Determination of mercury in human urine by neutron activation analysis,with lead diethyldithiocarbamate as a preconcentration agent

Lead diethyldithiocarbamate is an effective reagent for preconcentration of mercury in urine for neutron activation analysis. Sodium and bromine are removed from the sample by this procedure. As lead diethyldithiocarbamate is insensitive to neutron activation, radiochemical separation is not needed after neutron irradiation. Results from the analysis of urine collected from workers in caustic soda manufacturing plants are discussed.     

Neutron activation analysis of medicinal plant extracts

Instrumental neutron activation analysis was applied to the determination of the elements Br, Ca, Cl, Cs, Fe, K, La, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb and Zn in medicinal extracts obtained fromCentella asiatica, Citrus aurantium L., Achyrolcline satureoides DC, Casearia sylvestris, Solano lycocarpum, Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Solidago microglossa andStryphnondedron barbatiman plants. The elements Hg and Se were determined using radiochemical separation by means of retention of Se in HMD inorganic exchanger and solvent extraction of Hg by bismuth diethyldithiocarbamate solution. Precision and accuracy of the results were evaluated by analyzing biological reference materials. The therapeutic action of some elements found in plant extracts analyzed is briefly discussed.     

Dithiocarbamate extraction of trace amounts of selenium from biological samples for neutron activation analysis

A three-step method has been developed for extracting trace amounts of selenium from biological samples for neutron activation analysis /NAA/. After acid digestion, the sample is first extracted with lead diethyldithiocarbamate at pH 4 to remove a number of interfering elements. Next, selenium is extracted with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate into chloroform at pH 1.5. Finally, selenium is back-extracted with concentrated nitric acid for NAA. Analysis of selenium extracted from four standard reference materials resulted in excellent agreement with the certified values of selenium concentration. A detection limit of 0.05 g has been achieved.     

Some Aspects on Preconcentration for Neutron Activation Analysis

A preconcentration method incorporated with neutron activation analysis was developed for the accurate determination of trace metals in biological and environmental samples. Bismuth diethyldithiocarbamate, thallium diethyldithiocarbarnate, and ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate were used as the preconcentration agents for three groups of metals. Trace metals were enriched and interfering elements such as Na, Br, P. K. etc. were removed simultaneously during the preconcentration process so that the sensitivity for each metal was greatly improved. Optimal conditions for sample digestion, group preconcentration of trace metals and neutron activation analysis of biological and environmental samples were discussed.     

Determination of molybdenum in biological materials by combined extraction of99Mo and99mTc

Combined extraction of⁹⁹Mo and its daughter-product^99mTc enables a rapid determination of molybdenum in biological samples by neutron activation analysis. A procedure and its application to standard kale powder and standard animal blood are reported.     

Determination of molybdenum in biological materials by neutron activation

A method of the determination of molybdenum in biological materials by neutron activation is described. The method is based on the γ-spectrometric measurement of^99mTc after radiochemical separation of the latter by substoichiometric extraction with tetraphenylarsonium chloride using rhenium as inactive carrier. The method has been tested with reference materials.     

Quantitative HPTLC determination of selenium

The present determination of selenium in biological matrices by HPTLC with in situ fluorimetric detection is an accurate alternative method, comparable to other established methods such as photometry, polarography, neutron activation, or X-ray fluorescence analysis, gas chromatography, and atomic absorption spectrometry. The excellent sensitivity of this procedure is proved by the detection limit of 250 fg of selenium per spot (using purified 2,3,1-naphthoselenodiazole). The oxidation of organic matrices, applying a novel digestion procedure, may be carried out with little instrumental expenditure. Sample preparation steps, such as the oxidation of selenium to Se (VI) and subsequent reduction to Se (IV) do not lead to significant random or systematic errors, nor does the digestion step, if an optimized procedure is used. A recovery rate of 103% and nearly parallel calibration curves for digested selenocysteine standards compared with spiked human serum samples demonstrate the accurate quantitative preparation of a biological matrix. Any interfering metal ions can be masked by addition of chelate-forming reagents.     

Determination of Essential Elements in Ayurvedic Medicinal Leaves by k0 Standardized Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis

Elemental concentrations of a few medicinal leaves are determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis using the single comparator (k ₀) method. Data obtained for neem leaves, collected from two different places, have been used to see the effect of soil condition. The applicability of the method particularly for the simultaneous determination of Ca, Mg, V and Al in biological matrices has been evaluated in terms of the detection limit, precision and accuracy. The method was validated by analysing the NIST Standard Reference Material (SRM-1571) and it was found that the elemental concentrations measured in SRM-1571 are within ±10% of the reported values.     

Epiboron NAA: An option to analyze unfavorable matrices

Boron filter with 500 mg/cm² surface density has been constructed and used for epithermal neutron activation analysis of geological and biological materials. Bare and boron-covered irradiations were performed to determine the boron activation ratios (R _B ) and improvement factors (IF _B ) for 23 nuclides. Biological and geological SRMs were also analyzed to demonstrate the practical use of this technique. Experiments have proved that epiboron activation extends the applicability of NAA to samples with unfavorable matrices (i.e., Na, Ca, P, Sc, etc.).     

Fast determination of molybdenum and tellurium by neutron activation analysis

The utilization of 14.6-min ¹⁰¹Mo and 25-min ^101gTe for the determination of molybdenum and tellurium in biological materials by radiochemical neutron activation analysis is described for the first time. Radioisotopes were separated from the samples activated in a thermal neutron flux of about l0¹⁴n cm^-2 s^-1. The radiochemical procedure for molybdenum involves extraction of Mo⁺⁺ from 6 M HCl into diethylether, re-extraction into water, precipitation as oximate, and measurement of the gamma activity of ¹⁰¹Tc. The tellurium was separated by reduction to the element with SO₂ in 3 M HCl, dissolution in HNO₃, and reprecipitation as the element for the measurement of radioactivity. The sensitivity was estimated at ca. 10 ng at the level of confidence of 95%. The methods were tested by analyzing NBS- standard Bovine Liver and Orchard Leaves for molybdenum; the concentrations found were 3.2 ± 0.1 μg g^-1 and 300 ± 60 ng g^-1, respectively. The tellurium content of bovine liver was estimated at 90 ± 15 ng g^-1.     

Neutron activation analysis as a tool for checking the reliability of spectrophotometric methods for the determination of molybdenum and tungsten in biological materials

A new method for the simultaneous determination of molybdenum and tungsten in biological materials by neutron activation analysis has been developed. It involves a single step radiochemical separation of both elements by extraction chromatography using -benzoinoxime supported on Bio-Beads SM 2. Good accuracy and precision of the method was demonstrated analyzing Bowen's Kale and IAEA's H-8 /Horse Kidney/ reference materials. The method was applied to check the reliability of the results obtained by one standard and one newly developed spectrophotometric methods for the molybdenum content in some plant materials.     

Characterization of the neutron flux gradients in typical irradiation channels of a TRIGA Mark II reactor

The neutron distribution in a defined volume (gradient) for different matrices (air, water, cellulose, biological material and silicon dioxide) in two typical irradiation channels (pneumatic tube (PT) and IC40-channel in the carousel facility) in the TRIGA Mark II reactor at the Joef Stefan Institute (IJS) was studied. Our experiment was based on inserting Fe wires (flux monitors) into the chosen matrices. The wires were cut into small pieces after irradiation and the induced activities of ⁵⁹Fe measured. The results showed that for the studied geometry the average spatial thermal neutron flux inhomogeneities (for five studied matrices) are about 2.3% in the PT-channel and about 2.9% in the IC40-channel.     

Radiochemical scheme for the determination of molybdenum and uranium in biological materials by NAA

A new universal radiochemical separation scheme for selective and quantitative isolation of molybdenum and neptunium (formed from uranium), from neutron irradiated biological materials has been elaborated. The procedure is based on ion exchange and extraction chromatography with final fixation of molybdenum on a column with -benzoinoxime supported on Bio-Beads SM2 and neptunium on Dowex 1-X8 [No ₃ ^– ]. The separated elements are quantified using gamma-spectrometric measurements. The new NAA method is able to overcome problems associated with high contents of phosphorous in some samples and assures detection limits better than 3 ppb for both elements. The validity of the proposed scheme has been demonstrated by the analysis of several CRM's.     

A radiochemical method for neutron activation analysis of arsenic in biological samples and its potential use in epidemiology studies

Epidemiology studies that examine As toxicity rely on the accurate measurement of As in biological matrices to determine exposure. Accurate measurement of As in biological matrices is challenging by instrumental NAA due to the production of high and variable activities of ²⁴Na, ¹²²Sb and ⁸²Br which contribute to increased background and difficulty quantifying the ⁷⁶As peak at 559 keV. This paper describes a novel radiochemical NAA method for As analysis in biological matrices. Samples were irradiated at the University of Missouri Research Reactor in a flux of 6.5E + 13 n/cm²/s. Following irradiation samples were transferred to polypropylene tubes with As carrier and digested using a combination of nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide. Arsenic was separated by absorption on magnetite nanocyrstals followed by vacuum filtration. Samples were counted using an automated sample changer and HPGe detector with a Canberra Lynx digital signal analyzer. The accuracy and precision of the RNAA results were evaluated by measuring As in NIST SRM 1575 Pine Needles, 1571 Orchard Leaves, 1566 Oyster Tissue, 1577 Bovine Liver, and NCS DC 73347 Hair. Arsenic was measured in duplicate nail samples by instrumental neutron activation analysis followed by radiochemical neutron activation analysis.     

Minimum Detectable Mass Fraction of Localised Changes in Biological Matrices Using Neutrons in Transmission

The value of the minimum detectable mass of an irregularity, which will change the neutron macroscopic cross section of a biological matrix by 1%, has been calculated by using neutron transmission technique. The biological matrices selected were ones in which neutron transmission provided better detection of elements than photon attenuation measurements. Best results were obtained, for the detection of bone marrow in bone (12.2 mg/g), Ca in bone (10 mg/g) and water in brain (6 mg/g). The minimum required number of neutrons and the exposure time required for the detection of irregularities in bone marrow have been calculated.     

Possibilites et limites de l’analyse d’echantillons biologiques par activation neutronique derriere ecran de cadmium

The analytical possibilities offered by long-term irradiation of biological samples in a fission neutron flux filtered by a cadmium screen are examined and the preparation of samples for irradiation is described. This specific activation technique is applied to the determination of molybdenum and nickel in the following three reference substances: human serum, NBS bovine liver and BOWEN’s kale.     

Application of the group substoichiometric separation of gold,mercuric, and cupric diethyldithiocarbamates to determining them by means of activation analysis

The substoichiometric method has been applied to group separation. By a single extraction gold and mercury were separated quantitatively, and copper substoichiometrically, at the same time. Zinc diethyldithiocarbamate has been used as the chelating agent. The group of elements was separated from 2N H₂SO₄ and 0.1N HClO₄ medium. This method of group separation was applied to the activation analysis of biological materials and metallic tin.     

A New Method for the Microdetermination of Molybdenum (VI) in Steel,Biological Materials and Waters

Abstract

A method is presented for the trace analysis of molybdenum (VI) in standard steel sample, plant tissues, animal tissues, and natural waters. The method is based on the extractive separation of molybdenum from complex matrices by chelating it with a new reagent N-p-methoxypheny1-2-furylacrylohydroxamic acid (MFHA) into isoamyl alcohol followed by spectrophotometric determination, Eight other new hydroxamic acids were studied for the same purpose and MFHA was chosen as it was the most sensitive of these as well as the other hydroxamic acids reported previously, The method enables rapid and reliable analysis of molybdenum at ppb lelvels in environmental matrices.     

反相高效液相色谱同时测定铼与钼的方法研究

以二乙基二硫代氨基甲酸钠（NaDDTC）为柱前衍生试剂,采用高效液相色谱法（HPLC）建立了钼与铼2种金属离子最佳分离条件及定性定量分析方法．结果表明：在C18色谱柱上,以甲醇-水（15：85V/V,含有10mmol／LpH5乙酸-乙酸钠缓冲溶液）作为流动相,能有效的分离2种金属离子,检出限分别为2．1ng／mL和1．3ng／mL,线性范围和线性关系满足定量分析的要求．     

k0-NAA quality assessment by analysis of different certified reference materials using the KAYZERO/SOLCOI software

A suite of natural matrix reference materials (RMs) were used to assess the quality of analytical results obtained by k ₀-instrumental neutron activation analysis (k ₀-INAA) at the Joef Stefan Institute (IJS). Five certified reference materials (CRMs) from the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM), two standard reference materials (SRMs) from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), three RMs from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and one RM from IJS were analyzed. Altogether, results for twenty-four elements in inorganic matrices and twenty-nine elements in organic matrices, obtained by k ₀-INAA, were compared to certified values. Results obtained show good agreement with certified or assigned values except for Fe, La, Nd, Sm and U in inorganic matrices, and Ag, Al and Cr in organic matrices.