Slag from nickel smelting operations in the Sudbury basin in Ontario, Canada, has become ubiquitous. This material rich in heavy metals such as iron, upon ingestion has the potential to effect physical, radiological, chemical, mechanical, and structural changes in biological systems. In this work, we analyzed the effects of slag ingestion through diet, on several quantitative and qualitative parameters of the tibio-tarsal bones in pigeons (Columbia Livia Domestica). The specimens were maintained on a seed diet and divided into a control group (n = 9) provided (normal) clean limestone grit, and an experimental group (n = 9) provided slag-based grit, both for a period of one year. Their tibio-tarsal bones were harvested for analysis. Quantitative analytical methods included conventional density measurements, caliper-based cortical thickness measurements, bone mineral density measurements using Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA), calcium and iron concentration measurements using mass spectrometry, and the determination of Young's Moduli and ultimate breaking strength (both in compression) using a universal testing machine (UTM). Qualitative microscopy studies, both optical and electron -including energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) -were carried out for both sample groups. A Welch's t-test (single tail) was used to compare means of the seven quantitative parameters between control and experimental samples; in six of these parameters, a statistically significant difference was found (p ≤ 0.05). Microscopy, both optical and electron -coupled with EDS analysis -revealed structural differences in bone between the two groups. Engineering hardness testing of grit types in the dietary components revealed that the slag ingested by the experimental group was approximately twice as hard (Brinell and Rockwell hardness) as the limestone grit in the control group diet. We conclude that slag ingestion through diet in the species examined, is associated with measurable changes in mechanical, chemical, structural, and radiological properties of the tibio-tarsal bones.

The Sudbury Basin in Ontario, Canada, has been heavily mined for over 150 years due to the presence of sulphide ores rich in nickel and copper. Slag is a by-product...

A study was undertaken to determine the influence of extraction process on recovery and quality of fat from chicken skin. In order to do so, 20-kg batches of skin were ground (9.5 mm plate) or homogenized in a colloidal mill (0.2-mm knife set), then heated to 50 or 80 C to rupture fat cells. The fat was recovered by centrifugation and was evaluated for composition, appearance, and stability. A maximum amount of fat (89.6% of the fat initially contained in skin) was recovered from homogenized skin heated to 80 C, whereas heating ground skin to 50 C yielded the lowest fat recovery (51.5% of skin fat content). In general, fat composition and appearance were little affected by extraction conditions, with the exception that the fat extracted from homogenized skin contained more (P < or = 0.001) unsaponifiable cell membrane constituents (0.17 to 0.20%), including antioxidant tocopherol fractions (10.3 microg/ml), than the fat extracted from ground skin (0.08% and 7.5 to 8.3 microg/ml, respectively). This difference likely contributed to the greater oxidative stability of the fat extracted from homogenized skin, which was observed in Schaal oven tests.

A capillary gas chromatographic (GC) method using an electron capture detector is described for determining T-2 and HT-2 toxins and diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS) in cereal grains at levels as low as 100 ppb for T-2 and DAS and 50 ppb for HT-2. Samples are extracted with methanol-water according to the Scott method, and further purified on a silica gel cartridge and a cyano column. Heptafluorobutyrylimidazole (HFBI) is added to form the esters of the analytes. Ester(s) of T-2, HT-2 and DAS are separated on a 30 m × 0.32 mm DB-5 fused silica column and measured with a "Ni electron capture detector. Samples were confimed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry using electron impact ionization and single ion monitoring at the molecular mass of 501.11 m/z for T-2, 665.08 m/z for HT-2, and 502.12 m/z for DAS at 10 000 resolving power. The method was applied to wheat, oats, and barley. Average recoveries ranged from a low of 65% for T- 2 in barley to a high of 99% for DAS in oats.