Analytical Chemistry In Solving Toxicological Problem Essay

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Dear kill: A Case Study Illustrating the Use of Analytical Chemistry in Solving Toxicological Problems (Summary) It all began when a park ranger saw a dead whitetail deer near a pond in the Land between the Lakes State Park in South Central Kentucky. The park ranger enlisted the help of a chemist from the state veterinary diagnostic laboratory in order to examine the site and the carcass of the deer. Because of the advanced state decomposition, no fresh organ tissue could be gathered. Few days after, the ranger noticed again 2 more dead deer on the same location. The chemist transported the deer to the laboratory for further examination. As they continue on investigating, they found out wilted and discoloured grasses surrounding the nearby power-line poles. They speculated that herbicide had…show more content…
The herbicidal activity of disodium methanearsenate is when it reacts with sulfydryl group ( S-H group ) in the amino acid cysteine. When cysteine in plant enzymes reacts with arsenical compound it inhibits the function of enzyme causing the death of the plant. Unfortunately, similar chemical effects as well occur in animals. The investigators collected samples of discoloured grass as well as organs of deer for the determination of the presence of arsenic acid and its concentration. According to the publication of Association of Official Analytical Chemists common method for quantitative determination of arsenic compound is through distillation of arsenic as arsine and concentration can be determined through colorimetric measurements. Kidneys of the deer were removed because the suspected pathogen (arsenic) is rapidly eliminated from the animal body through the urinary tract, where the arsenic tends to be concentrated. These were cut into pieces and macerated to reduce the size of the tissue and to homogenize the sample. Three 10g of sample from each deer were

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