Dataset Information

Robust Remote Sensing of Trace-Level Heavy-Metal Contaminants in Water Using Laser Filaments.

ABSTRACT: Water is the major natural resource that enables life on our planet. Rapid detection of water pollution that occurs due to both human activity and natural cataclysms is imperative for environmental protection. Analytical chemistry-based techniques are generally not suitable for rapid monitoring because they involve collection of water samples and analysis in a laboratory. Laser-based approaches such as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) may offer a powerful alternative, yet conventional LIBS relies on the use of tightly focused laser beams, requiring a stable air-water interface in a controlled environment. Reported here is a proof-of-principle, quantitative, simultaneous measurement of several representative heavy-metal contaminants in water, at ppm-level concentrations, using ultraintense femtosecond laser pulses propagating in air in the filamentation regime. This approach is straightforwardly extendable to kilometer-scale standoff distances, under adverse atmospheric conditions and is insensitive to the movements of the water surface due to the topography and water waves.

SUBMITTER: Li H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6383966 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Robust Remote Sensing of Trace-Level Heavy-Metal Contaminants in Water Using Laser Filaments.

Li Helong H Zang Hongwei H Xu Huailiang H Sun Hong-Bo HB Baltuška Andrius A Polynkin Pavel P

Global challenges (Hoboken, NJ) 20181029 1

Water is the major natural resource that enables life on our planet. Rapid detection of water pollution that occurs due to both human activity and natural cataclysms is imperative for environmental protection. Analytical chemistry-based techniques are generally not suitable for rapid monitoring because they involve collection of water samples and analysis in a laboratory. Laser-based approaches such as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) may offer a powerful alternative, yet conventional ...[more]

PMID: 31565357

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Project description:Adsorptive membranes offer one possible solution to the challenge of removing and recovering heavy metal ion contaminants and resources from water supplies. However, current membrane-based sorbents suffer from low binding affinities, leading to issues when contaminants are present at trace concentrations or when the source waters have a high concentration of background electrolytes that compete for open binding sites. Here, these challenges are addressed in the design of a highly permeable (i.e., permeability of ∼2.8 × 104 L m-2 h-1 bar-1) sorbent platform based on polysulfone and polystyrene-b-poly(acrylic acid) composite membranes. The membranes possess a fully interconnected network of poly(acrylic acid)-lined pores, which enables the surface chemistry to be tailored through sequential attachment of polyethylenimine brushes and metal-binding terpyridine ligands. The polyethylenimine brushes increase the saturation capacity, while the addition of terpyridine enables high-affinity binding to a diversity of transition metal ions (i.e., Pd2+, Cd2+, Hg2+, Pb2+, Zn2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Fe2+, Nd3+, and Sm3+). This platform removes these metal contaminants from solution with a sorbent capacity of 1.2 mmol g-1 [based on Cu2+ uptake]. The metal capture performance of the functionalized membranes persists in spite of high concentrations of competitive ions, with >99% removal of Pb2+ and Cd2+ ions from artificial groundwater and seawater solutions. Breakthrough experiments demonstrate the efficient purification of feed solutions containing multiple heavy metal ions under dynamic flow conditions. Finally, fluorescence quenching of the terpyridine moiety upon metal ion complexation offers an in situ probe to monitor the extent of sorbent saturation with a Stern-Volmer association constant of 2.9 × 104 L mol-1. The permeability, capacity, and affinity of these membranes, with high-density display of a metal-binding ligand, offer a chemically tailored platform to address the challenges that arise in ensuring clean water.

Project description:Background/Objectives: Heavy metals are a group of metals and metalloids that have a relatively high density. They can cause toxicity even at very low levels. Trace elements are required by all living organisms to maintain their normal growth, metabolism, and development. Oral intake is the main route of exposure to both heavy metals and trace elements. Phenylketonuria (PKU) is the most common amino acid metabolic disorder, and the best known treatment for patients requiring treatment is a phenylalanine (Phe)-restricted diet. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the plasma heavy metal levels, sources of exposure, changes in these levels according to dietary regimen, and trace element levels and their correlations with heavy metals in PKU patients. Methods: The study was conducted between July 2022 and January 2024 on 105 patients aged 2-6 years diagnosed with PKU. Results: The percentage of Pb levels in individuals in the upper quartile increased by 3.47 times (95% CI = 1.07-11.29) in those who consumed canned foods and 7.29 times (95% CI = 1.21-44.03) in those who consumed spring water. The percentage of As levels in the upper tertile increased by a factor of 7.26 (95% CI = 2.09-25.28) in individuals under four years of age and 8.17 times (95% CI = 2.13-31.27) in canned food users. The odds of having blood Cd levels in the upper tertile were 0.09 (95% CI = 0.01-0.96) for those being breastfed for 6-11 months compared to 0-5 months. Zn levels were lower (93.0 vs. 83.6 µg/dL, p = 0.008) in patients on a Phe-restricted diet. Conclusions: The present study did not find a relationship between heavy metal exposure and the dietary treatment status of patients with PKU. Our findings indicate that canned food consumption is a significant contributing factor to heavy metal exposure in PKU patients. Furthermore, our findings revealed a relationship between age, perception of economic level, breastfeeding, kitchen equipment, and water usage and the levels of certain heavy metals.

Dataset Information

Robust Remote Sensing of Trace-Level Heavy-Metal Contaminants in Water Using Laser Filaments.

Publications

Robust Remote Sensing of Trace-Level Heavy-Metal Contaminants in Water Using Laser Filaments.

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