16 research outputs found
Perspective Chapter: The Toxic Silver (Hg)
In the late 1950s, residents of a Japanese fishing village known as “Minamata” began falling ill and dying at an alarming rate. The Japanese authorities stated that methyl-mercury-rich seafood and shellfish caused the sickness. Burning fossil fuels represent ≈52.7% of Hg emissions. The majorities of mercury’s compounds are volatile and thus travel hundreds of miles with wind before being deposited on the earth’s surface. High acidity and dissolved organic carbon increase Hg-mobility in soil to enter the food chain. Additionally, Hg is taken up by areal plant parts via gas exchange. Mercury has no identified role in plants while exhibiting high affinity to form complexes with soft ligands such as sulfur and this consequently inactivates amino acids and sulfur-containing antioxidants. Long-term human exposure to Hg leads to neurotoxicity in children and adults, immunological, cardiac, and motor reproductive and genetic disorders. Accordingly, remediating contaminated soils has become an obligation. Mercury, like other potentially toxic elements, is not biodegradable, and therefore, its remediation should encompass either removal of Hg from soils or even its immobilization. This chapter discusses Hg’s chemical behavior, sources, health dangers, and soil remediation methods to lower Hg levels
Oxidative stress and apoptotic biomarkers in human semen.
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108942.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen, 11 april 2012Promotor : Kremer, J.A.M.
Co-promotor : Ramos, L
Kinetic Studies of the Non-Isothermal Decomposition of Unirradiated and Γ-Irradiated Gallium Acetylacetonate
Kinetics of thermal decomposition of natural rubber
The kinetics of thermal decomposition of natural rubber was studied in the temperature range (633-663 K) in air using isothermal and dynamic thermogravimetric techniques. Kinetics analysis of isothermaldata according to various solid state reaction models showed that the decomposition is best described by random nucleation Erofe'ev equation model. Kinetics of the dynamic TG curves were analyzed by integral method using Coat-Redfon equation. The results showed that the kinetics of decomposition obeys the same kinetic model applied in isothermal studies. The activation parameters were calculated and the results of the isothermal and dynamic integral methods were compared and discusse