Evaluation of chemical parameters of urban drinking water quality along with health risk assessment: A case study of ardabil province, iran

In recent years, in addition to water resources’ quantity, their quality has also received much attention. In this study, the quality of the urban water distribution network in northwestern Iran was evaluated using the water quality index (WQI) method. Then, some important trace elements were investigated, and finally, the health risk...

Inorganic Agents for Enhanced Angiogenesis of Orthopedic Biomaterials

Aseptic loosening of a permanent prosthesis remains one of the most common reasons for bone implant failure. To improve the fixation between implant and bone tissue as well as enhance blood vessel formation, bioactive agents are incorporated into the surface of the biomaterial. This study reviews and compares five bioactive elements (copper,...

Multi-parametric assessment of biological stability of drinking water produced from groundwater: Reverse osmosis vs. conventional treatment

Although water produced by reverse osmosis (RO) filtration has low bacterial growth potential (BGP), post-treatment of RO permeate, which is necessary prior to distribution and human consumption, needs to be examined because of the potential re-introduction of nutrients/contaminants. In this study, drinking water produced from anaerobic...

Large-sample neutron activation analysis in mass balance and nutritional studies

Low concentrations of elements in food can be measured with various techniques, mostly in small samples (mg). These techniques provide only reliable data when the element is distributed homogeneously in the material to be analysed either naturally or after a homogenisation procedure. When this is not the case or homogenisation fails, a...

Analysis and Remediation of the Salinized, Damour Coastal (Dolomitic) Limestone Aquifer in Lebanon

Coastal aquifer management has recently emerged as a main scope in groundwater hydrology, especially in arid and semi-arid zones. About two thirds of the human population are currently gathered close to shorelines relying on coastal groundwater resources. Worldwide, these systems are subject to quality deterioration due to a multitude of...

Biomonitor-Reflection of Large-Distance Air Mass Transported Trace Elements

The present thesis’ topic is the biomonitoring of atmospheric trace elements with attention focused on the long-range transported trace elements. The aim was to provide improved understanding of aerosol characteristics under the atmospheric transport dynamics of Central North Atlantic at different altitudes, and also evaluate the usability of...

Observations and prediction of recovered quality of desalinated seawater in the strategic ASR project in Liwa, Abu Dhabi

To be able to overcome water shortages, Abu Dhabi Emirate started an Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) project with desalinated seawater (DSW) as source water near Liwa. It is the largest DSW-ASR project in the world (stored volume ~10 Mm³/year), and should recover potable water for direct use. DSW is infiltrated into a desert...

Probing Trace-elements in Bitumen by Neutron Activation Analysis

Trace elements and their concentrations play an important role in both chemical and physical properties of bitumen. Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) has been applied to determine the concentration of trace elements in bitumen. This method requires irradiation of the material with neutrons that transform the elements into...

Geochemical Changes in the Caspian Salt Marshes Due to the Sea Level Fluctuations

The Caspian Sea is subject to alternating transgressions and regressions that exert a strong impact on the topography, sediments, vegetation, and soils in coastal zones. The last transgression of the Caspian Sea (1978-1995) caused the development of a marsh-lagoon system along the accumulative seashore of the Central Dagestan. Salt marshes are...

Lichen biomonitors: Factors affecting response behaviour

Parmelia sulcata lichen transplants positioning towards wind direction (Part I): Precipitation volumes, total element deposition and lichen element content

Parmelia sulcata transplants were used in three different exposure systems, focused on three different influxes: free influx, horizontal influx and vertical influx. The total element deposition and the precipitation volumes were found to be positively correlated for Fe and Ni only. The element contents in lichen transplants and in total element...

Parmelia sulcata lichen transplants positioning towards wind direction (Part II): Element concentrations and relationships with atmospheric element deposition

Parmelia sulcata transplants were positioned in three different exposure systems allowing three different influxes: free influx (Fi), horizontal influx (Hi) and vertical influx (Vi). Results suggest the absence of any wind-directional effects on element accumulation within Fi and Hi systems, but underline that differences in response may be...

Neutron activation analysis and X-ray Rayleigh and Raman scattering of hair and nail clippings as noninvasive bioindicators for Cu liver status in Labrador Retrievers

The heritability of chronic hepatitis in the Labrador Retriever is studied with the aim of identifying the related gene mutation. Identification of cases and controls is largely based on instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) Cu determination in liver biopsies. The burden for these companion animals may be reduced if nail clippings and...

Biomonitoring and assessment of atmospheric trace elements in Portugal: Methods, response modelling and nuclear analytical techniques

Geochemistry of sulfides in coal and microbial leaching experiments