Trace elements are a major area of nutritional status which influence brain functioning and behavior. Recent studies have found significantly abnormal levels of trace nutritive minerals and trace toxic metals in the head hair of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Utilizing hair element analysis, this study examined 26 trace elements in two groups of young Appalachian children: an economic...

All living organisms require nutrient minerals for growth and have developed mechanisms to acquire, utilize, and store nutrient minerals effectively. In the aqueous cellular environment, these elements exist as charged ions that, together with protons and hydroxide ions, facilitate biochemical reactions and establish the electrochemical gradients across membranes that drive cellular processes s...

Introduction Conclusions References

In most aquatic systems, concentrations of trace metals in suspended sediment and the top few centimeters of bottom sediment are far greater than concentrations of trace metals dissolved in the water column. Consequently, the distribution, transport, and availability of these constituents can not be intelligently evaluated, nor can their environmental impact be determined or predicted solely th...

In the Mediterranean Sea, the distribution of dissolved zinc, copper, lead and cadmium is primarily controlled by marine circulation, surface source dynamics and biological new production. We show that the present relatively high content of these metals in the surface layer is due to non-steady-state cycles as a result of source increases probably following increases in industrial, agricultural...

This broad overview covers the use of gas and liquid chromatography as well as capillary electrophoresis for the determination of metal ions and metalcontaining species, such as organometallic compounds or metalloproteins. We pay particular attention to the latest developments and consider the features of the various detection techniques and applications of the different methods. a 2005 Elsevie...

This research describes the use of a toxicity assay for the identification of metal toxicity, bioavailability and heavy metal binding capacity (HMBC) of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill leachates. MetPLATE, an assay specific for heavy metal toxicity, was used to determine the HMBC of MSW leachates collected from 14 sites in Florida, with a wide range of chemical and physical characteristics...