Estudi de la qualitat físico-química de les aigües dels curs baix del riu congost al llarg de l'any 1982

The Besòs basin is one of the most polluted aras in Catalonia, basically due to the high discharge of industrial and domestic effluents and the insuficient waste water treatment plants. The Congost river is a 41 Km long tributary of Besòos river so the study of his water quality is necessary to carry out an overall study of the basin. In the present work the study of the physicochemical quality of the lower watercourse of the Congost river is carried out in five sampling points and in three wells at 50 m near the river. The parameters measured are: temperature, pH, conductivity, alkalinity, total hardness, chloride, non filtrable residue, chemical oxygen demand, ammoniacal nitrogen, organic + ammoniacal nitrogen, detergents, phosphates, hexavalent chromium, total cyanide, biochemical oxygen demand, and nitrite. All parameters were measured once a month during 1982

Inorganic arsenic determination in food: a review of analytical proposals and quality assessment over the last six years

Here we review recent developments in analytical proposals for the assessment of inorganic arsenic (iAs) content in food products. Interest in the determination of iAs in products for human consumption such as food commodities, wine, and seaweed among others is fueled by the wide recognition of its toxic effects on humans, even at low concentrations. Currently, the need for robust and reliable analytical methods is recognized by various international safety and health agencies, and by organizations in charge of establishing acceptable tolerance levels of iAs in food. This review summarizes the state of the art of analytical methods while highlighting tools for the assessment of quality assessment of the results, such as the production and evaluation of certified reference materials (CRMs) and the availability of specific proficiency testing (PT) programmes. Because the number of studies dedicated to the subject of this review has increased considerably over recent years, the sources consulted and cited here are limited to those from 2010 to the end of 2015

Occurrence of inorganic arsenic in edible Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) products

The present study reports arsenic speciation analysis in edible Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) products. The study focused on the extraction, and accurate quantification of inorganic arsenic (iAs), the most toxic form of arsenic, which was selectively separated and determined using anion exchange LC-ICPMS. A wide variety of edible Shiitake products (fresh mushrooms, food supplements, canned and dehydrated) were purchased and analysed. A cultivated Shiitake grown under controlled conditions was also analysed. The extraction method showed satisfactory extraction efficiencies (>90%) and column recoveries (>85%) for all samples. Arsenic speciation revealed that iAs was the major As compound up to 1.38 mg As per kg dm (with a mean percentage of 84% of the total arsenic) and other organoarsenicals were found as minor species. Shiitake products had high proportions of iAs and therefore should not be ignored as potential contributors to dietary iAs exposure in populations with a high intake of Shiitake products

Estudi de la contaminació química de les aigües subterrànies de Parets del Vallès

La zona objecte d'estudi, riu Tenes-riera Seca, terme municipal de Parets del Vallès, correspon a un aqüífer lliure de litologia de sorres i graves, amb nivells llimosos intcrcalats. D'acord amb la vulnerabilitat de l' aqüífer i amb el seu comportament hidrodinàmic, aquest aqüífer es veu força afectat per les aigüs superficials que són notablement contaminades. Hom estima els abocaments en la conca del Tenes en 8.825 m3 dia-1, amb 3.724 kg s.s. dia-1; els abocaments domèstics corresponen a 1.164 kg DBO5 dia-1 i els industrials a 2.473 kg DBO6 dia-1; aquests darrers s'inicien a partir de Lliçà de Munt i han estat ben estudiats pel Departament de Química Analítica durant els anys 1980 i 1981. El present treball, efectuat dins el terme municipal de Parets del Vallès, ha consistit en mostreigs i anàlisis sistemàtics de l'aigua de diferents pous de la zona, a ambdós vessants i a distàncies diferents del riu Tenes. La comparació de les diferents característiques dels pous mostrejats posa de manifest la representativitat del mostreig. Els resultats mostren canvis en la qualitat de l'aigua que no sempre s'avenen amb les caracteístiques del model hidroquímic preestablert. Hom aprofundeix també l'estudi de les característiques físico-químiques i de contaminació per metalls pesants. Els resultats palesen que es tracta d'aigües hidrogenocarbonatades càlciques del tipus rHCO3-+ rSO4 2- < rCa2+ + rMg2+, rCl- > rNa+ (segons Alekine) amb un i.c.b. > O. Es mostra una relació clara de les aigües subterrànies amb les aigües superficials, de característiques similars excepte en el fet que la relació rNa+/rCa2+ és més elevada per a aquestes últimes, fet que és justificat pel bescanvi de bases (i.c.b.) Hom avalua també el sistema de mostreig, la representativitat dels punts escollits, les dades obtingudes en relació amb la vulnerabilitat de l'aqüifer i els mètodes analítics utilitzats. L'estudi d'elements abasta el Pb, Cd, Cu, Hg, Cr(VI) i B, considerant la incidència sanitària i ambiental. A part, hom estableix les diferents cartes hidroquímiques (diagrames de Stiff i de Scholler Berkaloff) per tal de comparar les dades obtingudes i la representativitat del sistema.In the present work a study of chemical characterization of groundwaters, based on their ionic ratios, as well as metal trace determination is carried out in Parets del Valles, an industrialized village near Barcelona (Catalonia). Thirteen parameters have been analyzed in seventeen wells and from the data obtained, Schoeller-Berkaloff, modified Stiff and Piper-Hill-Langelier diagrams have been constructed, in order to settle the different groups characterizing proundwatcrs in the studied zone. Nitrate content has been specially studied because his occurrence is highly related with the use of fertilizers in agricultural areas. Sampling and analytical procedures are described. All samples studied are calcium hydrogencarbonate type with rHCO3-+ rSO4 2- < rCa2+ + rMg2+, rCl- > rNa+ according Alekine, and with c.b.i. > O. The results show a clear relationship between groundwaters and surface waters quality. On the other hand a study of Pb, Cu, Cd, Hg, Cr and B is carried out in twenty four wells. The analytical methods used are AAS for Pb, Cu, Cd ang Hg, and ICP-AES method for B and Cr. The contents are compared with those measured in surface waters corresponding to four sampling points in Tenes river that crosses the zone

TDP-43 Cytoplasmic Translocation in the Skin Fibroblasts of ALS Patients

Diagnosis of ALS is based on clinical symptoms when motoneuron degeneration is significant. Therefore, new approaches for early diagnosis are needed. We aimed to assess if alterations in appearance and cellular localization of cutaneous TDP-43 may represent a biomarker for ALS. Skin biopsies from 64 subjects were analyzed: 44 ALS patients, 10 healthy controls (HC) and 10 neurological controls (NC) (Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis). TDP-43 immunoreactivity in epidermis and dermis was analyzed, as well as the percentage of cells with TDP-43 cytoplasmic localization. We detected a higher amount of TDP-43 in epidermis (p < 0.001) and in both layers of dermis (p < 0.001), as well as a higher percentage of TDP-43 cytoplasmic positive cells (p < 0.001) in the ALS group compared to HC and NC groups. Dermal cells containing TDP-43 were fibroblasts as identified by co-labeling against vimentin. ROC analyses (AUC 0.867, p < 0.001; CI 95% 0.800-0.935) showed that detection of 24.1% cells with cytoplasmic TDP-43 positivity in the dermis had 85% sensitivity and 80% specificity for detecting ALS. We have identified significantly increased TDP-43 levels in epidermis and in the cytoplasm of dermal cells of ALS patients. Our findings provide support for the use of TDP-43 in skin biopsies as a potential biomarker

Occurrence of inorganic arsenic in edible Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) products

a b s t r a c t The present study reports arsenic speciation analysis in edible Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) products. The study focused on the extraction, and accurate quantification of inorganic arsenic (iAs), the most toxic form of arsenic, which was selectively separated and determined using anion exchange LC-ICPMS. A wide variety of edible Shiitake products (fresh mushrooms, food supplements, canned and dehydrated) were purchased and analysed. A cultivated Shiitake grown under controlled conditions was also analysed. The extraction method showed satisfactory extraction efficiencies (&gt;90%) and column recoveries (&gt;85%) for all samples. Arsenic speciation revealed that iAs was the major As compound up to 1.38 mg As kg À1 dm (with a mean percentage of 84% of the total arsenic) and other organoarsenicals were found as minor species. Shiitake products had high proportions of iAs and therefore should not be ignored as potential contributors to dietary iAs exposure in populations with a high intake of Shiitake products

Occurrence of arsenic species in algae and freshwater plants of an extreme arid region in northern Chile, the Loa River Basin

This study reports data on arsenic speciation in two green algae species (Cladophora sp. and Chara sp.) and in five aquatic plants (Azolla sp., Myriophyllum aquaticum, Phylloscirpus cf. desserticola, Potamogeton pectinatus, Ruppia filifolia and Zannichellia palustris) from the Loa River Basin in the Atacama Desert (northern Chile). Arsenic content was measured by Mass Spectrometry coupled with Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP-MS), after acidic digestion. Liquid Chromatography coupled to ICP-MS was used for arsenic speciation, using both anionic and cationic chromatographic exchange systems. Inorganic arsenic compounds were the main arsenic species measured in all samples. The main arsenic species in the extracts of freshwater algae and plants were arsenite and arsenate, whereas glycerol-arsenosugar (gly-sug), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) and methylarsonic acid (MA) were present only as minor constituents. Of the samples studied, algae species accumulated more arsenic than aquatic plants. Total arsenic content ranged from 182 to 11,100 and from 20 to 248 mg As kg-1 (d.w.) in algae and freshwater plants, respectively. In comparison with As concentration in water samples, there was hyper-accumulation (>0.1% d.w.) in Cladophora sp

Nasal cannula use during polysomnography in children aged under three with suspected sleep apnea

Nasal cannula; Pediatric sleep apnea; PolysomnographyCánula nasal; Apnea del sueño pediátrica; PolisomnografíaCànula nasal; Apnea del son pediàtrica; PolisomnografiaObjective Early diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children is important. The use of a nasal cannula as an airflow sensor during polysomnography has not been evaluated in younger children. The study aims to evaluate the use of nasal cannula in detecting respiratory events in children under three with suspected OSA during daytime nap studies. Methods A total of 185 patients were prospectively included. Respiratory events were scored using nasal cannula alone, thermistor alone, and both methods simultaneously as the airflow sensor. Agreement and diagnostic accuracy were assessed. Results One hundred and seventy-two children were finally analyzed and 110 (64.0%) presented OSA. Total sleep time with an uninterpretable signal was longer with the nasal cannula than with the thermistor (17.8% vs 1.9%; p < 0.001), and was associated with poor sensor tolerance and adenotonsillar hypertrophy. In the estimation of the apnea-hypopnea index, the nasal cannula showed lower agreement than the thermistor with the joint use of the two sensors (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.79 vs 0.996 with thermistor). Compared with the thermistor, the nasal cannula presented lower sensitivity for detecting OSA (82.7% vs 95.5%) and a lower negative predictive value (76.5% vs 92.4%). Overall, fewer children were diagnosed with severe OSA with the nasal cannula (19.8% vs 30.8% with the thermistor, and 32.6% with both). Conclusions In children under the age of three, the ability of the nasal cannula to detect obstructive events was relatively low. Therefore, other non-invasive measurements for identifying respiratory events during sleep may be of additional value

End-tidal and transcutaneous CO2 monitoring during sleep in children aged under three with suspected sleep apnea

Monitorización transcutánea de CO2; Niños; Apnea del sueñoTranscutaneous CO2 monitoring; Children; Sleep apneaMonitorització transcutània de CO2; Nens; Apnea del so