Search

Total arsenic, mercury, lead, and cadmium contents were determined in 426 samples of seaweed sold in Korea in 2007-08. The average concentrations, expressed in mg kg-1, dry weight, were: total arsenic 17.4 (less than the limit of detection [LOD] to 88.8), Hg 0.01 (from 0.001 to 0.050), lead 0.7 (less than the LOD to 2.7), and cadmium 0.50 (less than the LOD to 2.9). There were differences in mercury, cadmium, and arsenic content in seaweed between different kinds of products and between coastal areas. The intakes of total mercury, lead, and cadmium for Korean people from seaweed were estimated to be 0.11, 0.65, and 0.45 µg kg-1 body weight week-1, respectively. With respect to food safety, consumption of 8.5 g day-1 of the samples analysed could represent up to 0.2-6.7% of the respective provisional tolerable weekly intakes established by the World Health Organization (WHO). Therefore, even if Korean people have a high consumption of seaweed, this study confirms the low probability of health risks from these metals via seaweed consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Paraelectric PLT(lead lanthanium titanate) thin films were prepared by dc magnetron sputtering with multi element metal target. In order to crystallize the as-deposited PLT thin films to the cubic perovskite phase, post-heat treatment was applied at the temperatures from 450 to 750°C. The composition of PLT(28) thin film was: Pb, 0.72; La, 0.28; Ti, 0.88; O, 2.9. The dielectric characteristics were essentially dependent on the changes in the chemical composition and crystalline phase with variation of annealing treatment. The dielectric constant increased and dissipation factor decreased slightly, as the post-annealing temperature increased. The dielectric constant and dissipation factor at low electric field measurement of the capacitors with highest dielectric properties were 1216 and 0.018, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]