Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to S G Capar.
A Food and Drug Administration survey of lead in canned evaporated milk conducted in fiscal year 1985/86 found a mean level of 0.006 micrograms Pb/g. This level is much lower than that found in previous surveys and is attributed to the use of nonlead-soldered cans for packaging evaporated milk.
A method was recently adopted by AOAC for determination of methyl-bound mercury in canned and fresh-frozen seafood by electron capture gas chromatography. That method was applied to the analysis of commercially prepared freezer-case seafoods. None of the commercially added ingredients produced electron capture responses that interfered in the analysis for methyl mercury. Recoveries of 95.7-114% were obtained in fortification studies of methyl mercury at 0.2 and 1.0 ppm levels. The applicability of aqueous methyl mercuric chloride solution for fortification studies was demonstrated.
A quick color test (QCT) for indicating the presence of leachable Pb on ceramicware was evaluated as a screening tool. Fourteen sets of cups and mugs (197 pieces) of undecorated glazed ceramicware were tested. The QCT indicated the presence of leachable Pb on 95% of the cups and mugs at or above approximately 2 micrograms/mL. The QCT is an inexpensive and rapid qualitative test for Pb that can be conducted with a portable kit.
The Total Diet Studies conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provide yearly information on levels of pesticide residues, contaminants, and nutrients in the food supply and diets of specific age-sex groups. They also identify trends and changes in the levels of these substances in the food supply and in diets over time. Results are useful in making policy decisions regarding the safety of the food supply, food additives, pesticide use, nutrient fortification, and food labeling. This paper provides information on studies performed by FDA from 1987 to 1993.
A formalized method for determining sodium in biological materials by instrumental neutron activation analysis is presented. The method includes common procedures from the numerous options available to this historically nonformalized analytical technique. The number of procedural options is restricted to minimize the method's complexity, yet the method is still applicable to a variety of neutron activation facilities. High accuracy and precision are achieved by placing bounds on allowed uncertainty at critical stages of the analysis. Analytical results from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration laboratory and 4 other laboratories demonstrate the method's performance.