2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) degradation promoted by nanoparticulate zerovalent iron (nZVI) in aerobic suspensions.

Reactive species generated by Fe(0) oxidation promoted by O2 (catalyzed or not by ligands) are able to degrade contaminant compounds like the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. The degradation of 2,4-D was influenced by the concentrations of zero valent iron (ZVI) and different ligands, as well as by pH. In the absence of ligands, the highest 2,4-D degradation rate was obtained at pH 3, while the highest percentage degradation (50%) was achieved at pH 5 after 120 min of reaction. Among the ligands studied (DTPA, EDTA, glycine, oxalate, and citrate), only ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) significantly enhanced oxidation of 2,4-D. This increase in oxidation was observed at all pH values tested (including neutral to alkaline conditions), indicating the feasibility of the technique for treatment of contaminated water. In the presence of EDTA, the oxidation rate was greater at pH 3 than at pH 5 or 7. Increasing the EDTA concentration increased the rate and percentage of 2,4-D degradation, however increasing the Fe(0) concentration resulted in the opposite behavior. It was found that degradation of EDTA and 2,4-D occurred simultaneously, and that the new methodology avoided any 2,4-D removal by adsorption/coprecipitation.

Changes in the sorption, desorption, distribution, and availability of copper, induced by application of sewage sludge on Chilean soils contaminated by mine tailings.

The effect of mine tailings and sewage sludge was evaluated on sorption, desorption, availability and distribution of copper in two soils, one high (sandy soil) and one low in copper (clay soil). In both soils contaminated by mine tailings the copper sorption capacity and the affinity of the substrate for the metal decreased substantially compared to the uncontaminated soils, however, the sorption remained always high in the clay soil substrates. In the substrates with sandy soil, the high Cu content and lower clay content were determining factors in the lower magnitude of the sorption. Similarly, metal desorption was closely related to these two parameters, and it was higher in clay soil with lower pH. In general, the application of sewage sludge favored the sorption of Cu in soils contaminated and uncontaminated with mine tailings, and in all cases desorption decreased, an effect that remained for at least 30 days. Simple extraction of Cu with CaCl2 and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid gave contradictory results, so a careful choice of the procedure is required, depending on the level of metal in the soil and on the acting principle of the extracting agent. In that relation, more complete information on the changes in the metal forms was obtained by application of the sequential extraction procedure proposed by the European Community Bureau of Reference.

Preparation of [In-111]-labeled-DTPA-bombesin conjugates at high specific activity and stability: evaluation of labeling parameters and potential stabilizers.

The aim of the present work was to obtain stabilized high specific activity (HSA) (111)In-labeled bombesin conjugates for preclinical evaluations. Parameters influencing the kinetics of labeling were investigated and the effect of stabilizers on HSA radiopeptides stability at room temperature were systematically categorized applying chromatography techniques. A SA of 174 GBq/µmol was achieved with high radiochemical purity, but the labeled compounds exhibited low stability. The addition of stabilizers avoided their radiolysis and significantly increased their stability.

The influence of organic ligands on the adsorption of cadmium by suspended matter in natural waters studied by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and electrochemical methods.

Natural water carrying a great amount of suspended particulate matter (SPM) was used as a model system for the study of the competition among organic ligands (dietilentetraamine pentaacetic acid, DTPA, nitrilotriacetic acid, NTA, and citrate, Cit) and natural complexants (SPM) for cadmium adsorption. Speciation diagrams at the pH of the natural sample were obtained by electroanalytical techniques, processing the experimental data with the complexation constants and the mass balance of the system. Results show that the adsorption equilibrium SPM-Cd is completely displaced by DTPA but not completely by NTA or Cit. Furthermore, larger Cit concentrations increase the amount of adsorbed Cd(II). The increment of the complexing capacity may be explained on the basis of SPM-Cit-Cd ternary complexes formation. This hypothesis was supported on the results obtained by applying for the first time the MALDI-TOF technique in a mixture of SPM, Cd(II), organic ligands and their complexes.

Structural determination of Zn and Cd-DTPA complexes: MS, infrared, (13)C NMR and theoretical investigation.

The joint application of MS, infrared and (13)C NMR techniques for the determination of metal-DTPA structures (metal=Zn and Cd; DTPA=diethylenetriaminepentacetic acid) is reported. Mass spectrometry allowed determining the 1:1 stoichiometry of the complexes, while infrared analysis suggested that both nitrogen and carboxyl groups are sites for complexation. The (13)C NMR spectrum for the cadmium-containing complex evidenced the existence of free and complexed carboxyl groups, due to a straight singlet at 179.0 ppm (free carboxylic (13)C) and to two broad singlets or a broad doublet at 178.3 ppm (complexed carboxylic (13)C, (2)J(Cd-C(=O))=45.2 Hz). A similar interpretation might be given for the zinc derivative and, with the aid of DFT calculations, structures for both complexes were then proposed.

Resistance of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid to anaerobic biodegradation

Kraft mills are responsible for the massive discharge of highly polluted effluents, and new bleaching processes (i.e. Total Chlorine Free (TCF)) is presented as a feasible option to reduce this environmental impact. However, increased TCF pulp production is accompanied by an increase in chelate use. The most commonly used chelates, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DPTA), are considered to be relatively persistent substances in water treatment plants, and consequently environmentally critical compounds. The purpose of this work is to investigate DPTA behaviour in an anaerobic system. An Anaerobic Filter (AF) was operated with three different DPTA load rates (LRDPTA = 0.07 - 0.28 gDPTA/L×d), and the operating strategy was to maintain the anaerobic system stable during the entire operation (alkalinity ratio below 0.3). The AF's maximum Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal was 59 percent, whereas the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5) was around 95 percent. However, only 5 percent of DPTA removal was observed under anaerobic conditions during the first operating period. Scanning electronic microscopy indicates that the operating system reduced microorganism biodiversity.

Mercury ions removal from aqueous solution using an activated composite membrane.

This work presents the results concerning the first use of activated composite membranes (ACMs) for the removal of Hg(II) ions from aqueous solution, using as the ligand di-(2-ethylhexyl)dithiophosphoric acid (DTPA). The effects on the removal percentage of Hg(ll) of variables such as pH, the nature of the acid, the concentration of mercury (in the feed solutions), and the ligand content (in the membrane) as well as the total surface membrane area exposed to the Hg(II) aqueous solution were studied. During the course of the removal experiments, the membrane was immersed in the Hg(II) aqueous solution in acid media and samples of the solution were taken at different times to enable monitoring of the mercury concentration changes. Itwasfound that when the ACM was prepared with a 1.0 M DTPA casting solution and the feed solution contained 2.49 x 10(-4) M Hg(II) in HCI 0.1 M the amount of mercury extracted was higher than 93%. Straight forwardly, additional experiments were carried out with the free-DTPA composite membranes to make up a set of control reference points to verify that removal of the investigated heavy metal was a consequence of the presence of the organic ligand; otherwise there was no Hg(II) concentration variation at all.

Synthesis and theoretical analysis of samarium nanoparticles: perspectives in nuclear medicine.

The use of lanthanides as radionuclides in nuclear medicine is well-known, because they can be used for detecting and treating cancerous tumors. Due to the fact that the doses are directly related to the number of unstable atoms involved, the possibility of obtaining controlled-size lanthanide nanoparticles opens a wide scope for their application in nuclear medicine. In this work, we report the synthesis of anew samarium nanoparticle by using the bioreduction method, where the pH conditions play an important role in the size control of the produced clusters. The nanoparticles were characterized by using an transmission electron microscope, in addition to the use of a quantum mechanical method to relate the atomic and electronic structures to the chemical selectivity, which allows us to predict a direct coordination between the DTPA-bis-biotin molecules with the samarium nanoparticles larger than 55 atoms. This work involves experimental and theoretical methods to propose a totally new application for nanotechnology in nuclear medicine.

Usage of radiopharmaceuticals in the development of pharmaceutical drug delivery systems: validation of [99mTc]DTPA and [99mTc]ECD.

Tablets containing drugs of different lipophilicity, ranitidine and cinarizine, and placebo were prepared and their in vitro behaviour was studied by dissolution and disintegration tests. [(99m)Tc]Diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid ([(99m)Tc]DTPA) and [(99m)Tc]ethyl cysteinate dimer ([(99m)Tc]ECD) were used as tracers of the process. Both of them were added to tablets during wet granulation. Dissolution and disintegration profiles were assessed at different pH values (1, 4 and 7). Radioactivity was evaluated in filtered samples and scintigraphic studies were carried out in gamma camera. Stability in dissolution media was confirmed for both tracers under these conditions. Dissolution and disintegration velocity constants were calculated. [(99m)Tc]DTPA proved to be an appropriate tracer for polar drugs such as ranitidine. Nevertheless, it was not a suitable tracer for lipophilic active drugs such as cinarizine. On the other hand, the most lipophilic tracer, [(99m)Tc]ECD, exhibited the opposite behaviour. Scintigraphic studies of the disintegration process did not show significant differences between placebos and tablets containing active drugs. As disintegration is a physical process it does not discriminate between chemical differences in tablet formulations. Both methods complement each other because the dissolution process can be followed when a suitable radiotracer is chosen according to the physicochemical characteristics of the active drug.

Labeling of biotin with [166Dy]Dy/166Ho as a stable in vivo generator system.

The aim of this work was to synthesize [166Dy]Dy/166Ho-DTPA-Biotin to evaluate its potential as a new radiopharmaceutical for targeted radiotherapy. Dysprosium-166 (166Dy) was obtained by neutron irradiation of enriched 164Dy(2)O(3) in a Triga Mark III reactor. The labeling was carried out in aqueous media at pH 8.0 by addition of [166Dy]DyCl(3) to diethylenetriaminepentaacetic-alpha,omega-bis(biocytinamide) (DTPA-Biotin). Radiochemical purity was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and TLC. The biological integrity of labeled biotin was studied evaluating its avidity for avidin in an agarose column and by size-exclusion HPLC analysis of the radiolabeled DTPA-Biotin with and without the addition of avidin. Stability studies against dilution were carried out by diluting the radiocomplex solution with saline solution and with human serum at 37 degrees C for 24 h. The [166Dy]Dy/166Ho-labeled biotin was obtained with a 99.1+/-0.6% radiochemical purity. In vitro studies demonstrated that [166Dy]Dy/166Ho-DTPA-Biotin is stable after dilution in saline and in human serum and no translocation of the daughter nucleus occurs subsequent to beta(-) decay of 166Dy that could produce release of 166Ho(3+). Avidity of labeled biotin for avidin was not affected by the labeling procedure. Biodistribution studies in normal mice showed that the [166Dy]Dy/166Ho-DTPA-Biotin has a high renal clearance. In conclusion, the radiolabeled biotin prepared in this investigation has adequate properties to work as a stable in vivo generator system for targeted radiotherapy.

Characterization of humic-rich hydrocolloids and their metal species by means of competing ligand and metal exchange--an on-site approach.

An improved on-site characterization of humic-rich hydrocolloids and their metal species in aquatic environments was the goal of the present approach. Both ligand exchange with extreme chelators (diethylenetetraaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), ethylendiaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)) and metal exchange with strongly competitive cations (Cu(II) were used on-site to characterize the conditional stability and availability of colloidal metal species in a humic-rich German bogwater lake (Venner Moor, Münsterland). A mobile time-controlled tangential-flow ultrafiltration technique (cut-off: 1 kDa) was applied to differentiate operationally between colloidal metal species and free metal ions, respectively. DOC (dissolved organic carbon) and metal determinations were carried out off-site using a home-built carbon analyzer and conventional ICP-OES (inductively-coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry), respectively. From the metal exchange equilibria obtained on-site the kinetic and thermodynamic stability of the original metal species (Fe, Mn, Zn) could be characterized. Conditional exchange constants Kex obtained from aquatic metal species and competitive Cu(II) ions follow the order Mn > Zn > > Fe. Obviously, Mn and Zn bound to humic-rich hydrocolloids are very strongly competed by Cu(II) ions, in contrast to Fe which is scarcely exchangeable. The exchange of aquatic metal species (e.g. Fe) by DTPA/EDTA exhibited relatively slow kinetics but rather high metal availabilities, in contrast to their Cu(II) exchange.