Metal contaminants in rice from Cuba analyzed by ICP-MS, ICP-AES and CVAAS.

Mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic are considered hazardous pollutants in the environment, which can result in a risk for human health. This study aimed to determine the contents of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn by ICP-MS, CVAAS and ICP-AES in paddy and brown rice, grown in different soils of Cuba. The interest to include Cr, Ni, Cu and Zn was because these elements are found in very high levels in agricultural soils.

EDXRF as an alternative method for multielement analysis of tropical soils and sediments.

The quality assessment of tropical soils and sediments is still under discussion, with efforts being made on the part of governmental agencies to establish reference values. Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) is a potential analytical technique for quantifying diverse chemical elements in geological material without chemical treatment, primarily when it is performed at an appropriate metrological level. In this work, analytical curves were obtained by means of the analysis of geological reference materials (RMs), which allowed for the researchers to draw a comparison among the sources of analytical uncertainty.

Influence of terrestrial radionuclides on environmental gamma exposure in a uranium deposit in Paraíba, Brazil.

One of the main natural uranium deposits in Brazil is located in the municipality of Espinharas, in the State of Paraíba. This area may present high levels of natural radioactivity due to the presence of these radionuclides. Since this is a populated area, there is need for a radioecological dosimetry assessment to investigate the possible risks to the population.