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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Quantifying The Variability In Heavy Metal Concentrations In Produce Grown In Metals-Rich Soil, Harris Lowell Byers Dec 2019

Quantifying The Variability In Heavy Metal Concentrations In Produce Grown In Metals-Rich Soil, Harris Lowell Byers

Theses and Dissertations

Childhood Pb exposure is associated with a multitude of poor health outcomes. In food-insecure areas, growing fresh produce in residential backyard gardens is one option for parents; however, commonly grown crops are known to accumulate Pb in consumable tissues when grown in metals-rich soils. A variety of produce representing a continuum of consumable tissues were grown in soils collected from two residential vegetable gardens, a former metal foundry, and commercial topsoil purchased from a local hardware store. The concentrations of heavy metals in crop tissues were measured with custom wavelength dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (WD-XRF) spectroscopy and portable energy dispersive X-ray …


Accumulation And Spatial Distribution Of Lead And Other Trace Elements In Keratinized Tissues : Investigations Based On Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, Mina W. Tehrani Jan 2019

Accumulation And Spatial Distribution Of Lead And Other Trace Elements In Keratinized Tissues : Investigations Based On Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, Mina W. Tehrani

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Human biomonitoring for toxic metals such as lead (Pb) provides information about absorbed dose from all exposure routes, and is critical for identifying exposed individuals and assessing health risks. Blood Pb and bone Pb are the primary validated biomarkers for assessing short-term and historical Pb exposures, respectively, while non-traditional matrices, including keratinized tissues, can provide complementary exposure information. Hard keratinized tissues – including hair, nails, hooves, and horns – grow incrementally, potentially preserving chemical exposure histories over a span of days to years. Analytical limitations and poor interlaboratory reproducibility, however, have led to debate around the use of human nails …