Search results for " contaminant"

Groundwater radon measurements in the Mt. Etna area.

2003

Radon levels were measured in 119 groundwater samples collected throughout the active volcanic area of Mt. Etna by means of a portable Lucas-type scintillation chamber. The measured activity values range from 1.8 to 52.7 Bq l(-1). About 40% of the samples exceed the maximum contaminant level of 11 Bq l(-1) proposed by the USEPA in 1991. The highest radon levels are measured in the eastern sector of the volcano, which is the seismically most active zone of the volcano. On the contrary the south-western sector, which is both seismically active and a site of intense magmatic degassing, display lower radon levels. This is probably due to the formation of a free gas phase (oversaturation of CO(2…

Effect of ethanol on the ability of Oenococcus oeni to remove ochratoxin A in synthetic wine-like media

2010

The study focused on the changes in bacterial population, malolactic fermentation and ochratoxin A (OTA) levels in cultures of Oenococcus oeni performed in synthetic medium supplemented with ethanol and OTA. Growth was better in cultures containing 5% ethanol and was not observed in cultures containing 15% ethanol. The OTA removal ability of O. oeni depended on ethanol and initial OTA levels. The highest toxin removal percentage was observed in cultures containing 5% ethanol and 2 μg OTA/l. In ethanol-containing medium part of OTA was not sorbed by O. oeni and remained in the liquid medium. Thus, it cannot efficiently eliminate OTA in acidic ethanol-containing beverages, such as wine. The e…

A novel TiO2-assisted magnetic nanoparticle separator for treatment and inactivation of bacterial contaminants in aquatic systems

2014

Ferromagnetic nanoparticles (Fe-nanoparticles) have been functionalized with recombinant poly- Glu [glutamic acid]-tagged silicatein, a biomineral-synthesizing enzyme from siliceous sponges that forms the inorganic silica skeleton of those animals. The biocatalytic activity of silicatein was used to form a titania (TiO2) shell around the iron nanoparticle core, using the water-soluble non- natural substrate titanium bis(ammonium lactato)-dihydroxide (TiBALDH). Thereby the diameter of the nanoparticles increases from 7 nm to ≈22 nm. This procedure also allows the layer-by-layer fabrication of titania/silica- Fe-nanoparticles. SEM/EDX analysis confirmed the presence of the Ti and Si signals i…

Contamination from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the soil of a botanic garden localized next to a former manufacturing gas plant in Pale…

2010

The Botanical Garden lies within the city of Palermo, a few meters away from one of the largest unused Manufacturing Gas Plant in Sicily. The total concentrations of PAHs (23 compounds) in the soil of Botanical Garden ranged from 947 to 18,072 microg/kg. The wide range of PAH concentrations (RSD=84%) found in the soil samples indicates heterogeneous levels of contamination in the area and this can be explained by considering the different tree distributions which prevents the homogeneous deposition of pollutants on the soil. Soils collected in the Botanical Garden generally showed the highest PAH concentrations, being almost 2-3 times higher than the concentration samples obtained in the ur…

Detecting residues of urea and carbamate pesticides

2004

Effect of pulsed electric field on Maillard reaction and hydroxymethylfurfural production

2020

Abstract As an emerging nonthermal processing technology, the application of pulsed electric field (PEF) has received increasing attention not only for its capability to inactivate enzymes and microorganisms or to enhance mass transfer during the extraction process but also for its potential to inhibit the formation of chemical contaminants during processing, such as the formation of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). HMF is a potential carcinogen to humans that can be produced via the Maillard reaction (MR). Compared with thermal treatment, PEF can minimize the extent of MR, reducing the contents of HMF. However, in some cases, MR and HMR may be promoted, closely associated with PEF conditions a…

Cobalt content of foods and diets in a Spanish population

1986

The WHO Expert Committee on Food Contaminants has pointed out the need of determining the content of foods in trace elements in order to ascertain their contribution to the total intake of oligoelements through the diet. Since the contents in trace elements depend on the environmental features, it is necessary to carry out systematic determinations of trace elements in foods of local origin in order to know the exposure level of population. This work intends to study the cobalt contribution through the diet. The element intake is calculated from the cobalt content in raw foods after elimination of the non-eatable moiety by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy, after formation of a chelate w…

Universal method to determine acidic licit and illicit drugs and personal care products in water by liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight

2016

Graphical abstract

Mycotoxins and their consequences in aquaculture: A review

2016

Fish consumption has been increasing worldwide, mainly due to the availability, access and price in relation to other kinds of meat consumption, such as beef, pork, and poultry. Consequently, some concerns begin to emerge, primarily regarding the quality of fish available in the market. Residues could be present in any product of animal origin causing economic losses and putting into a risk human and animal health. Food contamination by mycotoxins is a risk to human and animal health, and it is responsible for significant economic losses. It's very difficult to prove that a disease is a mycotoxicosis, and even when mycotoxins are detected, it is not easy to show that they are the etiologica…

Window-Based Energy Selecting X-ray Imaging and Charge Sharing in Cadmium Zinc Telluride Linear Array Detectors for Contaminant Detection

2023

The spectroscopic and imaging performance of energy-resolved photon counting detectors, based on new sub-millimetre boron oxide encapsulated vertical Bridgman cadmium zinc telluride linear arrays, are presented in this work. The activities are in the framework of the AVATAR X project, planning the development of X-ray scanners for contaminant detection in food industry. The detectors, characterized by high spatial (250 µm) and energy (<3 keV) resolution, allow spectral X-ray imaging with interesting image quality improvements. The effects of charge sharing and energy-resolved techniques on contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) enhancements are investigated. The benefits of a new energy-resolved …