Investigation of a fibre optic copper sensor based on immobilised α-benzoinoxime (cupron)

alpha-Benzoinoxime, a highly selective reagent used for the gravimetric and colorimetric determination of copper, was successfully immobilised on XAD-2 and coupled with optical fibres to investigate a sensor-based approach for determining copper. Reflectance measurements were used to quantify sensor response. Optimum response was obtained at a wavelength of 560nm and at a solution pH of 7. Using a kinetic approach in which the rate of change of reflectance is measured over a 4-min period, the response was found to be linear in the range 5-127ppm. After measurement, the sensor can be regenerated for reuse by immersing the probe in 0.1M HCl. With continuous use, the sensing layer was found to be stable for at least 3 days. The advantages of using alpha-benzoinoxime in this way are compared with its use in the traditional gravimetric and colorimetric way

Food habits and nutritional status of Fiji rugby players

The 15-a-side Fiji rugby team trains well in preparations for any rugby competition but rarely performs to expectations. In order to help the Fiji local based rugby players to identify some key basic areas in improving their performance, a series of workshops were conducted to assess their nutritional status and dietary habits in relation to energy demand during rugby matches. The nutrition workshop included the administration of questionnaires to 19 local based rugby players, requesting the following information: usual food intakes, training camp food intakes, carbohydrate loading, pre-game meals and post-game meals. The study revealed that poor eating habits of the players resulted inthe low carbohydrate intake, which may have contributed to increaselevels of fatigue leading to loss of stamina even before the second half of the game. It appears that the diet of most 15-a-side players does not provide enough energy to enable them to last the full eighty minutes of the game

Water Purification using Moringa oleifera and other locally available seeds in Fiji for heavy metal removal

In this paper, the use of local seeds to improve the quality of drinking water in Fiji was investigated. Analysis of the heavy metals cadmium, copper, chromium, lead and zinc were performed before and after treatment of water with the local seeds Moringa oleifera, Arachis hypogaea (peanuts), Vigna unguiculata (cowpeas), Vigna mungo (urad) and Zea mays (corn). The results showed that Moringa seeds were capable of absorbing the heavy metals tested compared to other seeds in some water samples. The percentage removal by Moringa seeds were 90 % for copper, 80 % for lead, 60 % for cadmium and 50 % for zinc and chromium