Publications by authors named "Carol M Babyak"
Human scalp hair samples were collected and used to assess exposure to toxic elements and essential elements in the state of North Carolina, USA using accelerated microwave assisted acid digestion and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The figures-of-merit of the ICP-OES were appropriate for elemental analysis in scalp hair with detection limits as low as 0.0001 mg/L for Cd, good linearity (R > 0.
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- The study investigated the weathering of coal combustion products (CCPs) in rivers after a fly ash release in 2008, focusing on heavy metals and metalloids in sediment collected over time.
- Sediment samples showed a positive correlation between arsenic and selenium concentrations with the presence of ash, and while trace element levels were initially elevated, they decreased toward reference concentrations within 780 days.
- The research highlighted a significant reduction in the bioavailability of trace elements through sequential extraction, demonstrating the natural attenuation process in river sediment over nearly 2.5 years.