species, negative associations were found between dimethylarsinic (DMA), monomethylarsonic percentage (%MMA) and dimethylarsinic percentage (%DMA) with sRAGE and positive associations between %DMA with MMP-9 and with the MMP-9/tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP-1) ratio. In conclusion, chronic arsenic exposure of children negatively correlates with sRAGE, and positively correlated with MMP-9 and MMP-9/TIMP-1 levels, and increases the frequency of an abnormal spirometric pattern. Arsenic-induced alterations in inflammatory biomarkers may contribute to the development of restrictive lung diseases. - Highlights: • First study in children evaluating lung inflammatory biomarkers and As levels

Determination of phosphorus contamination during antimony implantation by measurement and simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuruc, M.; Hulenyi, L.; Kinder, R.

2006-01-01

Experimental determination of phosphorus cross-contamination during antimony implantation is presented. As a suitable structure for this experiment, a buried layer was employed which is created by implanting antimony followed by a long diffusion process. The samples implanted in different implanters were analysed by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), four-point probe and spreading resistance methods. The obtained results were compared with those calculated by program SUPREM-IV. Methods that can and cannot be used to determine phosphorus contamination during antimony implantation and to estimate the fluence of phosphorus being co-implanted with antimony are described in detail

Integrated phytobial remediation for sustainable management of arsenic in soil and water.

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Madhumita; Giri, Ashok K; Dutta, Sourav; Mukherjee, Pritam

2015-02-01

Arsenic (As), cited as the most hazardous substance by the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR, 2005), is an ubiquitous metalloid which when ingested for prolonged periods cause extensive health effects leading to ultimate untimely death. Plants and microbes can help mitigate soil and groundwater As problem since they have evolved elaborate detoxification machineries against this toxic metalloid as a result of their coexistence with this since the origin of life on earth. Utilization of the phytoremediation and bioremediation potential of the plants and microbes, respectively, is now regarded as two innovative tools that encompass biology, geology, biotechnology and allied sciences with cutting edge applications for sustainable mitigation of As epidemic. Discovery of As hyperaccumulating plants that uptake and concentrate large amounts of this toxic metalloid in their shoots or roots offered new hope to As phytoremediation, solar power based nature's own green remediation. This review focuses on how phytoremediation and bioremediation can be merged together to form an integrated phytobial remediation which could synergistically achieve the goal of large scale removal of As from soil, sediment and groundwater and overcome the drawbacks of the either processes alone. The review also points to the feasibility of the introduction of transgenic plants and microbes that bring new hope for more efficient treatment of As. The review identifies one critical research gap on the importance of remediation of As contaminated groundwater not only for drinking purpose but also for irrigation purpose and stresses that more research should be conducted on the use of constructed wetland, one of the most suitable areas of application of phytobial remediation. Finally the review has narrowed down on different phytoinvestigation and phytodisposal methods, which constitute the most essential and the most difficult part of pilot scale and field scale applications

Evaluation of the potential of Pistia stratiotes L. (water lettuce for bioindication and phytoremediation of aquatic environments contaminated with arsenic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

FS Farnese

Full Text Available Specimens of Pistia stratiotes were subjected to five concentrations of arsenic (As for seven days. Growth, As absorption, malondialdehyde (MDA content, photosynthetic pigments, enzymatic activities, amino acids content and anatomical changes were assessed. Plant arsenic accumulation increased with increasing metalloid in the solution, while growth rate and photosynthetic pigment content decreased. The MDA content increased, indicating oxidative stress. Enzymatic activity and amino acids content increased at the lower doses of As, subsequently declining in the higher concentrations. Chlorosis and necrosis were observed in the leaves. Leaves showed starch accumulation and increased thickness of the mesophyll. In the root system, there was a loss and darkening of roots. Cell layers formed at the insertion points on the root stems may have been responsible for the loss of roots. These results indicate that water lettuce shows potential for bioindication and phytoremediation of As-contaminated aquatic environments.

Evaluation of the potential of Pistia stratiotes L. (water lettuce) for bioindication and phytoremediation of aquatic environments contaminated with arsenic.

Science.gov (United States)

Farnese, F S; Oliveira, J A; Lima, F S; Leão, G A; Gusman, G S; Silva, L C

2014-08-01

Specimens of Pistia stratiotes were subjected to five concentrations of arsenic (As) for seven days. Growth, As absorption, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, photosynthetic pigments, enzymatic activities, amino acids content and anatomical changes were assessed. Plant arsenic accumulation increased with increasing metalloid in the solution, while growth rate and photosynthetic pigment content decreased. The MDA content increased, indicating oxidative stress. Enzymatic activity and amino acids content increased at the lower doses of As, subsequently declining in the higher concentrations. Chlorosis and necrosis were observed in the leaves. Leaves showed starch accumulation and increased thickness of the mesophyll. In the root system, there was a loss and darkening of roots. Cell layers formed at the insertion points on the root stems may have been responsible for the loss of roots. These results indicate that water lettuce shows potential for bioindication and phytoremediation of As-contaminated aquatic environments.

Self-standing nanoribbons of antimony selenide and antimony sulfide with well-defined size and band gap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vadapoo, Rajasekarakumar; Krishnan, Sridevi; Yilmaz, Hulusi; Marin, Carlos

2011-01-01

Sub-10 nm semiconducting nanostructures are crucial for the realization of nanoscale devices. Fabrication of nanostructures at this scale with homogeneous properties is challenging. Using ab initio calculations, we show that self-standing ribbons of antimony selenide and antimony sulfide of width 1.1 nm exhibit well-defined bandgaps of 1.66 and 2.16 eV, respectively. Molecular dynamics studies show that these ribbons are stable at 500 K. The one-dimensional (1D) heterostructure of these nanoribbons (Sb 2 Se 3 /Sb 2 S 3 ) along the [001] direction shows a straddling type behavior.

Increased thiol levels in antimony-resistant Leishmania infantum isolated from treatment-refractory visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Magalhães, Lucas S; Bomfim, Lays Gs; Mota, Sthefanne G; Cruz, Geydson S; Corrêa, Cristiane B; Tanajura, Diego M; Lipscomb, Michael W; Borges, Valéria M; Jesus, Amélia R de; Almeida, Roque P de; Moura, Tatiana R de

2018-02-01

BACKGROUND Treatment-refractory visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has become an important problem in many countries. OBJECTIVES We evaluated the antimony-resistance mechanisms of Leishmania infantum isolated from VL patients refractory or responsive to treatment with pentavalent antimony. METHODS Strains isolated from antimony-refractory patients (in vitro antimony-resistant isolates) and antimony-responsive patients (in vitro antimony-sensitive isolates) were examined. Morphological changes were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy after trivalent antimony exposure. P-glycoprotein (P-gp) efflux pump activity was evaluated using the pump-specific inhibitor verapamil hydrochloride, and the role of thiol in trivalent antimony resistance was investigated using the enzymatic inhibitor L-buthionine sulfoximine. FINDINGS Antimony treatment induced fewer alterations in the cellular structure of L. infantum resistant isolates than in that of sensitive isolates. P-gp efflux activity was not involved in antimony resistance in these isolates. Importantly, the resistant isolates contained higher levels of thiol compared to the sensitive isolates, and inhibition of thiol synthesis in the resistant isolates recovered their sensitivity to trivalent antimony treatment, and enhanced the production of reactive oxygen species in promastigotes exposed to the drug. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that isolates from patients with antimony-refractory VL exhibited higher thiol levels than antimony-sensitive isolates. This indicates that redox metabolism plays an important role in the antimony-resistance of New World VL isolates.

Effects of antimony additions on the fracture of nickel at 600 C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, C.L.; Padgett, R.A.

1983-01-01

Antimony additions (about 1 wt pct) are found to drastically lower tensile ductility and induce extensive intergranular cracking in nickel at 600 C. This effect is most pronounced at lower strain rates. These results are contrasted to results for pure nickel where ductility is high and failure occurs via plastic instability. Scanning electron microscopy revealed faceting of crack and cavity surfaces in the antimony doped nickel. Auger electron spectroscopy revealed segregation of antimony and (residual) sulfur to both grain boundaries and to the internal free surfaces of cracks and cavities. Inert ion sputter profiling showed that most of the antimony and sulfur enrichment on these surfaces is confined within a few atom layers of the interface. The embrittling influence of antimony is discussed in terms of the observed antimony and sulfur segregation to internal interfaces. Possible connections between the segregation and the observed embrittlement involve segregation effects on grain boundary sliding, grain boundary and surface diffusivities, and interfacial energetics

Effect of transient wave forcing on the behavior of arsenic in a sandy nearshore aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Rakhimbekova, S.; O'Carroll, D. M.; Robinson, C. E.

2016-12-01

Waves cause large quantities of coastal water to recirculate across the groundwater-coastal water interface in addition to inducing complex groundwater flows in the nearshore aquifer. Due to the distinct chemical composition of recirculating coastal water compared with discharging terrestrial groundwater, wave-induced recirculations and flows can alter geochemical gradients in the nearshore aquifer which may subsequently affect the mobilization and transport of reactive pollutants (e.g., arsenic). The impact of seasonal geochemical and hydrological variability on the occurrence and mobility of arsenic near the groundwater-surface water interface has been shown previously in riverine settings, however, the impact of high frequency geochemical variations (e.g., varying wave conditions) on arsenic mobility in groundwater-surface water environments is unclear. The objective of the study was to assess the impact of intensified wave conditions on the behavior of arsenic in a nearshore aquifer to determine the factors regulating its mobility and transport to receiving coastal waters. Field investigations were conducted at a permeable beach on the Great Lakes during a period of intensified wave conditions (wave event). High spatial resolution pore water sampling captured the geochemical conditions in the nearshore aquifer prior to the wave event, immediately after the wave event and over a recovery period of 3 weeks following the wave event. Shifts in pH and redox potential (ORP) gradients in response to varying wave conditions caused shifts in the iron and arsenic distributions in the aquifer. Sediment analysis was combined with the pore water distributions to assess the release of sediment-bound arsenic in response to the varying wave conditions. Insight into the effect of transient forcing on arsenic mobility and transport in groundwater-surface water environments is important for evaluating the potential risks associated with this toxic metalloid. The findings of this

Complex processing of antimony-mercury gold concentrates of Dzhizhikrut Deposit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdusalyamova, M.N.; Gadoev, S.A.; Dreisinger, D.; Solozhenkin, P.M.

2013-01-01

Present article is devoted to complex processing of antimony-mercury gold concentrates of Dzhizhikrut Deposit. The purpose of research was obtaining the metallic mercury and antimony with further gold and thallium extraction.

Protection of cesium-antimony photocathodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buzulutskov, A.; Breskin, A.; Chechik, R.; Prager, M.; Shefer, E.

1996-06-01

In order to operate gaseous photomultipliers in the visible range it was suggested to protect sensitive photocathodes against contact to air and counting gases by their coating with a thin solid dielectric film. We present data on coating of cesium- antimony photocathodes with alkali-halide (NaI, CsI, CsF, NaF), oxide (SiO) and organic (hexatriacontane, calcium stearate) films. The photoelectron transmission through these films and their protection capability have been studied in detail. Cesium-antimony photocathodes are shown to withstand exposure to considerable doses of oxygen and dry air when coated with Nal films. This opens ways to their operation in gas media. (authors), 11 refs., 6 figs

40 CFR 421.144 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

...) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS NONFERROUS METALS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Primary Antimony... Antimony 30.150 13.440 Arsenic 21.720 9.687 Mercury 2.344 0.937 Total suspended solids 234.400 187.500 pH.../kg (pounds per million pounds) of antimony metal produced by electrowinning Antimony 30.150 13.440...

Correlation of CsK2Sb photocathode lifetime with antimony thickness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mamun, M. A. [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia 23529, USA; The Applied Research Center, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, Virginia 23606, USA; Hernandez-Garcia, C. [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, Virginia 23606, USA; Poelker, M. [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, Virginia 23606, USA; Elmustafa, A. A. [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia 23529, USA; The Applied Research Center, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, Virginia 23606, USA

2015-06-01

CsK2Sb photocathodes with quantum efficiency on the order of 10% at 532 nm, and lifetime greater than 90 days at low voltage, were successfully manufactured via co-deposition of alkali species emanating from an effusion source. Photocathodes were characterized as a function of antimony layer thickness and alkali consumption, inside a vacuum chamber that was initially baked, but frequently vented without re-baking. Photocathode lifetime measured at low voltage is correlated with the antimony layer thickness. Photocathodes manufactured with comparatively thick antimony layers exhibited the best lifetime. We speculate that the antimony layer serves as a reservoir, or sponge, for the alkali.

Correlation of CsK2Sb photocathode lifetime with antimony thickness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. A. Mamun

2015-06-01

Full Text Available CsK2Sb photocathodes with quantum efficiency on the order of 10% at 532 nm, and lifetime greater than 90 days at low voltage, were successfully manufactured via co-deposition of alkali species emanating from an effusion source. Photocathodes were characterized as a function of antimony layer thickness and alkali consumption, inside a vacuum chamber that was initially baked, but frequently vented without re-baking. Photocathode lifetime measured at low voltage is correlated with the antimony layer thickness. Photocathodes manufactured with comparatively thick antimony layers exhibited the best lifetime. We speculate that the antimony layer serves as a reservoir, or sponge, for the alkali.

Selenium-mediated arsenic excretion in mammals: a synchrotron-based study of whole-body distribution and tissue-specific chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Ponomarenko, Olena; La Porte, Paul F; Singh, Satya P; Langan, George; Fleming, David E B; Spallholz, Julian E; Alauddin, Mohammad; Ahsan, Habibul; Ahmed, Selim; Gailer, Jürgen; George, Graham N; Pickering, Ingrid J

2017-11-15

Arsenicosis, a syndrome caused by ingestion of arsenic contaminated drinking water, currently affects millions of people in South-East Asia and elsewhere. Previous animal studies revealed that the toxicity of arsenite essentially can be abolished if selenium is co-administered as selenite. Although subsequent studies have provided some insight into the biomolecular basis of this striking antagonism, many details of the biochemical pathways that ultimately result in the detoxification and excretion of arsenic using selenium supplements have yet to be thoroughly studied. To this end and in conjunction with the recent Phase III clinical trial "Selenium in the Treatment of Arsenic Toxicity and Cancers", we have applied synchrotron X-ray techniques to elucidate the mechanisms of this arsenic-selenium antagonism at the tissue and organ levels using an animal model. X-ray fluorescence imaging (XFI) of cryo-dried whole-body sections of laboratory hamsters that had been injected with arsenite, selenite, or both chemical species, provided insight into the distribution of both metalloids 30 minutes after treatment. Co-treated animals showed strong co-localization of arsenic and selenium in the liver, gall bladder and small intestine. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) of freshly frozen organs of co-treated animals revealed the presence in liver tissues of the seleno bis-(S-glutathionyl) arsinium ion, which was rapidly excreted via bile into the intestinal tract. These results firmly support the previously postulated hepatobiliary excretion of the seleno bis-(S-glutathionyl) arsinium ion by providing the first data pertaining to organs of whole animals.

Arsenic absorption by members of the Brassicacea family, analysed by neutron activation, k{sub 0}-method - preliminary results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uemura, George; Matos, Ludmila Vieira da Silva; Silva, Maria Aparecida da; Ferreira, Alexandre Santos Martorano; Menezes, Maria Angela de Barros Correia [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN-CNEN/MG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)], e-mail: george@cdtn.br, e-mail: menezes@cdtn.br

2009-07-01

Natural arsenic contamination is a cause for concern in many countries of the world including Argentina, Bangladesh, Chile, China, India, Mexico, Thailand and the United States of America and also in Brazil, specially in the Iron Quadrangle area, where mining activities has been contributing to aggravate natural contamination. Brassicacea is a plant family with edible species (arugula, cabbage, cauliflower, cress, kale, mustard, radish), ornamental ones (alysssum, field pennycress, ornamental cabbages and kales) and some species are known as metal and metalloid accumulators (Indian mustard, field pennycress), like chromium, nickel, and arsenic. The present work aimed at studying other taxa of the Brassicaceae family to verify their capability in absorbing arsenic, under controlled conditions, for possible utilisation in remediation activities. The analytical method chosen was neutron activation analysis, k{sub 0} method, a routine technique at CDTN, and also very appropriate for arsenic studies. To avoid possible interference from solid substrates, like sand or vermiculite, attempts were carried out to keep the specimens in 1/4 Murashige and Skoog basal salt solution (M and S). Growth was stumped, plants withered and perished, showing that modifications in M and S had to be done. The addition of nickel and silicon allowed normal growth of the plant specimens, for periods longer than usually achieved (more than two months); yielding samples large enough for further studies with other techniques, like ICP-MS, and other targets, like speciation studies. The results of arsenic absorption are presented here and the need of nickel and silicon in the composition of M and S is discussed. (author)

Speciation of antimony in polyethylene terephthalate bottles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, R.R.; Ablett, J.; Shotyk, W.S.; Naftel, S.; Northrup, P.

2010-01-01

Antimony contamination has been reported in drinking water from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. Micro-X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis has been used to identify the distribution and chemical form of residual antimony used as a catalyst in the manufacture of PET bottles. The results are consistent with clusters of Sb(III) having dimensions of the order of tens of micrometers, clearly showing the ability of synchrotron radiation analyses to both map elemental distribution and determine oxidation state.

Tissue distribution of residual antimony in rats treated with multiple doses of meglumine antimoniate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deise Riba Coelho

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Meglumine antimoniate (MA and sodium stibogluconate are pentavalent antimony (SbV drugs used since the mid-1940s. Notwithstanding the fact that they are first-choice drugs for the treatment of leishmaniases, there are gaps in our knowledge of their toxicological profile, mode of action and kinetics. Little is known about the distribution of antimony in tissues after SbV administration. In this study, we evaluated the Sb content of tissues from male rats 24 h and three weeks after a 21-day course of treatment with MA (300 mg SbV/kg body wt/d, subcutaneous. Sb concentrations in the blood and organs were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. In rats, as with in humans, the Sb blood levels after MA dosing can be described by a two-compartment model with a fast (t1/2 = 0.6 h and a slow (t1/2 >> 24 h elimination phase. The spleen was the organ that accumulated the highest amount of Sb, while bone and thyroid ranked second in descending order of tissues according to Sb levels (spleen >> bone, thyroid, kidneys > liver, epididymis, lungs, adrenals > prostate > thymus, pancreas, heart, small intestines > skeletal muscle, testes, stomach > brain. The pathophysiological consequences of Sb accumulation in the thyroid and Sb speciation in the liver, thyroid, spleen and bone warrant further studies.

Synthesis, characterisation and electrochemical evaluation of reduced graphene oxide modified antimony nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silwana, Bongiwe; Horst, Charlton van der [Natural Resources and the Environment (NRE), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Stellenbosch 7600 (South Africa); SensorLab, Department of Chemistry, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535 (South Africa); Iwuoha, Emmanuel [SensorLab, Department of Chemistry, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535 (South Africa); Somerset, Vernon, E-mail: vsomerset@csir.co.za [Natural Resources and the Environment (NRE), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Stellenbosch 7600 (South Africa)

2015-10-01

This paper demonstrates some aspects on the synthesis and characterisation of nanoparticles of metallic alloys using polyvinyl alcohol as a stabiliser, which combines high surface area and superior hybrid properties. The present experimental design was to synthesise a nanocomposite of reduced graphene oxide and antimony nanoparticles to be used as thin films for macro- and micro-carbon electrodes for enhancing sensing of different toxic metal pollutants in the environment. The synthetic process of reduced graphene oxide was done using the modified Hummers method while antimony pentachloride was reduced with sodium borohydride into nanoparticles of antimony using polyvinyl-alcohol as a stabiliser. The systematic investigation of morphology was done by scanning electron microscopy and high resolution-transmission electron microscope, which revealed the synthesis of a product, consists of reduced graphene oxide antimony nanoparticles. The electrochemical behaviour of the reduced graphene oxide antimony nanoparticles coated on a glassy carbon electrode was performed using voltammetric and impedance techniques. Electrochemical impedance measurements showed that the overall resistance, including the charge–transfer resistance, was smaller with reduced graphene oxide antimony nanoparticles than reduced graphene oxide and antimony nanoparticles, on their own. Evaluation of the reduced graphene oxide antimony nanoparticle sensor in the stripping voltammetry has shown a linear working range for concentration of platinum (II) between 6.0 × 10{sup −6}–5.4 × 10{sup −5} μg L{sup −1} with limit of detection of 6 × 10{sup −6} μg L{sup −1} (signal-to-noise ratio = 3), which is below the World Health Organisation guidelines for freshwater. - Highlights: • Reduced graphene oxide modified antimony nanoparticles were chemically synthesised. • TEM results show rGO-Sb nanoparticles with a diameter range of between 2 and 20 nm. • Impedance results confirm

The presence of antimony in various dental filling materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molokhia, Anat; Combe, E.C.; Lilley, J.D.

1985-01-01

Antimony was determined in a number of non-metallic dental materials currently used for tooth restoration. The method applied was instrumental neutron activation analysis. The concentration of antimony in some of the brands tested was found to be as high as 900 fold that in the normal hard dental tissues. (author)

Sorbents for effective removal of radioactive antimony during chemical decontamination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishad, Padala Abdul; Bhaskarapillai, Anupkumar; Velmurugan, Sankaralingam

2014-01-01

Removal of radioactive antimony is a challenging problem. Often, during decontamination, they get mobilized around the system and redeposit in different areas thus offsetting the reduction in the radiation field obtained by removing other activities such as 60 Co. Thus, there is a clear need for better antimony removing materials/strategies for effective reactor decontamination. In this regard, six commercially available sorbents namely, Tulsion A33 (strong base anion (-OH) resin), Amberlite IRC-718 (chelating resin), Radex ® Sb-1000, nano TiO 2 -special grade (Inorganic type IX), Chitosan (biosorbent) and Aeroxide p25 (nano TiO 2 , Inorganic type IX) were evaluated for their antimony sorption properties. Radex ® and TiO 2 based materials were found to be more effective in removing both Sb(V) and Sb(III). Solution pH was seen to significantly influence the antimony sorption and the effect was more prominent in anion resin, when tested under column conditions. Apart from the commercial sorbents, we have synthesised a robust high performing sorbent (TA-Chitosan beads) in the form of stable beads, using nano-TiO 2 and chitosan. The beads were found to retain the antimony sorption properties of the nano-TiO 2 , while adapting a physical format suitable for large scale operations. The sorbent exhibited almost complete sorption of antimony both in low (ppb level) as well as high concentrations of antimony. The suitability of the beads for use in column mode has been established and its radiation stability was probed in detail. The beads were found to be stable to irradiations as ascertained from the TOC values and unchanged sorption properties. The sorption properties of the CHITA beads in typical decontamination formulation containing mixture of complexing agents have been investigated in detail. (author)

Antimony susceptibility of Leishmania isolates collected over a 30-year period in Algeria.

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Eddaikra, Naouel; Ait-Oudhia, Khatima; Kherrachi, Ihcen; Oury, Bruno; Moulti-Mati, Farida; Benikhlef, Razika; Harrat, Zoubir; Sereno, Denis

2018-03-01

In Algeria, the treatment of visceral and cutaneous leishmanioses (VL and CL) has been and continues to be based on antimony-containing drugs. It is suspected that high drug selective pressure might favor the emergence of chemoresistant parasites. Although treatment failure is frequently reported during antimonial therapy of both CL and VL, antimonial resistance has never been thoroughly investigated in Algeria. Determining the level of antimonial susceptibility, amongst Leishmania transmitted in Algeria, is of great importance for the development of public health policies. Within the framework of the knowledge about the epidemiology of VL and CL amassed during the last 30 years, we sampled Leishmania isolates to determine their susceptibility to antimony. We analyzed a total of 106 isolates including 88 isolates collected between 1976 and 2013 in Algeria from humans, dogs, rodents, and phlebotomines and 18 collected from dogs in France. All the Algerian isolates were collected in 14 localities where leishmaniasis is endemic. The 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of potassium antimony tartrate (the trivalent form of antimony, Sb(III)) and sodium stibogluconate (the pentavalent form of antimony, Sb(V)) were determined in promastigotes and intramacrophage amastigotes, respectively. The epidemiological cutoff (ECOFF) that allowed us to differentiate between Leishmania species causing cutaneous or visceral leishmaniases that were susceptible (S+) or insusceptible (S-) to the trivalent form of antimony was determined. The computed IC50 cutoff values were 23.83 μg/mL and 15.91 μg/mL for VL and CL, respectively. We report a trend of increasing antimony susceptibility in VL isolates during the 30-year period. In contrast, an increase in the frequency of S- phenotypes in isolates causing CL was observed during the same period. In our study, the emergence of S- phenotypes correlates with the inclusion of L. killicki (syn: L. tropica) isolates that cause cutaneous

Simple and effective method for nuclear tellurium isomers separation from antimony cyclotron targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bondarevskij, S.I.; Eremin, V.V.

1999-01-01

Simple and effective method of generation of tellurium nuclear isomers from irradiated on cyclotron metallic antimony is suggested. Basically this method consists in consideration of the big difference in volatilities of metallic forms of antimony, tin and tellurium. Heating of the tin-antimony alloy at 1200 K permits to separate about 90 % of produced quantity of 121m Te and 123m Te (in this case impurity of antimony radionuclides is not more than 1 % on activity) [ru

Structural and electrical characterization of zinc oxide doped with antimony

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G. Juárez Díaz

2014-08-01

Full Text Available In this work we report the results of structural and electrical characterization realized on zinc oxide single crystal samples with (001 orientation, which were doped with antimony. Doping was carried out by antimony thermal diffusion at 1000 °C for periods of 1 and 2 hours under nitrogen environment from a solid source formed by antimony oxide. Electrical characterization by I-V curves and Hall effect shown an increase in acceptor concentration which demonstrates that doping is effective and create holes in zinc oxide samples.

Effects of lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury co-exposure on children's intelligence quotient in an industrialized area of southern China.

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Pan, Shangxia; Lin, Lifeng; Zeng, Fan; Zhang, Jianpeng; Dong, Guanghui; Yang, Boyi; Jing, You; Chen, Shejun; Zhang, Gan; Yu, Zhiqiang; Sheng, Guoying; Ma, Huimin

2018-04-01

Exposure to metal(loid)s can lead to adverse effects on nervous system in children. However, little is known about the possible interaction effects of simultaneous exposure to multiple metal(loid)s on children's intelligence. In addition, relationship between blood lead concentrations (lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg) in blood (BPb, BCd, BAs, BHg) and urine (UPb, UCd, UAs, UHg) were assessed, as well as children's intelligence quotient (IQ). A significant decrease in IQ scores was identified in children from the industrialized town (p < .05), who had statistically higher geometric mean concentrations of BPb, BCd, UPb, UCd and UHg (65.89, 1.93, 4.04, 1.43 and 0.37 μg/L, respectively) compared with children from the reference town (37.21, 1.07, 2.14, 1.02 and 0.30 μg/L, respectively, p < .05). After adjusting confounders, only BPb had a significant negative association with IQ (B = -0.10, 95% confidence interval: -0.15 to -0.05, p < .001), which indicated that IQ decreased 0.10 points when BPb increased 1 μg/L. Significant negative interactions between BAs and BHg, positive interaction between UPb and UCd on IQ were observed (p < .10), and BPb <100 μg/L still negatively affected IQ (p < .05). Our findings suggest that although only BPb causes a decline in children's IQ when simultaneously exposed to these four metal(loid)s at relatively low levels, interactions between metal(loid)s on children's IQ should be paid special attention, and the reference standard in China of 100 μg/L BPb for children above 5 years old should be revised. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antimony Resistance in Leishmania, Focusing on Experimental Research

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Fakhri Jeddi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Leishmaniases are parasitic diseases that spread in many countries with a prevalence of 12 million cases. There are few available treatments and antimonials are still of major importance in the therapeutic strategies used in most endemic regions. However, resistance toward these compounds has recently emerged in areas where the replacement of these drugs is mainly limited by the cost of alternative molecules. In this paper, we reviewed the studies carried out on antimonial resistance in Leishmania. Several common limitations of these works are presented before prevalent approaches to evidence antimonial resistance are related. Afterwards, phenotypic determination of resistance is described, then confronted to clinical outcome. Finally, we detail molecular mechanisms and targets involved in resistance and already identified in vitro within selected mutant strains or in clinical isolates.

Removing antimony from waste lead storage batteries alloy by vacuum displacement reaction technology.

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Liu, Tiantian; Qiu, Keqiang

2018-04-05

With the wide application of lead acid battery, spent lead acid battery has become a serious problem to environmental protection and human health. Though spent battery can be a contaminant if not handled properly, it is also an important resource to obtain refined lead. Nowadays, the Sb-content in lead storage batteries is about 0.5-3 wt%, which is higher than the Sb-content in the crude lead. However, there are few reports about the process of removing antimony from high-antimony lead bullion. In this study, vacuum displacement reaction technology, a new process for removing antimony from high-antimony lead melts, was investigated. During this process, lead oxide was added to the system and antimony from lead melts was converted into antimony trioxide, which easily was evaporated under vacuum so that antimony was removed from lead melts. The experimental results demonstrated that Sb-content in lead melts decreased from 2.5% to 23 ppm under following conditions: mass ratio of PbO/lead bullion of 0.33, residual gas pressure of 30 Pa, melt temperature of 840 °C, reaction time of 60 min. The distillate gotten can be used as by-product to produce antimony white. Moreover, this study is of importance to recycling of waste lead storage batteries alloy. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determination of antimony trioxide in fire-retardant conveyor belts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rytych-Witwicka, B.; Szmyd, E.

1976-12-01

Two methods for the determination of antimony trioxide in rubber and pvc are described. One is a colorimetric method based on the reaction of antimony with rhodamine B; the other is a polarographic method. The results of the two methods show a satisfactory consistency and the methods themselves appear rapid and effective.

Traffic-related distribution of antimony in roadside soils.

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Földi, Corinna; Sauermann, Simon; Dohrmann, Reiner; Mansfeldt, Tim

2018-06-01

Vehicular emissions have become one of the main source of pollution of urban soils; this highlights the need for more detailed research on various traffic-related emissions and related distribution patterns. Since the banning of asbestos in the European Union, its substitution with antimony (Sb) in brake linings has led to increased inputs of this toxic metalloid to environmental compartments. The objective of this study was to provide detailed information about the spatial distribution patterns of Sb and to assess its mobility and bioavailability. Roadside soils along an arterial road (approx. 9000 vehicles per day) in Cologne (Germany) were studied along five transects, at four soil depths and at seven sampling points set at varying distances from the road (n = 140). For all samples, comprehensive soil characterization was performed and inverse aqua regia-extractable trace metal content was determined being pseudo-total contents. Furthermore, for one transect, also total Sb and a chemical sequential extraction procedure was applied (n = 28). Pseudo-total Sb for all transects decreased significantly with soil depth and distance from the road, reflecting a distribution pattern similar to that of other trace metals associated with brake lining emissions. Conversely, metals associated with exhaust emissions showed a convex distribution. The geochemical fractionation of Sb revealed the following trends: i) non-specifically sorbed Sb was <5%; ii) specifically sorbed Sb was only detected within 1 m distance from the road and decreased with depth; iii) Sb associated with poorly-crystalline Fe oxides decreased with distance from the road; and iv) content of Sb bounded to well-crystalline Fe oxides, and Sb present in the residual fraction remained relatively constant at each depth. Consequently, roadside soils appear to inhibit brake lining-related Sb contamination, with significant but rather low ecotoxicological potential for input into surface and groundwater

Preparation of thin arsenic and radioarsenic targets for neutron capture studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fassbender, M.; Bach, H.; Bond, E.; Nortier, F.M.; Vieira, D.

2009-01-01

A simple method for the electrodeposition of elemental arsenic (As) on a metal backing from aqueous solutions has been developed. The method was successfully applied to stable As ( 75 As). Thin (2.5 mg cm -2 ) coherent, smooth layers of the metalloid on Ti foils (2.5 μm thickness) were obtained. Electrodeposits served as targets for 75 As(n,γ) 76 As neutron capture experiments at Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE). Respective 73 As(n,γ) 74 As experiments are planned for the near future, and 73 As targets will be prepared in a similar fashion utilizing the new electrodeposition method. The preparation of an 73 As (half-life 80.3 days) plating bath solution from proton irradiated germanium has been demonstrated. Germanium target irradiation was performed at the Los Alamos Isotope Production Facility (IPF). (author)

Temporal characterization of Arsenic in das Velhas River hydrographic basin waters, MG, Brazil for one decade (1998 - 2007

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Mônica Maria Diniz Leão

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Arsenic, a metalloid with wide distribution in nature, can be found in natural environments in the forms of high toxicity. Monitoring conducted in the Basin of the das Velhas River, MG, demonstrates the occurrence of this metal in all sampling stations distributed over the water course and main tributaries. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the time trends of concentration of arsenic in water courses of the basin of das Velhas River, considering the data of twenty-nine monitoring stations from 1998 to 2007. The tests included the verification of seasonality, autocorrelation and temporal trend with the non-parametric tests of Mann-Kendall and Mann-Kendall seasonal. Eight sampling stations showed seasonality, with higher concentrations observed in rainy season. The autocorrelation was virtually nonexistent, which may be associated with low sample found in a monitoring program (three to six months. Only seven monitoring stations showed significant negative trend, indicating a reduction in the concentration of arsenic over the period studied. The results showed that the time trend studies have great relevance for the management of pollution of water resources from tracking data, providing subsidies for preventive and corrective measures differentiated between the stations and sampling periods of the year and also be used in evaluation of the effectiveness of these measures.

Complexation of HSA with different forms of antimony (Sb): An application of fluorescence spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Wenjuan; Zhang, Daoyong; Pan, Xiangliang; Lee, Duu-Jong

2013-01-01

Antimony (Sb) pollution has been of a great environmental concern in some areas in China. Sb enters human body via drinking water, inhalation and food chain, unavoidably interacts with human serum albumin (HSA) in blood plasma, and consequently does harm to human health. The harmful effects of Sb on human health depend on the Sb species and their binding ability to HSA. In the present study, binding of three forms of Sb with HSA was investigated by excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy. All of antimony potassium tartrate, antimony trichloride and potassium pyroantimonate quenched fluorescence of HSA. Values of conditional stability constant K a (×10 5 /M) for Sb and HSA systems were 8.13–9.12 for antimony potassium tartrate, 2.51–4.27 for antimony trichloride and 3.63–9.77 for potassium pyroantimonate. The binding constant K b (×10 4 /M) values of HSA with antimony potassium tartrate, antimony trichloride and potassium pyroantimonate were 0.02–0.07, 3.55–5.01, and 0.07–1.08, respectively. There was one independent class of binding site for antimony trichloride towards HSA. There was more than one Sb binding site and negative cooperativity between multiple binding sites for potassium pyroantimonate and antimony potassium tartrate towards HSA. The binding ability of HSA to complex Sb followed the order: antimony trichloride>potassium pyroantimonate>antimony potassium tartrate. -- Highlights: ► The first study reporting interaction of Sb with HSA. ► Sb can effectively quench the fluorescence of HSA. ► The binding ability of HSA to Sb was dependent on the form of Sb. ► Binding differences indicate differences in toxicity of various forms Sb to human. ► HAS-Sb binding parameters are important for understanding toxicity of Sb

Complexation of HSA with different forms of antimony (Sb): An application of fluorescence spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Wenjuan [State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011 (China); Zhang, Daoyong [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002 (China); Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Pan, Xiangliang, E-mail: xlpan@ms.xjb.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011 (China); Lee, Duu-Jong [State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011 (China); Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China)

2013-04-15

Antimony (Sb) pollution has been of a great environmental concern in some areas in China. Sb enters human body via drinking water, inhalation and food chain, unavoidably interacts with human serum albumin (HSA) in blood plasma, and consequently does harm to human health. The harmful effects of Sb on human health depend on the Sb species and their binding ability to HSA. In the present study, binding of three forms of Sb with HSA was investigated by excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy. All of antimony potassium tartrate, antimony trichloride and potassium pyroantimonate quenched fluorescence of HSA. Values of conditional stability constant K{sub a} (×10{sup 5}/M) for Sb and HSA systems were 8.13–9.12 for antimony potassium tartrate, 2.51–4.27 for antimony trichloride and 3.63–9.77 for potassium pyroantimonate. The binding constant K{sub b} (×10{sup 4}/M) values of HSA with antimony potassium tartrate, antimony trichloride and potassium pyroantimonate were 0.02–0.07, 3.55–5.01, and 0.07–1.08, respectively. There was one independent class of binding site for antimony trichloride towards HSA. There was more than one Sb binding site and negative cooperativity between multiple binding sites for potassium pyroantimonate and antimony potassium tartrate towards HSA. The binding ability of HSA to complex Sb followed the order: antimony trichloride>potassium pyroantimonate>antimony potassium tartrate. -- Highlights: ► The first study reporting interaction of Sb with HSA. ► Sb can effectively quench the fluorescence of HSA. ► The binding ability of HSA to Sb was dependent on the form of Sb. ► Binding differences indicate differences in toxicity of various forms Sb to human. ► HAS-Sb binding parameters are important for understanding toxicity of Sb.

Green manure plants for remediation of soils polluted by metals and metalloids: ecotoxicity and human bioavailability assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Foucault, Y; Lévêque, T; Xiong, T; Schreck, E; Austruy, A; Shahid, M; Dumat, C

2013-10-01

Borage, white mustard and phacelia, green manure plants currently used in agriculture to improve soil properties were cultivated for 10 wk on various polluted soils with metal(loid) concentrations representative of urban brownfields or polluted kitchen gardens. Metal(loid) bioavailability and ecotoxicity were measured in relation to soil characteristics before and after treatment. All the plants efficiently grow on the various polluted soils. But borage and mustard only are able to modify the soil characteristics and metal(loid) impact: soil respiration increased while ecotoxicity, bioaccessible lead and total metal(loid) quantities in soils can be decreased respectively by phytostabilization and phytoextraction mechanisms. These two plants could therefore be used for urban polluted soil refunctionalization. However, plant efficiency to improve soil quality strongly depends on soil characteristics. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Glutathione and its dependent enzymes' modulatory responses to toxic metals and metalloids in fish--a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Srikanth, K; Pereira, E; Duarte, A C; Ahmad, I

2013-04-01

Toxic metals and metalloid are being rapidly added from multiple pathways to aquatic ecosystem and causing severe threats to inhabiting fauna including fish. Being common in all the type of aquatic ecosystems such as freshwater, marine and brackish water fish are the first to get prone to toxic metals and metalloids. In addition to a number of physiological/biochemical alterations, toxic metals and metalloids cause enhanced generation of varied reactive oxygen species (ROS) ultimately leading to a situation called oxidative stress. However, as an important component of antioxidant defence system in fish, the tripeptide glutathione (GSH) directly or indirectly regulates the scavenging of ROS and their reaction products. Additionally, several other GSH-associated enzymes such as GSH reductase (GR, EC 1.6.4.2), GSH peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.9), and GSH sulfotransferase (glutathione-S-transferase (GST), EC 2.5.1.18) cumulatively protect fish against ROS and their reaction products accrued anomalies under toxic metals and metalloids stress conditions. The current review highlights recent research findings on the modulation of GSH, its redox couple (reduced glutathione/oxidised glutathione), and other GSH-related enzymes (GR, glutathione peroxidase, GST) involved in the detoxification of harmful ROS and their reaction products in toxic metals and metalloids-exposed fish.

REACTION PRODUCTS AND CORROSION OF MOLYBDENUM ELECTRODE IN GLASS MELT CONTAINING ANTIMONY OXIDES AND SODIUM SULFATE

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JIŘÍ MATĚJ

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The products on the interface of a molybdenum electrode and glass melt were investigated primarily at 1400°C in three model glass melts without ingredients, with 1 % Sb2O3 and with 1 % Sb2O3 and 0.5 % SO3 (wt. %, both under and without load by alternating current. Corrosion of the molybdenum electrode in glass melt without AC load is higher by one order of magnitude if antimony oxides are present. The corrosion continues to increase if sulfate is present in addition to antimony oxides. Isolated antimony droplets largely occur on the electrode-glass melt interface, and numerous droplets are also dissipated in the surrounding glass if only antimony oxides are present in the glass melt. A comparatively continuous layer of antimony occurs on the interface if SO3 is also present, antimony being always in contact with molybdenum sulfide. Almost no antimony droplets are dissipated in the glass melt. The total amount of precipitated antimony also increases. The presence of sulfide on the interface likely facilitates antimony precipitation. The reaction of molybdenum with antimony oxides is inhibited in sites covered by an antimony layer. The composition of sulfide layers formed at 1400°C approximates that of Mo2S3. At 1100°C, the sulfide composition approximates that of MoS4. Corrosion multiplies in the glass melt without additions through the effect of AC current, most molybdenum being separated in the form of metallic particles. Corrosion also increases in the glass melt containing antimony oxides. This is due to increased corrosion in the neighborhood of the separated antimony droplets. This mechanism also results in the loosening of molybdenum particles. The amount of precipitated antimony also increases through the effect of the AC current. AC exerts no appreciable effect on either corrosion, the character of the electrode-glass interface, or antimony precipitation in the glass melt containing SO3.

Correlation of CsK{sub 2}Sb photocathode lifetime with antimony thickness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mamun, M. A., E-mail: mmamu001@odu.edu; Elmustafa, A. A. [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia 23529 (United States); The Applied Research Center, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, Virginia 23606 (United States); Hernandez-Garcia, C.; Poelker, M. [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, Virginia 23606 (United States)

2015-06-01

CsK{sub 2}Sb photocathodes with quantum efficiency on the order of 10% at 532 nm, and lifetime greater than 90 days at low voltage, were successfully manufactured via co-deposition of alkali species emanating from an effusion source. Photocathodes were characterized as a function of antimony layer thickness and alkali consumption, inside a vacuum chamber that was initially baked, but frequently vented without re-baking. Photocathode lifetime measured at low voltage is correlated with the antimony layer thickness. Photocathodes manufactured with comparatively thick antimony layers exhibited the best lifetime. We speculate that the antimony layer serves as a reservoir, or sponge, for the alkali.

New Sorbents for Removing Arsenic From Water

Science.gov (United States)

McConchie, D. M.; Genc-Fuhrman, H.; Clark, M. W.; Caldicott, W.; Davies-McConchie, F. G.

2004-12-01

Elevated concentrations of arsenic in the drinking water used in many countries, including some of the poorest developing countries, and recognition that consuming this water can have serious consequences for human health, have led to increased investigations of ways to obtain safe water supplies. Finding new groundwater resources is a possible solution but this is a costly strategy that has no guarantee of success, particularly in areas where water is already a scarce commodity. The alternative is to treat water that is already available, but existing technologies are usually too expensive, too difficult to operate and maintain, or not completely effective when used in less developed countries or remote areas. There is therefore, an urgent need to find a simple and effective but inexpensive sorbent for arsenic that can be used to treat large volumes of water under less than ideal conditions. In this paper we present the results of field and laboratory trials that used a new, highly cost-effective, sorbent to remove arsenic from contaminated water. BauxsolT is the name given to the cocktail of minerals prepared by treating caustic bauxite refinery residues with Mg and Ca to produce a substance with a reaction pH of about 8.5, a high acid neutralizing capacity and an excellent ability to trap trace metals, metalloids and some other ionic species. The trapped ions are tightly bound by processes that include; precipitation of low solubility neoformational minerals, isomorphous substitution, solid-state diffusion, and adsorption; it is also an excellent flocculant. Although ordinary BauxsolT has an excellent ability to bind arsenate, and to a lesser extent arsenite, this ability can be further increased for particular water types by using activated BauxsolT or BauxsolT combined with small amounts of other reagents. Field trials conducted at the Gilt Edge Mine, South Dakota, showed that the addition of BauxsolT to highly sulfidic waste rock reduced the arsenic

Arsenic Removal from Aqueous Solutions by Salvadora persica Stem Ash

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Ferdos Kord Mostafapour

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Arsenic is a naturally occurring metalloid, which is widely distributed in nature and is regarded as the largest mass poisoning in history. In the present study, the adsorption potential of Salvadora persica (S. persica stem ash in a batch system for the removal of As(V from aqueous solutions was investigated. Isotherm studies were carried out to evaluate the effect of contact time (20–240 min, pH (2–11, initial arsenic concentration (50–500 μg/L, and adsorbent dose on sorption efficiency. Maximum removal efficiency of 98.33% and 99.32% was obtained at pH 6, adsorbent dosage 3.5 g/L, initial As(V concentration 500 μg/L, and contact time 80 and 60 min for S. persica stem ash at 300 °C and 500 °C, respectively. Also, the adsorption equilibriums were analyzed by the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. Such equilibriums showed that the adsorption data was well fitted with the Freundlich isotherm model for S. persica stem ash at both 300 °C and 500 °C (R2=0.8983 and 0.9274, resp.. According to achieved results, it was defined that S. persica stem ash can be used effectively for As(V removal from the aqueous environment.

Is it possible to avert arsenic effects on cells and tissues bypassing its toxicity and suppressive consequences of energy production? A hypothesis

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Biplab Giri

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Arsenic, a sulfhydryl reactive metalloid, found primarily in two forms: arsenite and arsenate, causing several human health problems, is considered as a dreaded agent against public health. It mainly spreads through groundwater contamination and affects human mainly through drinking water. Arsenic contaminated groundwater is now a major threat in some parts of India (the river basin of Ganga and Brahmaputra and Bangladesh. The current authors belong to the region where arsenic poisoning and its consequences are spreading in an uncontrolled way. We are helpless to stop the spreading of geogenic groundwater arsenic contamination at present. Although most of the research on arsenic removal from drinking water and on toxicity profile has been carried out, very few preventive measures have been reported till date to balance the arsenic-induced cellular energy deficiency and oxidative stress-mediated cell death and cellular senescence. And, therefore, we need to think about alternative remedial to address such problems, which propel us to propose the current hypothesis that the adverse effects of energy imbalance due to arsenic toxicity in cells could be dodged by intake of moderate amount of alcohol. While pyruvate dehydrogenase complex is blocked by arsenic, glucose cannot be utilized through Kreb's cycle. However, alcohol can produce energy by bypassing the aerobic adenosine triphosphate (ATP production machinery. In addition, arsenic poisoning incurs cellular oxidative stress which needs to be scavenged further. So to meet this secondary problem, we also suggest consuming red grape juice (a potent antioxidant and cytoprotective agent in addition to alcohol (as per International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP Drinking Guidelines in our second part of the hypothesis. In conclusion, it can be suggested that the red wine which contains moderate amount of alcohol and high levels of red grape polyphenols, galic acid, resveratrol, and other

The Evaluation of the Corrosion Resistance of the Al-Si Alloys Antimony Alloyed

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Svobodova J.

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the evaluation of the corrosion resistance of the Al-Si alloys alloyed with the different amount of antimony. Specifically it goes about the alloy AlSi7Mg0,3 which is antimony alloyed in the concentrations 0; 0,001; 0,005; 0,01 a 0,05 wt. % of antimony. The introduction of the paper is dedicated to the theory of the aluminium alloys corrosion resistance, testing and evaluation of the corrosion resistance. The influence of the antimony to the Al-Si alloys properties is described further in the introduction. The experimental part describes the experimental samples which were prepared for the experiment and further they were exposed to the loading in the atmospheric conditions for a period of the 3 months. The experimental samples were evaluated macroscopically and microscopically. The results of the experiment were documented and the conclusions in terms of the antimony impact to the corrosion resistance of the Al-Si alloy were concluded. There was compared the corrosion resistance of the Al-Si alloy antimony alloyed (with the different antimony content with the results of the Al-Si alloy without the alloying after the corrosion load in the atmospheric conditions in the experiment.

Risk Assessment and Source Identification of 17 Metals and Metalloids on Soils from the Half-Century Old Tungsten Mining Areas in Lianhuashan, Southern China

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Li Guo

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Mining activities always emit metal(loids into the surrounding environment, where their accumulation in the soil may pose risks and hazards to humans and ecosystems. Objective: This paper aims to determine of the type, source, chemical form, fate and transport, and accurate risk assessment of 17 metal(loid contaminants including As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Cr, Ag, B, Bi, Co, Mo, Sb, Ti, V, W and Sn in the soils collected from an abandoned tungsten mining area, and to guide the implementing of appropriate remediation strategies. Methods: Contamination factors (CFs and integrated pollution indexes (IPIs and enrichment factors (EFs were used to assess their ecological risk and the sources were identified by using multivariate statistics analysis, spatial distribution investigation and correlation matrix. Results: The IPI and EF values indicated the soils in the mine site and the closest downstream one were extremely disturbed by metal(loids such as As, Bi, W, B, Cu, Pb and Sn, which were emitted from the mining wastes and acid drainages and delivered by the runoff and human activities. Arsenic contamination was detected in nine sites with the highest CF values at 24.70 next to the mining site. The Cd contamination scattered in the paddy soils around the resident areas with higher fraction of bioavailable forms, primarily associated with intense application of phosphorus fertilizer. The lithogenic elements V, Ti, Ag, Ni, Sb, Mo exhibit low contamination in all sampling points and their distribution were depended on the soil texture and pedogenesis process. Conclusions: The long term historical mining activities have caused severe As contamination and higher enrichment of the other elements of orebody in the local soils. The appropriate remediation treatment approach should be proposed to reduce the bioavailability of Cd in the paddy soils and to immobilize As to reclaim the soils around the mining site. Furthermore, alternative fertilizing

Risk Assessment and Source Identification of 17 Metals and Metalloids on Soils from the Half-Century Old Tungsten Mining Areas in Lianhuashan, Southern China.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Li; Zhao, Weituo; Gu, Xiaowen; Zhao, Xinyun; Chen, Juan; Cheng, Shenggao

2017-11-29

Background: Mining activities always emit metal(loid)s into the surrounding environment, where their accumulation in the soil may pose risks and hazards to humans and ecosystems. Objective : This paper aims to determine of the type, source, chemical form, fate and transport, and accurate risk assessment of 17 metal(loid) contaminants including As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Cr, Ag, B, Bi, Co, Mo, Sb, Ti, V, W and Sn in the soils collected from an abandoned tungsten mining area, and to guide the implementing of appropriate remediation strategies. Methods : Contamination factors ( CFs ) and integrated pollution indexes ( IPIs ) and enrichment factors ( EFs ) were used to assess their ecological risk and the sources were identified by using multivariate statistics analysis, spatial distribution investigation and correlation matrix. Results : The IPI and EF values indicated the soils in the mine site and the closest downstream one were extremely disturbed by metal(loid)s such as As, Bi, W, B, Cu, Pb and Sn, which were emitted from the mining wastes and acid drainages and delivered by the runoff and human activities. Arsenic contamination was detected in nine sites with the highest CF values at 24.70 next to the mining site. The Cd contamination scattered in the paddy soils around the resident areas with higher fraction of bioavailable forms, primarily associated with intense application of phosphorus fertilizer. The lithogenic elements V, Ti, Ag, Ni, Sb, Mo exhibit low contamination in all sampling points and their distribution were depended on the soil texture and pedogenesis process. Conclusions : The long term historical mining activities have caused severe As contamination and higher enrichment of the other elements of orebody in the local soils. The appropriate remediation treatment approach should be proposed to reduce the bioavailability of Cd in the paddy soils and to immobilize As to reclaim the soils around the mining site. Furthermore, alternative fertilizing way

40 CFR 421.146 - Pretreatment standards for new sources.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... metal produced by electrowinning Antimony 30.150 13.440 Arsenic 21.720 9.687 Mercury 2.344 0.937 (c... GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS NONFERROUS METALS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Primary Antimony Subcategory... Mercury 2.344 0.937 (b) Fouled Anolyte. PSNS for the Primary Antimony Subcategory Pollutant or pollutant...

Simultaneous determination of arsenic, selenium and antimony species using HPLC/ICP-MS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindemann, T.; Prange, A.; Neidhart, B. [GKSS-Forschungszentrum Geesthacht GmbH (Germany). Inst. fuer Physikalische und Chemische Analytik; Dannecker, W. [Univ. of Hamburg (Germany). Inst. for Inorganic and Applied Chemistry

1999-07-01

A new method for the simultaneous separation and determination of four arsenic species [As(III), As(V), monomethylarsonic acid and dimethylarsinic acid], three selenium species [Se(IV), Se(VI) and selenomethionine] as well as Sb(III) and Sb(V) is presented. The speciation was achieved by on-line coupling of anion exchange high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Chromatographic parameters such as the composition and pH of the mobile phase were optimised. Limits of detection are below 4.5 {mu}g L{sup -1} (as element) for Sb(III) and the selenium species and below 0.5 {mu}g L{sup -1} for the other species. Precisions of retention times were better than 2% RSD and of peak areas better than 8% RSD for all the species investigated. (orig.) With 5 figs., 3 tabs., 41 refs.

Extended solubility and martensitic hcp nickel formation in antimony implanted nickel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, E.; Sarholt-Kristensen, L.; Johansen, A.

1982-01-01

Radiation damage microstructure and associated disorder have been investigated in antimony implanted nickel crystals using combined RBS and TEM analyses. In crystals implanted at and below room temperature with 80 keV Sb + ions to a fluence of 5x10 20 m -2 , the retained antimony concentration in the implantation zone is approaching 15 at.%, with nearly all the antimony located substitutionally. The associated disorder as seen in the RBS analysis is insignificant. Annealing up to 600 0 C has little influence on the antimony distribution, whilst the dechanneling level is reduced. TEM and diffraction analysis of room temperature implanted samples show that the radiation damage consists of dense distributions of dislocation clusters and tangles, superimposed on a rather homogeneous background of new phase particles, identified as hcp nickel. The particles have a size 0.1-0.2 μm. The high substitutional antimony concentration at and below room temperature, which exceeds the solubility limit, indicates that its formation is thermally diffusionless and rather an effect of radiation enhanced solubility. The diffusionless nature of the microstructure is also indicated from the presence of martensitic hcp nickel, believed to form due to relief of radiation induced internal stress. (Auth.)

Arsenic-induced stress activates sulfur metabolism in different organs of garlic (Allium sativum L.) plants accompanied by a general decline of the NADPH-generating systems in roots.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruíz-Torres, Carmelo; Feriche-Linares, Rafael; Rodríguez-Ruíz, Marta; Palma, José M; Corpas, Francisco J

2017-04-01

Arsenic (As) contamination is a major environmental problem which affects most living organisms from plants to animals. This metalloid poses a health risk for humans through its accumulation in crops and water. Using garlic (Allium sativum L.) plants as model crop exposed to 200μM arsenate, a comparative study among their main organs (roots and shoots) was made. The analysis of arsenic, glutathione (GSH), phytochelatins (PCs) and lipid peroxidation contents with the activities of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate-glutathione cycle), and the main components of the NADPH-generating system, including glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH), NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME) and NADP-isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP-ICDH) was carried out. Data showed a correlation among arsenic accumulation in the different organs, PCs content and the antioxidative response, with a general decline of the NADPH-generating systems in roots. Overall, our results demonstrate that there are clear connections between arsenic uptake, increase of their As-chelating capacity in roots and a decline of antioxidative enzyme activities (catalase and the ascorbate peroxidase) whose alteration provoked As-induced oxidative stress. Thus, the data suggest that roots act as barrier of arsenic mediated by a prominent sulfur metabolism which is characterized by the biosynthesis of high amount of PCs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Distribution of liposome-encapsulated antimony in dogs

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D.A. Schettini

2003-02-01

Full Text Available The achievement of complete cure in dogs with visceral leishmaniasis is currently a great challenge, since dogs are the main reservoir for the transmission of visceral leishmaniasis to humans and they respond poorly to conventional treatment with pentavalent antimonials. In order to improve the efficacy of treatment, we developed a novel formulation for meglumine antimoniate based on the encapsulation of this drug in freeze-dried liposomes (LMA. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the biodistribution of antimony (Sb in dogs following a single intravenous bolus injection of LMA. Four healthy male mongrel dogs received LMA at 3.8 mg Sb/kg body weight and were sacrificed 3, 48 and 96 h and 7 days later. Antimony was determined in the blood, liver, spleen and bone marrow. In the bone marrow, the highest Sb concentration was observed at 3 h (2.8 µg/g wet weight whereas in the liver and spleen it was demonstrated at 48 h (43.6 and 102.4 µg/g, respectively. In these organs, Sb concentrations decreased gradually and reached levels of 19.1 µg/g (liver, 28.1 µg/g (spleen and 0.2 µg/g (bone marrow after 7 days. Our data suggest that the critical organ for the treatment with LMA could be the bone marrow, since it has low Sb levels and, presumably, high rates of Sb elimination. A multiple dose treatment with LMA seems to be necessary for complete elimination of parasites from bone marrow in dogs with visceral leishmaniasis.

Multiple inorganic toxic substances contaminating the groundwater of Myingyan Township, Myanmar: arsenic, manganese, fluoride, iron, and uranium.

Science.gov (United States)

Bacquart, Thomas; Frisbie, Seth; Mitchell, Erika; Grigg, Laurie; Cole, Christopher; Small, Colleen; Sarkar, Bibudhendra

2015-06-01

In South Asia, the technological and societal shift from drinking surface water to groundwater has resulted in a great reduction of acute diseases due to water borne pathogens. However, arsenic and other naturally occurring inorganic toxic substances present in groundwater in the region have been linked to a variety of chronic diseases, including cancers, heart disease, and neurological problems. Due to the highly specific symptoms of chronic arsenic poisoning, arsenic was the first inorganic toxic substance to be noticed at unsafe levels in the groundwater of West Bengal, India and Bangladesh. Subsequently, other inorganic toxic substances, including manganese, uranium, and fluoride have been found at unsafe levels in groundwater in South Asia. While numerous drinking water wells throughout Myanmar have been tested for arsenic, relatively little is known about the concentrations of other inorganic toxic substances in Myanmar groundwater. In this study, we analyzed samples from 18 drinking water wells (12 in Myingyan City and 6 in nearby Tha Pyay Thar Village) and 2 locations in the Ayeyarwaddy River for arsenic, boron, barium, beryllium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, fluoride, iron, mercury, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, lead, antimony, selenium, thallium, uranium, vanadium, and zinc. Concentrations of arsenic, manganese, fluoride, iron, or uranium exceeded health-based reference values in most wells. In addition, any given well usually contained more than one toxic substance at unsafe concentrations. While water testing and well sharing could reduce health risks, none of the wells sampled provide water that is entirely safe with respect to inorganic toxic substances. It is imperative that users of these wells, and users of other wells that have not been tested for multiple inorganic toxic substances throughout the region, be informed of the need for drinking water testing and the health consequences of drinking water contaminated with inorganic toxic

The promotion on cell growth of androgen-dependent prostate cancer by antimony via mimicking androgen activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Changwen; Li, Penghao; Wen, Yingwu; Feng, Guowei; Liu, Yu; Zhang, Yangyi; Xu, Yong; Zhang, Zhihong

2018-05-15

Antimony is a widely used heavier pnictogens in industry, and its toxicity has been a matter of concern. Although previous studies have suggested that antimony may have the function as either a tumor suppressor or an oncogene in several cancers, the molecular basis underlying antimony-mediated transformation is still unclear. In the current study, we attempt to elucidate the potential role of antimony in the development of prostate cancer. Our results showed that the concentration of antimony was much higher in serum of prostate cancer patients, and was closely associated with poor outcome of patients who underwent radical prostatectomy. Additionally, low dose of antimony could promote proliferation and invasion of androgen-dependent prostate cancer cell line LNCaP cells in vitro and in vivo. The mechanistic studies demonstrated that exposure to antimony triggered the phosphorylation of androgen receptor (AR), which transcriptionally regulates the expression of androgen-related targets, including PSA and NKX3.1. Overall, our results unearthed that antimony could promote tumor growth by mimicking androgen activity in androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells. Therefore, these findings expanded our understanding on the molecular mechanism of antimony in tumorigenesis and tumor progression of prostate cancer, and it appears to be an inspiring strategy to restrain prostate cancer by inhibiting antimony-induced androgen-like effects. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In Vitro Antiparasitic and Apoptotic Effects of Antimony Sulfide Nanoparticles on Leishmania infantum

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Saied Soflaei

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Visceral leishmaniasis is one of the most important sever diseases in tropical and subtropical countries. In the present study the effects of antimony sulfide nanoparticles on Leishmania infantum in vitro were evaluated. Antimony sulfide NPs (Sb2S5 were synthesized by biological method from Serratia marcescens bacteria. Then the cytotoxicity effects of different concentrations (5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 μg/mL of this nanoparticle were assessed on promastigote and amastigote stages of L. infantum. MTT method was used for verification results of promastigote assay. Finally, the percentages of apoptotic, necrotic, and viable cells were determined by flow cytometry. The results indicated the positive effectiveness of antimony sulfide NPs on proliferation of promastigote form. The IC50 (50% inhibitory concentration of antimony sulfide NPs on promastigotes was calculated 50 μg/mL. The cytotoxicity effect was dose-dependent means by increasing the concentration of antimony sulfide NPs, the cytotoxicity curve was raised and the viability curve of the parasite dropped simultaneously. Moreover, the IC50 of antimony sulfide NPs on amastigote stage was calculated 25 μg/mL. On the other hand, however, antimony sulfide NPs have a low cytotoxicity effect on uninfected macrophages but it can induce apoptosis in promastigote stage at 3 of 4 concentrations.

Arsenic removal in solution using non living bio masses of aquatic weed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marin A, M. J.

2010-01-01

Arsenic is a metalloid considered among the most dangerous to health. The As maximum level allowed of drinkable water is 0.01 mg/L established by the Who. Several techniques have been proposed to remove arsenic from water, among which are the sorption processes in economic biological materials, which has advantages for its high efficiency in dilute toxic removing from contaminated water, for these reason it is necessary to study new bio sorbents materials which are economic, simple and easy to apply in the treatment of contaminated areas. The aim of this project was evaluate the removal of As (V) in solution using two non living aquatic plants: water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and lesser duckweed (Lemna minor), characterize these materials and compare the efficiency between both; the parameters evaluated were the As (V) initial concentration in solution, contact time, ph value and the amount of biomass in contact with them. It describes the method to prepare the non living plants. The physicochemical characterization by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis was made. The results shown that cellulose is the main component confirmed by the techniques above mentioned. Surface characterization of Eichhornia crassipes and Lemna minor by specific surface area, shown 1.3521 m 2 /g and 0.6395 m 2 /g respectively, the hydration kinetic indicates that 24 h was the maximum hydration time for both plants; the point of zero charge determination by mass titration gives a ph=6.1 for the first plant and ph=7.1 for the second plant, finally the active site density obtained for the plants were of 8.57 sites/nm 2 and 12.47 sites/nm 2 . The point of zero charge was analyzed for know the ph from which the As (V) species are removal preferably. Tested contact processes between bio sorbent-As (V) were performed to assess the ability of bio masses to removal As (V) from aqueous solutions, investigated

Role of Metabolic Genes in Blood Arsenic Concentrations of Jamaican Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Mohammad H. Rahbar

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Arsenic is a toxic metalloid with known adverse effects on human health. Glutathione-S-transferase (GST genes, including GSTT1, GSTP1, and GSTM1, play a major role in detoxification and metabolism of xenobiotics. We investigated the association between GST genotypes and whole blood arsenic concentrations (BASC in Jamaican children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD. We used data from 100 ASD cases and their 1:1 age- and sex-matched typically developing (TD controls (age 2–8 years from Jamaica. Using log-transformed BASC as the dependent variable in a General Linear Model, we observed a significant interaction between GSTP1 and ASD case status while controlling for several confounding variables. However, for GSTT1 and GSTM1 we did not observe any significant associations with BASC. Our findings indicate that TD children who had the Ile/Ile or Ile/Val genotype for GSTP1 had a significantly higher geometric mean BASC than those with genotype Val/Val (3.67 µg/L vs. 2.69 µg/L, p < 0.01. Although, among the ASD cases, this difference was not statistically significant, the direction of the observed difference was consistent with that of the TD control children. These findings suggest a possible role of GSTP1 in the detoxification of arsenic.

Leishmania donovani isolates with antimony-resistant but not -sensitive phenotype inhibit sodium antimony gluconate-induced dendritic cell activation.

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Arun Kumar Haldar

2010-05-01

Full Text Available The inability of sodium antimony gluconate (SAG-unresponsive kala-azar patients to clear Leishmania donovani (LD infection despite SAG therapy is partly due to an ill-defined immune-dysfunction. Since dendritic cells (DCs typically initiate anti-leishmanial immunity, a role for DCs in aberrant LD clearance was investigated. Accordingly, regulation of SAG-induced activation of murine DCs following infection with LD isolates exhibiting two distinct phenotypes such as antimony-resistant (Sb(RLD and antimony-sensitive (Sb(SLD was compared in vitro. Unlike Sb(SLD, infection of DCs with Sb(RLD induced more IL-10 production and inhibited SAG-induced secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, up-regulation of co-stimulatory molecules and leishmanicidal effects. Sb(RLD inhibited these effects of SAG by blocking activation of PI3K/AKT and NF-kappaB pathways. In contrast, Sb(SLD failed to block activation of SAG (20 microg/ml-induced PI3K/AKT pathway; which continued to stimulate NF-kappaB signaling, induce leishmanicidal effects and promote DC activation. Notably, prolonged incubation of DCs with Sb(SLD also inhibited SAG (20 microg/ml-induced activation of PI3K/AKT and NF-kappaB pathways and leishmanicidal effects, which was restored by increasing the dose of SAG to 40 microg/ml. In contrast, Sb(RLD inhibited these SAG-induced events regardless of duration of DC exposure to Sb(RLD or dose of SAG. Interestingly, the inhibitory effects of isogenic Sb(SLD expressing ATP-binding cassette (ABC transporter MRPA on SAG-induced leishmanicidal effects mimicked that of Sb(RLD to some extent, although antimony resistance in clinical LD isolates is known to be multifactorial. Furthermore, NF-kappaB was found to transcriptionally regulate expression of murine gammaglutamylcysteine synthetase heavy-chain (mgammaGCS(hc gene, presumably an important regulator of antimony resistance. Importantly, Sb(RLD but not Sb(SLD blocked SAG-induced mgammaGCS expression in DCs by

Neutrons and antimony physical measurements and interpretations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, A. B.

2000-01-01

New experimental information for the elastic and inelastic scattering of ∼ 4--10 MeV neutrons from elemental antimony is presented. The differential measurements are made at ∼ 40 or more scattering angles and at incident neutron-energy intervals of ∼ 0.5 MeV. The present experimental results, those previously reported from this laboratory and as found in the literature are comprehensively interpreted using spherical optical-statistical and dispersive-optical models. Direct vibrational processes via core-excitation, isospin and shell effects are discussed. Antimony models for applications are proposed and compared with global, regional, and specific models reported in the literature

Lattice dynamics of femtosecond laser-excited antimony

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdel-Fattah, Mahmoud Hanafy [Applied Research Center, Old Dominion University, Newport News, VA 23606 (United States); Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529 (United States); Bugayev, Aleksey [Applied Research Center, Old Dominion University, Newport News, VA 23606 (United States); Elsayed-Ali, Hani E., E-mail: helsayed@odu.edu [Applied Research Center, Old Dominion University, Newport News, VA 23606 (United States); Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529 (United States)

2016-07-01

Ultrafast electron diffraction is used to probe the lattice dynamics of femtosecond laser-excited antimony thin film. The temporal hierarchies of the intensity and position of diffraction orders are monitored. The femtosecond laser excitation of antimony film was found to lead to initial compression after the laser pulse, which gives way to tension vibrating at new equilibrium displacement. A damped harmonic oscillator model, in which the hot electron-blast force contributes to the driving force of oscillations in lattice spacing, is used to interpret the data. The electron–phonon energy-exchange rate and the electronic Grüneisen parameter were obtained.

Correlation of Breastmilk Arsenic With Maternal, Infant Urinary Arsenic and Drinking Water Arsenic in an Arsenic Affected Area of Bangladesh

Science.gov (United States)

Alauddin, M.; Islam, M. R.; Milton, A. H.; Alauddin, S. T.; Mouly, T.; Behri, E.; Ayesha, A.; Akter, S.; Islam, M. M.

2016-12-01

About 97% of population in Bangladesh depend on groundwater as the principle source of drinking water and this water is highly contaminated with inorganic arsenic. Consumption of arsenic contaminated drinking water by pregnant women raises the prospect of early life exposure to inorganic arsenic for newborn which may be lead to adverse health effect in later life. This work was carried out in parts of Gopalganj district in Bangladesh, a region affected by arsenic contamination in groundwater. The objective of the work was to assess potential early life exposure to arsenic for infants through breastfeeding by mothers who were drinking water with arsenic levels ranging from 100 to 300 µg/l. A cohort of 30 mother-baby pairs were selected for the current study. Breastmilk samples from mothers, urine samples from each pair of subjects at 1, 6 and 9 month age of infant were collected and total arsenic were determined in these samples. In addition speciation of urinary arsenic and metabolites were carried out in 12 mother-baby pairs. Median level for breastmilk arsenic were 0.50 µg/l. Urinary arsenic of infants did not correlate with breastmilk arsenic with progressing age of infants. Maternal and infant urinary total arsenic at 1 month age of infant showed some positive correlation (r = 0.39). In infant urine major metabolite were dimethyl arsenic acid (DMA) (approximately 70%) indicating good methylating capacity for infants at 1 and 6 months of age. In conclusion, infants were not exposed to arsenic through breastfeeding even though mothers were exposed to significant levels of arsenic through drinking water.

Characterization of the cytosolic distribution of priority pollutant metals and metalloids in the digestive gland cytosol of marine mussels: seasonal and spatial variability.

Science.gov (United States)

Strižak, Zeljka; Ivanković, Dušica; Pröfrock, Daniel; Helmholz, Heike; Cindrić, Ana-Marija; Erk, Marijana; Prange, Andreas

2014-02-01

Cytosolic profiles of several priority pollutant metals (Cu, Cd, Zn, Pb) and metalloid As were analyzed in the digestive gland of the mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) sampled at locations with different environmental pollution levels along the Croatian coast in the spring and summer season. Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) connected to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to determine selected elements bound to cytosolic biomolecules separated based on their molecular size. Copper, cadmium and zinc eluted mostly associated with high molecular weight (HMW) and medium molecular weight (MMW) biomolecules, but with a more prominent elution in the MMW peak at polluted locations which were probably associated with the 20 kDa metallothionein (MT). Elution of all three metals within this peak was also strongly correlated with cytosolic Cd as strong inducer of MT. Lead mostly eluted in HMW biomolecule range, but in elevated cytosolic Pb concentrations, significant amount eluted in low molecular weight (LMW) biomolecules. Arsenic, on the other hand eluted almost completely in LMW range, but we could not distinguish specific molecular weight biomolecules which would be predominant in detoxification mechanism. Seasonal variability in element abundance within specific peaks was present, although not in the same extent, for all elements and locations, especially for As. The results confirm the suitability of the distribution of selected metals/metalloids among different cytosolic ligands as potential indicator for metal exposure. Obtained findings can also serve as guidelines for further separation and characterization of specific cytosolic metal-binding biomolecules. © 2013.

Protective Effects of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Nasturtium officinale on Rat Blood Cells Exposed to Arsenic

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Felor Zargari

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Arsenic is one of the most toxic metalloids. Anemia and leukopenia are common results of poisoning with arsenic, which may happen due to a direct hemolytic or cytotoxic effect on blood cells. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Nasturtium officinale on blood cells and antioxidant enzymes in rats exposed to sodium (metaarsenite. Methods: 32 Male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups; Group I (normal healthy rats, Group II (treated with 5.5mg/kg of body weight of NaAsO2, Group III (treated with 500mg/kg of body weight of hydro-alcoholic extract of N. officinale, and Group IV (treated with group II and III supplementations. Blood samples were collected and red blood cell, white blood cell, hematocrit, hemoglobin, platelet, total protein and albumin levels and total antioxidant capacity were measured. Data was analyzed with Mann-Whitney U test. Results: WBC, RBC and Hct were decreased in the rats exposed to NaAsO2 (p<0.05. A significant increase was seen in RBC and Hct after treatment with the plant extract (p<0.05. There was no significant decrease in serum albumin and total protein in the groups exposed to NaAsO2 compared to the group I, but NaAsO2 decreased the total antioxidant capacity, significantly. Conclusion: The Nasturtium officinale extract have protective effect on arsenic-induced damage of blood cells.

Alkaline sulfide pretreatment of an antimonial refractory Au-Ag ore for improved cyanidation

Science.gov (United States)

Alp, Ibrahim; Celep, Oktay; Deveci, Haci

2010-11-01

This paper presents the alkaline sulfide pretreatment of an antimonial refractory gold and silver ore. In the ore, gold occurs mainly as gold-silver alloys and as associated with quartz and framboidal pyrite grains, and, to a small extent, as the inclusions within antimonial sulfides. Silver is present extensively as antimonial sulfides such as andorite. Alkaline sulfide pretreatment was shown to allow the decomposition of the antimonial sulfide minerals (up to 98% Sb removal) and to remarkably improve the amenability of gold (e.g., from leaching. An increase in reagent concentration (1-4 mol/L Na2S or NaOH) and temperature (20-80°C), and a decrease in particle size seem to produce an enhancing effect on metal extraction. These findings suggest that alkaline sulfide leaching can be suitably used as a chemical pretreatment method prior to the conventional cyanidation for antimonial refractory gold and silver ores.

Metals and metalloids treatment in contaminated neutral effluents using modified materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Calugaru, Iuliana Laura; Neculita, Carmen Mihaela; Genty, Thomas; Zagury, Gérald J

2018-04-15

Circumneutral surface water and groundwater can contain hazardous concentrations of metals and metalloids that can threaten organisms in surrounding ecosystems. Extensive research has been conducted over the past two decades to prevent, limit, and treat water pollution. Among the currently available treatment options is the use of natural and residual materials, which is generally regarded as effective and inexpensive. The modification of such materials enhances the removal capacity of metals and metalloids, as well as the physical and chemical stability of the materials and resulting sludge (after treatment). This paper reviews several modified materials that have produced and evaluated in the past twenty years to treat various contaminants in water under specific conditions. Important factors on performance improvement following the modifications are emphasized. Sorption capacity and kinetics, and element removal mechanisms are also discussed. Element recovery, material regeneration, water reuse, evaluation of treatment efficiency for real effluents are also considered, as well as the applicability of these materials in both active and passive treatment systems. Modified natural and residual materials are a promising option for the treatment of metals and metalloids in circumneutral contaminated waters. However, further research is necessary to evaluate their field-scale performance and to properly assess treatment costs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pore Water Arsenic Dynamics in Rice Paddies Under Projected Future Climates

Science.gov (United States)

Plaganas, M.; Wang, T.; Muehe, E. M.; Fendorf, S. E.

2016-12-01

Rice is one of the staple crops in the world, with 50% of the global population eating rice daily. Many rice-producing regions of the world are irrigated with groundwater contaminated with arsenic (As), and in particular South and Southeast Asia, where geogenic As is leached into the groundwater. Use of groundwater pervasively high in As leads to subsequent accumulation in paddy soils. Arsenic, a toxic metalloid, also decreases rice productivity and further jeopardizes food security. Hence, rice agriculture is concerned with its productivity in a climate change impacted future and the particular impacts of arsenic on yields. However, past studies do not address the prevalence of As in paddy soils or its fate in the rhizosphere and ultimate impact on the plant. The objective of our study was to determine changes in pore water As dynamics in the rhizosphere of rice plants grown on As-contaminated paddy soil under climate conditions projected for the end of the century. In order to address this objective, we designed greenhouse chambers with today's climate and projected climate conditions for the year 2100, specifically 5°C increase in temperature and doubled concentration of atmospheric CO2. We hypothesize that the effects of climate change with these conditions will increase the mobility of As in the rhizosphere, and thus, decrease rice growth in As-bearing paddies more than, so far, expected. We examined pore water geochemistry including pH and As concentrations, and correlate that to the height of the plants. Furthermore, the dynamics of other elements in the pore water such as carbon, iron, sulfur, manganese, and silica are further evaluated for their effects on rice growth. Arsenic will have an impact on rice production and conditions induced by future climatic conditions need to be considered for food security. Considering that climate change will decrease the global agricultural output, we should urgently consider adapting our agricultural practices to aid

Oligosilanylated Antimony Compounds

OpenAIRE

Zitz, Rainer; Gatterer, Karl; Reinhold, Crispin R. W.; M?ller, Thomas; Baumgartner, Judith; Marschner, Christoph

2015-01-01

By reactions of magnesium oligosilanides with SbCl3, a number of oligosilanylated antimony compounds were obtained. When oligosilanyl dianions were used, either the expected cyclic disilylated halostibine was obtained or alternatively the formation of a distibine was observed. Deliberate formation of the distibine from the disilylated halostibine was achieved by reductive coupling with C8K. Computational studies of Sb?Sb bond energies, barriers of pyramidal inversion at Sb, and the conformati...

Synthesis of Antimony Doped Amorphous Carbon Films

Science.gov (United States)

Okuyama, H.; Takashima, M.; Akasaka, H.; Ohtake, N.

2013-06-01

We report the effects of antimony (Sb) doping on the electrical and optical properties of amorphous carbon (a-C:H) films grown on silicon and copper substrates by magnetron sputtering deposition. For film deposition, the mixture targets fabricated from carbon and antimony powders was used. The atomic concentration of carbon, hydrogen, and antimony, in the film deposited from the 1.0 mol% Sb containing target were 81, 17, 2 at.%, respectively. These elements were homogeneously distributed in the film. On the structural effect, the average continuous sp2 carbon bonding networks decreased with Sb concentration increasing, and defects in the films were increased with the Sb incorporation because atomic radius of Sb atoms is twice larger size than that of carbon. The optical gap and the electrical resistivity were carried out before and after the Sb doping. The results show that optical gap dropped from 3.15 to 3.04 eV corresponding to non-doping to Sb-doping conditions, respectively. The electrical resistivity reduced from 10.5 to 1.0 MΩm by the Sb doping. These results suggest the doping level was newly formed in the forbidden band.

Synthesis of Antimony Doped Amorphous Carbon Films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okuyama, H; Takashima, M; Akasaka, H; Ohtake, N

2013-01-01

We report the effects of antimony (Sb) doping on the electrical and optical properties of amorphous carbon (a-C:H) films grown on silicon and copper substrates by magnetron sputtering deposition. For film deposition, the mixture targets fabricated from carbon and antimony powders was used. The atomic concentration of carbon, hydrogen, and antimony, in the film deposited from the 1.0 mol% Sb containing target were 81, 17, 2 at.%, respectively. These elements were homogeneously distributed in the film. On the structural effect, the average continuous sp 2 carbon bonding networks decreased with Sb concentration increasing, and defects in the films were increased with the Sb incorporation because atomic radius of Sb atoms is twice larger size than that of carbon. The optical gap and the electrical resistivity were carried out before and after the Sb doping. The results show that optical gap dropped from 3.15 to 3.04 eV corresponding to non-doping to Sb-doping conditions, respectively. The electrical resistivity reduced from 10.5 to 1.0 MΩm by the Sb doping. These results suggest the doping level was newly formed in the forbidden band.

Groundwater contamination with arsenic and other trace elements in an area of the Pampa, province of Cordoba, Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nicolli, H.B.; Suriano, J.M.; Gomez Peral, M.A.; Ferpozzi, L.H.; Baleani, O.A.

1989-01-01

A geochemical study of the groundwater of the pampa in the province of Cordoba, Argentina, is reported. Physical-chemical parameters, dissolved solids, and seven trace elements were determined in 60 selected water samples. Systematic and accurate measurements of arsenic, fluorine, and vanadium were performed for the first time. The geographic distribution of the seven trace elements was mapped and its correlation with the anion-cation composition of the water was studied. Eighty-four percent of the water analyzed showed arsenic contents over 0.05 mg/l. The maxima for arsenic, fluorine, vanadium, and uranium contents were found in the western part of the study area, in waters dominated by alkali metal cations. Maximum selenium and antimony contents were found in the eastern part of the areas, whereas molybdenum distribution showed no relationship to the other groups. The movements of the subsoil have disturbed surface and subsurface drainage, thus influencing the water salinity and trace element contents. To investigate the origin of contamination, 54 loess samples were collected at wells in depths ranging from the surface down to the water table. This loess, which has a high proportion of volcanic components, mainly rhyolitic glass, exhibits a chemical composition corresponding to that of a dacite. The loess and volcanic glass show anomalous contents of all contaminant trace elements, mainly arsenic and selenium. For this reason, loess is considered to be the most important source of contamination of this ground water area. 30 refs., 6 figs., 9 tab

Binational Arsenic Exposure Survey: Methodology and Estimated Arsenic Intake from Drinking Water and Urinary Arsenic Concentrations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robin B. Harris

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The Binational Arsenic Exposure Survey (BAsES was designed to evaluate probable arsenic exposures in selected areas of southern Arizona and northern Mexico, two regions with known elevated levels of arsenic in groundwater reserves. This paper describes the methodology of BAsES and the relationship between estimated arsenic intake from beverages and arsenic output in urine. Households from eight communities were selected for their varying groundwater arsenic concentrations in Arizona, USA and Sonora, Mexico. Adults responded to questionnaires and provided dietary information. A first morning urine void and water from all household drinking sources were collected. Associations between urinary arsenic concentration (total, organic, inorganic and estimated level of arsenic consumed from water and other beverages were evaluated through crude associations and by random effects models. Median estimated total arsenic intake from beverages among participants from Arizona communities ranged from 1.7 to 14.1 µg/day compared to 0.6 to 3.4 µg/day among those from Mexico communities. In contrast, median urinary inorganic arsenic concentrations were greatest among participants from Hermosillo, Mexico (6.2 µg/L whereas a high of 2.0 µg/L was found among participants from Ajo, Arizona. Estimated arsenic intake from drinking water was associated with urinary total arsenic concentration (p < 0.001, urinary inorganic arsenic concentration (p < 0.001, and urinary sum of species (p < 0.001. Urinary arsenic concentrations increased between 7% and 12% for each one percent increase in arsenic consumed from drinking water. Variability in arsenic intake from beverages and urinary arsenic output yielded counter intuitive results. Estimated intake of arsenic from all beverages was greatest among Arizonans yet participants in Mexico had higher urinary total and inorganic arsenic concentrations. Other contributors to urinary arsenic concentrations should be evaluated.

Electrodeposition of antimony, tellurium and their alloys from molten acetamide mixtures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nguyen, H.P.; Peng, X.; Murugan, G.; Vullers, R.J.M.; Vereecken, P.M.; Fransaer, J.

2013-01-01

We examine the electrodeposition of antimony (Sb), tellurium (Te) and their alloys from molten mixtures of acetamide - antimony chloride and tellurium chloride. The binary mixtures of acetamide with SbCl3 and TeCl 4 exhibit eutectic formation with large depressions of freezing points to below room

40 CFR 421.140 - Applicability: Description of the primary antimony subcategory.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Applicability: Description of the primary antimony subcategory. 421.140 Section 421.140 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS NONFERROUS METALS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Primary Antimony Subcategory § 421.140...

Informal E-waste recycling in developing countries: review of metal(loid)s pollution, environmental impacts and transport pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Ackah, Michael

2017-11-01

Crude or primitive recycling practices are often adopted in material resource recovery from E-waste in developing nations. Significant human health and environmental impacts may occur because of such practices. Literature on metal(loid)s pollution during E-waste processing is fragmented. Here, I review the health and environmental impacts of E-waste recycling operations and transport pathways of metal(loid)s, dispersed during operations. This paper is organised into five sections. Section 1 relates to the background of global E-waste generation and legal/illegal trade, citing specific cases from Ghana and other developing nations. Section 2 provides a brief information on sources of metal(loid)s in E-waste. Section 3 describes characteristics of informal E-waste recycling operations in developing nations. Section 4 examines the health and environmental impacts in E-waste recycling while section 5 evaluates major transport pathways of metal(loid)s contaminants.

Use of Endophytic and Rhizosphere Bacteria To Improve Phytoremediation of Arsenic-Contaminated Industrial Soils by Autochthonous Betula celtiberica.

Science.gov (United States)

Mesa, Victoria; Navazas, Alejandro; González-Gil, Ricardo; González, Aida; Weyens, Nele; Lauga, Béatrice; Gallego, Jose Luis R; Sánchez, Jesús; Peláez, Ana Isabel

2017-04-15

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of indigenous arsenic-tolerant bacteria to enhance arsenic phytoremediation by the autochthonous pseudometallophyte Betula celtiberica The first goal was to perform an initial analysis of the entire rhizosphere and endophytic bacterial communities of the above-named accumulator plant, including the cultivable bacterial species. B. celtiberica 's microbiome was dominated by taxa related to Flavobacteriales , Burkholderiales , and Pseudomonadales , especially the Pseudomonas and Flavobacterium genera. A total of 54 cultivable rhizobacteria and 41 root endophytes, mainly affiliated with the phyla Proteobacteria , Bacteroidetes , Firmicutes , and Actinobacteria , were isolated and characterized with respect to several potentially useful features for metal plant accumulation, such as the ability to promote plant growth, metal chelation, and/or mitigation of heavy-metal stress. Seven bacterial isolates were further selected and tested for in vitro accumulation of arsenic in plants; four of them were finally assayed in field-scale bioaugmentation experiments. The exposure to arsenic in vitro caused an increase in the total nonprotein thiol compound content in roots, suggesting a detoxification mechanism through phytochelatin complexation. In the contaminated field, the siderophore and indole-3-acetic acid producers of the endophytic bacterial consortium enhanced arsenic accumulation in the leaves and roots of Betula celtiberica , whereas the rhizosphere isolate Ensifer adhaerens strain 91R mainly promoted plant growth. Field experimentation showed that additional factors, such as soil arsenic content and pH, influenced arsenic uptake in the plant, attesting to the relevance of field conditions in the success of phytoextraction strategies. IMPORTANCE Microorganisms and plants have developed several ways of dealing with arsenic, allowing them to resist and metabolize this metalloid. These properties form the basis of

Glutathione S-Transferases: Role in Combating Abiotic Stresses Including Arsenic Detoxification in Plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Smita Kumar

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Arsenic (As, naturally occurring metalloid and a potential hazardous material, is found in low concentrations in the environment and emerges from natural sources and anthropogenic activities. The presence of As in ground water, which is used for irrigation, is a matter of great concern since it affects crop productivity and contaminates food chain. In plants, As alters various metabolic pathways in cells including the interaction of substrates/enzymes with the sulfhydryl groups of proteins and the replacement of phosphate in ATP for energy. In addition, As stimulates the generation of free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS, resulting in oxidative stress. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs quench reactive molecules with the addition of glutathione (GSH and protect the cell from oxidative damage. GSTs are a multigene family of isozymes, known to catalyze the conjugation of GSH to miscellany of electrophilic and hydrophobic substrates. GSTs have been reported to be associated with plant developmental processes and are responsive to multitude of stressors. In past, several studies suggested involvement of plant GST gene family in As response due to the requirement of sulfur and GSH in the detoxification of this toxic metalloid. This review provides updated information about the role of GSTs in abiotic and biotic stresses with an emphasis on As uptake, metabolism, and detoxification in plants. Further, the genetic manipulations that helped in enhancing the understanding of the function of GSTs in abiotic stress response and heavy metal detoxification has been reviewed.

Antimony recycling in the United States in 2000

Science.gov (United States)

Carlin, James F.

2006-01-01

The importance of recycling has become more obvious as concerns about the environment and import dependence have grown in recent years. When materials are recycled, fewer natural resources are consumed, and less waste products go to landfills or pollute the water and air. This study, one of a series of reports on metals recycling in 2000, discusses the flow of antimony from mining through its uses and disposal with emphasis on recycling. In 2000, the recycling efficiency for antimony was estimated to be 89 percent, and the recycling rate was about 20 percent.

40 CFR 440.90 - Applicability; description of the antimony ore subcategory.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Applicability; description of the antimony ore subcategory. 440.90 Section 440.90 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS ORE MINING AND DRESSING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Antimony Ore Subcategory § 440.90 Applicability;...

Surface area of antimony oxide by isotope exchange and other methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rao, Y.K.; Acharya, B.V.; Rangamannar, B.

1985-06-17

Specific surface areas of antimony oxide samples, one commercial, the other prepared from antimony trichloride were measured by heterogeneous isotope exchange, gas adsorption, air permeability and microscopic methods. Specific surface areas obtained by these four methods for the two samples were compared and the observed differences are explained.

Selective oxidation of propene on bismuth molybdate and mixed oxides of tin and antimony and of uranium and antimony

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pendleton, P.; Taylor, D.

1976-01-01

Propene + 18 0 2 reactions have been studied in a static reaction system on bismuth molybdate and mixed oxides of tin and antimony and of uranium and antimony. The [ 16 0] acrolein content of the total acrolein formed and the proportion of 16 0 in the oxygen of the carbon dioxide by-product have been determined. The results indicate that for each catalyst the lattice is the only direct source of the oxygen in the aldehyde, and that lattice and/or gas phase oxygen is used in carbon dioxide formation. Oxygen anion mobility appears to be greater in the molybdate catalyst than in the other two. (author)

Arsenic partitioning among particle-size fractions of mine wastes and stream sediments from cinnabar mining districts.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Veronica; Loredo, Jorge; Fernández-Martínez, Rodolfo; Larios, Raquel; Ordóñez, Almudena; Gómez, Belén; Rucandio, Isabel

2014-10-01

Tailings from abandoned mercury mines represent an important pollution source by metals and metalloids. Mercury mining in Asturias (north-western Spain) has been carried out since Roman times until the 1970s. Specific and non-specific arsenic minerals are present in the paragenesis of the Hg ore deposit. As a result of intensive mining operations, waste materials contain high concentrations of As, which can be geochemically dispersed throughout surrounding areas. Arsenic accumulation, mobility and availability in soils and sediments are strongly affected by the association of As with solid phases and granular size composition. The objective of this study was to examine phase associations of As in the fine grain size subsamples of mine wastes (La Soterraña mine site) and stream sediments heavily affected by acid mine drainage (Los Rueldos mine site). An arsenic-selective sequential procedure, which categorizes As content into seven phase associations, was applied. In spite of a higher As accumulation in the finest particle-size subsamples, As fractionation did not seem to depend on grain size since similar distribution profiles were obtained for the studied granulometric fractions. The presence of As was relatively low in the most mobile forms in both sites. As was predominantly linked to short-range ordered Fe oxyhydroxides, coprecipitated with Fe and partially with Al oxyhydroxides and associated with structural material in mine waste samples. As incorporated into short-range ordered Fe oxyhydroxides was the predominant fraction at sediment samples, representing more than 80% of total As.

Review of arsenic contamination, exposure through water and food and low cost mitigation options for rural areas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sharma, Anitha Kumari; Tjell, Jens Christian; Sloth, Jens Jørgen

2014-01-01

Arsenic (As) is a toxic metalloid found to be an important groundwater contaminant of mainly natural geogenic origin worldwide particularly in large deltas and along major rivers in poor regions of South- and East-Asia. Excessive and long-term human intake of toxic inorganic As with food and wate...... for lowering the human intake of As in rural areas are critically evaluated in terms of public acceptance, sustainability and impact on arsenicosis. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd....... is causing arsenicosis, which is disfiguring, disabling, and leading to potentially fatal diseases like skin- and internal cancers. It is estimated that more than 100. million people mainly in developing countries are at risk. The arsenicosis situation in affected countries has been named the largest...

Copper-promoted cementation of antimony in hydrochloric acid system: A green protocol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Lian-Kui; Li, Ying-Ying; Cao, Hua-Zhen; Zheng, Guo-Qu, E-mail: zhenggq@zjut.edu.cn

2015-12-15

Highlights: • Antimony can be efficiently removed by cementation with copper powder. • Cemented antimony is in the form of Cu{sub 2}Sb. • Consumed copper powder is transformed to CuCl. • The cementation is a chemically controlled step. • No toxic stibine generates during the cementation process. - Abstract: A new method of recovering antimony in hydrochloric acid system by cementation with copper powder was proposed and carried out at laboratory scale. Thermodynamic analysis and cyclic voltammetry test were conducted to study the cementation process. This is a novel antimony removal technology and quite meets the requirements of green chemistry. The main cement product Cu{sub 2}Sb is a promising anodic material for lithium and sodium ion battery. And nearly all consumed copper powder are transformed into CuCl which is an important industrial material. The effect of reaction temperature, stoichiometric ratio of Cu to Sb(III), stirring rate and concentration of HCl on the cementation efficiency of antimony were investigated in detail. Optimized cementation condition is obtained at 60 °C for 120 min and stirring rate of 600 rpm with Cu/Sb(III) stoichiometric ratio of 6 in 3 mol L{sup −1} HCl. At this time, nearly all antimony can be removed by copper powder and the cementation efficiency is over 99%. The structure and morphologies of the cement products were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Results show that the reaction temperature has little influence on the morphology of the cement products which consist of particles with various sizes. The activation energy of the cementation antimony on copper is 37.75 kJ mol{sup −1}, indicating a chemically controlled step. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry results show that no stibine generates during the cementation process.

Hyperaccumulators of metal and metalloid trace elements: facts and fiction.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Ent, A.; Baker, A.J.M.; Reeves, R.D.; Pollard, A.J.; Schat, H.

2012-01-01

Background: Plants that accumulate metal and metalloid trace elements to extraordinarily high concentrations in their living biomass have inspired much research worldwide during the last decades. Hyperaccumulators have been recorded and experimentally confirmed for elements such as nickel, zinc,

Investigation of Antimony Leaching from Bottles (PET into the Bottled Waters in Fars Province

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masoud Noshadi

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET is the most common material used in manufacturing mineral water bottles. Antimony trioxide (Sb2O3 used to form the PET containers may pollute water with their ingredients. In this research, graphite furnance atomic absorption spectrometry was used to investigate the effects of storage time (1 to 8 weeks, storage temperature (-20 to 80 °C, pH (6.3 to 8.3, exposure to sunlight, and UV radiation on leaching antimony from PET bottles into the mineral water of 15 bottled water brands available in Fars Province. Concentrations of antimony in the first and second weeks were lower than the maximum standard limit (5 ppb recommended by Iranian regulations. Antimony concentration in one sample (brand A rose above the standard limit after four weeks and in 3 samples (brands A, F, and J with antimony concentrations of 5.48, 5.08, and 5.06 µg/L, respectively exceeded the standard limit after 8 weeks. Sunlight, UV radiation, changes in pH, and storage at temperatures of -20 ℃, 60 ℃, and 80℃ were also found to increase antimony concentrations to levels above the maximum standard limit. Clearly, storing bottled mineral water in ambient conditions may lead to the release of antimony into bottled water, which is a serious threat to public health.

Montmorillonite Supported Titanium/Antimony Catalyst:Preparation, Characterization and Immobilization

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

CHEN Guiyong; WANG Xiaoqun; ZHAO Chuan; DU Shanyi

2014-01-01

Montmorillonite supported titanium (Ti-MMT) or antimony catalyst (Sb-MMT) has been a hot area of research on preparing polyethylene terephthalate/montmorillonite (PET/MMT) nanocomposites by in situ polymerization. So removal of Ti or Sb from Ti-MMT or Sb-MMT is not expected during in situ polymerization. Studies on immobilization of Ti or Sb on Ti-MMT or Sb-MMT are seldom reported. In this work, a series of montmorillonite supported catalysts of titanium (Ti-MMT) or antimony (Sb-MMT) and co-intercalated montmorillonite of titanium and antimony (Ti/Sb-MMT) were prepared by (1) the reaction of sodium bentonite suspension with intercalating solution containing titanium tetrachloride and/or antimony chloride, and (2) drying or calcinating the products at different temperature (100, 150, 240, 350 and 450℃). The physicochemical properties of these MMT supported catalysts were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICPOES), N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy(UV-vis) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The immobile character of Ti or Sb on MMT supported catalysts was evaluated by a two-step method in deionized water or ethylene glycol. Several results were obtained, i e, (a) during the preparation, with an increase in drying or calcinating temperature, the amount of titanium and/or antimony species remained on these MMT supported catalysts decreased, (b) the experiments about immobile character of Ti or/and Sb showed that with an increase in drying or calcinating temperature, the immobilization of Ti and/or Sb species remained on these MMT supported catalysts increased gradually, (c) Ti-MMT calcinated at 450℃had the biggest pore volume, which means Ti-MMT had the best adsorption application prospect.

Antimony-121 Moessbauer spectra of antimony(III) compounds with a stereochemically active lone pair

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeda, Masuo; Takahashi, Masashi; Ohyama, Ryuhichi

1986-01-01

The Sb-121 Moessbauer parameters at 20 K for 23 antimony(III) compounds were obtained and the data are discussed in terms of known crystal structures. The isomer shifts and quadrupole coupling constants depend strongly on the type of configuration around the Sb(III) atoms with stereochemically active lone pair electrons. (Auth.)

Vapor transport deposition of antimony selenide thin film solar cells with 7.6% efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Xixing; Chen, Chao; Lu, Shuaicheng; Li, Kanghua; Kondrotas, Rokas; Zhao, Yang; Chen, Wenhao; Gao, Liang; Wang, Chong; Zhang, Jun; Niu, Guangda; Tang, Jiang

2018-06-05

Antimony selenide is an emerging promising thin film photovoltaic material thanks to its binary composition, suitable bandgap, high absorption coefficient, inert grain boundaries and earth-abundant constituents. However, current devices produced from rapid thermal evaporation strategy suffer from low-quality film and unsatisfactory performance. Herein, we develop a vapor transport deposition technique to fabricate antimony selenide films, a technique that enables continuous and low-cost manufacturing of cadmium telluride solar cells. We improve the crystallinity of antimony selenide films and then successfully produce superstrate cadmium sulfide/antimony selenide solar cells with a certified power conversion efficiency of 7.6%, a net 2% improvement over previous 5.6% record of the same device configuration. We analyze the deep defects in antimony selenide solar cells, and find that the density of the dominant deep defects is reduced by one order of magnitude using vapor transport deposition process.

Toxic metal(loid) speciation during weathering of iron sulfide mine tailings under semi-arid climate

Science.gov (United States)

Root, Robert A.; Hayes, Sarah M.; Hammond, Corin M.; Maier, Raina M.; Chorover, Jon

2015-01-01

Toxic metalliferous mine-tailings pose a significant health risk to ecosystems and neighboring communities from wind and water dispersion of particulates containing high concentrations of toxic metal(loid)s (e.g., Pb, As, Zn). Tailings are particularly vulnerable to erosion before vegetative cover can be reestablished, i.e., decades or longer in semi-arid environments without intervention. Metal(loid) speciation, linked directly to bioaccessibility and lability, is controlled by mineral weathering and is a key consideration when assessing human and environmental health risks associated with mine sites. At the semi-arid Iron King Mine and Humboldt Smelter Superfund site in central Arizona, the mineral assemblage of the top 2 m of tailings has been previously characterized. A distinct redox gradient was observed in the top 0.5 m of the tailings and the mineral assemblage indicates progressive transformation of ferrous iron sulfides to ferrihydrite and gypsum, which, in turn weather to form schwertmannite and then jarosite accompanied by a progressive decrease in pH (7.3 to 2.3). Within the geochemical context of this reaction front, we examined enriched toxic metal(loid)s As, Pb, and Zn with surficial concentrations 41.1, 10.7, 39.3 mM kg-1 (3080, 2200, and 2570 mg kg-1), respectively. The highest bulk concentrations of As and Zn occur at the redox boundary representing a 1.7 and 4.2 fold enrichment relative to surficial concentrations, respectively, indicating the translocation of toxic elements from the gossan zone to either the underlying redox boundary or the surface crust. Metal speciation was also examined as a function of depth using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The deepest sample (180 cm) contains sulfides (e.g., pyrite, arsenopyrite, galena, and sphalerite). Samples from the redox transition zone (25-54 cm) contain a mixture of sulfides, carbonates (siderite, ankerite, cerrusite, and smithsonite) and metal(loid)s sorbed to neoformed secondary Fe

Synthesis of barium mercaptides and application of antimony/barium mercaptides

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

瞿龙; 张露露; 舒万艮

2001-01-01

Mercaptoacetic acid, isooctyl thioglycolate and barium hydroxide used as start materials, barium bis (2-ethylhexyl thioglycolate) (Ba(2EHTG)2), barium thioglycolate (Ba(TG)) and barium bisthioglycolate (Ba(TG)2) were synthesized. Their optimum synthetic techniques were discussed, and some physicochemical data were reported. Infrared spectroscopy and elemental analysis methods were used to identify the structures. They were put into PVC plastic products together with antimony tris (2-ethylhexyl thioglycolate) (Sb(2EHTG)3) under the suitable compounding, and their heat stability to PVC was studied. It is shown that these barium mercaptides have remarkable synergisms with antimony mercaptides and the long-term stabilizing effect of organoantimony stabilizer can be effectively improved, reducing the amount of antimony compounds so as to avoid the decrease of its stabilizing effect.

Antimony sorption properties of chitosan - nano TiO2 composite beads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishad, Padala Abdul; Bhaskarapillai, Anupkumar; Velmurugan, Sankaralingam

2015-01-01

Routine decontamination campaigns of nuclear reactors are generally effective in removing various radionuclides such as cobalt, caesium, etc., and bring down the radiation field. However, during some of the decontamination campaigns, the radiation field at some surfaces was seen to have actually gone up. This was found to be due to lack of removal of antimony isotopes by the regular ion exchange resins used, which subsequently deposited over out of core surfaces leading to increased radiation field on those surfaces. Thus there exists a need for efficient antimony removal system. We have synthesised nano titania impregnated - epichlorohydrin crosslinked chitosan beads, which were found to have high sorption capacity for antimony. The beads, which were synthesised in formats suitable for large scale (column mode) applications, were shown to be effective sorbent of antimony in both +3 and +5 oxidation states. The sorbent exhibited complete removal of antimony from its aqueous solutions of concentration ranging from 150 ppb to 120 ppm. In order to understand the sorption mechanism and to fine tune the bead composition, the effect of crosslinker concentration used during the synthesis on the swelling and sorption properties of the beads was investigated in detail. The variation effected significant changes in physical parameters such as bead diameter, swelling ratio, equilibrium water content and true wet density. Sorption capacity, unlike with regular resins, was found to increase with increase in crosslinker amount. The antimony sorption capacity of the crosslinked beads prepared by crosslinking 0.3 g uncrosslinked beads with 6.4 mmol epichlorohydrin (crosslinker) was 493 μmol/g. Non-crosslinked beads showed a capacity of 75 μmol/g, while the crosslinked beads made with the least amount of crosslinker (0.64 mmol per 0.3 g beads) showed a capacity of 133 μmol/g. These results indicate the possible involvement of the crosslinker in the sorption. (author)

Multiple inorganic toxic substances contaminating the groundwater of Myingyan Township, Myanmar: Arsenic, manganese, fluoride, iron, and uranium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bacquart, Thomas [Better Life Laboratories, Calais, VT (United States); Frisbie, Seth [Better Life Laboratories, Calais, VT (United States); Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Norwich University, Northfield, VT (United States); Mitchell, Erika [Better Life Laboratories, Calais, VT (United States); Grigg, Laurie [Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Norwich University, Northfield, VT (United States); Cole, Christopher [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Norwich University, Northfield, VT (United States); Small, Colleen [Vermont Department of Health Laboratory, Burlington, VT (United States); Sarkar, Bibudhendra, E-mail: bsarkar@sickkids.ca [Department of Molecular Structure and Function, The Research Institute of The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

2015-06-01

In South Asia, the technological and societal shift from drinking surface water to groundwater has resulted in a great reduction of acute diseases due to water borne pathogens. However, arsenic and other naturally occurring inorganic toxic substances present in groundwater in the region have been linked to a variety of chronic diseases, including cancers, heart disease, and neurological problems. Due to the highly specific symptoms of chronic arsenic poisoning, arsenic was the first inorganic toxic substance to be noticed at unsafe levels in the groundwater of West Bengal, India and Bangladesh. Subsequently, other inorganic toxic substances, including manganese, uranium, and fluoride have been found at unsafe levels in groundwater in South Asia. While numerous drinking water wells throughout Myanmar have been tested for arsenic, relatively little is known about the concentrations of other inorganic toxic substances in Myanmar groundwater. In this study, we analyzed samples from 18 drinking water wells (12 in Myingyan City and 6 in nearby Tha Pyay Thar Village) and 2 locations in the Ayeyarwaddy River for arsenic, boron, barium, beryllium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, fluoride, iron, mercury, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, lead, antimony, selenium, thallium, uranium, vanadium, and zinc. Concentrations of arsenic, manganese, fluoride, iron, or uranium exceeded health-based reference values in most wells. In addition, any given well usually contained more than one toxic substance at unsafe concentrations. While water testing and well sharing could reduce health risks, none of the wells sampled provide water that is entirely safe with respect to inorganic toxic substances. It is imperative that users of these wells, and users of other wells that have not been tested for multiple inorganic toxic substances throughout the region, be informed of the need for drinking water testing and the health consequences of drinking water contaminated with inorganic toxic

Multiple inorganic toxic substances contaminating the groundwater of Myingyan Township, Myanmar: Arsenic, manganese, fluoride, iron, and uranium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bacquart, Thomas; Frisbie, Seth; Mitchell, Erika; Grigg, Laurie; Cole, Christopher; Small, Colleen; Sarkar, Bibudhendra

2015-01-01

In South Asia, the technological and societal shift from drinking surface water to groundwater has resulted in a great reduction of acute diseases due to water borne pathogens. However, arsenic and other naturally occurring inorganic toxic substances present in groundwater in the region have been linked to a variety of chronic diseases, including cancers, heart disease, and neurological problems. Due to the highly specific symptoms of chronic arsenic poisoning, arsenic was the first inorganic toxic substance to be noticed at unsafe levels in the groundwater of West Bengal, India and Bangladesh. Subsequently, other inorganic toxic substances, including manganese, uranium, and fluoride have been found at unsafe levels in groundwater in South Asia. While numerous drinking water wells throughout Myanmar have been tested for arsenic, relatively little is known about the concentrations of other inorganic toxic substances in Myanmar groundwater. In this study, we analyzed samples from 18 drinking water wells (12 in Myingyan City and 6 in nearby Tha Pyay Thar Village) and 2 locations in the Ayeyarwaddy River for arsenic, boron, barium, beryllium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, fluoride, iron, mercury, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, lead, antimony, selenium, thallium, uranium, vanadium, and zinc. Concentrations of arsenic, manganese, fluoride, iron, or uranium exceeded health-based reference values in most wells. In addition, any given well usually contained more than one toxic substance at unsafe concentrations. While water testing and well sharing could reduce health risks, none of the wells sampled provide water that is entirely safe with respect to inorganic toxic substances. It is imperative that users of these wells, and users of other wells that have not been tested for multiple inorganic toxic substances throughout the region, be informed of the need for drinking water testing and the health consequences of drinking water contaminated with inorganic toxic

Radiochemical studies of the separation of some chloro-complexes of tin, antimony, cadmium and indium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramamoorthy, N.; Mani, R.S.

1976-01-01

Radioisotopes of tin, antimony, cadmium and indium such as tin-113, antimony-124, antimony-125, cadmium-109, cadmium-115, indium-113m and indium-111 find extensive applications as tracers in various fields. These isotopes are produced by irradiation of targets in a reactor or a cyclotron. It is usually observed that in addition to the nuclear reactions giving rise to the desired isotopes, side reactions also take place giving rise to radionuclidic contaminants. Thus, antimony-125, indium-114m and indium-114 will be present in the cyclotron produced indium-111. The authors have studied column chromatography over hydrous zirconia for the separation of antimony from tin and indium, and cadmium from indium. These studies have thrown light on the role and behaviour of antimony-125 present as an impurity in tin-113 during the preparation of tin-113-indium-113m generators and have indicated methods for the preparation of 115 Cd-sup(115m)In generators and for separation of 111 In from proton irradiated cadmium targets. (Authors)

Synthesis and tribological properties of antimony N, N-diethanoldithiocarbamate

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

李丽; 黄可龙; 瞿龙; 舒万艮

2001-01-01

Antimony N, N-diethanoldithiocarbamate was synthesized with diethanolamine, antimony trioxide and carbon disulfide. The influences of temperature, reaction time, solvents and their dosages were investigated, and the optimum synthesis conditions were: reaction temperature 15～20 ℃, reaction time 2.5 h, 250 mL CH3OH as solvent and the hot CH3OH as recrystallization solvent. Element analysis, IR, 1HNMR and 13CNMR spectra were used to study its chemical composition and molecular structure. Antimony N, N-diethanol-dithiocarbamate was added in the base oil, and its properties of wear resistance and extreme pressure were studied by FB, FD and WSD. The synthesis product behaves per fectly as wear resistance and extreme pressure additive and its extreme pressure property is superior to its wear resistance property. The mechanism of tribological action was discussed by using XPS and AES spectra, and the reason of good wear resistance and extreme pressure properties is that the synthesis product decompose element C, S and N.

New fluorescent polymeric nanocomposites synthesized by antimony dodecyl-mercaptide thermolysis in polymer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2009-04-01

Full Text Available In this work, the formation of semiconductive Sb2S3 nanoparticles inside amorphous polystyrene has been achieved by thermal degradation of the corresponding antimony dodecyl-mercaptide, Sb(SC12H253. The thermolysis of the dodecyl-mercaptide precursor was studied as both pure phase and mercaptide solution in polystyrene. The thermal decomposition of the antimony mercaptide precursor at 350°C, under vacuum, showed the formation of a mixture of antimony trisulfide (stibnite, Sb2S3 and zero-valent antimony (Sb phase. X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD and Rietveld analysis carried out on the obtained nanostructured powder confirmed the presence of Sb and Sb2S3 phases in 10.4 wt% and 89.6 wt% amount, respectively. The same pyrolysis reaction was carried out in the polymer and the resulting nanocomposite material was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, UV-VIS spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The nanocomposite structural characterization indicated the presence of well-dispersed nanoclusters of antimony and stibnite (15–30 nm in size inside the amorphous polymeric phase. Optical measurements on the obtained nanocomposite films showed a strong emission at 432 nm upon excitation at 371 nm, probably related to the presence of Sb2S3 nanoclusters.

Removal of lead from crude antimony by using NaPo3 as lead elimination reagent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ye L.G.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In order to solve the shortcomings when removing lead from crude antimony in the traditional antimony smelting, a new process was provided using NaPO3 as lead elimination reagent to yield phosphate slag, and it was removed by floating on the surface of the liquid antimony. Reaction mechanism was clarified by using the TG-DTA and XRD techniques and single factor experiments of removal lead from crude antimony were engaged. The results show that PbO and NaPO3 begin endothermic reaction at 863K (590°C, and the reaction mainly form NaPb4(PO43 and NaPbPO4 below 1123K (850°C and above 1123K (850°C, respectively. Sb2O3 and NaPO3 start the reaction at 773K (500°C and generate an antimonic salt compound. The reaction product of the mixture of PbO, Sb2O3 and NaPO3 show that NaPO3 reacted with PbO prior when NaPO3 was insufficient, amorphous antimony glass will be generated only when NaPO3 was adequate. Single factor experiments were taken with NaNO3 as oxidizing agent under argon, effect of reaction time, reaction temperature and dosage of NaPO3 and NaNO3 on smelting results. The average content of lead in refined antimony was 0.05340% and 98.85% of lead were removed under optimal conditions; the content of lead in antimony have meet the requirements of commercial antimony.

Determination of the long-term release of metal(loid)s from construction materials using DGTs.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmukat, A; Duester, L; Ecker, D; Heininger, P; Ternes, T A

2013-09-15

Long-term leaching experiments are crucial to estimate the potential release of dangerous substances from construction materials. The application of Diffuse Gradients in Thin film (DGT) in static-batch experiments was tested to study the long-term release of metal(loid)s from construction materials for hydraulic engineering, for half a year. Long-term release experiments are essential to improve calculations of the life-time release for this materials. DGTs in batch experiments were found to be a space and labour efficient application, which enabled (i) to study, in a non-invasive manner, the total release of nine metal(loid)s for half a year, (ii) to differentiate between release mechanisms and (iii) to study mechanisms which were contrary to the release or caused experimental artefacts in the batch experiments. For copper slag (test material) it was found that eight metal(loid)s were released over the whole time period of 184 d. Cu, Ni and Pb were found to be released, predominantly caused by (the) weathering of sulphide minerals. Only for Zn a surface depletion mechanism was identified. The results from the long-term batch experiments deliver new information on the release of metal(loid)s during the life cycle of construction materials with regard to river basin management objectives. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The fate of arsenic adsorbed on iron oxides in the presence of arsenite-oxidizing bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhennan; Yin, Naiyi; Du, Huili; Cai, Xiaolin; Cui, Yanshan

2016-05-01

Arsenic (As) is a redox-active metalloid whose toxicity and mobility in soil depend on its oxidation state. Arsenite [As(III)] can be oxidized by microbes and adsorbed by minerals in the soil. However, the combined effects of these abiotic and biotic processes are not well understood. In this study, the fate of arsenic in the presence of an isolated As(III)-oxidizing bacterium (Pseudomonas sp. HN-1, 10(9) colony-forming units (CFUs)·ml(-1)) and three iron oxides (goethite, hematite, and magnetite at 1.6 g L(-1)) was determined using batch experiments. The total As adsorption by iron oxides was lower with bacteria present and was higher with iron oxides alone. The total As adsorption decreased by 78.6%, 36.0% and 79.7% for goethite, hematite and magnetite, respectively, due to the presence of bacteria. As(III) adsorbed on iron oxides could also be oxidized by Pseudomonas sp. HN-1, but the oxidation rate (1.3 μmol h(-1)) was much slower than the rate in the aqueous phase (96.2 μmol h(-1)). Therefore, the results of other studies with minerals only might overestimate the adsorptive capacity of solids in natural systems; the presence of minerals might hinder As(III) oxidation by microbes. Under aerobic conditions, in the presence of iron oxides and As(III)-oxidizing bacteria, arsenic is adsorbed onto iron oxides within the adsorption capacity, and As(V) is the primary form in the solid and aqueous phases. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spin-exchange interaction between transition metals and metalloids in soft-ferromagnetic metallic glasses

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Santanu; Choudhary, Kamal; Chernatynskiy, Aleksandr; Choi Yim, Haein; Bandyopadhyay, Asis K.; Mukherjee, Sundeep

2016-06-01

High-performance magnetic materials have immense industrial and scientific importance in wide-ranging electronic, electromechanical, and medical device technologies. Metallic glasses with a fully amorphous structure are particularly suited for advanced soft-magnetic applications. However, fundamental scientific understanding is lacking for the spin-exchange interaction between metal and metalloid atoms, which typically constitute a metallic glass. Using an integrated experimental and molecular dynamics approach, we demonstrate the mechanism of electron interaction between transition metals and metalloids. Spin-exchange interactions were investigated for a Fe-Co metallic glass system of composition [(Co1-x Fe x )0.75B0.2Si0.05]96Cr4. The saturation magnetization increased with higher Fe concentration, but the trend significantly deviated from simple rule of mixtures. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulation was used to identify the ferromagnetic/anti-ferromagnetic interaction between the transition metals and metalloids. The overlapping band-structure and density of states represent ‘Stoner type’ magnetization for the amorphous alloys in contrast to ‘Heisenberg type’ in crystalline iron. The enhancement of magnetization by increasing iron was attributed to the interaction between Fe 3d and B 2p bands, which was further validated by valence-band study.

The acidic properties of mixed tin and antimony oxide catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Irving, E.A.; Taylor, D.

1978-01-01

The acidic properties of mixed tin + antimony oxide catalysts were studied in the isomerization of 3,3-dimethyl-1-butene, cyclopropane, 1-butene, and cis-2-butene and the dehydration of isopropanol over the mixed oxides outgassed at room temperature and 698/sup 0/K. Only the zero-order portions of the reaction were used for calculations. With catalysts outgassed at room temperature, weakly acidic sites were present, and all the reactions probably occurred by a carbonium ion mechanism with Broensted acid sites as a source of protons. The rates increased with increasing antimony content to a maximum at approx. 50 at. % and then decreased with further increase in the antimony content. Outgassing of the catalysts at 698/sup 0/K increased the isomerization rate of 3,3-dimethyl-1-butene, but decreased those for cyclopropane and isopropanol due to poisoning by the propylene produced. For 1-butene and cis-2-butene and catalysts outgassed at 698/sup 0/K, only catalysts with less than 50Vertical Bar3< antimony were active. The catalysts were poisoned by treatment with bases or with sodium acetate. A proposed correlation between rates and acidity led to the conclusion that the catalyst composition corresponding to maximum acidity differs from that for maximum selective oxidation activity. Graphs and 10 references.

Phytoextraction by arsenic hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata L. from six arsenic-contaminated soils: Repeated harvests and arsenic redistribution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonzaga, Maria I.S.; Santos, Jorge A.G. [Department of Soil Chemistry, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Cruz das Almas, 44380000 (Brazil); Ma, Lena Q. [Soil and Water Science Department, University of Florida, 2169 McCarty Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611-0290 (United States)], E-mail: lqma@ifas.ufl.edu

2008-07-15

This greenhouse experiment evaluated arsenic removal by Pteris vittata and its effects on arsenic redistribution in soils. P. vittata grew in six arsenic-contaminated soils and its fronds were harvested and analyzed for arsenic in October, 2003, April, 2004, and October, 2004. The soil arsenic was separated into five fractions via sequential extraction. The ferns grew well and took up arsenic from all soils. Fern biomass ranged from 24.8 to 33.5 g plant{sup -1} after 4 months of growth but was reduced in the subsequent harvests. The frond arsenic concentrations ranged from 66 to 6,151 mg kg{sup -1}, 110 to 3,056 mg kg{sup -1}, and 162 to 2,139 mg kg{sup -1} from the first, second and third harvest, respectively. P. vittata reduced soil arsenic by 6.4-13% after three harvests. Arsenic in the soils was primarily associated with amorphous hydrous oxides (40-59%), which contributed the most to arsenic taken up by P. vittata (45-72%). It is possible to use P. vittata to remediate arsenic-contaminated soils by repeatedly harvesting its fronds. - Pteris vittata was effective in continuously removing arsenic from contaminated soils after three repeated harvests.

In Vitro antileishmanial properties of neutron-irradiated meglumine antimoniate

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Samanta Etel Treiger Borborema

2005-10-01

Full Text Available Pentavalent antimony, as meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime® or sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam® , is the main treatment for leishmaniasis, a complex of diseases caused by the protozoan Leishmania, and an endemic and neglected threat in Brazil. Despite over half a century of clinical use, their mechanism of action, toxicity and pharmacokinetic data remain unknown. The analytical methods for determination of antimony in biological systems remain complex and have low sensitivity. Radiotracer studies have a potential in pharmaceutical development. The aim of this study was to obtain a radiotracer for antimony, with suitable physical and biological properties. Meglumine antimoniate was neutron irradiated inside the IEA-R1 nuclear reactor, producing two radioisotopes 122Sb and 124Sb, with high radionuclidic purity and good specific activity. This compound showed the same antileishmanial activity as the native compound. The use of the radiotracers, easily created by neutron irradiation, could be an interesting tool to solve important questions in antimonial pharmacology.Os antimoniais pentavalentes, como o antimoniato de meglumina (Glucantime® ou estibogluconato de sódio (Pentostam® , são o principal tratamento para a leishmaniose, um complexo de doenças causadas pelo protozoário parasita Leishmania, uma doença endêmica e negligenciada no Brasil. Apesar do seu uso clínico por mais de meio século, seu mecanismo de ação, toxicidade e dados de farmacocinética permanecem desconhecidos. Os métodos analíticos para determinação de antimônio em sistemas biológicos são complexos e apresentam baixa sensibilidade. Estudos utilizando radiotraçadores têm papel potencial no desenvolvimento farmacológico. O objetivo deste estudo foi desenvolver um radiotraçador de antimônio, com propriedades físicas e biológicas adequadas. O antimoniato de meglumina foi irradiado por nêutrons no reator nuclear IEA-R1, produzindo dois radioisótopos: 122

A novel approach for predicting the uptake and toxicity of metallic and metalloid ions

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Peng

2011-01-01

Electrostatic nature of plant plasma membrane (PM) plays significant roles in the ion uptake and toxicity. Electrical potential at the PM exterior surface (ψ0o) influences ion distribution at the PM exterior surface, and the depolarization of ψ0o negativity increases the electrical driving force for cation transport, but decreases the driving force for anion transport across the PMs. Assessing environmental risks of toxic ions has been a difficult task because the ion concentration (activity) in medium is not directly corrected to its potential effects. Medium characteristics like the content of major cations have important influences on the bioavailability and toxicity of ions in natural waters and soils. Models such as the Free Ion Activity Model (FIAM) and the Biotic Ligand Model (BLM), as usually employed, neglect the ψ0o and hence often lead to false conclusions about interaction mechanisms between toxic ions and major cations for biology. The neglect of ψ0o is not inconsistent with its importance, and possibly reflects the difficulty in the measurement of ψ0o. Based on the dual effects of the ψ0o, electrostatic models were developed to better predict the uptake and toxicity of metallic and metalloid ions. These results suggest that the electrostatic models provides a more robust mechanistic framework to assess metal(loid) ecotoxicity and predict critical metal(loid) concentrations linked to a biological effect, indicating its potential utility in risk assessment of metal(loid)s in water and terrestrial ecosystems. PMID:21386661

Standardization of intralesional meglumine antimoniate treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Duque, Maria Cristina de Oliveira; Vasconcellos, Érica de Camargo Ferreira E; Pimentel, Maria Inês Fernandes; Lyra, Marcelo Rosandiski; Pacheco, Sandro Javier Bedoya; Marzochi, Mauro Celio de Almeida; Rosalino, Cláudia Maria Valete; Schubach, Armando de Oliveira

2016-01-01

Intralesional treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis has been applied for over 30 years at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, with good therapeutic results and without relevant systemic toxicity. Meglumine antimoniate was injected subcutaneously, using a long medium-caliber needle (for example, 30mm × 0.8mm); patients received 1-3 injections, with 15-day intervals. The technique is described in detail sufficient to enable replication. The treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis with intralesional meglumine antimoniate is a simple, effective, and safe technique, which may be used in basic healthcare settings.

Preparation and characterization of antimony barium composite oxide photocatalysts

Science.gov (United States)

Han, X. P.; Yao, B. H.; Pan, Q. H.; Pen, C.; Zhang, C. L.

2018-01-01

In this paper, two kinds of antimony barium composite oxide photocatalysts have been prepared by two methods and characterized by XRD and SEM. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by a photocatalytic reactor and an ultraviolet spectrophotometer. The results showed that-BaSb2O5•4H2O, BaSb2O6 two kinds of antimony barium composite oxide photocatalysts were successfully prepared in this experiment and they showed good photocatalytic properties. In addition, BaSb2O6 morphology showed more regular, microstructure and better catalytic performance.

Pilot plant studies on the extraction of antimony metal from lower grade krinj stibnite ore

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rehman, W.; Riaz, M.; Ishaq, M.

2013-01-01

Antimony is a silvery white, brittle and crystalline solid which is extensively consumed in lead acid batteries, antimonial lead alloys, flame retardants and a variety of metallic products. The antimony content of commercial ores range from 5-60% and determines the method of extraction, either pyrometallurgical or hydrometallurgical. The present study focuses on pilot plant scale extraction of antimony metal from lower grade stibnite ore of Krinj (Chitral) without the use of iron scrap, thus eliminating the second step of iron removal in conventional direct reduction method. A tilting gas fired furnace with digital temperature control system and a heat recuperator was designed to optimize the operating parameters for extraction of antimony metal. Weight ratios of flux and reductant, operating time and operating temperature were optimized. Highest percentage recovery and purity were achieved using soda ash as a flux, at a temperature of 900 degree C for 2 hours. (author)

Leishmania donovani: an in vitro study of antimony-resistant amphotericin B-sensitive isolates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sharief, Abdalla Hassan; Gasim Khalil, Eltahir Awad; Theander, Thor G

2006-01-01

Drug sensitivity of clinically antimony-unresponsive Leishmania donovani isolates from Eastern Sudan was evaluated in an in vitro culture system against sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam) and Amphotericin B. Eight isolates, six from antimony-resistant and two from clinically responsive patients were...

Urinary arsenic species, toenail arsenic, and arsenic intake estimates in a Michigan population with low levels of arsenic in drinking water.

Science.gov (United States)

Rivera-Núñez, Zorimar; Meliker, Jaymie R; Meeker, John D; Slotnick, Melissa J; Nriagu, Jerome O

2012-01-01

The large disparity between arsenic concentrations in drinking water and urine remains unexplained. This study aims to evaluate predictors of urinary arsenic in a population exposed to low concentrations (≤50 μg/l) of arsenic in drinking water. Urine and drinking water samples were collected from a subsample (n=343) of a population enrolled in a bladder cancer case-control study in southeastern Michigan. Total arsenic in water and arsenic species in urine were determined using ICP-MS: arsenobetaine (AsB), arsenite (As[III]), arsenate (As[V]), methylarsenic acid (MMA[V]), and dimethylarsenic acid (DMA[V]). The sum of As[III], As[V], MMA[V], and DMA[V] was denoted as SumAs. Dietary information was obtained through a self-reported food intake questionnaire. Log(10)-transformed drinking water arsenic concentration at home was a significant (Pwater were removed and further improved when analyses were applied to individuals who consumed amounts of home drinking water above the median volume (R(2)=0.40, Pwater was 0.42. Results show that arsenic exposure from drinking water consumption is an important determinant of urinary arsenic concentrations, even in a population exposed to relatively low levels of arsenic in drinking water, and suggest that seafood intake may influence urinary DMA[V] concentrations.

The effects of antimony doping on the surface structure of rutile TiO2(110)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bechstein, Ralf; Schuette, Jens; Kuehnle, Angelika; Kitta, Mitsunori; Onishi, Hiroshi

2009-01-01

Titanium dioxide represents a very important wide bandgap photocatalyst that is known to be sensitized to visible light by transition metal doping. Antimony doping has been demonstrated to provide photocatalytic activity when codoped with chromium at an optimum dopant ratio [Sb]/[Cr] of about 1.5. Here, the role of antimony doping on the surface structure of rutile TiO 2 (110) is studied using non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) under ultra-high vacuum conditions. At first glance, the surface structure of antimony-doped TiO 2 (110) resembles the structure of pristine TiO 2 (110). However, in contrast to what is found in pristine TiO 2 (110), a dense layer of protruding features is observed upon antimony doping, which is tentatively ascribed to antimony-rich clusters. Moreover, homogeneously distributed holes are found on the surface, which differ in depth and shape depending on the preparation conditions. Holes with depths ranging from a few up to more than a hundred monatomic steps are observed. These holes are explained by surface segregation of antimony during annealing, as the ionic radius of Sb 3+ is considerably larger than the ionic radius of Ti 4+ . Our finding provides an indication of why an antimony concentration larger than the optimum ratio results in decreased photocatalytic activity. Moreover, controlling annealing temperature seems to constitute a promising strategy for creating nanosized holes on TiO 2 surfaces.

Exposure to antimony from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) trays used in ready-to-eat meals.

Science.gov (United States)

Haldimann, M; Blanc, A; Dudler, V

2007-08-01

Antimony residues, a result of the use of a polycondensation catalyst in the production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) oven-proof trays, were analysed in ready-to-eat meals. The toxicity of antimony has raised concerns about consumer safety; therefore, the migration of small fractions of these residues into ready meals and foods as a result of cooking directly in the PET trays was studied. A straightforward approach of measuring real samples was selected to obtain accurate exposure data. Background antimony concentration was determined separately from a series of lunch meals, which ranged from not detectable to 3.4 microg kg(-1). Microwave and conventional oven-cooking caused a distinct increase in the concentration of antimony in food and ready meals of 0-17 and 8-38 microg kg(-1), respectively, depending, to a certain extent, on the industrial preparations. The migrated quantities of antimony corresponded to 3-13 microg. For comparison, PET roasting bags and ready-made dough products in PET baking dishes were also evaluated. About half of the products prepared at a temperature of 180 degrees C exceeded the specific migration limit set for food contact material by the European Commission. However, the migrated amounts of antimony relative to the accepted tolerable daily intake (TDI) show that exposure from this type of food is currently not of toxicological concern.

Effect of antimony nano-scale surface-structures on a GaSb/AlAsSb distributed Bragg reflector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Husaini, S.; Shima, D.; Ahirwar, P.; Rotter, T. J.; Hains, C. P.; Dang, T.; Bedford, R. G.; Balakrishnan, G.

2013-01-01

Effects of antimony crystallization on the surface of GaSb during low temperature molecular beam epitaxy growth are investigated. The geometry of these structures is studied via transmission electron and atomic force microscopies, which show the surface metal forms triangular-shaped, elongated nano-wires with a structured orientation composed entirely of crystalline antimony. By depositing antimony on a GaSb/AlAsSb distributed Bragg reflector, the field is localized within the antimony layer. Polarization dependent transmission measurements are carried out on these nano-structures deposited on a GaSb/AlAsSb distributed Bragg reflector. It is shown that the antimony-based structures at the surface favor transmission of light polarized perpendicular to the wires.

Fatigue and wear of metalloid-ion-implanted metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hohmuth, K.; Richter, E.; Rauschenbach, B.; Blochwitz, C.

1985-01-01

The effect of metalloid ion implantation on the fatigue behaviour and wear of nickel and two steels has been investigated. These metals were implanted with boron, carbon and nitrogen ions at energies from 30 to 60 keV and with doses from 1 X 10 16 to 1 X 10 18 ions cm -2 at room temperature. The mechanical behaviour of fatigued nickel was studied in push-pull tests at room temperature. Wear measurements were made using a pin-and-disc technique. The surface structure, dislocation arrangement and modification of the implantation profile resulting from mechanical tests on metals which had been implanted with metalloid ions were examined using high voltage electron microscopy, transmission high energy electron diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy. It is reported that nitrogen and boron ion implantation improves the fatigue lifetime, changes the number and density of the slip bands and modifies the dislocation arrangements in nickel. The cyclic deformation leads to recrystallization of the boron-ion-induced amorphous structure of nickel and to diffusion of the boron and nitrogen in the direction of the surface. The wear behaviour of steels was improved by implantation of mass-separated ions and by implantation of ions without mass separation. (Auth.)

The Legacy of Arsenic Contamination from Giant Mine, Northern Canada: An Assessment of Impacts Based on Lake Water and Lake Sediment Core Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Blais, J. M.; Korosi, J.

2016-12-01

The Giant Mine, which operated between 1948 and 2004 and located near the City of Yellowknife (Northwest Territories, Canada), has left a legacy of arsenic, antimony, and mercury contamination extending to the present day. Over 20,000 tonnes of arsenic trioxide dust was released from roaster stack emissions during its first 10 years of operations, leading to a significant contamination of the surrounding landscape. Here we present a summary of impacts by the recent contamination from Giant Mine on the surrounding region. A survey we conducted of 25 lakes of the region in 2010 revealed that most lake water within a 15 km radius of the roaster stack had arsenic concentrations in water > 10 mg/L, the standard for drinking water, with concentrations declining exponentially with increasing distance from the roaster stack. Sediment cores from lakes were collected near the Giant Mine roaster stack and radiometrically dated by 137Cs and excess 210Pb. Arsenic concentrations in these sediments increased by 1700% during the 1950s and 60s, consistent with the history of arsenic releases from roaster emissions. Correspondingly, pelagic diatoms and cladocerans were extirpated from one lake during this period, based on microfossil analysis of lake sediment deposits. Sediment core analysis further showed that this lake ecosystem has not recovered, even ten years after closure of the mine. Likely causes for the lack of recent recovery are explored with the use of sediment toxicity bioassays, using a novel paleo-ecotoxicological approach of using toxicity assessments of radiometrically dated lake sediment horizons.

Adsorption of antimony onto iron oxyhydroxides: Adsorption behavior and surface structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo, Xuejun; Wu, Zhijun [State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875 (China); He, Mengchang, E-mail: hemc@bnu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875 (China); Meng, Xiaoguang [Center for Environmental Systems, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030 (United States); Jin, Xin [State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875 (China); Qiu, Nan; Zhang, Jing [Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility (BSRF), Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China)

2014-07-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Antimony adsorption depended on the Sb species, pH, and the type of iron oxides. • Sb(V) adsorption favored at acidic pH, Sb(III) adsorption optimized in wider pH. • Antimony was adsorbed onto the iron oxides by the inner-sphere surface complex. • Bidentate mononuclear ({sup 2}E) was the dominant form of Sb incorporated into HFO. • XAFS and XPS indicated Sb(III) adsorbed was slowly oxidized to Sb(V). - Abstract: Antimony is detected in soil and water with elevated concentration due to a variety of industrial applications and mining activities. Though antimony is classified as a pollutant of priority interest by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and Europe Union (EU), very little is known about its environmental behavior and adsorption mechanism. In this study, the adsorption behaviors and surface structure of antimony (III/V) on iron oxides were investigated using batch adsorption techniques, surface complexation modeling (SCM), X-ray photon spectroscopy (XPS) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS). The adsorption isotherms and edges indicated that the affinity of Sb(V) and Sb(III) toward the iron oxides depended on the Sb species, solution pH, and the characteristics of iron oxides. Sb(V) adsorption was favored at acidic pH and decreased dramatically with increasing pH, while Sb(III) adsorption was constant over a broad pH range. When pH is higher than 7, Sb(III) adsorption by goethite and hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) was greater than Sb(V). EXAFS analysis indicated that the majority of Sb(III), either adsorbed onto HFO or co-precipitated by FeCl{sub 3}, was oxidized into Sb(V) probably due to the involvement of O{sub 2} in the long duration of sample preservation. Only one Sb–Fe subshell was filtered in the EXAFS spectra of antimony adsorption onto HFO, with the coordination number of 1.0–1.9 attributed to bidentate mononuclear edge-sharing ({sup 2}E) between Sb and

Redox speciation analysis of antimony in soil extracts by hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuentes, Edwar; Pinochet, Hugo; Gregori, Ida de; Potin-Gautier, Martine

2003-01-01

A sensitive atomic spectrometric method for the redox speciation analysis of antimony in soils is described. The method is based on the selective generation of stibine from Sb(III) in a continuous flow system using atomic fluorescence spectrometry for detection. Sb(V) is masked by citric or oxalic acid in HCl medium. The procedure was optimized with synthetic solutions of Sb(III) and Sb(V). The effect of carboxylic acid and HCl concentration on the recovery of Sb(III) and Sb(V) species from standard solutions, and on the fluorescence signal were studied. Both species were extracted from soil with H 2 O, 0.05 mol l -1 EDTA and 0.25 mol l -1 H 2 SO 4 . Since the soil samples were collected from sites impacted by copper mining activities, the effect of Cu 2+ on the determination of antimony in synthetic solutions and soil extracts was studied. Cu 2+ decreased the Sb(III) signal, but had no effect on the total antimony determination. Therefore, the selective determination of Sb(III) was carried out in citric acid-HCl medium, using the analyte addition technique. Total antimony in soil extracts was determined using the standard calibration technique after reducing Sb(V) to Sb(III) at room temperature with KI-ascorbic acid. The Sb(V) concentration was calculated from the difference between total antimony and Sb(III). The limits of detection (PS Analytical, Excalibur Millennium model) were 17 and 10 ng l -1 for Sb(III) and total antimony, respectively, and the R.S.D. at the 0.5-μg l -1 level were 2.5 and 2.4%, respectively. The total antimony concentration of soils is in the mg kg -1 range; the Sb recovery from the different soils by the extracting solutions was between less than 0.02% and approximately 10%. Similar recoveries were obtained using EDTA and sulfuric acid solutions. Sb(V) was found to be the main antimony species extracted from soils

Possibilities of using neutron activation analysis to discovery antimony aureoles at near-surface deposits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voin, M.I.; Kuligin, V.M.; Rakovskij, Eh.E.

1978-01-01

Described is the technique for determining antimony in rock and ore samples by instrumental neutron activation method with the sensitivity of 0.5 g/t from the 0.3-0.5 g weighed amount. Antimony was determined using the photopeak of antimony-124 isotope with the energy of 1692 keV. For analysis, 0.1 g samples were packed in aluminium foil and irradiated for 22 hours by reactor neutron fluence of 1.2x10 13 neutron/cm 2 xs. After cooling for 7 days induced activity of samples was measured using multichannel analizer with semiconductor detector with sensitive zone volume of 40 cm 3 . Real sensitivity while determining antimony was 1g/t, mean square error in the content range of 1-10 g/t is 14%

Antimony production by carbothermic reduction of stibnite in the presence of lime

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Padilla R.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Experimental work on the carbothermic reduction of Sb2S3 in the presence of lime was carried out in the temperature range of 973 to 1123 K to produce antimony in an environmentally friendly manner. The results demonstrated the technical feasibility of producing antimony by this method without producing SO2 gas. Complete conversion of Sb2S3 was obtained at 1023 K in about 1000 seconds and at 1123 K in less than 250 seconds using stibnite-carbon-lime mixtures with molar ratios Sb2S3:CaO:C = 1:3:3. It was found that the reduction proceeds through the formation of an intermediate oxide SbO2, which is subsequently reduced by CO(g to yield antimony metal and CaS. The kinetics of the Sb2S3 reduction was analyzed by using the equation ln(1-X = -kt. The activation energy was 233 kJ mol-1 in the temperature range of 973 to 1123 K. This value would correspond to an antimony catalyzed carbon oxidation by CO2.

Development of Na/sup 123/I pharmaceutical from antimony target

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yongjian, L.; Qixun, S.; Dequn, S. (Shanghai Inst. of Nuclear Research, Academia Sinica, Shanghai (China))

A new method for the production of Na/sup 123/I is described. It is produced by the /sup 121/Sb(..cap alpha..,2n)/sup 123/I nuclear reaction and using a natural antimony target prepared by electroplating in a bath of antimony oxide and hydrofluoric acid. The target is irradiated with 32MeV ..cap alpha..-beams then transferred to a dry distillation apparatus and the iodide evolved and absorbed in NaOH. Quality control is by paper chromatography.

Influence of antimony on the elctrochemical behaviour and the structure of the lead dioxide active mass of lead/acid batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pavlov, D. (Central Lab. of Electrochemical Power Sources, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia (Bulgaria)); Dakhouche, A. (Central Lab. of Electrochemical Power Sources, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia (Bulgaria)); Rogachev, T. (Central Lab. of Electrochemical Power Sources, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia (Bulgaria))

1993-01-29

The effect of antimony on the formation of the skeleton structure of tubular electrodes filled with lead dioxide active mass (PAM) is investigated. Antimony is added as ions to the solution, as Sb[sub 2]O[sub 3] or Sb[sub 2]O[sub 5] to PAM, or as an additive to the electrode spine alloy. The effect of antimony on the crystallinity of PAM particles and agglomerates is examined. It is established that antimony increases the capacity of tubular powder electrodes when added either to the alloy or as antimony oxide to the PAM. It accelerates the processes of formation of the PAM skeleton structure and decreases the crystallinity of PAM particles and agglomerates. These effects of antimony are explained based on the concept of a gel-crystal structure for the PAM. Antimony improves the electron conductivity of gel zones. Its effect depends on the type and valency of the antimony ions, and on the density of the PAM. (orig.)

Human health risk assessment for silver catfish Schilbe intermedius ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2014-09-03

Sep 3, 2014 ... metals and metalloids (hereafter referred to as metals) occur naturally in the biogeochemical cycle, many are released into inland waters as industrial, ..... mineral deposits and is particularly rich in chrome and base metals. In addition, a number of lead, tin and antimony ore bodies have been mined in the ...

Health benefit from decreasing exposure to heavy metals and metalloid after strict pollution control measures near a typical river basin area in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Suzhen; Duan, Xiaoli; Ma, Yingqun; Zhao, Xiuge; Qin, Yanwen; Liu, Yan; Li, Sai; Zheng, Binghui; Wei, Fusheng

2017-10-01

The metal(loid) pollution still is a great concern due to the effects from urbanization and industrialization. While, the health risks from the toxic metal(loid)s could decrease if strict pollution control measures were adopted. However, few studies to date investigate the health risks of heavy metal(loid)s in a systematic river basin for the dependent residents, after taking pollution control measures. Thus, the contents of metal(loid)s (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Mn, As) in surface water along a typical river basin were investigated in this study, and the potential non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks posed to the residents were assessed. Although the soluble contents of Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd exceeded the respective thresholds in two sites located downstream the mine area, they were greatly decreased in comparison with previous contamination levels, and the soluble concentrations of all the metal(loid)s were within the relevant thresholds in the sites far away from the mining area. Moreover, the closer to the mining area, the higher the pollution levels of metal(loid)s. The total hazard index for non-carcinogenic risks of metal(loid)s were basically lower than the threshold (1) for the local population. Whereas, although the content of metal(loid)s were low (such as As), they could pose relative higher non-carcinogenic health risks. The result illustrated that pollution levels, toxicity of the contaminants and exposure behavior patterns all could contribute to the potential detrimental health risks. Additionally, the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks from ingestion exposure were ∼2-∼4 orders of magnitude higher than those from dermal contact. The total carcinogenic risks were basically lower than the maximum tolerable levels (1.0 × 10 -4 ), indicating carcinogenic risks from most areas of the river could also be accepted. Among different population groups, heavy metal(loid)s posed relative higher non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks to the children in

Influence of sulfur, phosphorus, and antimony segregation on the intergranular hydrogen embrittlement of nickel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruemmer, S.M.; Baer, D.R.; Jones, R.H.; Thomas, M.T.

1983-01-01

The effectiveness of sulfur, phosphorus, and antimony in promoting the intergranular embrittlement of nickel was investigated using straining electrode tests in 1N H 2 SO 4 at cathodic potentials. Sulfur was found to be the critical grain boundary segregant due to its large enrichment at grain boundaries (10 4 to 10 5 times the bulk content) and the direct relationship between sulfur coverage and hydrogeninduced intergranular failure. Phosphorus was shown to be significantly less effective than sulfur or antimony in inducing the intergranular hydrogen embrittlement of nickel. The addition of phosphoru to nickel reduced the tendency for intergranular fracture and improved ductility because phosphoru segregated strongly to grain interfaces and limited sulfur enrichment. The hydrogen embrittling potency of antimony was also less than that of sulfur while its segregation propensity was considerably less. It was found that the effectiveness of segregated phosphorus and antimony in prompting inter granular embrittlement vs that of sulfur could be expressed in terms of an equivalent grain boundary sulfur coverage. The relative hydrogen embrittling potencies of sulfur, phosphorus, and antimony are discussed in reference to general mechanisms for the effect of impurity segregation on hydrogeninduced intergranular fracture

Characteristic electron energy losses in monoatomic antimony films on (110) and (112) tungsten faces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorodetskij, D.A.; Gorchinskij, A.D.; Shevlyakov, S.A.

1981-01-01

Complex investigations of antimony condensation on a monoatomical clean surface of tungsten monocrystals are carried out. The completion of a physical antimony monolayer has been controlled by the methods of Auger-electron spectroscopy and slow electron diffraction. It is shown that at submonolayer coatings a collectivization of valent electrons occurs leading to appearance of peaks of surface and volumetric plasmons in the energy losses spectrum. The anomalous cencentrational dependence of antimony ionization peak intensity has been found. The origin of previously unexplored peaks in the energy losses spectrum is discussed [ru

Levels and risk factors of antimony contamination in human hair from an electronic waste recycling area, Guiyu, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yue; Ni, Wenqing; Chen, Yaowen; Wang, Xiaoling; Zhang, Jingwen; Wu, Kusheng

2015-05-01

The primitive electronic waste (e-waste) recycling has brought a series of environmental pollutants in Guiyu, China. Antimony is one of the important metal contaminants and has aroused the global concerns recently. We aimed to investigate concentrations of antimony in human hair from Guiyu and compared them with those from a control area where no e-waste recycling exists, and assessed the potential risk factors. A total of 205 human hair samples from Guiyu and 80 samples from Jinping were collected for analysis. All volunteers were asked to complete a questionnaire including socio-demographic characteristics and other possible factors related to hair antimony exposure. The concentrations of hair antimony were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Our results indicated that the level of hair antimony in volunteers from Guiyu (median, 160.78; range, 6.99-4412.59 ng/g) was significantly higher than those from Jinping (median, 61.74; range, 2.98-628.43 ng/g). The residents who engaged in e-waste recycling activities in Guiyu had higher hair antimony concentrations than others (P recycling. Multiple stepwise regression analysis indicated that hair antimony concentrations were associated with education level (β = -0.064), the time of residence in Guiyu (β = 0.112), living house also served as e-waste workshop (β = 0.099), the work related to e-waste (β = 0.169), and smoking (β = 0.018). The elevated hair antimony concentrations implied that the residents in Guiyu might be at high risk of antimony contamination, especially the e-waste recycling workers. Work related to e-waste recycling activities and long-time residence in Guiyu contributed to the high hair antimony exposure.

Effect of water management and silicon on germination, growth, phosphorus and arsenic uptake in rice.

Science.gov (United States)

Zia, Zahida; Bakhat, Hafiz Faiq; Saqib, Zulfiqar Ahmad; Shah, Ghulam Mustafa; Fahad, Shah; Ashraf, Muhammad Rizwan; Hammad, Hafiz Mohkum; Naseem, Wajid; Shahid, Muhammad

2017-10-01

Silicon (Si) is the 2nd most abundant element in soil which is known to enhance stress tolerance in wide variety of crops. Arsenic (As), a toxic metalloid enters into the human food chain through contaminated water and food or feed. To alleviate the deleterious effect of As on human health, it is a need of time to find out an effective strategy to reduce the As accumulation in the food chain. The experiments were conducted during September-December 2014, and 2016 to optimize Si concentration for rice (Oryza sativa L.) exposed to As stress. Further experiment were carried out to evaluate the effect of optimum Si on rice seed germination, seedling growth, phosphorus and As uptake in rice plant. During laboratory experiment, rice seeds were exposed to 150 and 300µM As with and without 3mM Si supplementation. Results revealed that As application, decreased the germination up to 40-50% as compared to control treatment. Arsenic stress also significantly (P management, significantly (P˂0.05) affected the plant growth, Si and As concentrations in the plant. Arsenic uptake was relatively less under aerobic conditions. The maximum As concentration (9.34 and 27.70mgkg DW -1 in shoot and root, respectively) was found in plant treated with 300µM As in absence of Si under anaerobic condition. Similarly, anaerobic condition resulted in higher As uptake in the plants. The study demonstrated that aerobic cultivation is suitable to decrease the As uptake and in rice exogenous Si supply is beneficial to decrease As uptake under both anaerobic and aerobic conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effects of antimony doping on the surface structure of rutile TiO{sub 2}(110)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bechstein, Ralf; Schuette, Jens; Kuehnle, Angelika [Fachbereich Physik, Universitaet Osnabrueck, Barbarastrasse 7, D-49076 Osnabrueck (Germany); Kitta, Mitsunori; Onishi, Hiroshi [Department of Chemistry, Kobe University, Rokko-dai, Nada-ku, Kobe 657-8501 (Japan)], E-mail: kuehnle@uos.de

2009-07-01

Titanium dioxide represents a very important wide bandgap photocatalyst that is known to be sensitized to visible light by transition metal doping. Antimony doping has been demonstrated to provide photocatalytic activity when codoped with chromium at an optimum dopant ratio [Sb]/[Cr] of about 1.5. Here, the role of antimony doping on the surface structure of rutile TiO{sub 2}(110) is studied using non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) under ultra-high vacuum conditions. At first glance, the surface structure of antimony-doped TiO{sub 2}(110) resembles the structure of pristine TiO{sub 2}(110). However, in contrast to what is found in pristine TiO{sub 2}(110), a dense layer of protruding features is observed upon antimony doping, which is tentatively ascribed to antimony-rich clusters. Moreover, homogeneously distributed holes are found on the surface, which differ in depth and shape depending on the preparation conditions. Holes with depths ranging from a few up to more than a hundred monatomic steps are observed. These holes are explained by surface segregation of antimony during annealing, as the ionic radius of Sb{sup 3+} is considerably larger than the ionic radius of Ti{sup 4+}. Our finding provides an indication of why an antimony concentration larger than the optimum ratio results in decreased photocatalytic activity. Moreover, controlling annealing temperature seems to constitute a promising strategy for creating nanosized holes on TiO{sub 2} surfaces.

Evaluation of the Possible Sources and Controlling Factors of Toxic Metals/Metalloids in the Florida Everglades and Their Potential Risk of Exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yanbin; Duan, Zhiwei; Liu, Guangliang; Kalla, Peter; Scheidt, Daniel; Cai, Yong

2015-08-18

The Florida Everglades is an environmentally sensitive wetland ecosystem with a number of threatened and endangered fauna species susceptible to the deterioration of water quality. Several potential toxic metal sources exist in the Everglades, including farming, atmospheric deposition, and human activities in urban areas, causing concerns of potential metal exposure risks. However, little is known about the pollution status of toxic metals/metalloids of potential concern, except for Hg. In this study, eight toxic metals/metalloids (Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, and Hg) in Everglades soils were investigated in both dry and wet seasons. Pb, Cr, As, Cu, Cd, and Ni were identified to be above Florida SQGs (sediment quality guidelines) at a number of sampling sites, particularly Pb, which had a level of potential risk to organisms similar to that of Hg. In addition, a method was developed for quantitative source identification and controlling factor elucidation of toxic metals/metalloids by introducing an index, enrichment factor (EF), in the conventional multiple regression analysis. EFs represent the effects of anthropogenic sources on metals/metalloids in soils. Multiple regression analysis showed that Cr and Ni were mainly controlled by anthropogenic loading, whereas soil characteristics, in particular natural organic matter (NOM), played a more important role for Hg, As, Cd, and Zn. NOM may control the distribution of these toxic metals/metalloids by affecting their mobility in soils. For Cu and Pb, the effects of EFs and environmental factors are comparable, suggesting combined effects of loading and soil characteristics. This study is the first comprehensive research with a vast amount of sampling sites on the distribution and potential risks of toxic metals/metalloids in the Everglades. The finding suggests that in addition to Hg other metals/metalloids could also potentially be an environmental problem in this wetland ecosystem.

Structure and properties of transition metal-metalloid glasses based on refractory metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, W.L.; Williams, A.R.

1979-01-01

The structure and properties of several new transition metal-metalloid (TM/sub 1-x/M/sub x/) metallic glasses based on refractory transition metals (e.g. Mo, W, Ru etc.) have been systemically investigated as a function of composition. The structure of the alloys has been investigated by x-ray diffraction methods and measurements of superconducting properties, electrical resistivity, density, hardness, and mechanical behavior were made. These data are used in developing a novel description of the structure of TM/sub 1-x/M/sub x/ glasses. The experimental evidence suggests that an ideal amorphous phase forms at a specific composition x/sub c/ and that this phase has a well defined atomic short range order. For metallic glasses having x x/sub c/. This novel picture can explain the variation of many properties of these glasses with metalloid concentration

High dose implantations of antimony for buried layer applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gailliard, J.P.; Dupuy, M.; Garcia, M.; Roussin, J.C.

1978-01-01

Electrical and physical properties of high dose implantations of antimony in silicon have been studied for use in buried layer applications. The results have been obtained both on and oriented silicon wafers. Following implantations which lead to amorphization we perform an annealing at 600 0 C for 10 mn in order to recrystallize the layer. The observed electrical properties (μ, R) show that the concentration of electrically active antimony ions is greater than that predicted from the solubility of antimony in silicon. Further annealing (in the range 1050 0 - 1200 0 ) induces: firstly a precipitation of the Sb and secondly a diffusion and dissolution of the precipitates. There is a different evolution of the defects in the and silicon slices. T.E.M. reveals no defects in the wafers after one hour annealing at 1200 0 C, whereas defects and twins remain in wafers. Having obtained the evolution of R with time and temperature it is then determined the implantation and annealing conditions which lead to the low resistivity (R = 10) needed for buried layer applications. Results with very many industrially made devices are discussed

Study on antimony oxide self-assembled inside HZSM-5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Bin; Li Shijie; Wang Yingxia; Li Neng; Liu Xiyao; Lin Bingxiong

2005-01-01

Sb/ZSM-5 was obtained by solid-state reaction with the mixture of Sb 2 O 3 and zeolite HZSM-5 under a dry nitrogen flow at 773K. Characterization of the treated zeolite was undertaken with XRD, 27 Al MAS NMR, BET, TGA and FT-IR. The results revealed that part of the antimony oxides migrated into the channels of zeolite, and decreased the Bronsted acid sites in Sb/ZSM-5 remarkably. The other part of antimony oxides together with the amorphous alumino-silicate in the products distributed on the external surface of zeolite ZSM-5 and modified it, while the framework of ZSM-5 in crystal phase was retained. The structure of occluded antimony oxide inside the channels of ZSM-5 was studied by XRD Rietveld method. The result showed that their structure can be described as a chain of non-perfect [Sb 5 O 5 (H 2 O) 2 ] n 5n+ , which is parallel to the straight channel of ZSM-5. There is about 0.6 [Sb 5 O 5 (H 2 O) 2 ] 5+ unit in every cell of the ZSM-5 on an average

Proton-activation technique for the determination of antimony

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krivan, V.; Barth, P.

1979-01-01

Photon-activation analysis has been applied to the determination of antimony. Thick-target yields and analytical sensitivities are given for the indicator-radionuclides sup(119m)Te, sup(119g)Te, sup(121m)Te, sup(121g)Te, sup(123m)Te, sup(120m)Sb and sup(122g)Sb for proton energies between 9 and 25 MeV. In irradiations with a 5-μA beam for 5 hr, followed by a specific separation of the indicator-radionuclides, limits of detection at the ppm level can be achieved. Data are given for the most significant interfering reactions. Antimony was determined instrumentally in bismuth of very pure grade and the results are compared with those obtained from two independent techniques. (author)

Health risk assessment of various metal(loid)s via multiple exposure pathways on children living near a typical lead-acid battery plant, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao, Suzhen; Duan, Xiaoli; Zhao, Xiuge; Wang, Beibei; Ma, Jin; Fan, Delong; Sun, Chengye; He, Bin; Wei, Fusheng; Jiang, Guibin

2015-01-01

Manufacture of lead-acid batteries is of widespread interest because of its emissions of heavy metals and metalloids into environment, harming environmental quality and consequently causing detrimental effects on human health. In this study, exposure pathways and health risks of children to heavy metal(loid)s (Pb, Cd, As, etc) were investigated based on field sampling and questionnaire. Pb was one of the most abundant elements in children's blood, with an elevated blood lead level of 12.45 μg dL −1 . Soil/dust and food were heavily polluted by targeted metal(loid)s. Food ingestion accounted for more than 80% of the total exposure for most metal(loid)s. The non-cancer risks to children were 3–10 times higher than the acceptable level of 1, while the cancer risks were 5–200 times higher than the maximum acceptable level of 1.0 × 10 −4 . The study emphasized the significance of effective environmental management, particularly to ensure food security near battery facilities. - Highlights: • The health risks of children living around a typical lead-acid battery was analyzed. • The exposure pathways of children to 12 heavy metal(loid)s were assessed. • Courtyard soil and indoor dust and duplicate food were contaminated by metal(loid)s. • Food ingestion was the major pathway for children's exposure to most metal(loid)s. • Higher potentially non-cancer and cancer risks happened to the local children. - The children living around a typical lead-acid battery plant suffered from serious health risks, which mainly attributed to food ingestion and air inhalation exposure

Arsenic enrichment in shelf and coastal sediment of the Brazilian subtropics

Science.gov (United States)

Mirlean, N.; Medeanic, S.; Garcia, F. A.; Travassos, M. P.; Baisch, P.

2012-03-01

High levels of As (i.e., above the nationally legislated threshold of 70 mg kg-1) were found in shelf sediment of the Espirito Santo state of Brazil. The elevated content of this metalloid propagated in the sediment to a depth of approximately 1.5 m. The adjacent beach sands and mangrove sediments were also enriched in As. The variation in As levels along the shelf sediment profiles was acompained by calcareous-material distribution, which reflects the paleogeographical circumstances that promote local reef development during the corresponding intervals of sedimentation. Arsenic-rich calcareous bioclast materials migrate to a beach from the surface horizon of nearby shelf sediment, thereby replacing the part of the As that previously entered the marine environment with eroded material from the continent to the littoral zone. The segment of the Brazilian tropical shelf that was studied clearly demonstrated that the As enrichment of the shelf sediment is determined by the exposure of the Barreiras formation on the coast and the development of reefs, which are favorable sites for the settling of bodies of biogenic carbonates.

40 CFR 421.142 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS NONFERROUS METALS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE... contained in sodium antimonate product Antimony 44.840 20.000 Arsenic 32.650 14.530 Mercury 3.906 1.562... Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average mg/kg (pounds per million pounds) of antimony metal...

Stabilization of metal(loid)s in two contaminated agricultural soils: Comparing biochar to its non-pyrolysed source material.

Science.gov (United States)

Trakal, Lukáš; Raya-Moreno, Irene; Mitchell, Kerry; Beesley, Luke

2017-08-01

Two metal(loid) contaminated agricultural soils were amended with grape stalk (wine production by-product)-derived biochar as well as its pre-pyrolysed origin material, to investigate their geochemical impacts on As, Cr, Cu and Zn. Detailed physico-chemical evaluation combined with a column leaching test determined the retention of metal(loid)s from soil solution by each amendments. A pot experiment measured metal(loid)s in soil pore water and their uptake to ryegrass when the amendments were mixed into soils at 1 and 5% (w/w). Total Cr and Zn concentrations were reduced furthest in column leachates by the addition of raw material and biochar respectively, compared to the untreated soil; Cr(III) was the predominant specie initially due to rapid acidification of leachates and organic complexation resulting from raw material addition. Loadings of metal(loid)s to the amendments recovered from the post-leached columns were in the order Cu » Zn > Cr ≈ As. In the pot test ryegrass Cr uptake was initiated by the addition of both amendments, compared to the untreated soil, whereas only biochar addition resulted in significant increases in Zn uptake, explained by its significant enhancement of ryegrass biomass yield, especially at 5% dosage; raw material addition significantly decreased biomass yields. Inconsistent relationships between pore water parameters and ryegrass uptake were common to both soils investigated. Therefore, whilst both amendments modified soil metal(loid) geochemistry, their effects differed fundamentally; in environmental risk management terms these results highlight the need to investigate the detailed geochemical response of contaminated soils to diverse organic amendment additions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Setting water quality criteria in China: approaches for developing species sensitivity distributions for metals and metalloids.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yuedan; Wu, Fengchang; Mu, Yunsong; Feng, Chenglian; Fang, Yixiang; Chen, Lulu; Giesy, John P

2014-01-01

Both nonparametric and parametric approaches were used to construct SSDs for use in ecological risk assessments. Based on toxicity to representative aquatic species and typical water contaminants of metals and metalloids in China, nonparametric methods based on the bootstrap were statistically superior to the parametric curve-fitting approaches. Knowing what the SSDs for each targeted species are might help in selecting efficient indicator species to use for water quality monitoring. The species evaluated herein showed sensitivity variations to different chemical treatments that were used in constructing the SSDs. For example, D. magna was more sensitive than most species to most chemical treatments, whereas D. rerio was sensitive to Hg and Pb but was tolerant to Zn. HC5 values, derived for the pollutants in this study for protecting Chinese species, differed from those published by the USEPA. Such differences may result from differences in geographical conditions and biota between China and the United States. Thus, the degree of protection desired for aquatic organisms should be formulated to fit local conditions. For approach selection, we recommend all approaches be considered and the most suitable approaches chosen. The selection should be based on the practical information needs of the researcher (viz., species composition, species sensitivity, and geological characteristics of aquatic habitats), since risk assessments usually are focused on certain substances, species, or monitoring sites. We used Tai Lake as a typical freshwater lake in China to assess the risk of metals and metalloids to the aquatic species. We calculated hazard quotients for the metals and metalloids that were found in the water of this lake. Results indicated the decreasing ecological risk of these contaminants in the following order: Hg metalloids to aquatic species. Based on the MEC and HC5 derived from SSDs by nonparametric and parametric approaches together, the risk levels of metals

VOLATILE ORGANO-METALLOIDS IN BIO-SOLID MATERIALS: ANALYSIS BY VACUUM DISTILLATION-GC/MS

Science.gov (United States)

An analytical method based on vacuum distillation-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (VD-GC-MS)was developed for determining volatile organo-metalloid contaminants in bio-solid materials. Methodperformance was evaluated for dimethylselenide (DMSe), dimethyldisel...

Varicella zoster virus reactivation during or immediately following treatment of tegumentary leishmaniasis with antimony compounds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Barbieri Barros

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Antimony compounds are the cornerstone treatments for tegumentary leishmaniasis. The reactivation of herpes virus is a side effect described in few reports. We conducted an observational study to describe the incidence of herpes zoster reactivation during treatment with antimony compounds. The global incidence of herpes zoster is approximately 2.5 cases per 1,000 persons per month (or 30 cases per 1,000 persons per year. The estimated incidence of herpes zoster in patients undergoing antimony therapy is higher than previously reported.

Phytoremediation of arsenic contaminated soil by arsenic accumulators: a three year study.

Science.gov (United States)

Raj, Anshita; Singh, Nandita

2015-03-01

To investigate whether phytoremediation can remove arsenic from the contaminated area, a study was conducted for three consecutive years to determine the efficiency of Pteris vittata, Adiantum capillus veneris, Christella dentata and Phragmites karka, on arsenic removal from the arsenic contaminated soil. Arsenic concentrations in the soil samples were analysed after harvesting in 2009, 2010 and 2011 at an interval of 6 months. Frond arsenic concentrations were also estimated in all the successive harvests. Fronds resulted in the greatest amount of arsenic removal. Root arsenic concentrations were analysed in the last harvest. Approximately 70 % of arsenic was removed by P. vittata which was recorded as the highest among the four plant species. However, 60 % of arsenic was removed by A. capillus veneris, 55.1 % by C. dentata and 56.1 % by P. karka of arsenic was removed from the contaminated soil in 3 years.

Metals and metalloids in precipitation collected during CHINARE campaign from Shanghai, China, to Zhongshan Station, Antarctica: Spatial variability and source identification

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, G.; Teng, J.; Ma, H.; Li, Y.; Sun, B.

2015-06-01

Metals and metalloids in continental precipitation have been widely observed, but the data over open oceans are still very limited. Investigation of metals and metalloids in marine precipitation is of great significance to understand global transport of these elements in the atmosphere and their input fluxes to the oceans. So shipboard sampling of precipitation was conducted during a Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition campaign from Shanghai, China, to Zhongshan Station, East Antarctica, and 22 samples (including 17 rainfall and 5 snowfall events) were collected and analyzed for concentrations of Pb, Ni, Cr, Cu, Co, Hg, As, Cd, Sb, Se, Zn, Mn, and Ti. Results show that concentrations of both metals and metalloids vary considerably along the cruise, with higher concentrations at coastal sites and lower values on the south Indian Ocean. Although only soluble fractions were determined for elements, concentrations in this study are generally comparable to the reported values of marine rain. Enrichment factor analysis shows that most of metals and metalloids are enriched versus crustal sources, even in the samples collected from remote south Indian Ocean. In addition, metals and metalloids in precipitation are also very enriched above sea-salt abundance, indicating that impacts of sea-salt aerosols on their concentrations are negligible. Main sources of metals and metalloids were explored with the aid of multivariate statistical analyses. The results show that human emissions have far-reaching distribution, which may exert an important influence on the solubility of elements in precipitation. This investigation provides valuable information on spatial variation and possible sources of trace elements in precipitation over the open oceans corresponding to understudied region.

Inorganic Arsenic Induces NRF2-Regulated Antioxidant Defenses in Both Cerebral Cortex and Hippocampus in Vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yang; Duan, Xiaoxu; Li, Jinlong; Zhao, Shuo; Li, Wei; Zhao, Lu; Li, Wei; Nie, Huifang; Sun, Guifang; Li, Bing

2016-08-01

Inorganic arsenic is reported to induce the reactive oxygen species-mediated oxidative stress, which is supposed to be one of the main mechanisms of arsenic-related neurological diseases. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), a master regulator of antioxidant defense systems, up-regulates the expression of target genes to fight against oxidative damages caused by harmful substances, including metals. In the present study, mice were used as a model to investigate the oxidative stress levels and the expressions of NRF2-regulated antioxidant substances in both cerebral cortex and hippocampus with 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg NaAsO2 exposure intra-gastrically. Our results showed that acute NaAsO2 treatment resulted in decreased total anti-oxidative capacity (T-AOC) and increased maleic dialdehyde production in the nervous system. We also detected rapidly elevation of NRF2 protein levels by enhancement of Nrf2 transcription, especially at 20 mg/kg NaAsO2 exposure group. In the meantime, mRNA and protein levels of Nrf2 encoding antioxidant enzymes heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), NAD(P)H: quinine oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were consistently elevated time- and dose-dependently both in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Taken together, the presence study demonstrated the activation of NRF2 pathway, an early antioxidant defensive response, in both cerebral cortex and hippocampus upon inorganic arsenic (iAs) exposure in vivo. A better knowledge on the roles of NRF2 pathway in maintaining cellular redox homeostasis would be helpful for the strategies on improvement of neurotoxicity related to this metalloid.

Occurrence and partitioning of cadmium, arsenic and lead in mine impacted paddy rice: Hunan, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Paul N; Lei, Ming; Sun, Guoxin; Huang, Qing; Lu, Ying; Deacon, Claire; Meharg, Andrew A; Zhu, Yong-Guan

2009-02-01

Paddy rice has been likened to nictiana sp in its ability to scavenge cadmium (Cd) from soil, whereas arsenic (As) accumulation is commonly an order of magnitude higher than in other cereal crops. In areas such as those found in parts of Hunan province in south central China, base-metal mining activities and rice farming coexist. Therefore there is a considerable likelihood that lead (Pb), in addition to Cd and As, will accumulate in rice grown in parts of this region above levels suitable for human consumption. To test this hypothesis, a widespread provincial survey of rice from mine spoilt paddies (n = 100), in addition to a follow-up market grain survey (n = 122) conducted in mine impacted areas was undertaken to determine the safety of local rice supply networks. Furthermore, a specific Cd, As, and Pb biogeochemical survey of paddy soil and rice was conducted within southern China, targeting sites impacted by mining of varying intensities to calibrate rice metal(loid) transfer models and transfer factors that can be used to predict tissue loading. Results revealed a number of highly significant correlations between shoot, husk, bran, and endosperm rice tissue fractions and that rice from mining areas was enriched in Cd, As, and Pb. Sixty-five, 50, and 34% of all the mine-impacted field rice was predicted to fail national food standards for Cd, As, and Pb, respectively. Although, not as elevated as the grains from the mine-impacted field survey, it was demonstrated that metal(loid) tainted rice was entering food supply chains intended for direct human consumption.

Eriophorum angustifolium and Lolium perenne metabolic adaptations to metals- and metalloids-induced anomalies in the vicinity of a chemical industrial complex.

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Anjum, Naser A; Ahmad, Iqbal; Rodrigues, Sónia M; Henriques, Bruno; Cruz, Nuno; Coelho, Cláudia; Pacheco, Mário; Duarte, Armando C; Pereira, Eduarda

2013-01-01

As plants constitute the foundation of the food chain, concerns have been raised about the possibility of toxic concentrations of metals and metalloids being transported from plants to the higher food chain strata. In this perspective, the use of important phytotoxicity endpoints may be of utmost significance in assessing the hazardous nature of metals and metalloids and also in developing ecological soil screening levels. The current study aimed to investigate the role of glutathione (GSH) and its associated enzymes in the metabolic adaptation of two grass species namely Eriophorum angustifolium Honck. and Lolium perenne L. to metals and metalloids stress in the vicinity of a chemical industrial complex (Estarreja, Portugal). Soil and plant samples were collected from contaminated (C) and non-contaminated (reference, R) sites, respectively, near and away from the Estarreja Chemical Complex, Portugal. Soils (from 0 to 10 and 10 to 20 cm depths) were analyzed for pH, organic carbon, and metals and metalloids concentrations. Plant samples were processed fresh for physiological and biochemical estimations, while oven-dried plant samples were used for metals and metalloids determinations following standard methodologies. Both soils and plants from the industrial area exhibited differential concentrations of major metals and metalloids including As, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn. In particular, L. perenne shoot displayed significantly higher and lower concentrations of Pb and As, respectively at contaminated site (vs. E. angustifolium). Irrespective of sites, L. perenne shoot exhibited significantly higher total GSH pool, oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and oxidized protein (vs. E. angustifolium). Additionally, severe damages to photosynthetic pigments, proteins, cellular membrane integrity (in terms of electrolyte leakage), and lipid peroxidation were also perceptible in L. perenne shoot. Contrarily, irrespective of the sites, activities of catalase and GSH-regenerating enzyme, GSH

40 CFR 421.143 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS NONFERROUS METALS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Primary... sodium antimonate product Antimony 30.150 13.440 Arsenic 21.720 9.687 Mercury 2.344 0.937 (b) Fouled... any 1 day Maximum for monthly average mg/kg pounds per million pounds of antimony metal produced by...

Distribution of antimony in the oxide layer formed by potentiostatic oxidation of Pb-Sb alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arifuku, F.; Yoneyama, H.; Tamura, H.

1979-09-01

The distribution of antimony within the oxide films on Pb-Sb alloy prepared by potentiostatic oxidation in H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ solutions was examined by SIMS. The study of oxide films prepared by applying different potentials for three hours showed that two types of film were obtained depending on whether the potential was more negative or more positive than 1.5 V. Antimony profiles were obtained for films at several stages in the initial growth. It was found that antimony was retained in the oxide film at 1.5 V during both nucleation and two- or three-dimensional growth of PbO/sub 2/ and at 1.6 V during the lateral overlaps of three-dimensional centers of PbO/sub 2/. Relationships between the antimony distribution profiles and the oxide film growth are discussed. 8 figures, 1 table.

Blood Pressure Associated with Arsenic Methylation and Arsenic Metabolism Caused by Chronic Exposure to Arsenic in Tube Well Water.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Bing Gan; Ye, Bi Xiong; Yu, Jiang Ping; Yang, Lin Sheng; Li, Hai Rong; Xia, Ya Juan; Wu, Ke Gong

2017-05-01

The effects of arsenic exposure from drinking water, arsenic metabolism, and arsenic methylation on blood pressure (BP) were observed in this study. The BP and arsenic species of 560 participants were determined. Logistic regression analysis was applied to estimate the odds ratios of BP associated with arsenic metabolites and arsenic methylation capability. BP was positively associated with cumulative arsenic exposure (CAE). Subjects with abnormal diastolic blood pressure (DBP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and pulse pressure (PP) usually had higher urinary iAs (inorganic arsenic), MMA (monomethylated arsenic), DMA (dimethylated arsenic), and TAs (total arsenic) than subjects with normal DBP, SBP, and PP. The iAs%, MMA%, and DMA% differed slightly between subjects with abnormal BP and those with normal BP. The PMI and SMI were slightly higher in subjects with abnormal PP than in those with normal PP. Our findings suggest that higher CAE may elevate BP. Males may have a higher risk of abnormal DBP, whereas females have a higher risk of abnormal SBP and PP. Higher urinary iAs may increase the risk of abnormal BP. Lower PMI may elevate the BP. However, higher SMI may increase the DBP and SBP, and lower SMI may elevate the PP. Copyright © 2017 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.

Antimony contamination, consequences and removal techniques: A review.

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Li, Jiayu; Zheng, BoHong; He, Yangzhuo; Zhou, Yaoyu; Chen, Xiao; Ruan, Shan; Yang, Yuan; Dai, Chunhao; Tang, Lin

2018-07-30

A significant amount of antimony (Sb) enters into the environment every year because of the wide use of Sb compounds in industry and agriculture. The exposure to Sb, either direct consumption of Sb or indirectly, may be fatal to the human health because both antimony and antimonide are toxic. Firstly, the introduction of Sb chemistry, distribution and health threats are presented in this review, which is essential to the removal techniques. Then, we provide the recent and common techniques to remove Sb, including adsorption, coagulation/flocculation, membrane separation, electrochemical methods, ion exchange and extraction. Removal techniques concentrate on the advantages, drawbacks, economical efficiency and the recent achievements of each technique. We also take an overall consideration of experimental conditions, comparison criteria, and economic aspects. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

On-line lab-in-syringe cloud point extraction for the spectrophotometric determination of antimony.

Science.gov (United States)

Frizzarin, Rejane M; Portugal, Lindomar A; Estela, José M; Rocha, Fábio R P; Cerdà, Victor

2016-02-01

Most of the procedures for antimony determination require time-consuming sample preparation (e.g. liquid-liquid extraction with organic solvents), which are harmful to the environment. Because of the high antimony toxicity, a rapid, sensitive and greener procedure for its determination becomes necessary. The goal of this work was to develop an analytical procedure exploiting for the first time the cloud point extraction on a lab-in-syringe flow system aiming at the spectrophotometric determination of antimony. The procedure was based on formation of an ion-pair between the antimony-iodide complex and H(+) followed by extraction with Triton X-114. The factorial design showed that the concentrations of ascorbic acid, H2SO4 and Triton X-114, as well as second and third order interactions were significant at the 95% confidence level. A Box-Behnken design was applied to obtain the response surfaces and to identify the critical values. System is robust at the 95% confidence level. A linear response was observed from 5 to 50 µg L(-1), described by the equation A=0.137+0.050C(Sb) (r=0.998). The detection limit (99.7% confidence level), the coefficient of variation (n=5; 15 µg L(-1)) and the sampling rate was estimated at 1.8 µg L(-1), 1.6% and 16 h(-1), respectively. The procedure allows quantification of antimony in the concentrations established by environmental legislation (6 µg L(-1)) and it was successfully applied to the determination of antimony in freshwater samples and antileishmanial drugs, yielding results in agreement with those obtained by HGFAAS at the 95% confidence level. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Association of oxidative stress with arsenic methylation in chronic arsenic-exposed children and adults

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Yuanyuan; Wang Yi; Zheng Quanmei; Li Xin; Li Bing; Jin Yaping; Sun Xiance; Sun Guifan

2008-01-01

Though oxidative stress is recognized as an important pathogenic mechanism of arsenic, and arsenic methylation capacity is suggested to be highly involved in arsenic-related diseases, the association of arsenic methylation capacity with arsenic-induced oxidative stress remains unclear. To explore oxidative stress and its association with arsenic methylation, cross-sectional studies were conducted among 208 high and 59 low arsenic-exposed subjects. Levels of urinary arsenic species [inorganic arsenic (iAs), monomethylated arsenic (MMA) and dimethylated arsenic (DMA)] were determined by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry. Proportions of urinary arsenic species, the first methylation ratio (FMR) and the secondary methylation ratio (SMR) were used as indicators for arsenic methylation capacity. Urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) concentrations were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Reduced glutathione (GSH) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in whole blood were determined to reflect anti-oxidative status. The high arsenic-exposed children and adults were significantly increased in urinary 8-OHdG concentrations but decreased in blood GSH levels compared with the low exposed children and adults. In multiple linear regression models, blood GSH levels and urinary 8-OHdG concentrations of arsenic-exposed children and adults showed strong associations with the levels of urinary arsenic species. Arsenic-exposed subjects in the lower and the upper quartiles of proportions of urinary arsenic species, FMR or SMR were significantly different in urinary 8-OHdG, blood GSH and SOD. The associations of arsenic methylation capacity with 8-OHdG, GSH and SOD were also observed in multivariate regression analyses. These results may provide linkage between arsenic methylation capacity and oxidative stress in humans and suggest that adverse health effects induced by arsenic are related to arsenic methylation through oxidative stress

Chronic arsenic poisoning from burning high-arsenic-containing coal in Guizhou, China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, J.; Zheng, B.S.; Aposhian, H.V.; Zhou, Y.S.; Chen, M.L.; Zhang, A.H.; Waalkes, M.P. [NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, NC (USA)

2002-07-01

Arsenic is an environmental hazard and the reduction of drinking water arsenic levels is under consideration. People are exposed to arsenic not only through drinking water but also through arsenic-contaminated air and food. Here the health effects of arsenic exposure from burning high arsenic-containing coal in Guizhou, China was investigated. Coal is burned inside the home in open pits for daily cooking and crop drying, producing a high concentration of arsenic in indoor air. Arsenic in the air coats and permeates food being dried producing high concentrations in food; however, arsenic concentrations in the drinking water are in the normal range. The estimated sources of total arsenic exposure in this area are from arsenic-contaminated food (50-80%), air (10-20%), water (1-5%), and direct contact in coal-mining workers (1%). At least 3,000 patients with arsenic poisoning were found in the Southwest Prefecture of Guizhou, and approximately 200,000 people are at risk for such over exposures. Skin lesions are common, including keratosis of the hands and feet, pigmentation on the trunk, skin ulceration, and skin cancers. Toxicities to internal organs, including lung dysfunction, neuropathy, and nephrotoxicity, are clinically evident. The prevalence of hepatomegaly was 20%, and cirrhosis, ascites, and liver cancer are the most serious outcomes of arsenic poisoning. The Chinese government and international organizations are attempting to improve the house conditions and the coal source, and thereby protect human health in this area.

Sulfate and glutathione enhanced arsenic accumulation by arsenic hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata L

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Shuhe; Ma, Lena Q.; Saha, Uttam; Mathews, Shiny; Sundaram, Sabarinath; Rathinasabapathi, Bala; Zhou Qixing

2010-01-01

This experiment examined the effects of sulfate (S) and reduced glutathione (GSH) on arsenic uptake by arsenic hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata after exposing to arsenate (0, 15 or 30 mg As L -1 ) with sulfate (6.4, 12.8 or 25.6 mg S L -1 ) or GSH (0, 0.4 or 0.8 mM) for 2-wk. Total arsenic, S and GSH concentrations in plant biomass and arsenic speciation in the growth media and plant biomass were determined. While both S (18-85%) and GSH (77-89%) significantly increased arsenic uptake in P. vittata, GSH also increased arsenic translocation by 61-85% at 0.4 mM (p < 0.05). Sulfate and GSH did not impact plant biomass or arsenic speciation in the media and biomass. The S-induced arsenic accumulation by P. vittata was partially attributed to increased plant GSH (21-31%), an important non-enzymatic antioxidant countering oxidative stress. This experiment demonstrated that S and GSH can effectively enhance arsenic uptake and translocation by P. vittata. - Sulfate and glutathione increased arsenic uptake and translocation in Pteris vittata.

Treatment of visceral leishmaniasis: model-based analyses on the spread of antimony-resistant L. donovani in Bihar, India.

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Anette Stauch

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Pentavalent antimonials have been the mainstay of antileishmanial therapy for decades, but increasing failure rates under antimonial treatment have challenged further use of these drugs in the Indian subcontinent. Experimental evidence has suggested that parasites which are resistant against antimonials have superior survival skills than sensitive ones even in the absence of antimonial treatment. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We use simulation studies based on a mathematical L. donovani transmission model to identify parameters which can explain why treatment failure rates under antimonial treatment increased up to 65% in Bihar between 1980 and 1997. Model analyses suggest that resistance to treatment alone cannot explain the observed treatment failure rates. We explore two hypotheses referring to an increased fitness of antimony-resistant parasites: the additional fitness is (i disease-related, by causing more clinical cases (higher pathogenicity or more severe disease (higher virulence, or (ii is transmission-related, by increasing the transmissibility from sand flies to humans or vice versa. CONCLUSIONS: Both hypotheses can potentially explain the Bihar observations. However, increased transmissibility as an explanation appears more plausible because it can occur in the background of asymptomatically transmitted infection whereas disease-related factors would most probably be observable. Irrespective of the cause of fitness, parasites with a higher fitness will finally replace sensitive parasites, even if antimonials are replaced by another drug.

Antimony leaching in plastics from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) with various acids and gamma irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tostar, Sandra; Stenvall, Erik; Boldizar, Antal; Foreman, Mark R St J

2013-06-01

There has been a recent interest in antimony since the availability in readily mined areas is decreasing compared to the amounts used. It is important in many applications such as flame retardants and in the production of polyester, which can trigger an investigation of the leachability of antimony from plastics using different acids. In this paper, different types of acids are tested for their ability to leach antimony from a discarded computer housing, made of poly(acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), which is a common plastic type used in electrical and electronic equipment. The acid solutions included sodium hydrogen tartrate (0.5M) dissolved in either dimethyl sulfoxide or water (at ca. 23°C and heated to ca. 105°C). The metal content after leaching was determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The most efficient leaching medium was the heated solution of sodium hydrogen tartrate in dimethyl sulfoxide, which leached almost half of the antimony from the poly(acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). Gamma irradiation, which is proposed to improve the mechanical properties in plastics, was used here to investigate the influence of antimony leaching ability. No significant change in the amount of leached antimony could be observed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determination of antimony by using a quartz atom trap and electrochemical hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Menemenlioglu, Ipek; Korkmaz, Deniz [Department of Chemistry, Middle East Technical University, 06531 Ankara (Turkey); Ataman, O. Yavuz [Department of Chemistry, Middle East Technical University, 06531 Ankara (Turkey)], E-mail: ataman@metu.edu.tr

2007-01-15

The analytical performance of a miniature quartz trap coupled with electrochemical hydride generator for antimony determination is described. A portion of the inlet arm of the conventional quartz tube atomizer was used as an integrated trap medium for on-line preconcentration of electrochemically generated hydrides. This configuration minimizes transfer lines and connections. A thin-layer of electrochemical flow through cell was constructed. Lead and platinum foils were employed as cathode and anode materials, respectively. Experimental operation conditions for hydride generation as well as the collection and revolatilization conditions for the generated hydrides in the inlet arm of the quartz tube atomizer were optimized. Interferences of copper, nickel, iron, cobalt, arsenic, selenium, lead and tin were examined both with and without the trap. 3{sigma} limit of detection was estimated as 0.053 {mu}g l{sup -1} for a sample size of 6.0 ml collected in 120 s. The trap has provided 18 fold sensitivity improvement as compared to electrochemical hydride generation alone. The accuracy of the proposed technique was evaluated with two standard reference materials; Trace Metals in Drinking Water, Cat CRM-TMDW and Metals on Soil/Sediment 4, IRM-008.

Thorium coprecipitation method for spectrophotometric determination of arsenic (III) and arsenic (V) in groundwaters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamari, Yuzo; Yamamoto, Nobuki; Tsuji, Haruo; Kusaka, Yuzuru

1989-01-01

A new coprecipitation method for the spectrophotometry of arsenic (III) and arsenic (V) in groundwater has been developed. Arsenic (III) and arsenic (V) were coprecipitated with thorium (IV) hydroxide from 1000ml of groundwater at pH9. The precipitate was centrifuged and then dissolved with hydrochloric acid. Arsenic (III) was spectrophotometrically determined by the usual silver diethylditiocarbamate (Ag-DDTC) method after generating the arsenic to arsine with sodium tetrahydroborate under masking the thorium with EDTA-NaF at pH6. From another portion of the same groundwater, both arsenic (III) and arsenic (V) were determined by the Ag-DDTC method after reducing all the arsenic to arsine with sodium tetrahydroborate at pH less than 1 in the presence of the EDTA-NaF. The concentration of arsenic (V) was obtained by subtracting that of arsenic (III) from the total for arsenic. (author)

Arsenic, Zinc, and Aluminium Removal from Gold Mine Wastewater Effluents and Accumulation by Submerged Aquatic Plants (Cabomba piauhyensis, Egeria densa, and Hydrilla verticillata

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Ahmad Farid Abu Bakar

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The potential of three submerged aquatic plant species (Cabomba piauhyensis, Egeria densa, and Hydrilla verticillata to be used for As, Al, and Zn phytoremediation was tested. The plants were exposed for 14 days under hydroponic conditions to mine waste water effluents in order to assess the suitability of the aquatic plants to remediate elevated multi-metals concentrations in mine waste water. The results show that the E. densa and H. verticillata are able to accumulate high amount of arsenic (95.2% and zinc (93.7% and resulted in a decrease of arsenic and zinc in the ambient water. On the other hand, C. piauhyensis shows remarkable aluminium accumulation in plant biomass (83.8% compared to the other tested plants. The ability of these plants to accumulate the studied metals and survive throughout the experiment demonstrates the potential of these plants to remediate metal enriched water especially for mine drainage effluent. Among the three tested aquatic plants, H. verticillata was found to be the most applicable (84.5% and suitable plant species to phytoremediate elevated metals and metalloid in mine related waste water.

Arsenic, Zinc, and Aluminium Removal from Gold Mine Wastewater Effluents and Accumulation by Submerged Aquatic Plants (Cabomba piauhyensis, Egeria densa, and Hydrilla verticillata)

Science.gov (United States)

Yusoff, Ismail; Fatt, Ng Tham; Othman, Faridah; Ashraf, Muhammad Aqeel

2013-01-01

The potential of three submerged aquatic plant species (Cabomba piauhyensis, Egeria densa, and Hydrilla verticillata) to be used for As, Al, and Zn phytoremediation was tested. The plants were exposed for 14 days under hydroponic conditions to mine waste water effluents in order to assess the suitability of the aquatic plants to remediate elevated multi-metals concentrations in mine waste water. The results show that the E. densa and H. verticillata are able to accumulate high amount of arsenic (95.2%) and zinc (93.7%) and resulted in a decrease of arsenic and zinc in the ambient water. On the other hand, C. piauhyensis shows remarkable aluminium accumulation in plant biomass (83.8%) compared to the other tested plants. The ability of these plants to accumulate the studied metals and survive throughout the experiment demonstrates the potential of these plants to remediate metal enriched water especially for mine drainage effluent. Among the three tested aquatic plants, H. verticillata was found to be the most applicable (84.5%) and suitable plant species to phytoremediate elevated metals and metalloid in mine related waste water. PMID:24102060

Arsenic affects the production of glucosinolate, thiol and phytochemical compounds: A comparison of two Brassica cultivars.

Science.gov (United States)

Pandey, Chandana; Augustine, Rehna; Panthri, Medha; Zia, Ismat; Bisht, Naveen C; Gupta, Meetu

2017-02-01

Arsenic (As), a non-essential metalloid, severely affects the normal functioning of plants, animals and humans. Plants play a crucial role in metabolic, physiological and numerous detoxification mechanisms to cope up with As induced stress. This study aimed to examine the differential response in two Brassica juncea cultivars, Varuna and Pusa Jagannath (PJn) exposed to different doses of As (50, 150, 300 μM) for 48 h duration. Change in morphological traits, concentration of individual as well as total GSL, sulfur related thiol proteins, sulfur content, and phytochemicals were analyzed in both cultivars. Accumulation pattern of As showed dose dependent accumulation in both the cultivars, being more in PJn. Our finding revealed that both cultivars were tolerant at low concentrations of As, while at higher concentration Varuna excelled over PJn. The increased tolerance of Varuna cultivar exposed to 150 and 300 μM concentration of As, correlated with its increased thiol related proteins, sulfur content and phytochemicals, which serves as defence strategy in the plant against oxidative stress. Differential pattern of total as well as individual GSLs content was observed in both Varuna and PJn cultivars. Varuna cultivar showed higher level of total and aliphatic GSLs, which serves as defence compound with other detoxification machineries to combat As stress. Our findings provide foundation for developing metalloid tolerant crops by analyzing the role of different genes involved in GSL mechanism and signaling pathways in different organs of plant. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Predictors of an unsatisfactory response to pentavalent antimony in the treatment of American visceral leishmaniasis

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Santos Mácia A.

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Although treatment of visceral leishmaniasis with pentavalent antimony is usually successful, some patients require second-line drug therapy, most commonly with amphotericin B. To identify the clinical characteristics that predict an inadequate response to pentavalent antimony, a case-control study was undertaken in Teresina, Piaui, Brazil. Over a two-year period, there were 19 cases of VL in which the staff physicians of a hospital prescribed second-line therapy with amphotericin B after determining that treatment with pentavalent antimony had failed. The control group consisted of 97 patients that were successfully treated with pentavalent antimony. A chart review using univariate and multivariate analysis was performed. The cure rate was 90% with amphotericin B. The odds ratio for the prescription of amphotericin B was 10.2 for children less than one year old, compared with individuals aged over 10 years. Patients who presented coinfection had an OR of 7.1 while those on antibiotics had an OR of 2.8. These data support either undertaking a longer course of therapy with pentavalent antimony for children or using amphotericin B as a first-line agent for children and individuals with coinfections. It also suggests that chemoprophylaxis directed toward bacterial coinfection in small children with VL may be indicated.

Species-Specific Antimonial Sensitivity in Leishmania Is Driven by Post-Transcriptional Regulation of AQP1

Science.gov (United States)

Mandal, Goutam; Mandal, Srotoswati; Sharma, Mansi; Charret, Karen Santos; Papadopoulou, Barbara; Bhattacharjee, Hiranmoy; Mukhopadhyay, Rita

2015-01-01

Leishmania is a digenetic protozoan parasite causing leishmaniasis in humans. The different clinical forms of leishmaniasis are caused by more than twenty species of Leishmania that are transmitted by nearly thirty species of phlebotomine sand flies. Pentavalent antimonials (such as Pentostam or Glucantime) are the first line drugs for treating leishmaniasis. Recent studies suggest that pentavalent antimony (Sb(V)) acts as a pro-drug, which is converted to the more active trivalent form (Sb(III)). However, sensitivity to trivalent antimony varies among different Leishmania species. In general, Leishmania species causing cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) are more sensitive to Sb(III) than the species responsible for visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Leishmania aquaglyceroporin (AQP1) facilitates the adventitious passage of antimonite down a concentration gradient. In this study, we show that Leishmania species causing CL accumulate more antimonite, and therefore exhibit higher sensitivity to antimonials, than the species responsible for VL. This species-specific differential sensitivity to antimonite is directly proportional to the expression levels of AQP1 mRNA. We show that the stability of AQP1 mRNA in different Leishmania species is regulated by their respective 3’-untranslated regions. The differential regulation of AQP1 mRNA explains the distinct antimonial sensitivity of each species. PMID:25714343

LUMINESCENT PROPERTIES OF SILICATE GLASSES WITH CERIUM IONS AND ANTIMONY

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A. M. Klykova

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the results of an experimental study of luminescence excitation spectra and luminescence of silicate glasses containing cerium ions and antimony. The aim of this work was to study the features of the luminescence and the effect of UV irradiation and heat treatment on luminescence and the state of cerium ions and antimony in glass. We investigated glass system Na2O-ZnO-Al2O3-SiO2-NaF-NaBr with additives CeO2 and Sb2O3. Synthesis was carried out in platinum crucibles in the air at 14500C. The samples were polished glass plates with a thickness of 0.5-1 mm. UV irradiation was carried out with a mercury lamp having a wide range of radiation in the spectral range 240-390 nm. It was conducted in a Nabertherm muffle furnaces. Luminescence spectra and excitation spectra were measured using a spectrofluorimeter MPF-44A (PerkinElmer at the room temperature. Measured luminescence spectra were corrected in view of the spectral sensitivity of the photodetector for spectrofluorimeter. Adjustment of the excitation spectra for the spectral dependence of the intensity of the excitation source was not carried out. During the experiments it was found that in silicate glasses Sb3+ ions can exist in two energy states, which corresponds to a different environment with oxygen ions. Heat treatment of these glasses in an oxidizing atmosphere leads to an increase in ion concentration of Sb3+ ions with a greater amount of oxygen in the environment. In glasses containing antimony and cerium ions, ultraviolet irradiation causes a change in the valence of cerium ions and antimony, which is accompanied by luminescence quenching. Subsequent heat treatment of glass leads to the inverse processes and restore luminescence excitation spectra. The study of fluorescent properties of silicate glasses with cerium and antimony ions led to the conclusion of the practical significance of this work. Promising multifunctional materials can be created on the basis of

Zinc depletion promotes apoptosis-like death in drug-sensitive and antimony-resistance Leishmania donovani.

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Saini, Shalini; Bharati, Kavita; Shaha, Chandrima; Mukhopadhyay, Chinmay K

2017-09-05

Micronutrients are essential for survival and growth for all the organisms including pathogens. In this manuscript, we report that zinc (Zn) chelator N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-pyridinylmethyl)-1,2-ethylenediamine (TPEN) affects growth and viability of intracellular pathogen Leishmania donovani (LD) by a concentration and time dependent manner. Simultaneous addition of zinc salt reverses the effect of TPEN. Further experiments provide evidence of apoptosis-like death of the parasite due to Zn-depletion. TPEN treatment enhances caspase-like activity suggesting increase in apoptosis-like events in LD. Specific inhibitors of cathepsin B and Endoclease G block TPEN-induced leishmanial death. Evidences show involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) potentially of extra-mitochondrial origin in TPEN-induced LD death. Pentavalent antimonials remained the prime source of treatment against leishmaniasis for several decades; however, antimony-resistant Leishmania is now common source of the disease. We also reveal that Zn-depletion can promote apoptosis-like death in antimony-resistant parasites. In summary, we present a new finding about the role of zinc in the survival of drug sensitive and antimony-resistant LD.

Morphology and photoresponse of crystalline antimony film grown on mica by physical vapor deposition

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Shafa Muhammad

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Antimony is a promising material for the fabrication of photodetectors. This study deals with the growth of a photosensitive thin film by the physical vapor deposition (PVD of antimony onto mica surface in a furnace tube. The geometry of the grown structures was studied via scanning electron microscopy (SEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX and elemental diffraction analysis. XRD peaks of the antimony film grown on mica mostly matched with JCPDF Card. The formation of rhombohedral crystal structures in the film was further confirmed by SEM micrographs and chemical composition analysis. The Hall measurements revealed good electrical conductivity of the film with bulk carrier concentration of the order of 1022 Ω·cm-3 and mobility of 9.034 cm2/Vs. The grown film was successfully tested for radiation detection. The photoresponse of the film was evaluated using its current-voltage characteristics. These investigations revealed that the photosensitivity of the antimony film was 20 times higher than that of crystalline germanium.

Treatment of antimony mine drainage: challenges and opportunities with special emphasis on mineral adsorption and sulfate reducing bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yongchao; Hu, Xiaoxian; Ren, Bozhi