Publications by authors named "A L Ulery"

In August 2015, 11.3 million L of heavy metal-contaminated water spilled into the Animas River from the Gold King Mine (Colorado, USA). National attention focused on water quality and agricultural production in areas affected by the spill.

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The Animas River Watershed has long received discharges of naturally occurring acid rock drainage; however, on August 5, 2015, three million gallons flowed into the agricultural region of Farmington, New Mexico and the Navajo Nation. Consumers and growers in the region were fearful that produce might absorb heavy metals from contaminated irrigation water originating from these rivers. Samples were collected from the region including corn ( = 30), pumpkin ( = 10), squash ( = 10), and cucumber ( = 10) then processed and tested using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) for concentrations of nine metals of interest.

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Exposure to As, Cd, Pb, and U among older Hispanic adults residing in underserved communities in southern New Mexico was investigated. Personal information was obtained by standardized interview from 188 adults aged 40-85 years. Urinary metal concentrations were measured and compared to results from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES).

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Background: Metallothionein (MT) proteins play critical roles in the physiological handling of both essential (Cu and Zn) and toxic (Cd) metals. MT expression is regulated by metal-regulatory transcription factor 1 (MTF1). Hence, genetic variation in the MT gene family and MTF1 might influence excretion of these metals.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study tested six plant species, including Kochia and pigweed, for their ability to absorb depleted uranium (DU) from contaminated soil in New Mexico under greenhouse conditions.
  • Adding citric acid and glyphosate significantly increased DU concentrations in plant biomass, with Kochia showing a higher accumulation than pigweed, particularly in leaves.
  • Manure generally reduced DU uptake, while ammonium citrate was found to be as effective as citric acid, suggesting that the citrate ion plays a key role in DU absorption and movement within the plants.
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