**3. Conclusions**

After incorporating the atomic absorption spectrophotometry (spectroscopy) to the hospital laboratories has been observed that the medical research has improved in these laboratories. In this chapter the highlighted technique has been presented through a few research examples with different metals.

The conclusions from the research with the metal studies have been the following:

	- The intestinal absorption discrimination between Ca and Sr takes place in the passive transport mechanism and not in the active one or of vitamin D dependent mechanism.
	- With respect to the hormonal regulation of the plasmatic Sr, the CT is the only hormone that caused consistent changes in the concentrations of this element.
	- The addition of Sr in vitro to equimolar concentrations with Ca to bovine serum forces the binding of this last element with the total serum proteins. An opposite phenomenon takes place when the experience is conducted with albumin bovine as a single protein.
	- The Zn bound to albumin varies more consistently than Zn bound to globulins after acute and chronic overload. This fact allows suggesting that the albumin could act as a buffer.
	- In the myocardial infarction, Cu in serum increases significantly after the 5th day after the heart attack, while the Zn in serum decreases from the 1st day; being the lowest values of Zn found on the 3rd day after the attack. The total Cu in serum showed an excellent correlation with the Cu bonded to the albumin and to the globulins (ceruloplasmin), while, the total Zn in serum only presents a positive correlation with the Zn bonded to the albumin.
	- In the diagnosis and the control of the Pb poisoning, the study of the biomarkers of the hem biosynthesis pathway is very efficient, even more so than its concentration of Pb in blood and urine.
	- According to this, the Pb concentration in blood means the degree of Pb intake; the Pb concentration in urine, the degree of its elimination; the Pb concentration in urine after the administration of EDTA or some other chelating agent (Dimercaprol –BAL, British Anti-Lewisite- and penicilamine), the degree of its accumulation; the ALA-D activity, the degree of exposure and these ones are directly related to the levels of Pb in blood; the Zn-protoporphyrin IX concentration, the degree of intake and chronic poisoning evolution; and finally the coproporphyrins (coproporphyrin III) gives an indication of the severity of the poisoning.
	- The concentration of different metals jointly with the rates of cellular and protein concentration has been proved to be a useful tool for the understanding of the pathogenesis of some brain conditions.

#### **4. References**

20 Macro to Nano Spectroscopy

Moreover, it has been demonstrated that Mn reduces the uptake of glutamate in cultivated astrocytes. The great capacity of astrocytes to accumulate Mn suggests that its uptake by these cells may play an important role in the development of Alzheimer's type II

In conclusion, this research line, still in progress, can be highly promising to clarify the

After incorporating the atomic absorption spectrophotometry (spectroscopy) to the hospital laboratories has been observed that the medical research has improved in these laboratories. In this chapter the highlighted technique has been presented through a few research







The conclusions from the research with the metal studies have been the following:

astrocytosis (Hazell, 1997; Aschner & Gannon, 1992).

pathogenesis of some brain conditions.

examples with different metals.

mechanism.

a single protein.

could act as a buffer.

of Pb in blood and urine.

correlation with the Zn bonded to the albumin.

III) gives an indication of the severity of the poisoning.

b. Zinc and Copper:

c. Lead:

**3. Conclusions** 

a. Strontium:


Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy: Fundamentals and Applications in Medicine 23

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**2** 

*Nigeria* 

**Analysis of Environmental Pollutants** 

*1Biomass Unit, National Center for Energy Research & Development,* 

*2Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, Faculty of Physical Sciences,* 

Environmental pollution as a result of man's increasing activities such as burning of fossil fuels and automobile exhaust emission has increased considerably in the past century due mainly to significant increases in economic activities and industrialization. Burning of fossil fuels and petroleum industry activities have been identified as primary sources of atmospheric metallic burden leading to environmental pollution. Several studies have shown that heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, nickel, manganese and chromium amongst others are responsible for certain diseases (Hughes, 1996). In general, heavy metals are systemic toxins with specific neurotoxic, nephrotoxic, fetotoxic and teratogenic effects. Heavy metals can directly influence behavior by impairing mental and neurological function, influencing neurotransmitter production and utilization, and altering numerous metabolic body processes. Systems in which toxic metal elements can induce impairment and dysfunction include the blood and cardiovascular, eliminative pathways (colon, liver, kidneys, skin), endocrine (hormonal), energy production pathways, enzymatic, gastrointestinal, immune, nervous (central and peripheral), reproductive and urinary that have lethal effects on man and animals. These diseases include abdominal pain, chronic bronchitis, kidney disease, pulmonary edema (accumulation of fluid in the lungs), cancer of the lung and nasal sinus ulcers, convulsions,

Heavy metals get into the environment: water, soil, air and land through activities like intense agriculture, power generation, industrial discharges, seepage of municipal landfills, septic tank effluents e.t.c. Many authors have reported high levels of heavy metal ions in the soil, rivers and groundwater in different areas of Nigeria (Ibeto & Okoye, 2010a). To save the environment from further deterioration and also maintain sound public health, a strategy can be effectively utilized which is the use of organic materials such as municipal solid waste, agricultural waste and industrial waste to produce biogas. Biogas is a suitable alternative fuel which burns with similar properties to natural gas. Unlike natural gas, it is clean and has no undesirable effects on the environment. It is a mixture of gases consisting

**1. Introduction** 

liver damage and even death (Hughes, 1996).

Cynthia Ibeto1, Chukwuma Okoye2,

*University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State,* 

*University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State,* 

Akuzuo Ofoefule1 and Eunice Uzodinma1

**by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry** 

