An-Najah Staff

Uptake of cadmium from aqueous solutions by beech leaves has been studied. The effect of several factors on both rate and amount of this uptake has been studied. These factors include concentration of leaves, concentration of cadmium, pH, competing ions and drying leaves. The pattern of the curves showing the loss of cadmium from solution has been explained. Applicability of the Freündlich adsorption isotherm on the present results has been examined and the parameters of this isotherm have been calculated. The order of reaction between cadmium ions and beech leaves has been determined and a mechanism for this reaction has been suggested.

Several factors affecting the growth and the uptake of cadmium by okra plants were studied using both root ‐ treatment and foliar ‐ treatment. These factors were the concentration of cadmium , type of treatment, soil composition, presence of foreign ions, salinity, acidity and temperature.
Both growth of plant and cadmium uptake by plant were affected highly by the concentration of cadmium, type of treatment, soil composition, salinity and temperature. Acidity of solutions has only a little and irregular effect. A synergistic combined effect of lead, copper and zinc with cadmium was observed on the growth of plant but not regular on the uptake of cadmium.

The effect of root‐treatment of cauliflower, spinach, and parsley plants with lead and cadmium were studied. Both metal ions showed obvious growth inhibition of treated plants with cadmium having higher toxicity on growth than lead.
Cadmium was more concentrated in the edible parts of the three treated plants whereas lead was more concentrated in the edible parts of cauliflower and spinach plants only.
Metal ion concentrations and total metal ion content of treated plants increased with the increase of concentration of cadmium or lead ions in solutions used for treatment. The uptake of metal ion per unit concentration decreased in treated plants with the increase of concentration of cadmium or lead ions in solutions used for treatment.
Metal ion concentration and metal uptake were higher in the plants treated with cadmium than those treated with lead.

Toxicity of cadmium and lead on the growth of carrot plants has been studied. Cadmium has been found to be more toxic than lead especially on the shoots of carrot plants.
Foliar treatment has been compared with root‐treatment for the two elements on carrots and on their roots and shoots.
Concentrations and total contents of lead and cadmium in whole plant in roots and in shoots have been determined for treated carrot plants and compared in root‐treatment with foliar‐treatment. Explanations have been suggested whenever possible to illucidate the results obtained.
Percentages of the metals taken by plants from the whole amounts of metal added during treatment have been calculated and related to type of metal used, concentration of metal in solutions used for treatment and the way of treatment.

In this study the effects of root and foliar treatments of marrow plants with cadmium and lead solutions on the growth of the various parts of plant (roots, stem, leaves and fruits) have been studied. Growth inhibition of the various parts of treated plants has been compared with each other and for the two types of treatment. The toxicity of cadmium on the growth of plant has been compared with the toxicity of lead on the various parts of plants treated by root or by foliar‐treatment with metal ions.
Cadmium and lead uptake by plants and the distribution of this uptake between the various parts of treated plants have been determined and commented on.
Percentages of cadmium or lead taken by plant from the total amount of cadmium or lead added during treatment have been calculated and found to be very small. This percentage has been found to be higher in foliar‐treated plants and from dilute solutions than in root‐treated plants and from more concentrated cadmium or lead solutions.

Nanoparticles serve the need for advanced materials with specific chemical, physical, and electronic properties. These properties can be attained by manipulating the particle size. Consequently, size control has been recognized as a key factor for selecting a nanoparticle preparation technique. (w/o) Microemulsions, or reverse micelles, have been successfully used to prepare wide variety of nanoparticles with controlled sizes. Studies showed that adjusting microemulsion and/or operation variables provides a key to controlling nanoparticle size and polydispersity. The effect of a given variable, however, relies heavily on the reactant addition scheme. The mixing of two microemulsions scheme has been widely used in the literature, and the effect of microemulsion and operation variables on intermicellar nucleation and growth was detailed. The single microemulsions reactant addition scheme, on the other hand, enables intramicellar nucleation and growth, and therefore, may lead to a different response. Moreover, studies on nanoparticle preparation using the single microemulsions scheme involved more of reactive surfactants and introduced the concept nanoparticle uptake, which pertains to the maximum colloidal concentration of nanoparticles that can be stabilized in a microemulsion system. This review looks into the mechanisms controlling nanoparticle formation and compares literature trends reported for the effect of microemulsion and operation variables on the nanoparticle size and polydispersity for the single microemulsions reactant addition scheme. Moreover, it sheds some light on nanoparticle uptake and its significance.