Nanostructured Microemulsion Phase Behavior Using AOT or Extended Surfactant Combined with a Cationic Hydrotrope

The phase behavior for systems containing sodium bis (2-ethylhexyl sulfosuccinate) (AOT), with the cationic hydro-trope tetraethyl ammonium chloride (TEAC), in the presence of water and heptane were studied. Formulations of mi-croemulsion for such systems and for systems containing the so called “extended surfactant” were carried out at different salt concentrations. Anisotropy was detected using cross polarizers and polarized microscopy. Ultralow interfacial tension for microemulsion was measured, first theoretically using the Chun-Huh equation, and then experimentally using spinning drop experiments. The presence of short chain hydrotropes (TEAC) was found to destabilize the liquid crystalline region, observed in the AOT/water/heptane phase diagram. Ultralow interfacial tensions were observed for microemulsions formulated with surfactant concentrations as low as 0.5%, for both AOT and “extended surfactant” systems. The effect of temperature on the phase behavior of a microemulsion formed with AOT system was studied and found to behave in an opposite manner compared to the nonionic surfactant.

Analysis of Different Rare Metals, Rare Earth Elements, and other Common Metals in Groundwater of South West Bank/Palestine by ICP/MS-Data and Health Aspects

Ground water samples are collected from south West Bank/Palestine and analyzed for different rare elements (Rb, Zr, U, P, Ti, V), rare earth elements (La, Ce, and Nd), and other common trace metals (Li, Na, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, K, Bi) that most of them usually have no maximum acceptable limits as either they are considered not to be toxic to human health or there is no sufficient data about their toxicity to human health. This study was conducted to determine the water quality of ground water which is used for drinking in the study area. Water samples from ten groundwater wells were obtained in three different dates of the year (November 2012, March 2013, and April 2013). Three water samples were obtained from each well for each sampling date;so a total of 90 water samples were collected from the ten wells. The results obtained from this study suggest a possible risk to the population of the study area given the high concentration of some metals that have no maximum allowed concentration, and the fact that for many people in the study area, ground water is a main source of their water supply.

Evaluation of Selected Quality Degradation Indices for Palestinian Extra Virgin Olive Oil Bottled in Different Packaging Materials upon Storage under Different Lighting Conditions

The effect of packaging materials and lighting conditions on quality of extra virgin olive oil （EVOO） was investigated during six months. The results highlighted an influence of light and type of packaging material on EVOO-quality with storage time. At shelf, all packages maintained EVOO at the end of storage in terms of acidity, peroxide value, K232, while K270 exceeded limit of EVOO in glass and PET-stored oil. Loss of phenols was the highest in glass-stored oil and the lowest in high-density polyethylene （HDPE）-stored oil. In terms of sensory evaluation, glass-stored oil lost EVOO grade after three months and its edible compliance after six months, while HDPE-stored oil maintained EVOO grade 90 days and was virgin after six months. In extended lighting, acidity, peroxide value and K232 did not exceed EVOO grade, while K270 exceeded EVOO grade after 30 days in glass and polyethylene terephthalate （PET）-stored oil and after 90 days in HDPE. The loss of phenols was the largest in glass and smallest in HDPE-stored oil. Glass stored-oil lost organoleptic edible compliance before 90 days, while that in PET was virgin at 90 days and that in HDPE maintained EVOO quality 90 days. At the end of experiment, oils in all packages were not edible. In dark, all packages maintained oil in EVOO quality in terms of all indices. The loss of phenols was marginal but was the least in glass and the highest in HDPE. It was concluded that HDPE bottles conserve stored olive oil at shelf or illumination better than PET or glass, while in dark, glass was superior over plastic.