Idrees F. Al-Momani

Chemical Composition of Urban Wet Deposition in Amman, Jordan

Precipitation events were collected during the period from October 1996 to April 1997 from two sites in the city of Amman, Jordan. The samples were analyzed for major cations (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and NH4+), major anions (F-, Cl-, NO3- and SO42-), in addition to heavy metals (Cu2+, Cd2+, Zn2+, and Pb2+). High levels of Ca2+ and SO42- were observed. The results were comparable with some regional values and they indicate that about 58% of Na+ and Cl- are of marine origin, while Ca2+, K+ and a large fraction of SO42- are of soil dust origin. Heavy metals were detectable in most of the samples, zinc showed the highest concentrations. Significant correlation was obtained between zinc and lead, which may indicate automobile emission source.

Lead and Cadmium Contamination in Roadside Soils in Irbid City, Jordan: A Case Study

This study evaluates the amount and distribution of Pb and Cd in roadside soils adjacent to two main roads in Irbid, Jordan, from October 2001 to July 2002. A total of 260 samples were collected from Irbid-Howara Street and Yarmouk University Street. Lead and Cd content were measured using Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. The environmental significance of this study is discussed in terms of the influence of traffic density on Pb and Cd concentrations in roadside soils, and enrichment factors were calculated to evaluate the degree of pollution. The accuracy of the results obtained has been examined and two standard reference materials, CRM 142 R (soil) and SRM 2709 (soil), were analyzed to confirm the accuracy of the results. The precision of the measurements was assessed in terms of relative standard deviation (RSD) using five replicate analyses of samples collected from the roadside sites. RSD values for Pb and Cd were found to be less than 6%. The overall Pb concentration in roadside soil samples was 325 and 431 μg g−1 for Pb and 1.142 and 1.135 μg g−1 for Cd in Yarmouk University Street and Irbid-Houwa Street, respectively. Results indicated that levels of Pb and Cd were decreasing as the distance from the road increases. Enrichment factor results were 655 and 826 for Pb, and 252 and 237 for Cd in Yarmouk University Street and Irbid-Houwa Street, respectively.

Chemical composition of wet precipitation in Irbid, Jordan.

Rainwater samples were collected in Irbid city using 24 hour sampling periods from December 1996 to April 1998. All samples were analyzed for major cations (Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+), major anions (Cl−, NO3− and SO42−) and pH. High levels of Ca2+ and SO42− were observed. Together, Ca2+ and SO42− made up more than 52.4% of the total ion mass, while Ca2+ alone contributed over 39.0% of the total cation. The majority of the rain samples collected had pH values higher than 5.6. The average pH was 6.4±0.9. High values of pH are attributed to the neutralization by natural alkaline local dusts which contain large fractions of calcite. Correlation and mineralogical analyses indicated that Ca2+, K+ and fractions of Na+, SO42− and Mg2+ are of crustal origin. Results of the present study suggested that the atmospheric composition in the city is strongly influenced by natural sources rather than anthropogenic.

Atmospheric deposition of major ions and trace metals near an industrial area, Jordan

Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn, NH4+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Na+, K+, Cl-, NO3- and SO4(2-), along with pH were determined in wet and dry deposition samples collected at Al-Hashimya, Jordan. Mean trace metal concentrations were similar or less than those reported for other urban regions worldwide, while concentrations of Ca2+ and SO4(2-) were the highest. The high Ca2+ concentrations were attributed to the calcareous nature of the local soil and to the influence of the Saharan dust, while the high concentrations of SO4(2-) were attributed to the influence of anthropogenic sources and Saharan dust soil. Except for SO4(2-), NO3-, and Ca2+, dry deposition fluxes of measured metals and ions were higher than their corresponding wet deposition fluxes. The high annual average pH values recorded for wet and dry deposition samples were attributed to the neutralization of acidity by alkaline species. Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, NO3- and SO4(2-) were enriched in wet and dry deposition samples relative to crustal material, and a significant anthropogenic contribution to these elements and ions is tentatively suggested. Finally, the possible sources and the main factors affecting the concentrations of the measured species are discussed.

Determination of Nabumetone and Its Major Metabolite in Plasma and Tablet Formulations by Reverse-Phase HPLC

Abstract A high performance liquid chromatographic procedure is presented for the determination of nabumetone in pharmaceutical tablets and in plasma. An aliquot of the sample is dissolved in 50% acetonitrile (ACN) containing 4-methoxyacetophenone as an internal standard and chromatographed on a Supelcosil LC-8 (5μ) (150 mm × 4.6 mm i.d.) column. The mobile phase was a mixture of acetonitrile (500 mL), triethylamine (1.5 mL) and glacial acetic acid (8 mL) diluted to 1000 mL, with distilled deionized water. The detection was carried at 270 nm. The method was tested for linearity, recovery and specificity.

Flow‐Injection Spectrophotometric Determination of Amoxcillin, Cephalexin, Ampicillin, and Cephradine in Pharmaceutical Formulations

Abstract Amoxcillin, cephalexin, ampicillin, and cephradine were determined spectrophotometrically in the pure form and in the pharmaceutical formulations by using flow‐injection analysis (FIA). The method is based upon the hydrolysis of the drug under investigation in basic medium and then the reduction of the formed hydrolyzed product by the on‐line generated I2 in acidic medium. The decrease in the intensity of the I2 color was monitored at 460 nm and found to be proportional to the concentration of the compound under investigation. Variables such as acidity, reagent concentrations, flow rate of reagents, and other FI parameters were optimized to produce the most sensitive and reproducible results. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of pharmaceutical preparations.

Trace Elements in Street and Household Dusts in Amman, Jordan

This research aims at quantifying the concentrations of heavy metals within the home environment in Amman, the capital city of Jordan, and to compare the total concentrations of indoor dusts to that of exterior dusts and soils. Housedust samples were collected from different zones of Amman. Street dust samples and garden soil samples were collected in the immediate vicinity within 10–50 m of each residence. The geometric mean concentrations of metals in the household dust were Pb, 169 mg/kg; Cd, 2.92 mg/kg; Zn, 1985 mg/kg; Cu, 133 mg/kg; Cr, 66 mg/kg; Co, 21 mg/kg; Ni, 31 mg/kg; Mn, 284 mg/kg; Be, 3.0 mg/kg; Ba, 43 mg/kg; B, 697 mg/kg and Al, 1441 mg/kg. Comparisons of household dust, garden soil and street dust were based on the same particle size fraction. Results showed housedust samples to contain higher concentrations for Pb, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cd, Cu and B, than either street dust or garden soil samples. However, the differences between Pb and Cr levels in the three different sample categories were insignificant. Enrichment factor calculations and the enrichment factor ratios indicated that patterns of enrichment of indoor dust differ from that of exterior dusts.

Flow Injection Spectrophotometric Determination of the Antibacterial Levofloxacin in Tablets and Human Urine

Abstract A sensitive and fast flow‐injection (FI) spectrophotometric method for the determination of levofloxacin based on the formation of a colored product upon oxidation with N‐bromosuccinimide (NBS) in acidic medium is proposed. Optimization of chemical and FI variables has been made. Under the optimized conditions, the sampling rate was over 90 h−1, the calibration curve obtained was linear over the range 10–300 µg·mL−1, and the detection limit was 3 µg·mL−1. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of levofloxacin in pharmaceuticals and human urine samples. It was also found that the excipients in the commercial tablet preparation did not interfere with the assay. Results are precise (RSD<2.7%; n =10) and in agreement with those found by the reference high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) procedure.

Levels of mercury, cadmium, lead and other selected elements in canned tuna fish commercialised in Jordan

During 2010, the concentrations of mercury and eight other trace elements in 90 canned tuna samples commercialised in Jordan were determined using mercury analyser (Hydra C®) and the inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). The mean concentrations and ranges for elements analysed in mg kg − 1 (wet base) were as follows: total Hg (0.21; 0.06–0.57), Cd (0.06; < 0.01–0.63), Pb (0.09; <0.04–0.24), total As (0.74; 0.11–1.56), Ni (0.51; 0.03–2.85), V (0.04; <0.03–0.1), Al (0.26; 0.08–1.63), Ba (0.13; 0.05–0.42) and Ag was not detected in any of the analysed samples (<0.02 mg kg−1). The data obtained in the present study compared well with data obtained from similar studies carried out in different parts of the world. Few samples had the mercury and cadmium levels slightly exceeding the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants draft guidelines. However, the estimated weekly intakes of these metals showed that there was no health risk associated with the consumption of the analysed canned tuna samples.

Evaluation of Allergenic Metals and Other Trace Elements in Personal Care Products

In this work, a total of 135 personal care product samples that belong to seven different classes (Creams for face, body, and hands, Dried powder for face, Body lotion, Skin whitening creams, Sunscreens, Dead Sea black mud cosmetics, Lipsticks, and Eye shadows) were analyzed for their contents of 11 elements (Fe, Mn, Co, Cu, Cr, Ni, Zn, Se, Sr, Ba and Bi). The analysis has been conducted using ICP-AEOS following combinations of acid digestion. The mean concentrations of these elements in ppm (?g g-1) were found to be in the following order: Fe (5.39×103) > Zn (4.92×103) > Mn (260.) > Ba (227) > Sr (103) > Bi (88.5) > Cu (58.6) > Cr (3.92) > Se (3.03) > Ni (2.49) > Co (0.520). These values are not expected to be toxic to humans. However, exposure over long periods might cause accumulation of the elements in the body and even at low concentration some metals could initiate allergic reactions. Among the known allergenic metals (Cu, Cr, Ni, and Co) Cu was detected in all the analyzed samples (100%) and Ni was detected in 92% of the samples. Of the 135 samples tested, 14.1% contained all four allergenic metals, and 14.8% contained both Co and Cr, which are known to work synergistically to cause allergy. At the above levels, these products are not expected to cause significant allergic effects.