Assessing Chronic Heavy Metal Exposure by Analysis of Human Cataract Specimens and the Relationship to Metabolic Profiles.

Purpose: With age, the mammalian lens forms successive layers of crystallin protein fibers which infoliate with lens growth and development. As heavy metals generally bind to tissue protein, heavy metals are posited to sequester within the lens with age. Therefore, this study aims to compare heavy metals in human crystalline lens of older adults to known physiologic blood and urine levels and assess the association between concentrations in the lens and metabolic biomarkers.

Development of an analytical method for determination of lead and cadmium in biological materials by GFAAS using Escherichia coli as model substance.

In this work, an analytical method was developed for the determination of lead and cadmium in biological samples using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Escherichia coli (E. coli) was chosen as model substance for this purpose as it is readily available in most laboratories and can be quickly and easily prepared with a high turnaround rate.

Statistical analysis of aerosol species, trace gasses, and meteorology in Chicago.

Both canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were applied to atmospheric aerosol and trace gas concentrations and meteorological data collected in Chicago during the summer months of 2002, 2003, and 2004. Concentrations of ammonium, calcium, nitrate, sulfate, and oxalate particulate matter, as well as, meteorological parameters temperature, wind speed, wind direction, and humidity were subjected to CCA and PCA. Ozone and nitrogen oxide mixing ratios were also included in the data set.

Determination of water-soluble atmospheric aerosols using ion chromatography.

A field study was established to investigate the chemical composition of atmospheric aerosols in Chicago, IL. One goal of this study was to determine the influence of precursor trace gases and local meteorology on concentrations of secondary aerosol ionic species. This paper describes the method details, shows the method is analytically valid, and reports overall as well as some specific results found during the field study.