Inorganic Chemical Composition Analysis of 10 Different Types of Commercial Salt by Wavelength Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (WDXRF) Method

Salt is one of the most used seasoning in culinary with a great variety of them. Despite that, there is not a lot of published studies that analyses its compositions, differences and similarities between them. Thus, this research aims to determine the inorganic composition of table, light, pink and black Himalayan, Hawaii’s red, Persian blue, Mediterranean sea and three Argentinian gourmet salts by the Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (WDXRF) method in order to compare them using PCA and HCA analysis. Na and Cl were major elements found in all samples. As for trace elements: Al, Si, S and K in drastically different concentrations, due to conservation of nutrients from the soil, water or additives. These differences were used to distinct three groups showing that there is between 70 and 60% similarity among the nine samples, while the light salt does not have similarity to any other salt studied

Estabilidade da produtividade de grãos de cultivares de milho nos Estados do Piauí e Maranhão.

Objetivando conhecer a adaptabilidade e a estabilidade, para fins de recomendação, foram avaliadas 33 cultivares de milho (22 híbridos e 11 variedades) em 13 ambientes dos Estados do Piauí e Maranhão nas safras de 2001/2002, 2002/2003 e 2003/2004. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental em blocos ao acaso, com três repetições. Os parâmetros de adaptabilidade e estabilidade foram estimados pelo método de regressão bissegmentada. A análise de variância conjunta mostrou inconsistência no comportamento das cultivares diante das oscilações ambientais. Os híbridos mostraram melhor adaptação que as variedades, consolidando-se em alternativas importantes para os agricultores que investem em tecnologias modernas de produção. Nas condições ambientais favoráveis, sobressaíram-se os híbridos DAS 766, Pioneer 3021 e Pioneer 30 K 75. As variedades que expressaram adaptabilidade ampla, tais como, Sertanejo, Asa Branca, AL 30, AI 34 e São Francisco são importantes nos sistemas de produção dos agricultores familiares da região.bitstream/item/36037/1/Bol58.pd

Determinants Of Blood Lead Levels In An Adult Population From A Mining Area In Brazil

During the last fifty years the Ribeira river valley, Brazil, had been under the influence of the full activity of a huge lead refinery and mining along the riverside. The plant completely stopped all kind of industrial activities at the end of 1995, and part of the worker population and their families still remain living nearby in small communities. The objective of the present study was to assess the determinants of blood lead levels (BLL) in these mining areas, where residual environmental contamination from the past industrial activity still remains. Blood samples of 350 adults aged 15 to 70, residing in areas around the mine and the refinery were collected. A questionnaire was given in order to gather information on food habits, current and former residential places, occupational activities, among other variables. Blood lead concentrations were analysed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry using Zeeman background correction. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the independent contribution of selected variables in predicting BLL in those subjects. The following variables showed significant association with high BLL: residential area close to the lead refinery, former dwelling at the refinery village, male gender, smoking habits, and consume of fruits from home back yard.107I127130Berglund, M., Pedersen, N.L., Bjorkman, L., Vahter, M., (1999) Environ Res, 80, pp. 222-230Brody, D.J., Pirkle, J.L., Kramer, R.A., Flegal, K.M., Matte, T.D., Gunter, E.W., Paschal, D.C., (1994) JAMA, 27, pp. 277-283Hense, H.W., Filipiak, B., Novak, L., Stoeppler, M., (1992) Int J Epidem, 21Jakubowski, M., Trzcinka-Ochocka, M., Razniewska, G., Christensen, J.M., Starek, A., (1996) Int Arch Occup Environ Health, 68, pp. 193-198Kristal-Boneh, E., Froom, P., Yerushalmi, N., Ashkanazi, R., Pardo, A., Shine, R., Ribak, J., (1998) Am J Ind Med, 34, pp. 512-516Leroyer, A., Hemon, D., Nisse, C., Bazerques, J., Salomez, J.L., Haguenoer, (2001) Sci Total Environ, 267, pp. 87-99Liou, S.H., Wu, T.N., Chiang, H.C., Yang, G.Y., Yang, T., Wu, Y.Q., Lai, J.S., Chang, P.Y., (1996) Sci Total Environ, 180, pp. 211-219Mahaffey, K.R., (1995) Environ Health Perspect, 103, pp. 191-196Muldoon, S.B., Cauley, J.A., Kuller, L.H., Scott, S., Rohay, J., (1994) Am J Epidemiol, 139, pp. 599-608Ooi, P.L., Goh, K.T., Heng, B.H., Sam, C.T., Kong, K.H., Rajan, U., (1991) Rev Environ Health, 9, pp. 2017-2213Paoliello, M.M.B., Gutierrez, P.R., Turini, C.A., Matsuo, T., Mezzaroba, L., Barbosa, D.S., Alvarenga, A.L.P., Lobo, B., (2001) Pan Am J Public Health, 9, pp. 315-319Probst-Hensch, N., Braun-Fahrlaender, C., Bodenmann, A., Ackermann-Liebrich, U., (1993) Soz Praventivmed, 38, pp. 43-50Yang, J.S., Kang, S.K., Park, I.J., Rhee, K.Y., Moon, Y.H., Sohn, D.H., (1996) Int Arch Occup Environ Health, 68, pp. 199-20