Human exposure to uranium in South African gold mining areas using barber-based hair sampling.

Uranium (U) measurements in water, soil, and food related to gold mining activities in populated areas in Gauteng Province, South Africa, suggest the possibility of exposure levels that may lead to adverse health consequences, including cancer. Theoretical considerations on pathways of human uptake of significant exposures are plausible, but few data on directly measured human exposure are available. A cross-sectional study was conducted using human measurements to compare U levels with other settings around the globe (based on literature review), to explore potential exposure variability within the province, and to test the feasibility of recruiting subjects partially coming from vulnerable and difficult-to-reach populations.

Bio-recycling of metals: Recycling of technical products using biological applications.

The increasing demand of different essential metals as a consequence of the development of new technologies, especially in the so called "low carbon technologies" require the development of innovative technologies that enable an economic and environmentally friendly metal recovery from primary and secondary resources. There is serious concern that the demand of some critical elements might exceed the present supply within a few years, thus necessitating the development of novel strategies and technologies to meet the requirements of industry and society. Besides an improvement of exploitation and processing of ores, the more urgent issue of recycling of strategic metals has to be enforced.

Uranium contaminated drinking water linked to leukaemia-Revisiting a case study from South Africa taking alternative exposure pathways into account.

The paper presents results of a follow-up to an earlier study which established a geospatial link between naturally elevated uranium (U) levels in borehole water and haematological abnormalities in local residents serving as a proxy for leukaemia prevalent in the area. While the original study focussed on drinking water only, this paper also explores alternative exposure pathways including the inhalation of dust and the food chain. U-levels in grass and tissue of sheep generally reflect U-levels in nearby borehole water and exceed background concentrations by 20 to nearly 500 times.

Au-Interaction of Slp1 Polymers and Monolayer from Lysinibacillus sphaericus JG-B53 - QCM-D, ICP-MS and AFM as Tools for Biomolecule-metal Studies.

In this publication the gold sorption behavior of surface layer (S-layer) proteins (Slp1) of Lysinibacillus sphaericus JG-B53 is described. These biomolecules arrange in paracrystalline two-dimensional arrays on surfaces, bind metals, and are thus interesting for several biotechnical applications, such as biosorptive materials for the removal or recovery of different elements from the environment and industrial processes. The deposition of Au(0) nanoparticles on S-layers, either by S-layer directed synthesis or adsorption of nanoparticles, opens new possibilities for diverse sensory applications.

Production of 85Sr at a 18MeV-cyclotron and purification for geochemical investigations.

The production of (85)Sr by irradiation of a Rb-target at a cyclotron was investigated. The purification of the radionuclide was performed by a Sr-selective resin. (85)Sr was separated in no-carrier-added aqueous solution with a recovery of 98% and a concentration up to 6.