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Betonica bulgarica is an endemic species distributed in Bulgaria. The chemical composition of the essential oil analysed by GC–MS (Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry) and the content of trace elements analysed by ICP–MS (Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) were determined. Additionally, a study on the types and distribution of trichomes was done using a microscope with a camera. The essential oil was characterized using a high concentration of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, whose major compounds are β-caryophyllene (17.4%), germacrene D (9.9%), and β-bourbonene (6.7%). The contents of manganese (177.2 µg/g) and strontium (156.8 µg/g) were highest among the investigated micronutrients. Two types of trichomes were identified on the adaxial and abaxial epidermises of the leaves of B. bulgarica—covering and glandular. Peltate stacked glandular trichomes with a four-celled head of type B were observed on the leaf surface.

The contents of mineral elements in wild traditional Tibetan medicines Fritillaria ussuriensis and Gastrodia elata from Tibet were determined by ICP-MS to study their efficacy mechanism and quality. The results showed that wild Gastrodia elata contained more Ca, Fe and Mn than F. ussuriensis, and less Zn, which proved that different traditional Tibetan medicines had different abilities to absorb mineral elements, which should be relative to their efficacy. Compared with F. ussuriensis, Gastrodia elata contained more Pb, Cr and Se, and less Cd and As. Referred to relative standards, toxic elements’ content in Gastrodia elata is not excessive, but Cd in F. ussuriensis was much higher than that of standard.

ABSTRACT Lead pollution has increased over the past four centuries with industrialisation, urbanisation, and the use of motor vehicles. In Japan, lead concentrations in human bones of the Edo period (AD 1603-1867) from urban areas were found to be higher than those from suburban areas. Because most wild geese breed in the subarctic zone and winter in the temperate zone, it is to be expected that lead concentrations in archaeological goose bones from domestic individuals would be higher than those from wild individuals because of the difference in their life cycle. In this study, we measured and compared lead concentrations in bones of geese, other birds (duck, chicken, heron, and crow), mammals (dog, cat, pig/wild boar, and deer), and in a human tooth, all from the Kenmin-kan Atochi site, Japan (Edo period). We found that lead pollution affected not only humans but also animals and that environmental lead pollution was widespread in the town. One of the goose bones analysed, a broken and healed ulna, showed a lead concentration approximately twice as high as the other goose bones. In addition, the lead concentration in a duck bone was much higher than in those of wild birds or mammals, which suggests that the duck had lived in an urban environment for a long time. The results suggest that analysis of lead concentrations can detect potential domestic animals that were exposed to environmental lead pollution, such as in the Roman period in Europe and in the Edo period in Japan. By accumulating comparative studies, the analysis of lead concentrations in archaeological goose bones is expected to become a reliable indicator of domestic geese under conditions of environmental lead contamination. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study deals with the ground water quality assessment in Kahuta Industrial Triangle Islamabad, Pakistan. The objective of the study was to assess ground water quality against the drinking water standards for various toxic inorganic elements. Representative groundwater samples were collected and analyzed in the Water Quality Laboratory of Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) at Islamabad, Pakistan. The samples were run on ICP-MS (Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry), which has the capability to separate and quantify 70 elements at a time. One of the finding of study is that ICP-MS is a very good tool to analyze broad range of toxic inorganic elements to the level of parts per billion (ppb). World Health Organization drinking water standards shows that these toxic inorganic elements such as heavy metals even at this concentration level (ppb) are injurious to human health. This analysis indicated pollution of various toxic elements including Selenium. Vertical leachate through industrial waste septic tanks is identified as major cause of groundwater pollution in the Industrial Triangle. Monitoring of the septic tanks and groundwater quality in study area is suggested along with remedial measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract: Mineral elements are essential components for human health from food, but their contents in wheat, millet, corn and soybean have not been compared. Contents of mineral elements in wheat, millet, corn and soybean from Beijing market of China were detected by ICP-MS. The RSDs (relative standard deviation) range from 0.85% to 3.52% and the detecting limits range from 0.13 to 0.85μg/L, which showed that this method is accurate and precise to detect mineral elements in grains simultaneously. The data showed that (1) ICP-MS is a simple and precise method to determine many mineral elements in grains simultaneously. (2) Elements followed by descending order in four grains are usually K>Mg>Ca>Fe>Zn>Mn>Cu>Mo>Li, and grains arranged in order from high to low levels of mineral elements are usually soybean>millet>wheat≈corn. So we should take in more minor grains, such as soybean and millet on daily diet. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The contents of mineral elements in wild traditional Tibetan medicines Fritillaria ussuriensis and Gastrodia elata from Tibet were determined by ICP-MS to study their efficacy mechanism and quality. The results showed that wild Gastrodia elata contained more Ca, Fe and Mn than F. ussuriensis , and less Zn, which proved that different traditional Tibetan medicines had different abilities to absorb mineral elements, which should be relative to their efficacy. Compared with F. ussuriensis , Gastrodia elata contained more Pb, Cr and Se, and less Cd and As. Referred to relative standards, toxic elements’ content in Gastrodia elata is not excessive, but Cd in F. ussuriensis was much higher than that of standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]