Iodine intake is important for thyroid function. Iodine content of natural waters is high in some areas and occurs bound in humic substances. Tap water is a major dietary source but bioavailability of organically bound iodine may be impaired. The objective was to assess if naturally occurring iodine bound in humic substances is bioavailable. Tap water was collected at Randers and Skagen waterwo...

Estimating the environmental exposure to manufactured nanomaterials is part of risk assessment. Because nanoparticles aggregate with each other (homoaggregation) and with other particles (heteroaggregation), the main route of the removal of most nanoparticles from water is aggregation, followed by sedimentation. The authors used water samples from two rivers in Europe, the Rhine and the Meuse. ...

Background: There are great resources of natural zeolite in Iran. Zeolite, an inorganic ion-exchanger, may be used as a suitable technical-economical solution for water treatment in many regions of Iran. In this study, the characterization of natural zeolite natrolite and the feasibility of removing hardness, cations, and anions were investigated. Methods: First, zeolite composition and type we...

Detection of microbial enzymes in natural environments is important to understand biochemical activities and to verify the biotechnological potential of the microorganisms. In the present report, 346 isolates from soil, water, and plants were screened for enzyme production (caseinase, gelatinase, amylase, carboxymethyl cellulase, and esterase). Our results showed that 89.6% of isolates produced...

Heavy metals concentrations in water and sediment samples collected from five streams in Tarkwa gold mining district of Ghana were studied. The water and sediment samples were analysed for As, Al, Cd, Co, Cu, Hg, Mn, Sb, Th, and V, using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA). The results of this study generally showed elevated levels of all the ten examined elements in the water and s...

The interaction of thermal neutrons with U results in fission with a probability of 85% and in the formation of U (t1/2 = 2.3 10 yr) with a probability of 15%. While anthropogenic U is, therefore, present in spent nuclear fuel at levels of U/U up to 10 , the expected natural ratios in the pre-anthropogenic environment range from 10 14 to 10 . At VERA, systematic investigations suggest a detecti...

Natural durability of wood has been widely studied, but the combination of the natural durability and different treatments has not been the focus of many studies. The durability of wooden products is mainly based on the water permeability and the resistance against organisms. In this study, the water absorption and decay resistance of sapwood and heartwood of Scots pine and Norway spruce were e...

Water susceptible properties of subgrade soils play important role in the structural design of highways. In this research study laboratory investigations were conducted on subgrade soil samples for determining the influence of water susceptible properties on Natural moisture content, Optimum moisture content, Compaction, California Bearing Ratio (CBR)-soaked and unsoaked, and Unconfined Compres...

Received: 22 December 2004 Accepted: 8 March 2005 Published online: 17 June 2005 Springer-Verlag 2005 Abstract Coastal areas of Hong Kong Island are one of the most extensively urbanized areas in the world. Groundwater samples in natural slopes and developed spaces in the regions centered by the MidLevels area, Hong Kong Island, were collected and analyzed to investigate the natural and anthrop...