Environmental assessment in fine jewelry in the U.S.-Mexico's Paso del Norte region: A qualitative study via X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy.

Heavy metal contamination in raw materials has spread widely in the United States. The high increased number of recalls in consumer products and the lack of stricter regulations in the raw materials to be used in the jewelry industry have raised concerns among consumers. Studies in low-cost jewelry have shown the presence and high content of heavy metals; this environmental problem led to a child's death after swallowing a charm containing elevated levels of lead (Pb).

Targeting Metal Impurities for the Detection and Quantification of Carbon Black Particles in Water via spICP-MS.

Carbon black (CB) is a nanomaterial with numerous industrial applications and high potential for integration into nano-enabled water treatment devices. However, few analytical techniques are capable of measuring CB in water at environmentally relevant concentrations. Therefore, we intended to establish a quantification method for CB with lower detection limits through utilization of trace metal impurities as analytical tracers.

Tomato Fruit Nutritional Quality Is Altered by the Foliar Application of Various Metal Oxide Nanomaterials.

Carbohydrates and phytonutrients play important roles in tomato fruit's nutritional quality. In the current study, FeO, MnFeO, ZnFeO, ZnMnFeO, MnO, and ZnO nanomaterials (NMs) were synthesized, characterized, and applied at 250 mg/L to tomato plants via foliar application to investigate their effects on the nutritional quality of tomato fruits. The plant growth cycle was conducted for a total of 135 days in a greenhouse and the tomato fruits were harvested as they ripened.

A double-edged effect of manganese-doped graphene quantum dots on salt-stressed Capsicum annuum L.

The objective of the current study is to evaluate both the positive and negative effects of manganese-doped graphene quantum dots (GQD-Mn) on Capsicum annuum L. grown under salt stress. GQD-Mn was synthesized, characterized, and foliar-applied (250 mg/L, 120 mg/L, 60 mg/L) to C.

Seed Biofortification by Engineered Nanomaterials: A Pathway To Alleviate Malnutrition?

Micronutrient deficiencies in global food chains are a significant cause of ill health around the world, particularly in developing countries. Agriculture is the primary source of nutrients required for sound health, and as the population has continued to grow, the agricultural sector has come under pressure to improve crop production, in terms of both quantity and quality, to meet the global demands for food security. The use of engineered nanomaterial (ENM) has emerged as a promising technology to sustainably improve the efficiency of current agricultural practices as well as overall crop productivity.

Investigation into the thermodynamics and kinetics of the binding of Cu and Pb to TiS nanoparticles synthesized using a solvothermal process.

In the present study, titanium (IV) sulfide (TiS) was synthesized and investigated for the removal of Cu and Pb ions from aqueous solutions. TiS nanoparticles synthesized through a solvothermal synthesis were characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The average particle size for the TiS material was determined to be 8.

Thermodynamic and Kinetic study of the removal of Cu and Pb ions from aqueous solution using FeS nanomaterial.

In the present study, pyrrhotite (FeS) was investigated for the removal of Pb and Cu2 ions from aqueous solution. The FeS material was prepared through a solvothermal method and was characterized using XRD. The average particle size for the nanomaterial was determined to be 29.

Removal of Arsenic from water using synthetic FeS nanoparticles.

In the present study, pyrrhotite was used to remove arsenite and arsenate from aqueous solutions. The FeS was synthesized using a solvothermal synthetic method and it was characterized using XRD and SEM micrographs. Furthermore, the particle size for the nanomaterial FeS was determined to be 29.