Sonovoltammetric determination of toxic compounds in vegetables and fruits using diamond electrodes

Gustavo S. Garbellini, Giancarlo R. Salazar-Banda, Luis A. Avaca *
Instituto de Química de São Carlos, USP, CP 780, 13560-970 São Carlos, SP, Brazil

The direct determination of methylparathion in potato and corn extracts and its degradation product 4-nitrophenol in lemon and orange juices by ultrasound-assisted square wave voltammetry using diamond electrodes is reported here.

The sonovoltammetric results for both analytes in pure water and in complex food samples showed greater sensitivity and precision and much lower limits of detection and quantification than the silent measurements. The limits of detection for methylparathion in water and corn extract were 4.86 and 10.1 lg L–1, respectively, values 55% and 72% lower than those obtained by silent voltammetry. The recovery values were also very satisfactory and varied between 83.5% and 96.2% for all systems. These improvements for the sonovoltammetric methods are due to electrode surface cleaning and mass transport enhancement towards the electrode surface and proved to be a powerful tool for the detection of toxic residues in complex samples without any pre-treatment or clean-up of the matrices.

_ 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introduction to Bronchitis by Carina Dasmarinas

Infection of the bronchial tubes is also known as bronchitis,and is bitter and bothersome. As the situation worsens, mucus is developed. The inflammation of the bronchial tubes is the main cause of bronchitis.

Drink plenty of fluids.

It is highly endorsed that you drink a lot of water, and stay away from fluids like coffee etc. Juice from fresh fruit is great.

It is often best to avoid cold drinks as it can constrict the air passageway.

Look at home for your everyday product remedies.

Ginger is said to be an effective remedy for breathing dilemma including bronchitis and respiratory problems. Ginger can be taken in many different ways including tea and adding it to juices etc. By drinking the tea a few times a day it may offer some more relief. Try Apple, lemon and ginger juice - wow it will blow your socks off.

Onions! yes Onions are also a great aid for bronchitis. Juicing onions is most effective if taken first up in the morning.

Almonds are also great. adding the 'pounded' 7 almonds to your drink just before going to bed is best.

Juicing these greens with carrot and celery is the most palatable.

Fresh asparagus, beetroot, celery and carrots is also a great juicing combination. You can add other vegetables to your liking.

It is believed that the antioxidants help your lungs from damage and possible degradation.

Yes that is right, you need to STOP smoking. It is a well known fact that Smoking deteriorates your lungs. This leads to damaged blood vessels which makes it harder to soak in the oxygen. Passive smoking (inhaling other people smoke) is just as bad as smoking. Therefore - stay away from smoke in general or use vaporizer

Humidify the air and your environment.

It is gloriously to have a vaporizer in your bedroom when you sleep at night if you feel a bronchial attack or restricted airway.

Breathe in fresh air. Get outside if possible. Morning exercise is probably the best as it 'sets up a great rhythm' in your body for the rest of the day. Make sure your posture and breathing is also done correctly when exercising.

Practice these minimal steps to help alleviate some of your bronchial symptoms. Remember that if you experience pain or things you are not sure of, then it is best to seek health care professional help immediately, BUT - don't be afraid to try something different or new.

Eating Right Yields Healthy Teeth by Mark Mutschler

When you eat healthy foods, your body and teeth will be healthier as well. A healthy diet can give a body the vitamins, minerals (even fluoride), fiber, carbohydrates, protein and fats it needs. It's important to follow the food pyramid guidelines eating mostly vegetables and fruits, fewer proteins, even less red meats and very little fats and sugars.

Children grow, as do their teeth. Thus, without a healthy diet their teeth won't develop properly. When they don't get the proper nutrients, teeth can get dark yellow or brown spots on the enamel. Damaged enamel will be more likely to need fillings.

While most parents think fruit juice is healthy, even watered down juice is like liquid candy to the teeth. It's recommended you only give children formula, milk or water until the age of 3 years old. They are healthiest if given less sugary beverages.

Not only do sugary snacks give way to excessive weight gain, but it can also feed the bacteria in the mouth and cause cavities, bad breath and ultimately gum disease. If your child eats a lot of sugar on one night (like Halloween), it's not nearly as bad as if they eat a little bit each day. Even natural foods can have large amounts of sugar.

Snacks like carrots, apples, oranges, low-fat cheese and low-fat yogurt is best for a child's teeth

The Value of Water for Weight loss - You Will Be Surprised At What You Are About to Learn! by Regina Rose

The Benefit of Water In Your Diet - You Will Be Astonished At What You Discover!

Are you someone that needs to find an honest to goodness weight loss program that is effective enough to help you get rid of unwanted pounds; with no real effort on your part? The best secret to burn fat at a faster rate, is something you have in your home already.

In order for diets to be effective, you first need to understand the importance of drinking plenty of water. Our human bodies are made up of about 70% of water. Certain parts of the body carry different amounts of water in them. Men use more water in their bodies than women, essentially it is because their bodies contain more muscle mass. Water is important for all of us because it performs various functions in our bodies.

When it comes to dieting to lose unwanted fat, one must understand that any diet you are on should include drinking plenty of water. An important advantage in drinking water is that it works to carry nutrients through the system, lubricates joints, cleanses all waste, and keeps the skin supple. It can be extremely hazardous to your health when your body does not get enough water because if the kidneys don't get enough fluid, the liver stops metabolizing fat and begins filtering waste. When our intestines do not have the efficient amount of water, they will begin to draw out what they need from the cells in the bowel, sometimes causing constipation. By drinking plenty of water you will help your colon to function better.

Stop Dehydration

When your body is dehydrated it affects the high-water-content parts of the body first, some of the signs of dehydration you will see first are feeling physically drained and decreasing mental alertness. Children are likely to be less active than usual; if this happens, give them a glass of pure drinking water over fruit juice or milk and get medical assistance as soon as possible if any symptom is highly unusual or worse. It is not uncommon for some people, experiencing dehydration can be initially expressed through hunger pains and is not always combined with thirst. When you feel like you need a snack, it is a good indication that you should drink some water. It is beneficial to drink a full glass before every meal and even before you reach for a snack.

Body Facts...
Lean muscle tissue has about 75% water in them.

Drink Purified Water: Water is the single most important nutrient our bodies need to survive and yet not surprisingly, many people take it for granted. A large amount of the human body is water. Making sure your body has enough water is one of the best things you can do for yourself. All diet programs should stress the reason drinking water and plenty of it, will help in reaching your goal of losing weight and being healthier. More often than not it is not best to use thirst alone as an indicator for when to get a drink. As soon as your body becomes thirsty, it's most likely that your body is experiencing the begin stages of being dehydrated. As we get older your body is less able to sense dehydration and send your brain signals of thirst. Extreme thirst and experience increased urination, this could be signs of a more serious medical condition. Get in touch with your family doctor right away if you experience either of these.

The Importance of Drinking Water During Exercise: The more you exercise especially in warmer weather, your body will start to perspire or sweat, the more water you need to drink, and if you suddenly feel very thirsty, it's because your body already needed water and is taking water from your salivary glands. If you are exercising at mid-day, when temperatures are very warm, water should be replenished every 15 minutes in order to keep muscles strong and to keep your body from being over heated. This is highly significant for long endurance events, which is one reason that runners and hikers will usually carry water with them. Dehydration can lead to threatening health problems, even death. Drinking water may be the most tremendously needed pieces to the weight loss puzzle. Water contains no calories, fat, or cholesterol, is inexpensive and readily available. It is nature's appetite suppressant, and water will help keep your metabolism working correctly which will help to burn more calories.

Important Fact...
A key to successful workouts is to be hydrated before you begin and hydrate again immediately afterwards.

Your Metabolism: Increased activity levels can increase your metabolic rate because as you breathe faster your heart rate also increases. Your body's metabolism is a part of the function of the liver, which works to burn fat however, if you don't drink enough water, the liver is unable to do its job properly and then less body fat is metabolized resulting in more of it being stored in our body. This leads to either weight gain or it can cause you to reach a frustrating plateau in your weight loss journey. To help your body to metabolize fat and lose weight, you need to drink plenty of clean water. This will improve your kidney and liver functions. Skipping meals will also negatively affect your metabolism and cause your body to go in to starvation survival mode. Starvation metabolism refers to a slowing of the metabolic rate surprisingly fast. The body instinctively goes on alert that it is not getting the nutrition it needs and begins to naturally burn calories more slowly to survive longer. The more you drink water, the better your metabolism rate is going to be. As you start drinking water throughout the day it will increase your metabolic rate so that your body is able to burn more calories. People who drink less water will burn calories 2% slower than those who are drinking the adequate amount of water.