Heavy Metal Determination in Lipstick Products Using Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP)

Cosmetics production and use are growing worldwide, yet users are concerned about toxicity and heavy metal pollution. Following nitric acid digestion, the estimated levels of lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), titanium (Ti), iron (Fe), and cobalt (Co), in 6 brands of lipstick (12 samples) obtained in the Saudi market have been computed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. Correlation coefficients (R2) varied from 0.9992 to 0.9999 on the calibration curve, indicating good linearity. Except for low-cost specimens, the findings indicate that the concentrations of the metals under investigation are often lower than the acceptable limits of both the Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization (SASO) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (which revealed the maximum lead levels of 125.30 ppm, exceeding the allowed limit of 10 ppm). Arsenic was discovered in significant concentrations, exceeding the SASO permitted limit. Nickel was found at the FDAs allowable limit; chromium and cobalt were found in variable quantities in the majority of the specimens. Dark-colored lipstick had a greater overall content of heavy metals than light-colored lipstick. Numerous tests on SASO-approved lipsticks were conducted as part of the research. The lower-cost specimens were of lesser quality, failing some SASO tests. All such findings suggest that users should be cautious when buying low lipsticks since heavy metals may build up in the body over time, causing skin problems or diseases like cancer.

Quantification of boron in cells for evaluation of drug agents used in boron neutron capture therapy

The combination of UV digestion and nitric acid digestion is an effective sample preparation method for the quantification of boron in cell cultures by ICP-MS in the context of screening BNCT drug candidates for cancer treatment.

PSVII-18 Nitrogen fertilization affects leaf-level sodium and potassium concentration in tall fescue pasture

Optimizing mineral supplementation is critical to maximizing production in a forage-based beef production system. The effect of nitrogen fertilization on mineral accumulation in tall fescue (TF) is not well understood. We evaluated the differences in mineral composition in nitrogen fertilized (TF+N) and unfertilized (TF-N) tall fescue pastures. The experiment was conducted at the University of Missouri Forage Systems Research Center during 2017 and 2018. A randomized complete block design was arranged in novel-endophyte TF pastures. All pastures were mechanically harvested in May. Nitrogen was applied to TF+N in June and again in August (45 kg ha-1 and 90 kg ha-1, respectively). Treatments were rotationally grazed from July to November using yearling cattle. Randomly selected 10 m2 strips were harvested biweekly and 300 g subsamples were dried. Nitric acid digestion was performed followed by ICP-MS to determine mineral content. Data were normalized using rank transformation and analyzed by treatment and month. Analysis of variance was conducted using PROC GLIMMIX (SAS 9.4); slice command was used to determine interactions within month by treatment and within treatment by month. Calcium and magnesium concentration decreased throughout the season with the lowest concentrations observed in both treatments during November (P = 0.0043 and P = 0.0007, respectively). Greater potassium concentrations were observed in June compared to November in both treatments (P < 0.0334). We observed a within month by treatment interaction for sodium. Nitrogen fertilization resulted in greater sodium concentration in all months from August to November compared to TF-N (P < 0.0074). Greater sodium concentrations resulted in decreased K:Na ratios during September, October, and November in TF+N (P = 0.0013, P = 0.0036, and P = 0.0024, respectively). Our results suggest nitrogen fertilization reduced K:Na ratio in TF pastures, which could negatively affect magnesium absorption in recticulo-rumen.

Comparison of Diatoms Which Were Obtained from The External Surface of The Body and Internal Organs in the Corpses Pulled Out of Water Using Colloidal Silica Gradient Centrifuge Method

Objective: Diatom analysis is a valuable tool in forensic science and it is useful in diagnosis of drowning and determination of the drowning site. The basic principal of the “diatom test” in investigation of drowning is based on correlation between diatoms are present in the medium where the possible drowning took place and inhalation of water causes penetration of diatoms into the alveolar system and blood stream and consequently their deposition into brain, kidneys and other organs, like the bone marrow of large bones. There are various extraction methods that are used to isolate diatoms from water and tissues. Nitric acid digestion is a worlwide known method for the extraction of diatoms. In this study, instead of acid digestion method, colloidal silica gradient centrifuge method was used to extraction diatom and the advantages of this technique has been aimed to be discussed. Materials and Methods: Therefore, 30 visceral and body fluid samples that have been obtained from corpses which were removed from the water and brought to the Council of Forencic Medicine to perform autopsy, were examined and diatom were obtained from samples of 19 cases. Moreover, the diatoms that were obtained from the swab samples taken from the outer body surfaces and the diatoms obtained from the visceral organs were compared. Results: When the diatoms which were obtained from internal organs tissues and body fluids were evaluated numerically, it was seen that the diatoms that were obtained lungs were in high numbers and it was followed by pleural liquid...

Greening microwave-assisted acid digestion of animal feed samples

The combination of dilute nitric acid digestion followed by recovery of the acid digests, represents steps towards green chemistry approaches: “reduce the use, recycle and reuse”, strictly following the major green chemistry recommendations.