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Analysis Of Mercury And Lead In Birds Of Prey From Gold-Mining Areas Of The Peruvian Amazon, Peggy Shrum Dec 2009

Analysis Of Mercury And Lead In Birds Of Prey From Gold-Mining Areas Of The Peruvian Amazon, Peggy Shrum

All Theses

This study was conducted to determine levels of lead and mercury in the raptors of the South-eastern Peruvian Amazon. The study took place within the Los Amigos Conservation Concession in Madre de Dios, Peru. Eighty-six raptors from among sixteen species were captured with Bal-Chatri traps. From each individual, feather samples were obtained for mercury analysis and blood was taken for lead analysis. Each raptor was then released without incident or injury.
Mercury amalgamation for gold extraction is widely used by small-scale, transient mining operations, which are numerous along the rivers and creeks in the tropical forests and other locations in …


Lead Detection In Water: Using Hydroxyapatite And Atomic Absorption, Nicolas Cantarero Jul 2009

Lead Detection In Water: Using Hydroxyapatite And Atomic Absorption, Nicolas Cantarero

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Hydroxyapatite is a mineral that is very inexpensive, easily made, and binds well to lead. In this procedure its application will be paired with Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (Flame AA) to detect lead concentrations in water to ppb levels. While ppb concentrations of lead are too dilute to produce a response from the Flame AA by using Hydroxyapatite to concentrate lead molecules from a larger volume and dissolving the Hydroxyapatite into a smaller volume it may be able to produce a response. The method could provide an inexpensive, efficient, and accurate way to detect lead concentrations to the ppb level …