The effects of selenium biofortification on mercury bioavailability and toxicity in the lettuce-slug food chain.

The effects of foliar Se biofortification (Se+) of the lettuce on the transfer and toxicity of Hg from soil contaminated with HgCl (H) and soil collected near the former Hg smelter in Idrija (I), to terrestrial food chain are explored, with Spanish slug as a primary consumer. Foliar application of Se significantly increased Se content in the lettuce, with no detected toxic effects. Mercury exerted toxic effects on plants, decreasing plant biomass, photochemical efficiency of the photosystem II (Fv/Fm) and the total chlorophyll content.

Successful Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles through Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis from a Gold(III) Nitrate Precursor and Their Interaction with a High Electron Beam.

Herein, we report for the first time the successful preparation of a gold(III) nitrate [Au(NO)] water-based precursor for use in a bottom-up ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) process. Due to its limited solubility in water, the precursor was prepared under reflux conditions with nitric acid (HNO) as the solvent and ammonium hydroxide (NHOH) as a neutralizer. This precursor enabled the USP synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and the in situ formation of low concentrations of NO and NO ions, which were caught directly in deionized water in a collection system.

Environmental status of the NE Adriatic Sea, Istria, Croatia: Insights from mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis condition indices, stable isotopes and metal(loid)s.

The environmental status of the marine environment in the NE Adriatic Sea was assessed, using as a bioindicator species the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819. Samples were collected seasonally from mariculture sites and from major Istrian ports between the years 2010 and 2013. The condition indices of mussels ranged from 13.

Effects of CeO Nanoparticles on Terrestrial Isopod Porcellio scaber: Comparison of CeO Biological Potential with Other Nanoparticles.

Nano-sized cerium dioxide (CeO) particles are emerging as an environmental issue due to their extensive use in automobile industries as fuel additives. Limited information is available on the potential toxicity of CeO nanoparticles (NPs) on terrestrial invertebrates through dietary exposure. In the present study, the toxic effects of CeO NPs on the model soil organism Porcellio scaber were evaluated.

Robust polarization and strain behavior of Sm-modified BiFeO3 piezoelectric ceramics.

The route to phase-pure BiFeO3 (BFO) ceramics with excellent ferroelectric and electromechanical properties is severely impeded by difficulties associated with the perovskite phase stability during synthesis. This has meant that dopants and solid solutions with BFO have been investigated as a means of not only improving the functional properties, but also of improving the perovskite phase formation of BFO-based ceramics. The present work focuses on Sm-modified BFO ceramics of composition Bi0.

Synthesis of bioactive β-TCP coatings with tailored physico-chemical properties on zirconia bioceramics.

The objective of this work was to develop a synthesis procedure for the deposition of β-TCP coatings with tailored physico-chemical properties on zirconia bioceramics. The synthesis procedure involved two steps: (i) a rapid wet-chemical deposition of a biomimetic CaP coating and (ii) a subsequent post-deposition processing of the biomimetic CaP coating, which included a heat treatment between 800 and 1200 °C, followed by a short sonication in a water bath. By regulating the heating temperature the topography of the β-TCP coatings could be controlled.

Relevance for food sciences of quantitative spatially resolved element profile investigations in wheat (Triticum aestivum) grain.

Bulk element concentrations of whole grain and element spatial distributions at the tissue level were investigated in wheat (Triticum aestivum) grain grown in Zn-enriched soil. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry were used for bulk analysis, whereas micro-proton-induced X-ray emission was used to resolve the two-dimensional localization of the elements. Soil Zn application did not significantly affect the grain yield, but did significantly increase the grain Ca, Fe and Zn concentrations, and decrease the grain Na, P and Mo concentrations; bulk Mg, S, K, Mn, Cu, Cd and Pb concentrations remained unchanged.

Immunomodulatory properties of nanoparticles obtained by ultrasonic spray pirolysis from gold scrap.

We prepared 5 different fractions of nanoparticles from the gold scrap, by using a new technology, Ultrasonic Spray Pirolysis (USP). The aim of this study was to characterize the microstructure and cytotoxicity of the nanoparticles along with their immunomodulatory properties, using Concanavaline A (ConA)-treated rat splenocytes as a model of activated immune cells. Fractions 1 and 2, composed of pure gold nanoparticles, although non-cytotoxic, reduced cellular proliferation.

Influence of bacterial lysate quality on growth of two bacterioplankton species.

All physico-chemical parameters that affect bacterial growth rate will also affect bacterial molecular composition, which in turn influences the chemical composition of bacterial lysate and its turnover rate in the ecosystem. To produce qualitatively different lysates, Vibrio sp. cells were grown under different pH, salt, or temperature conditions in rich growth media and then washed and lysed by autoclaving.

A solid-liquid extraction approach to elucidate the chemical availability of metals in soil and sediment assuming Langmuir isotherm behaviour.

In an earlier paper (Anal. Chim. Acta 514 (2004) 137) we claimed that the maximal extractability of a metal from soil or sediment for a user-defined extractant, i.