Protection From Contamination by 211At, an Enigmatic but Promising Alpha Emitter

Purpose 211At, a promising alpha emitter, can easily volatilize and contaminate the environment. To safely manage this unique alpha emitter, we investigated the permeability of four types of plastic films and gloves against 211At and identified suitable materials to avoid contamination by 211At. Methods Four types of plastic films, polyethylene, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl chloride, and a laminated film, and two types of rubber gloves, latex and nitrile, were examined. Small pieces of filter paper were covered with these materials, and a drop containing 100 kBq of 211At was placed on them. The radioactivity of pieces of filter paper under the materials was evaluated by measuring counts using a gamma counter and obtaining autoradiograms 3.5 h later. These experiments were also performed using 225Ac, 125I, 111In, 201Tl, and 99mTc. Results 211At solution easily penetrated polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and latex rubber. Similar results were obtained for 125I, while other radionuclides did not penetrate films or gloves. These results suggest that halogenic radionuclides under anionic conditions are likely to penetrate plastic films and rubber gloves. Conclusion Our evaluation revealed that, when 211At solution is used, the protection by polyvinylidene chloride, a laminated film, or nitrile rubber would be more effective than that by polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, or latex rubber.

Improving the viability and stability of a probiotic product with Saccharomyces boulardii DBVPG

In recent decades, probiotic products have been increasingly used to prevent certain gastro-intestinal and urogenital disorders, to improve the general condition of the body and as a supplement to pharmacological therapy. They are most often registered as dietary supplements, and less often as drugs in the form of capsules, powders, and solutions. Optimization of technological processes of production and packaging of these products aims to maintain probiotic characteristics while adhering to all criteria during production that ensure quality, bioavailability and optimal therapeutic effects. In this paper, the importance of choosing primary and secondary packaging materials was explored with the aim of preserving the viability of probiotic cells in capsules for two years, i.e. during the shelf life. By comparing the applications of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and PVC/polyvinylidene chloride/polyethylene blister foils, better protection of probiotic cells was observed by applying the multilayer foil. In addition, in this research, further improvements of probiotic cell protection were achieved by applying a secondary packing-flow pack bag with inert gas for storing multilayered blisters.

Characterization of the Thickness and Distribution of Latex Coatings on Polyvinylidene Chloride Beads by Backscattered Electron Imaging

Polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) co-polymer resins are commonly formulated with a variety of solid additives for the purpose of processing or stabilization. A homogeneous distribution of these additives during handling and processing is important. The Dow Chemical Company developed a process to incorporate solid materials in latex form onto PVDC resin bead surfaces using a coagulation process. In this context, we present a method to characterize the distribution and thickness of these latex coatings. The difference in backscattered electron signal from the higher mean atomic number PVDC core and lower atomic number latex coating in conjunction with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging using a range of accelerating voltages was used to characterize latex thickness and distribution across large numbers of beads quickly and easily. Monte Carlo simulations were used to quantitatively estimate latex thickness as a function of brightness in backscatter electron images. This thickness calibration was validated by cross-sectioning using a focused ion-beam SEM. Thicknesses from 100 nm up to about 1.3 µm can be determined using this method.