Industrial Use of Trace Elements and their Impact on the Workplace and the Environment

With the extensive industrial use of asbestos in this century and the long latent period (20-50 years) between exposure and tumor presentation, the incidence of malignant mesothelioma is now increasing. Thus, surgical pathologists are more frequently faced with the dilemma of differentiating mesothelioma from metastatic adenocarcinoma and spindle-cell sarcoma involving serosal surfaces. Electron microscopy is amodality useful in clarifying this problem.In utilizing ultrastructural features in the diagnosis of mesothelioma, it is essential to appreciate that the classification of this tumor reflects a variety of morphologic forms of differing biologic behavior (Table 1). Furthermore, with the variable histology and degree of differentiation in mesotheliomas it might be expected that the ultrastructure of such tumors also reflects a range of cytological features. Such is the case.

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Microanalytical Identification of a New Zr-Nb-Fe Phase

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100134259 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 132-133

Author(s):

O.T. Woo ◽

G.J.C. Carpenter

Keyword(s):

Trace Elements ◽

Cold Rolling ◽

Proportionality Factor ◽

Tube Material ◽

X Ray ◽

Metal Foils ◽

Arc Melting ◽

Intermetallic Particles ◽

Intermetallic Precipitates ◽

Cold Worked

To study the influence of trace elements on the corrosion and hydrogen ingress in Zr-2.5 Nb pressure tube material, buttons of this alloy containing up to 0.83 at% Fe were made by arc-melting. The buttons were then annealed at 973 K for three days, furnace cooled, followed by ≈80% cold-rolling. The microstructure of cold-worked Zr-2.5 at% Nb-0.83 at% Fe (Fig. 1) contained both β-Zr and intermetallic precipitates in the α-Zr grains. The particles were 0.1 to 0.7 μm in size, with shapes ranging from spherical to ellipsoidal and often contained faults. β-Zr appeared either roughly spherical or as irregular elongated patches, often extending to several micrometres.The composition of the intermetallic particles seen in Fig. 1 was determined using Van Cappellen’s extrapolation technique for energy dispersive X-ray analysis of thin metal foils. The method was employed to avoid corrections for absorption and fluorescence via the Cliff-Lorimer equation: CA/CB = kAB · IA/IB, where CA and CB are the concentrations by weight of the elements A and B, and IA and IB are the X-ray intensities; kAB is a proportionality factor.

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XRMF applications of a monolithic, polycapillary, focusing x-ray optic

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100163666 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 54 ◽

pp. 240-241

Author(s):

D. A. Carpenter ◽

Ning Gao ◽

G. J. Havrilla

Keyword(s):

Trace Elements ◽

Point Source ◽

Focal Spot ◽

Fluorescence Analysis ◽

X Rays ◽

Focal Distance ◽

Spot Diameter ◽

X Ray ◽

Focal Spot Diameter

A monolithic, polycapillary, x-ray optic was adapted to a laboratory-based x-ray microprobe to evaluate the potential of the optic for x-ray micro fluorescence analysis. The polycapillary was capable of collecting x-rays over a 6 degree angle from a point source and focusing them to a spot approximately 40 µm diameter. The high intensities expected from this capillary should be useful for determining and mapping minor to trace elements in materials. Fig. 1 shows a sketch of the capillary with important dimensions.The microprobe had previously been used with straight and with tapered monocapillaries. Alignment of the monocapillaries with the focal spot was accomplished by electromagnetically scanning the focal spot over the beveled anode. With the polycapillary it was also necessary to manually adjust the distance between the focal spot and the polycapillary.The focal distance and focal spot diameter of the polycapillary were determined from a series of edge scans.

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Trace Elements and Iron in Human Metabolism

Biochemical Society Transactions ◽

10.1042/bst0071330a ◽

1979 ◽

Vol 7 (6) ◽

pp. 1330-1331

Author(s):

E. D. WILLS

Keyword(s):

Trace Elements ◽

Human Metabolism

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Meat and Meat Products Consumption in Italy: Contribution to Trace Elements, Heme Iron and selected B Vitamins supply

International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research ◽

10.1024/0300-9831.74.4.247 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 74 (4) ◽

pp. 247-251 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Lombardi-Boccia ◽

Lanzi ◽

Lucarini ◽

Di Lullo

Keyword(s):

Trace Elements ◽

Daily Intake ◽

Meat Products ◽

Heme Iron ◽

B Vitamins ◽

Zinc Intake ◽

Consumption Frequency ◽

Iron And Zinc ◽

Iron Heme ◽

Daily Intakes

This study was undertaken to estimate the contribution of meat and meat products consumption to the daily intakes of trace elements (Fe, Zn, Cu, Se), heme iron, and selected B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin) in Italy. Meat and meat products were selected on the basis of their consumption frequency reported by the most recent nationwide dietary individual survey carried out in Italy (INN-CA study). The daily intakes of total iron and heme iron were 1.65 and 1.13 mg/person/day. Zinc intake was 3.65 mg/person/day. Beef made the main contribution to iron, heme iron, and zinc daily intakes. Copper daily intake was 107.3 mug/person/day, with meat products provided the highest contribution (40 mug/person/day). Daily intake of selenium (7.14 mug/person/day) was provided mainly by poultry consumption. Thiamine intake was 228 mug/person/day, and meat products were the main source (110 mug/person/day). Riboflavin intake was 136 mug/person/day, with both beef and meat products as the main contributors (40 mug/person/day). Niacin intake was 7.53 mg/person/day, and poultry was the main source (2.28 mg/person/day). Meat and meat products were a valuable source of micronutrients, supplying 47, 48, and 24% of zinc, niacin, and thiamin daily requirements, respectively, and over 10% of iron, copper, selenium, and riboflavin daily average requirement values of the italian RDAs calculated for the population involved in the survey (INN-CA study).

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