Arsenic Uptake in Mice Cells

1
Arsenic Uptake in Mice Cells

• A Research Project by
• Kate Ferrell, Vicky Nickerson
• And Alison Keen

2
Primary Research Goals From Prof. Stephen Pelsue

• Effects of arsenic exposure on the development
  function of the immune system.
• Comparison of uptake levels of arsenic in B
  lymphocytes (antibody producing cells) and
  macrophages (phagocytic cells.)

3
Research Goals

• Part I Arsenic in Pure Water
• Part II Arsenic in Culture Media
• Part III Arsenic in Cell Material

4
Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

• Samples are vaporized at high temperatures.
• Atoms absorb light transfer to higher energy
  levels.
• Instrument measures the amount of absorption,
  which we then graph against the concentration of
  the prepared solutions to create a working curve.

5
Part I Arsenic in Pure Water

• Preparation of dilute solutions
• From 10ppb to 5000ppb
• Measuring Atomic Absorbance
• Graphing Standard Curve

6
(No Transcript)
7
Part II Arsenic in Culture Media

• Preparation of dilute solutions
• From 10ppb to 1000ppb
• Difficulties running media samples due to amounts
  of salt glucose.
• Preparation of matrix modifier to change sodium
  chloride to ammonium chloride sodium nitrate.

8
Part III Arsenic in Cell Material

• Preparation of cell material treated with
  arsenic, centrifuged, rinsed, mixed with 2
  nitric acid solution.
• Ran 2 samples in graphite furnace sample w/ As,
  sample w/o As.
• Inconclusive data several possible explanations
  instrument sensitivity, low levels As, quantity
  of pelleted cell material.

9
What is Arsenic?

• Common element found in nature.
• Sources in nature rock, soil, water.
• Human contribution to arsenic levels industrial
  waste, fossil fuels.
• Common uses of arsenic pesticide, herbicide,
  wood preservative, medical treatments.

10
Effects of Arsenic

• Carcinogen and Teratogen.
• Single dose exposures over 250mg can be fatal.
• Long term low dose exposure can cause the
  following skin lesions, cancers including skin,
  lung, liver, bladder, kidney and prostate, and
  other medical abnormalities.

11
Arsenic in Maine Waters

• Arsenic in drinking water comes from subsurface
  rocks leaching into well water.
• 40 of Maines drinking water is from private
  wells.
• EPA standards for arsenic in drinking water as of
  January 23rd, 2006 10ppb
• 30 of bedrock wells in Eastern Maine contain gt
  10ppb As.

12
This presentation is dedicated to our beloved
graphite furnace, without whom none of this could
have been possible.