Examination of concentration of iron, zinc and copper and antioxidative status in human milk, serum of baby and mothers and infant formula

Mikroelementi, odnosno elementi u tragovima, su supstance koje čine manje od 0,01% ukupne tjelesne mase. Gvoţđe, cink i bakar spadaju u osnovne elemente koji su neophodni za rast i razvoj kako odojčadi tako i tokom cijelog ţivota, obzirom da ulaze u sastav velikog broja enzima. Dosadašnjim istraţivanjima je utvrđeno da neki elementi u tragovima, koji se ponašaju kao redoks katalizatori, mogu biti dio aktivnog mjesta ili kofaktori antioksidativnih enzima, te se mogu ponašati i kao antioksidansi. Elementi u tragovima imaju vaţnu ulogu u rastu i razvoju. Iako su potrebni samo u malim količinama, unos ne mora uvijek biti adekvatan. Nedostatak elemenata u tragovima moţe se pojaviti u dojenčadi iz različitih razloga. Biodostupnost esencijalnih mikroelemenata kod odojčadi isključivo zavisi od kvaliteta majčinog mlijeka, tj. od sadrţaja nutrijenata u majčinom mlijeku, duţine dojenja i fizioloških faktora kao što su apsorpcija nutrijenata i uzimanje suplemenata, kako u trudnoći tako i u procesu dojenja. Smanjen unos cinka utiče na zastoj u rastu oštećujući i imuni sistem. Nedostatak bakra utiče na povećavanje slobodnih radikala i smanjuje sposobnost odbrane organizma od oksidativnog stresa. Smanjenje Zn i Cu kod odojčadi povezano je sa nedostatkom gvoţđa što moţe dovesti do većeg broja komplikacija. Zahvaljujući različitim sastojcima, majčino mlijeko je najbolja hrana za odojče, koja pored nutritivnih i bioloških vrijednosti neophodnih za rast, doprinosi jačanju odbrambenih mehanizama, stimulišući imuni sistem, poboljšavajući razvoj endogenih odbrambenih mehanizama, kao i rast zdrave mikroflore. Sastav mlijeka majki prijevremeno rođene djece se razlikuje od mlijeka majki terminske djece...Micro-elemements or trace elements, are substances that make less than 0.01% of total body weight. Iron, zinc and copper are among basic elements necessary for growth and development of infants and further throughout life, as they are part of a large number of enzymes. Previous researches has found that some trace elements, which act as redox catalysts, may be part of the active site or cofactors of antioxidant enzymes, and they can act aslo as antioxidants. Trace elements play an important role in growth and development of humans. Although they are needed only in small amounts, their intake do not have to be appropriate. The lack of trace elements may occur in infants, for various reasons. The bioavailability of essential microelements in infants depends exclusively on the quality of breast milk, ie. of nutrients content in breast milk, duration of breastfeefing and physiological factors such as the absorption of nutrients and supplements intake, both in pregnancy and in breastfeeding period. Decreased intake of zinc causes the growth arrest, damaging the immune system. Copper deficiency causes the increase of free radicals and reduces the ability of defenses against oxidative stress. Reduction of Zn and Cu in infants is associated with iron deficiency which can lead to greater number of complications..

Cadmium, Mercury and Lead in Hypericum perforatum L. collected in Western Serbia

Wild population of Hypericum perforatum growing in Western Serbia was analyzed for the content of important environmental pollutants cadmium, mercury and lead. Metal contents were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Obtained results showed that levels of mercury and lead were under while cadmium concentrations exceeded limits recommended for medicinal plants. High levels of cadmium in investigated plants can be the result of soil enriched with cadmium as well as the ability of Hypericum perforatum to accumulate cadmium

Compressive strength and hydrolytic stability of fly ash based geopolymers

The process of geopolymerization involves the reaction of solid aluminosilicate materials with highly alkaline silicate solution yielding an aluminosilicate inorganic polymer named geopolymer, which may be successfully applied in civil engineering as a replacement for cement. In this paper we have investigated the influence of synthesis parameters: solid to liquid ratio, NaOH concentration and the ratio of Na2SiO3/NaOH, on the mechanical properties and hydrolytic stability of fly ash based geopolymers in distilled water, sea water and simulated acid rain. The highest value of compressive strength was obtained using 10 mol dm-3 NaOH and at the Na2SiO3/NaOH ratio of 1.5. Moreover, the results have shown that mechanical properties of fly ash based geopolymers are in correlation with their hydrolytic stability. Factors that increase the compressive strength also increase the hydrolytic stability of fly ash based geopolymers. The best hydrolytic stability of fly ash based geopolymers was shown in sea water while the lowest stability was recorded in simulated acid rain. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 172054 i Nanotechnology and Functional Materials Center, funded by the European FP7 project No. 245916

Procena rizika po zdravlje dece na osnovu sadržaja toksičnih metala Pb, Cd, Cu i Zn u gradskom zemljištu na teritoriji Podgorice, Crna Gora

Background/Aim. Due to their low tolerance to pollutants and hand-to-mouth pathways the health risk is very high in children's population. The aim of this study was to evaluate risk to children's health based on the content of heavy metals in urban soil samples from Podgorica, Montenegro. This study included the investigation of several toxic metals such as Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn in soil samples from public parks and playgrounds. Methods. Sampling was conducted in a period October-November, 2012. Based on cluster analysis, soil samples were divided into two groups related to similarity of metal content at examinated locations: the group I - near by recreational or residential areas of the city, and the group II - near traffic roads. Concentration of toxic metals, in urban soil samples were determined by a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (Pb and Cd) and by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry technique after microwave digestion. Due to exposure to urban soil, non-cancerogenic index hazardous index (HI) for children was estimated using 95th percentile values of total metal concentration. The value of the total (ingestion, dermal and inhalation) HI is calculated for maximum, minimum and the average concentration of metals for children. Results. Mean concentrations of Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn in the surface layer of the studied urban soils were 85.91 mg/kg, 2.8 mg/kg and 52.9 mg/kg and 112.5 mg/kg, respectively. Samples from group II showed higher metal content compared to group I. Urbanization and traffic are the main sources of pollution of the urban soils of Podgorica. Most of the samples (93.5%) had a high Pb content, 12.9% of the samples had a higher content of Cd, while Cu and Zn were within the limits prescribed by national legislation. At one location the level of security for lead is HI = 0.8 and very closed to maximum acceptable value of 1. It is probably the result of intensive traffic near by. Conclusion. All metals investigated showed relatively higher concentrations at sites that were close to industrial places and high ways. The mean concentrations of Pb and Zn and maximum concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Zn were higher than presented values in the National Regulation.Uvod/Cilj. Zbog niske tolerancije na zagađivače i puta prenošenja ruke-usta, rizik od narušenja zdravlja je veoma visok u dečjoj populaciji. Cilj ovog rada bio je da se izvrši procena rizika po zdravlje dece na osnovu sadržaja teških metala u uzorcima gradskog zemljišta u Podgorici, Crna Gora. Ovo istraživanje je obuhvatilo određivanje koncentracija nekoliko toksičnih metala kao što su Pb, Cd, Cu i Zn u uzorcima zemljišta javnih parkova i dečijih igrališta. Metode. Uzorkovanje je sprovedeno tokom oktobra i novembra 2012. godine. Klaster analizom uzorci zemljišta podeljeni su u dve grupe na osnovu sličnosti sadržaja metala na ispitivanim lokacijama: grupa I - uzorci sa mesta u rekreativnim ili stambenim delovima grada i grupa II - uzorci iz parkova i igralište blizu saobraćajnice. Koncentracija metala u uzorcima urbanog zemljišta određena je primenom atomske apsorpcione spektrometrije pomoću grafitne kivete (Pb i Cd) i tehnike optičke emisione spektroskopije sa induktivno kuplovanom plazmom (Cu i Zn) nakon mikrotalasne digestije. Na osnovu stepena izloženosti uticaju gradskog zemljišta, nekancerogeni indeks opasnosti (hazard index - HI) za decu izračunat je na 95. procentu vrednosti ukupne koncentracije metala. Vrednost za ukupni (ingestioni, dermalni i inhalacioni) HI izračunata je za maksimalne, minimalne i srednje koncentracije ispitivanih metala za decu. Rezultati. Srednja koncentracija toksičnih metala u uzorcima površinskog sloja zemljišta iznosila je 85,91 mg Pb/kg tla, 2,8 mg Cd/kg tla, 52,9 mg Cu/kg tla i 112,5 mg Zn/kg tla. Sadržaj metala bio je značajno veći u uzorcima zemljišta iz grupe II nego u uzorcima grupe I. Ovo jasno ukazuje na izražen i uočljiv uticaj urbanizacije, a naročito saobraćaja, na zagađenje zemljišta. Većina uzoraka (93,5%) imala je povećan sadržaj Pb, 12,9% uzoraka imalo je povećan sadržaj Cd, dok je sadržaj Cu i Zn bio u granicama propisanim nacionalnom regulativom. Na jednoj lokaciji vrednost za nivo bezbednosti za olovo bio je HI = 0,8, vrlo blizu maksimalne prihvatljive vrednosti koja iznosi 1, što je verovatno posledica intenzivnog saobraćaja u neposrednoj blizini ispitivane lokacije. Zaključak. Ispitivani metali imali su više koncentracije na mestima u blizini industrijske zone i autoputa. Prosečne koncentracije Pb i Zn, kao i maksimalne koncentracije Pb, Cd i Zn bile su više od vrednosti propisanih nacionalnom regulativom

Poster presentation: From Sustainable, Through Suitable to Smart Development

Sustainable development forms the foundational block, emphasizing the importance of minimizing environmental impacts, conserving resources, and safeguarding ecosystem integrity. Environmental chemistry plays a pivotal role in this stage, providing the analytical tools and methodologies needed to assess environmental contamination, understand chemical processes in natural systems, and devise eco-friendly materials and practices. Green chemistry principles underpin this approach, reducing the environmental footprint through the design of less hazardous chemicals and cleaner production processes.Abstract: [https://cer.ihtm.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/7130

Alkali Activated Slag as Adsorbents for Cu2+ Removal from Wastewaters

The removal of heavy metals from wastewaters is presently a global imperative primarily due to their well-known toxic nature and detrimental effects on the environment, and more importantly, on human health. Currently, special attention is paid to the use of novel slag based materials – alkali activated slag (AAS) as potential novel adsorbents. Our previous studies have shown that electric arc furnace slag (EAFS) can be successfully used as a precursor for the production of AAS. Generally, alkaline activation involves a chemical reaction between solid aluminosilicate materials and a highly alkaline activator. The alkali activation mechanism of slag involves the dissolution of slag in a highly alkaline, which is followed by the condensation and hardening processes. Dependent on the pH and type of alkaline activator, calcium (alumina) silicate hydrate or C–(A)–S–H gel has been identified as a reaction product of slag alkali activation. The objective of this research was to investigate the removal of Cu2+ from aquatic solution using alkali activated slag (AAS) obtained by alkaline activation of EAFS

A novel type of building material derived from the by-products of steel making industry

Electric arc furnace slag (EAFS) and electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) are the waste materials generated during the iron and steel scrap remelting in electric arc furnace. EAFS is non-hazardous material which has found its application in different field of civil engineering. On the other hand, EAFD is classified as hazardous matreials due to the presence of heavy metals (Zn, Pb, Cu Cr and Cd) and their potential leaching into environment. Stabilization/solidification (S/S) of toxic waste is a widely investigated as simply method for production of stable product. Cement binder was mainly used for this purpose but important shift in the use of different waste materials as a cement replacement was observed. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of S/S of heavy metals from EAFD using the alkali activated binders based on EAFS. The alkali activated slag with a different content of EAFS was synthesised and characterized using the SEM/EDS, XRDP, FTIR. The binding of Zn into the reaction product of slag alkali activation was founded. The immobilization efficacy was evaluated using TCLP Method No. 1311 (USEPA) and EN 12457-2 (EULFD) leaching tests

Determination of Microelements in Human Milk and Infant Formula Without Digestion by ICP-OES

The concentrations of zinc (Zn), iron (Fe) and copper (Cu) in both human milk and infant formula were determined using a new sample preparation method, by inductively coupled plasma -optical emission spectometry (ICP-OES) and flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Human milk samples were diluted in ultrapure water. The infant formula of powder samples (suitable for an infant 1-6 months of age) and standard reference material (SRM-1849) were analyzed in parallel. The results have shown that FAAS method was more sensitive for Fe determination in human milk while ICP-OES was more sensitive for both Zn and Cu detection. The limit of quantification for both Zn and Cu was 5 mu g L-1 and 10 mu g L-1 for Fe and the recovery for Zn, Fe and Cu was ranged from 90% to 94%, 97% to 103% and 90% to 102%, respectively. Mean concentrations of Zn, Fe, and Cu in human milk samples were 5.35, 0.47 and 0.83 mg L-1, respectively while these values in infant formula were ranged from 3.52-4.75 mg L-1, 3.37-4.56 mg L-1 and 0.28-0.41 mg L-1, respectively. Despite the sample complexity, the proposed method using dilution of milk samples with water was simple, rapid, effective and accurate. ICP-OES was a better method for Zn determination while FAAS was a better method for Fe determination. In the case of Cu both methods were comparable

New environmentally acceptable materials based on fly ash, steelmaking slag and Zn-reach electric arc furnace dust

The newer methods of electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) valorisation include its stabilization into materials which potentially can be used in construction. This is the most promising method because of the low costs and waste reduction. The purpose of these study was to investigate the properties of alkali activated cement (AAC) based on fly ash (FA) or steelmaking electric arc furnace slag (EAFS) as an agent fora stabilization/solidification of EAFD. The control type of AAC samples were prepared by mixing of solid precursor (FA or EAFS) with a mixture of 10 M NaOH and Na2SiO3 solutions followed by curing at in the oven for 48 h at 65 C. The samples of AAC doped with EAFD were prepared at the same conditions but the EAFD was added to the starting mixtures with FA in quantities of 10, 20 and 30% of total solid phase and 1, 2, 5 and 7 % of total EAFS solid phase. The results have shown that both, FA and EAFS can be successfully used as an agent for EAFD stabilization. AAC samples based of FA and EAFS exhibited strength which is suitable for both, landfill and construction applications. Stabilization of EAFD into the AAC matrix occurred by chemical and physical immobilization. Chemical immobilization of Zn into the reaction product of FA and EAFS alkali activation was confirmed by SEM/EDS investigations. The leaching of Zn from both, AAC matrix based on FA and EAFS is inferior in comparison to pristine EAFD and met the criteria for granular waste disposal at landfills for non-hazardous waste according the EN 12457-2 test

New bioelectrical impedance analysis equations for children and adolescents based on the deuterium dilution technique

Background and aims: Body composition in childhood is not only a marker of the prevalence of obesity, but it can also be used to assess associated metabolic complications. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) shows promise as an easy to use, rapid, and non-invasive tool to evaluate body composition. The objectives of this study were to: (a) develop BIA prediction equations to estimate total body water (TBW) and fat-free mass (FFM) in European children and early adolescents and to validate the analysis with the deuterium dilution as the reference technique and (b) compare our results with previously published paediatric BIA equations. Methods: The cohort included 266 healthy children and adolescents between 7 and 14 years of age, 46% girls, in five European countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Latvia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Portugal. TBW and FFM were the target variables in the developed regression models. For model development, the dataset was randomly split into training and test sets, in 70:30 ratio, respectively. Model tuning was performed with 10-fold cross-validation that confirmed the unbiased estimate of its performance. The final regression models were retrained on the whole dataset. Results: Cross-validated regression models were developed using resistance index, weight, and sex as the optimal predictors. The new prediction equations explained 87% variability in both TBW and FFM. Limits of agreement between BIA and reference values, were within ±17% of the mean, ( 3.4, 3.7) and ( 4.5, 4.8) kg for TBW and FFM, respectively. BIA FFM and TBW estimates were within one standard deviation for approximately 83% of the children. BIA prediction equations underestimated TBW and FFM by 0.2 kg and 0.1 kg respectively with no proportional bias and comparable accuracy among different BMI-for-age subgroups. Comparison with predictive equations from published studies revealed varying discrepancy rates with the deuterium dilution measurements, with only two being equivalent to the equations developed in this study. Conclusions: The small difference between deuterium dilution and BIA measurements validated by Bland e Altman analysis, supports the application of BIA for epidemiological studies in European children using the developed equations.This research was funded by the International Atomic Energy Agency [grant number RER6034].info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio