Below are the abstracts from the Chemistry REEL lab in Spring 2021. The students did a great job with their presentations and in the lab. Congratulations!!
ANALYSIS OF LEAD, CADMIUM, AND ARSENIC CONCENTRATIONS IN HONEYSUCKLES
Junyou Huang
Lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As) generally occur simultaneously with low concentrations in soil, but latest anthropogenic activities have significantly increased these non- essential heavy metals and potentially caused harmful long-term effects on environmental health. In this experiment, honeysuckle as a commonly used Chinese herbal medicine produced from two different areas of China were investigated for these heavy metal contents. To discover the metals pollutions and quantify the health risks through diet, experimental methods including inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and analytical chemistry were employed, and the Pb, Cd, and As concentrations in honeysuckle samples were determined. The distributions of the three elements from the two areas were similar except sample from Guangxi having a significant higher Cd concentration than sample from Anhui. The presenting result of this study provides useful information for potential better understanding of the decisions regarding consuming honeysuckle tea and other herbal medicine products.
Lead, Arsenic, and Cadmium Concentrations in Whey & Soy Protein Powders
Anna Owens
Metals such as Lead, Cadmium, and Arsenic have major health risk factors to the human body. The presence of these three metals in both Soy and Whey protein powders is overlooked because of the popularity of protein powders and the major toxicity that these metals can produce. These metals were tested in both Soy and Whey protein powder samples with the use of inductively- coupled plasma spectrometry and analytical chemistry. Only concentrations of lead and cadmium were detected in Whey protein powder. More specifically, higher levels of lead concentration (about 6 times more) were detected in Whey protein powder compared to Cadmium concentrations. Although these metals contaminated in protein powders can cause major health risks, these findings are important in informing consumers’ (especially fitness trainers, athletes, and bodybuilders’) decisions regarding using various supplements, including protein powder.
Analysis of Lead Contained in Soils of Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve
Max McNeill
Lead (Pb) is a heavy metal contaminant that occurs naturally in soil at low levels (0-150 parts per million), but decades of anthropogenic influxes from a history of lead additives in substances such as gasoline or paint have led to the proliferation of lead content in soil12. Despite long standing regulatory, lead is still a prominent pollutant in soils that remains present due to its inability to biodegrade. Wetlands are areas of high biodiversity containing a variety of organisms that are particularly susceptible to exposure and tissue accumulation of lead3. The Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve and Marina encompasses a large diversity of wetland communities containing important fish and waterfowl nurseries, over 260 species of birds, threatened plant species, and several species of amphibians8. The biological importance of the Preserve and the sensitivity of the organisms contained within it reinforce the importance of quantifying the lead content of the soil. This study aims to measure the lead content of soil samples obtained from the Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve using ICP-OES in order to assess the lead contamination status of the wetland.
Concentration of Lead in G-Fuel Energy Powder
Kailey G. Laws
G-Fuel is an energy drink company that has come to be quite popular among the younger generation, especially in gamers. In 2016, however, the G-Fuel company ran into some trouble in the state of California due to the presence of lead in their products. Because of this, G-Fuel is required to have a warning label on their powdered energy mixes that alerts the consumer of the possible presence of lead. By using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, the concentration of lead was determined in two G-Fuel samples. There was a very small amount of lead present in both samples. Since lead is toxic to humans, it is important to be cautious about what you put in your body. The findings in this experiment allows consumers to make informed decisions about what they consume.
Determining the consistency of multivitamin supplement labels. How much is and isn’t actually in there?
Jacob Shaver
This account of research is based on detecting levels of magnesium in common multivitamin supplements in order to establish a relationship between what is accounted for on the label and what is accounted for in the mass spectrometry. In this experiment, a multivitamin supplement from the Nature Made and GNC brands are compared, neither of the brands bear any specific significance and were chosen at random from places where people tend to shop for vitamins. Most all multivitamin supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, so this begs the question, do they actually put the amount of ingredients into them as they claim to on the label? This experiment seeks to answer that question by use of inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and common laboratory practices.
Mercury in Soil Samples Near Avon Lake Power Plant
Garrett Rafn
In the United States, coal is the third-largest energy source—accounting for 19% of our total electricity generation.1 Coal naturally contains mercury. Through the combustion of coal that mercury is released into the atmosphere and then eventually settles around the nearby area.2 The problem with this is mercury is also a neurotoxin—pregnant women, infants, and children being the most at risk. But long-term exposure even to a very small amount of mercury can have serious health implications.3 In Avon Lake, OH there is a park on Lake Rd. called Miller Rd. Park. This park is situated right next to a coal-burning power plant. This power plant has been there since 1925 has been burning coal ever since.4 Samples from this park were collected, as well as samples four miles from the power plant. These samples were tested, but the results were inconclusive. A possible explanation for this is the mercury is reacting or binding to something in the sample, so when it is run through the ICP the detector is not detecting any mercury. More testing must be done to determine how much mercury is at this park and in the community so that residents and community members can know if there is a potential health risk they are being exposed to.
The detection of Concentrations of Bisphenol A, Bisphenol S, and Bisphenol F in Re-sealable Plastic Storage Bags using High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
Isabela Rivera Paz
Re-sealable plastic bags are a common household product utilized for short- or long-term storage of food items. The plastic readily leaks bisphenols, which can then contaminate the food stored in them. High exposure to bisphenols, has been linked with increased health risks. Three different brands of re-sealable plastic bags were studied to evaluate if there was any presence of BPA, BPS and BPF within the re-sealable plastic bags. Eight standards were created to make a calibration curve for each bisphenol to find the unknown concentration of bisphenols in each brand. The samples were dissolved in acetonitrile and the HPLC was used to separate each sample to find the concentration of bisphenols present. With the data obtained it was encountered that all three brands contained BPS and only one brand contained BPA. The amount of BPA found was <5 mg/kg. This value was under the allowable amount instituted by the FDA. Further research is required to evaluate the samples that had the lowest concentrations of bisphenols for any other substitute of these synthetic monomers.
Determination of Phthalates in Baby Lotions
Eman Khalil Ewais
Phthalates impose a dangerous threat to the health of humans of all ages; however, manufacturers are not doing anything to inform consumers about how serious the exposure to phthalates are. A variety of consumer products such as cosmetics, personal hygiene products, and food packaging all contain this chemical, resulting in a widespread exposure of phthalates in humans. Previous research indicates that exposure to phthalates is linked with many health effects such as damage to the kidneys and liver, altered reproductive development, autism spectrum disorders, obesity, type II diabetes, breast cancer, as well as neurodevelopmental issues resulting in a lower IQ. Exposure to phthalates is most common in infants, due to the abundant number of plastic products that surround them early in life from toys to other infant care products such as baby shampoo and baby lotion. A major source of exposure is from the application of products onto the skin. Baby lotion is often applied to the baby’s skin and is left to be absorbed, bringing in more than just the moisture that the lotion promises. This research study aimed to detect the presence of dimethyl and diethyl phthalates in two samples of baby lotion, one which is a generic brand and the other is known brand. The findings of the study support the theory that both the generic brand and name brand lotion contain phthalates despite the name brand lotion claiming to be phthalate free on the label found on the plastic bottle.
Detecting the Concentrations of Bisphenol A, Bisphenol S, and Bisphenol F in Re-sealable Plastic Storage Bags using High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
UMIDA BURKHANOVA
One of the most commonly used items in many households are zip-lock bags which used for short-term lunch bags as well as for long-term storage. Even though many brands claim their products are BPA (bisphenol A) free, they might contain other BPs (bisphenol compounds) such as BPB (bisphenol B), BPS (bisphenol S), BPF (bisphenol F), and TBBPA (tetra-bromobisphenol A). The objective of this project was to determine the presence of BPA, BPS, BPF (bisphenol compounds) in some “BPA-free” and regular plastic bags using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with acetonitrile solvent. Bisphenol compounds are a category of organic synthetic compounds used as additives to plastic and non-plastic products. Since zip-lock bags are used for food storage, the addition of BPA or other BPs to these products might play an important role in the development of adverse health conditions such as metabolic and reproductive disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and hormone-dependent cancers [4]. Recent studies from 2017-2018 have determined that human exposure to BPA is mainly achieved by the migration of unreacted BPAs into food and beverages [2]. Every sampled brand of plastic bags was found to contain at least one type of bisphenols, which raises concerns and emphasize the importance of increasing awareness and implementing policies to guard public health.
Bisphenols in Teeth Whitening Strips
Dana M. Khoncarly
Bisphenols are a group of chemicals that are used to manufacture different products. There are three main bisphenols, Bisphenol-A (BPA), Bisphenol-S (BPS), Bisphenol-F (BPF). Unfortunately, these chemicals have some health risks including cardiovascular and endocrine problems such as coronary artery heart disease, hypertension, and hormone disruption. Bisphenols are found in many types of plastics such as water bottles, food containers, baby bottles, etc. However, they are also found in teeth whitening strips. A major source of exposure to bisphenols comes from oral intake as well as direct application to skin. This is concerning because teeth whitening strips done at home are usually a daily use remedy that is applied on the teeth for a minimum of thirty minutes. Teeth whitening is an effective way of lightening the color of one’s teeth. The specific aim of this study is to compare the amount of three different Bisphenols (BPS, BPF, BPA) in Crest 3D White Whitestrips verses the Zimba Teeth Whitening Strips as well as comparing the number of bisphenols in each brand to see if they are within the FDA recommended maximum.
HPLC Analysis of Purity of CBD Gummies
Swetha Kareti
Cannabidiol (also known as CBD) is one of the 113 identified cannabinoids in the Cannabis genus. Cannabinoids are compounds that bind to receptors in the endocannabinoid system of the human body and may play a role in a wide range of biological processes, from pregnancy and postnatal development to immune system and appetite regulation. Unlike its more notorious counterpart tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD lacks psychotropic effects and studies have indicated that it may be useful in alleviating symptoms associated with anxiety, psychosis, pain, and cancer. Despite the numerous potential health applications of CBD, the FDA has only approved its use in the treatment of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. The rest of the $3.5 billion industry is largely unregulated. Studies have uncovered heavy metal in CBD products as well as inaccuracies regarding how concentrated these products are. Labeling inaccuracies coupled with the other problematic aspects such as the discrepant standards for how much a dose of CBD is, how often to take CBD, limited research into the long-term effects of CBD can all create unexpected costs to the consumer. Given these concerns and the availability of cheap CBD products, this experiment will test the concentration of an over the counter CBD gummy brand (“Go Green Hemp” CBD Gummies 10 mg per bear) using high performance liquid chromatography. The results will be compared to the concentration on the label to test if there is a discrepancy between the experimentally tested and stated amount.
Damage to Soda Cans May Contribute to Increased Risk of Bisphenol S Exposure
Anne Cipriani
Bisphenols are compound found in many plastics and packaging materials; this experiment investigated whether they are found in soda packaged in cans. The bisphenols included were bisphenol A, bisphenol S, and bisphenol F. Two of the cans in the experiment were subjected to two different types of damage: high heat and structural damage. The levels of bisphenols in the soda were measured with HPLC in order to determine whether the product ingested by consumers contained any detectable levels of bisphenol. The only sample which had measurable levels of a bisphenol was the crushed can, which contained a low but detectable level of BPS. There was also evidence of peak at the retention time of BPS in the sample of heated soda, though with other compounds made it difficult to quantify. This likely indicates the presence of BPS in the heated sample as well, but further research would need to be carried out to verify this. There were significant concerns with the validity of the data due to questions surrounding the spiked samples and percent recovery greater than 100%.
Potential Presence of Lithium In Sparq Vitamin Vapes
Jacob Borishchak
Given the large use of lithium in the medical field and previous studies finding lithium presence in Electronic Cigarettes or “Vaping devices” testing for lithium is not something that should be done but standardized. With more than 34 million adults in the United States that smoke and vapes being marketed as the healthy alternative many our bound to try it (CDC) . In this experiment, I sought to determine whether vaping the fluid in Sparq natural vapes is safe due to the close proximity of the lithium-ion battery to the pods which contain the later-inhaled fluid. This was done via collection of fluid from the pods and running several tests to check for the presence of lithium. This study is relevant and important due to the use of lithium in prescription psychiatric medications, especially as e-cigarette usage has increased in recent years. Although lithium has been found in some e-cigarette vapors, this study concludes that the vitamin-based liquid of Sparq Vitamin Vapes does not contain lithium contamination.
Parabens in Sunscreen
Lauren A. Smith
Parabens are unavoidable in our everyday life. They are a powerful preservative, and they are used in numerous consumer products. However, recently much concern has been raised due to the potential adverse effect’s parabens can have on our health. With the use of HPLC, the concentrations of methylparaben were determined in several popular sunscreen brands. Methyl paraben was detected in all the sunscreen samples, at about the same concentrations. Sunscreen is meant to be worn for long periods of time, and for that reason, can contribute to significant daily exposure to parabens. The results of this study indicate that parabens are commonly found in sunscreen, even though this information is not displayed to the consumer. Consumers should be made aware of the chemicals they are exposing themselves to, and the potential health hazards of these chemicals.
Vitamin B12 Concentration in B12 Vaporizer
Vuk Bojovic
Vitamin B12 is mainly found in animal products, especially meat and dairy products. Problems associated with vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to anemia. This can make you feel weak and tired. B12 deficiency can cause serious damage to your nerves and can affect memory and thinking. With the vaporizer (vape) economy growing many companies are trying to advertise new vapes that are “healthy.” Many of these companies have already had lawsuit actions against them for either toxic metals found within the vapes due to either the process of making the liquid that is to be vaporized or from the battery inside. This test originally was to determine the concentration of the B12 that you would be inhaling after it had been vaporized. The findings to inform the consumers on whether or not these B12 vapes actually work was cut short due to time constraints.