Reaction of Fatty Acid Methyl Ester with Monoethanolamine and Diethanolamine

The course of the reaction between lauric acid and monoethanolamine as well as the reaction of methyl laurate with monoethanolamine and diethanolamine were investigated. Thin layer chromatography with flame ionisation detector was used for reaction mixture analysis. The fatty acid methyl ester is more suitable for production of monoethanolamide and diethanolamide. Sodium methoxide or potassium hydroxide (0.02 mol % ester) was used as suitable alkaline catalysts of reaction. The optimal temperature of methyl laurate or coconut oil with diethanolamine reaction is 80°C. Higher temperatures (over 100°C) lead to a higher concentration of amide ester in the product.

The effect of bitumen ageing to fractional composition

Bitumen is manufactured from different crude oil sources also by various refining technologies, therefore, the impact of ageing is different. Bitumen is a complex chemical mixture consisting of a large number and diversity of organic compounds, mostly hydrocarbons, and varying in molecular mass, polarity and aromaticity. Various polar and non-polar fragments in bitumen interacting in-between form the certain structures which changes bitumen behaviour. Since bitumen is assigned as a colloidal system, consisting of high molecular weight asphaltene micelles dispersed in a lower molecular weight maltenes (saturates, aromatics, resins), the bitumen structure changes over time. Since ageing is one of the main factors effecting bitumen properties and asphalt pavement performance, it is essential to understand how the fractional composition of bitumen is affected by the long-term ageing simulation in the laboratory. The main purpose of this article is to analyse bitumen ageing process and influence to bitumen fractional composition (saturates, aromatics, resins, and asphaltenes), i.e. to show what happens to the bitumen fractional composition and colloidal stability when bitumen reaches a critical ageing point. The saturates, aromatics, resins, and asphaltenes were determined with the Thin Layer Chromatography with flame-ionisation detector (TLC/FID), the IATROSCAN MK-6s.

Geochemical Fingerprinting pf Oil-Impacted Soil and Water Samples In Some Selected Areas in the Niger Delta

With over 50 years of oil exploration and exploitation in the Niger Delta, there has been an increasing rate of environmental degradation due to hydrocarbon pollution. This study is aimed at tracing the sources of the oil spills and the distribution of pollutants in selected communities in the Niger Delta using geo-chemical techniques. A total of sixteen samples made up of ten crude oil-impacted soil samples taken at a depth of 30 cm and six water samples (two from boreholes, two from burrow pits and two from surface water – one from a river and the other from rain harvest as control) were collected. The identification and quantification of aliphatic hydrocarbons (AHs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the samples were performed with an Agilent 7890B gas chromatography flame ionisation detector (GCFID). The AHs including pristane and phytane, together with seventeen priority PAHs, were identified. The values of AHs and PAHs in the water samples ranged from 0.13 mg/l to 5.78 mg/l and 0.09 mg/l to 1.109 mg/l, respectively, while that for the soil samples ranged from 22.52 mg/kg to 929.44 mg/kg and 10.544 mg/kg to 16.879 mg/kg, respectively. Z več kot petdesetimi leti raziskovanja in pridobivanja nafte na območju delte reke Niger narašča stopnja degradacije okolja zaradi onesnaževanja z ogljikovodiki. Namen raziskave je slediti virom razlitij nafte in porazdelitev onesnaževal v izbranih skupnostih v delti reke Niger z uporabo geokemičnih pristopov. Skupno je bilo odvzetih 16 vzorcev, od tega 10 vzorcev z nafto nasičenih zemljin iz globine 30 cm ter 6 vzorcev vode, od tega dva iz vrtin, dva iz jame ter dva iz površinske vode (en vzorec iz reke in en iz deževnice). Z detektorjem plamenskega ioniziranja s plinskim kromatografom Agilent 7890B (GC-FID) je bila izvedena identifikacija in kvantifikacija alifatskih ogljikovodikov (AH) in policikličnih aromatskih ogljikovodikov (PAH). Identificirani so bili AH z vključujočim pristanom (pristane) in fitanom (phytane) skupaj s 17 PAH. Vrednosti AH in PAH v vzorcih vode se gibajo med 0.13 mg/l do 5.78 mg/l in 0.09 mg/l do 1.109 mg/l. Vrednosti AH in PAH v vzorcih zemljine se gibajo med 22.52 mg/kg do 929.44 mg/kg in 10.544 mg/kg do 16.879 mg/kg.

Fish Analysis Containing Biogenic Amines Using Gas Chromatography Equipped With Flame Ionization And Mass Spectrometer Detectors

Biogenic amines generally can be found in fish due to amines in fish undergoing a degradation process. According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), biogenic amines in fish and fish products can cause harm to consumers if consumed more than 50 µg/mL. Thus, it is important to analyze them. Five biogenic amines such as heptylamine, histamine, tyramine, cadaverine and spermidine were extracted using soaking method with methanol 50% (v/v), afterward they were detected in fish and fish products using gas chromatography – flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) and the biogenic amines structures were confirmed using mass spectrometry (MS). The detection limits (DLs) were range at 1.20 – 2.90 µg/mL. Histamine was detected in fish and fish products such as sardine (Sardinella gibosa) and mackerel (Scomberomorus guttatus) at concentration of 5.96 and 2.69 µg/mL, respectively, whereas cadaverine was found in sardine (Sardinella gibosa) at concentration of 4.96 µg/mL. Histamine concentrations in this study were detected below 50 µg/mL which is below the permissible threshold associated with scombroid poisoing.

Alcohol-associated traffic injuries in Verona territory: A nine-year survey

According to the World Health Organization, as many as 25% of traffic accidents are linked to alcohol abuse. This study describes the results of a nine-year study performed on injured drivers ( N = 12,806) in the Verona area of Northern Italy. Blood samples were mandatorily collected on injured drivers who were admitted to the Emergency Health Care Unit of Verona Hospital between 2009 and 2017, after they had been involved in a traffic accident. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) determination was then undertaken using a validated head space–gas chromatography–flame ionisation detector (HS-GC-FID) method. We found that 21% of drivers tested positive for alcohol (BAC ≥0.01 g/L), while 16.8% presented with BAC levels above the Italian legal limit (>0.5 g/L). Of those who had positive BACs, about 50% presented with very high BAC levels (>1.5 g/L). Daily time distribution analyses, involving 2031 alcohol-positive drivers, showed a surge between 18:00 hours and 06:00 hours (74.3%), with a specific rise during the weekend (58.9%). The percentage of alcohol-related road accidents was 20.6%, which is lower than results reported in other international studies performed over the last 20 years. However, evidence that around 50% of the positive subjects showed a BAC >1.5 g/L confirms the correlation between BAC and accident risk, which becomes even more significant at progressively increasing levels of BAC. The study highlights the need to implement further strategies to both prevent and deter the use of alcohol while driving.

Lipoprotein(a) concentration is associated with plasma arachidonic acid in subjects with familial hypercholesterolaemia

Elevated lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is associated with CVD and is mainly genetically determined. Studies suggest a role of dietary fatty acids (FA) in the regulation of Lp(a); however, no studies have investigated the association between plasma Lp(a) concentration and n-6 FA. We aimed to investigate whether plasma Lp(a) concentration was associated with dietary n-6 FA intake and plasma levels of arachidonic acid (AA) in subjects with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH). We included FH subjects with (n 68) and without (n 77) elevated Lp(a) defined as ≥75 nmol/l and healthy subjects (n 14). Total FA profile was analysed by GC–flame ionisation detector analysis, and the daily intake of macronutrients (including the sum of n-6 FA: 18 : 2n-6, 20 : 2n-6, 20 : 3n-6 and 20 : 4n-6) were computed from completed FFQ. FH subjects with elevated Lp(a) had higher plasma levels of AA compared with FH subjects without elevated Lp(a) (P = 0·03). Furthermore, both FH subjects with and without elevated Lp(a) had higher plasma levels of AA compared with controls (P < 0·001). The multivariable analyses showed associations between dietary n-6 FA intake and plasma levels of AA (P = 0·02) and between plasma levels of Lp(a) and AA (P = 0·006). Our data suggest a novel link between plasma Lp(a) concentration, dietary n-6 FA and plasma AA concentration, which may explain the small diet-induced increase in Lp(a) levels associated with lifestyle changes. Although the increase may not be clinically relevant, this association may be mechanistically interesting in understanding more of the role and regulation of Lp(a).

A study of thermo-hydro-treated (THT) birch wood by chemical analysis and Py-GC/MS

The chemical changes in birch wood occurring at thermo-hydro treatment (THT) was studied at temperatures (T) of 150, 160 and 170°C by analytical pyrolysis [Py-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry/flame ionisation detector (GC/MS/FID)], elemental analysis and traditional wet-chemical analysis. THT wood (THTW) was also extracted with acetone. Mass losses (ML) due to THT and acetone extraction of THTW were considered for material balance calculations. The holocellulose and hemicellulose (HC) contents decrease with increasing THT temperature (THTT), thus the apparent lignin content is elevated by ca. 20%. The HC degradation begins at 150°C, while that of α-cellulose modification at 170°C. Compared to unmodified birch, the THT170°Cmaterial contains ca. 10% less α-cellulose and up to 40% less HC. The Py-GC/MS also indicates decreasing amounts of volatile products from polymeric carbohydrates (CHs) and lignin origin as a function of increasing THTT. The identified CH-based Py products of THT170°Cof non-extracted (ne) and extracted (e) materials resulted in 13 and 22% weight decrements, respectively, while the lignin-type Py products were reduced by 13 and 49%, respectively. With increasing THTT, the total content of CO2, water and methanol decreases, and the amount of unidentified compounds increases by 30%.