Survey of 13 trace elements of toxic and nutritional significance in rice from Brazil and exposure assessment.

Twenty-seven rice samples from Brazil, four parboiled brown, seventeen white and six parboiled white were analysed by ICP-MS for trace element determination. Concentrations of arsenic varied from 58.8 to 216.9 ng g(-1), for cadmium from 6.0 to 20.2 ng g(-1), for antimony from 0.12 to 1.28 ng g(-1), and for uranium from 0.025 to 1.28 ng g(-1). The estimated daily intake through rice consumption was 9.5 µg for As, 2.4 µg for Cd, 0.029 µg for Sb, 0.013 µg for U, 3.1 µg for Co, 0.2 µg for Cu, 85.6 mg for Mg, 1.9 mg for Mn, 333 mg for P, 3.0 µg for Se, 1.6 mg for Zn, 0.9 mg for Rb, and 0.3 µg for V. Found values represent a considerable percentage of the dietary reference intakes and provisional tolerable daily intake for essential and toxic elements, respectively.

Distribution of Legionella spp. in hydrothermal areas in continental Portugal and the island of São Miguel, Azores.

Nineteen aquatic environment sites from three hydrothermal areas on continental Portugal and one area on the island of São Miguel, Azores, were examined for the recovery of Legionella spp. Physicochemical and bacteriological parameters were also determined for each site. Water temperatures varied between 22 and 67.5 degrees C, although the majority had temperatures above 40 degrees C; the pH varied between 5.5 and 9.2. The number of Legionella spp. recovered varied between 5.0 x 10(2) and 2.3 x 10(6) CFU/liter. A total of 288 isolates from 14 sites were identified by indirect immunofluorescence assay. The majority of the isolates belonged to Legionella pneumophila (74.3%), of which most belong to serogroup 1, but the relative proportion of L. pneumophila serogroups varied considerably. L. pneumophila serogroup 1 constituted 96.2% of the isolates in area 2 from central Portugal, but no isolates of this serogroup were recovered from São Miguel, where serogroup 6 strains were the predominant isolates. Ninety-six percent of the L. pneumophila serogroup 1 isolates belonged to monoclonal antibody subgroups OLDA and Bellingham. Other species identified were L. bozemanii serogroup 2, L. dumoffii, L. micdadei, L. moravica, L. oakridgensis, L. sainticrucis, and L. sainthelensi. Two undescribed species, which react by indirect immunofluorescence assay to antisera to "L. londoniensis" and "L. nautarum" and a group of isolates with strong cross-reaction to L. cincinnatiensis/L. sainticrucis/L. longbeachae by indirect immunofluorescence assay were also recovered. The latter were the only isolates recovered from area 3, in east central Portugal, over a period of 1 year.