Determination of Microelements in Human Milk and Infant Formula Without Digestion by ICP-OES.

The concentrations of zinc (Zn), iron (Fe) and copper (Cu) in both human milk and infant formula were determined using a new sample preparation method, by inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectometry (ICP-OES) and flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Human milk samples were diluted in ultrapure water. The infant formula of powder samples (suitable for an infant 1-6 months of age) and standard reference material (SRM-1849) were analyzed in parallel. The results have shown that FAAS method was more sensitive for Fe determination in human milk while ICP-OES was more sensitive for both Zn and Cu detection. The limit of quantification for both Zn and Cu was 5 µg L-1 and 10 µg L-1 for Fe and the recovery for Zn, Fe and Cu was ranged from 90% to 94%, 97% to 103% and 90% to 102%, respectively. Mean concentrations of Zn, Fe, and Cu in human milk samples were 5.35, 0.47 and 0.83 mg L-1, respectively while these values in infant formula were ranged from 3.52-4.75 mg L-1, 3.37-4.56 mg L-1 and 0.28-0.41 mg L-1, respectively. Despite the sample complexity, the proposed method using dilution of milk samples with water was simple, rapid, effective and accurate. ICP-OES was a better method for Zn determination while FAAS was a better method for Fe determination. In the case of Cu both methods were comparable.

Sonophotocatalytic degradation of dye C.I. Acid Orange 7 by TiO2 and Ag nanoparticles immobilized on corona pretreated polypropylene non-woven fabric.

This study discusses the possibility of using corona pre-treated polypropylene (PP) non-woven fabric as a support for immobilization of colloidal TiO2 and Ag nanoparticles in order to remove dye C.I. Acid Orange 7 from aqueous solution. Dye removal efficiency by sonocatalysis, photocatalysis and sonophotocatalysis was evaluated on corona pre-treated fabric loaded with TiO2 nanoparticles, corona pre-treated fabric double loaded with TiO2 nanoparticles and corona pre-treated fabrics loaded with TiO2 nanoparticles before and after deposition of Ag nanoparticles. In addition, the stability of PP non-woven fabric during these processes was investigated. The substrates were characterized by SEM, EDX and AAS analyses. The change of the dye concentration was evaluated by UV-VIS spectrophotometry. Unlike sonocatalysis and photocatalysis, complete dye removal from both solution and non-woven fabric was obtained already after 240-270 min of sonophotocatalysis. Corona pre-treated PP non-woven fabric loaded with Ag nanoparticles prior to deposition of TiO2 nanoparticles provided excellent degradation efficiency and superior reusability. Sonophotocatalytic degradation of dye in the presence of all investigated samples was the most prominent in acidic conditions. Although this nanocomposite system ensured fast discoloration of dye solution, TOC values of water measured after sonophotocatalysis were not satisfactory because of PP degradation. Therefore, it is suggested to include TOC evaluation in each case study where different supports for TiO2 nanoparticles are used since these nanoparticles may guarantee the dye removal from solution but the stability of support could be problematic causing even more serious environmental impact.

Trace elements analysis of Echinacea purpurea--herbal medicinal.

Elemental composition of Echinacea purpurea (Asteracae), grown in Serbia under strongly controlled conditions, has been studied. To distinguish elemental patterns of different parts of the plant, the content of Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, Ca, Mg, Sr, Ni, and Li in root versus upper plant parts were determined, by flame atomic absorption and flame atomic emission spectrometry. Analyses of the mentioned elements in soil and in an ethanolic extract of E. purpurea were made, too. The trace element data were evaluated by multivariate methods, i.e. principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis. This revealed two groups of elements (I: Fe, Cu, Mn, Li; II: Ca, Mg, Zn, Ni), while trace element profiles of root, stem, leaves, and flowers of this plant differed significantly. However, no significant difference in the trace element patterns between the summer and the autumn harvest samples was found.