EDXRF versus INAA in a pollution control of soil

Summary Elemental concentrations of soil samples collected in the vicinity of a Romanian fertilizer plant were determined by EDXRF and long half-life INAA. Lower limits of detection, obtained for various elements in soil by EDXRF technique with radioactive excitation sources (²³⁸Pu and ²⁴¹Am) and a HPGe detector are presented. Spurious effects characteristic for Ge detector X-ray spectrometry are evaluated and discussed, and methods to overcome this drawback are suggested. Special care was taken to subtract from the spectra the Ge Ka     

INAA and AAS of different products from sugar cane industry in Pakistan: Toxic trace elements for nutritional safety

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) have been used to determine As, Br, Hg, Sb and Se in combination with atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) as a complementary technique for the quantification of Cd and Pb in jaggery, brown sugar, white sugar and molasses. All sugar cane products were collected from the local sugar cane industry of Pakistan. The highest concentration of these potentially toxic elements was quantified in molasses; however, molasses together with jaggery, brown sugar and white sugar contains trace amounts of all of these elements. Due to very low concentration of Cd it could only be detected in molasses. To evaluate the percentage contribution of these elements in the sugar cane products to the weekly recommended values, intakes on weekly consumption of 100 g of each item have also been calculated which follow the pattern Br>Se>Pb>Hg>As>Sb. The elevated Br contents may be attributed to the use of Br-containing chemicals for fumigation; however, these contents are well within the tolerance levels. The estimated weekly intake of all toxic elements is very low indicating that sugar cane products can be safely ingested as part of the diets.     

Road dust pollution of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn along Islamabad Expressway, Pakistan

Islamabad Expressway is one of the busiest roads in the capital of Pakistan. For the assessment of heavy metal pollution level in dust generated on the Expressway, 13 samples of dust were collected from various places around the highway and four samples of soil were obtained from the undisturbed green land in Islamabad. The samples were analyzed for five heavy metals using FAAS (flame atomic absorption spectrometry). The average concentration values of the metals Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were found to be 5 ± 1, 52 ± 18, 23 ± 6, 104 ± 29 and 116 ± 35 mg kg^{- 1} respectively, which were generally lower than the values cited in literature. The inter-elemental correlation of Cu and Pb indicated that they belonged to common anthropogenic sources. The pollution level was estimated based on the geoaccumulation index (I_geo), the pollution index (PI), and the integrated pollution index (IPI). The values of IPI were in the following order: Cu > Pb > Zn > Cd > Ni. All the indices for the metals under consideration were either low or corresponded to middle level of pollution. The pollution level is expected to increase due to rapid urbanization of the area. Some protective measures have therefore been proposed.     

Air pollution studies in Central Russia (Tula Region) using the moss biomonitoring technique, INAA and AAS

For the first time the moss biomonitoring technique has been applied to air pollution monitoring in Central Russia (Tula region). INAA at the IBR-2 reactor has made it possible to determine the content of 33 elements in mosses collected at 83 sampling site. In addition to NAA, flame AAS (atomic absorption spectrometry) was applied to determine the content of Cd, Cu and Pb. Factor analysis was applied to determine possible sources of trace element deposition in Tula mosses. The geographical distribution of factor scores and some element distribution maps over the investigated territory are presented.     

INAA,AAS, and lead isotope analysis of ancient lead anchors from the Black Sea

Lead stocks of wooden-lead anchors found along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast and typologically dated VI c. B.C.-III c. A. D. have been analyzed for chemical composition and lead isotope ratios by INAA, AAS and mass spectrometry. Using multivariate methods for analysis as well as simple bivariate plots the lead for production of the stocks was localized as originating from Laurion, Thassos, Troas, Chalkidike and the Rhodopes. In general, the chemical composition is not recommended to be used for provenance study of lead artefacts. Combining the results from this study with the existing typological classification certain conclusions about the production and distribution of lead anchors in the Aegean region are made.     

Determination of trace and toxic elements in Korean rice CRM by INAA, ICP and AAS

Trace and toxic elements in Certified Reference Material (CRM) made of Korean rice at the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science have been analyzed by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA). Data intercomparison from the measurement with those of Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) and Induced Coupled Plasma Spectrometry (ICPS) has been studied. The powdered samples were sterilized at 1.5·10⁶ rad in the bottles using a⁶⁰Co source after sieving and spiking to specific elements such as As, Cd, Cr, Cu and Hg and then the homogeneity of samples was assessed. Rice flour (SRM 1568a) and standard solutions made by the National Institute of Standards Technology (NIST) were used to construct the calibration curves for the INAA and the chemical methods, respectively. The uncertainties and concentration of constituent elements were determined and the possibility of their use for analytical quality control was considered.     

An environmental pollution study of Indian metropolitan cities and Industrial surroundings by INAA

The process of urbanization and industrialization during las two decades has resulted in increased level of air pollution causing hazards to human health. Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) using short and long term irradiation has been employed for the determination of more than 30 elements in suspended particulate matter (SPM) from six metropolitan cities and three industrial surroundings. A comparison of mean elemental contents in dust particulates from commercial, industrial and residential zones of Delhi, Calcutta, Madras, Cochin, Bombay and Nagpur cities has shown wide variation in toxic pollutant (As, Br, Cr, Cu, Hg and Sb) concentrations. Coastal areas have shown higher concentrations of Na, K, Cl and Br. Highly industrialized Bombay showed highest levels of Br, Cl, Cr, Fe, Mg, P, Rb and Sc. Mean elemental contents in fugitive and ambient dust of a cement factory and thermal power station (both in central India) are widely different. SPM levels in fugitive dust of the two industrial surroundings are higher by an order of magnitude compared to ambient air. Analysis of ambient air dust from a paper mill showed highest concentrations of Hg, Sb and Zn. Elemental data have been compared with those of Urban Particulate Matter (SRM 1648), Coal Fly Ash (SRM 1633a) and Vehicle Exhaust Particulate (NIES No. 8) which were analysed for quality control. An attempt has been made to attribute the elemental contents to possible sources of origin.     

Recycling municipal solid waste utilizing gasification technology: a case study

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Reliable, affordable, and clean energy supply is of considerable importance for the society, economy, and the environment. Renewable energy sources can...     

Elemental characterization of TSP and two size fractions of airborne particulate matter from Tehran by INAA and AAS

Airborne particulate matter has been collected by a high volume and a Gent-type stacked filter unit (SFU) low volume sampler during the 2000-2001 period. The high volume sampler used S&S cellulosic and the SFU two Nuclepore polycarbonate filters to collect fine and coarse size fractions. The elemental analysis of the collected TSP, fine and coarse particles has been performed using instrumental neutron activation analysis and atomic absorption spectrometry. Twenty-two trace elements on Nuclepore and twenty-four elements on S&S filters have been measured. The collected data have been compared with the previous data of Tehran air and with other cities in the world. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Enrichment factors and transfer coefficients from soil to rye plants by INAA

An extensive investigation of elemental levels in cereals and their cultivation soils has been going on across the main production areas of mainland Portugal, with a view to an eventual biofortification of major cultivars through agronomic practices. Cereals are an obvious choice as primary vehicles for food-supplementation programs, especially in countries where they definitely weigh in the dietary intake (like Portugal), and regions whose geographical and/or pedological features may account for nutrient deficiencies in typical diets. Mature rye plants (Secale cereale L.; roots and grains) and local soils were collected in the summer of 2009 from two regions of northern Portugal, and put through k ₀-standardized, instrumental neutron activation analysis (k ₀-INAA). Overall, the results (elemental concentrations, enrichment factors, transfer coefficients) seem to confirm an efficient uptake of elements from soil and their translocation to the aerial parts of the plants, notably to the ones that really matter in human nutrition (grains).     

Elemental concentrations in sediments of the Patras Harbour, Greece, using INAA, ICP-MS and AAS

Twenty marine sediment samples, selected downcore from six sediment cores, which were retrieved from the Patras Harbour, were studied for their elemental composition using three analytical techniques: INAA, ICP-MS and AAS. Standard reference materials were used to verify the accuracy of the analysis techniques. In total, the concentrations of 30 major, minor and trace elements were measured. The vertical distribution of most elements in the examined cores could be characterized as relatively uniform. The eastern part of the harbour seems to be more polluted in respect to some elements (Ag, Br, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn) compared to the western one. The concentrations of a number of elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) determined in the sediment samples of the present work are discussed regarding to those obtained from other harbours in the world and compared against sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) to assess the ecotoxicological significance of the sediment contaminants to benthic biota.     

Validation of INAA and AAS analysis protocols for whole blood: A study on cardiovascular and malignant hypertensive patients

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) were used to verify the protocols for the quantification of zinc and magnesium in human whole blood. A study was conducted on group of volunteers consisting of 131 patients having cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and 23 malignant hypertension (MH) patients along with 432 control subjects with 218 male and 214 females. The elemental data of these elements has been exploited to establish the base line values in control subjects. The possibility of any relationship between blood Mg and Zn levels with CVD and MH has also been investigated. The mean blood Mg and Zn levels were found to be depleted in both CVD and MH patients as compared to normal subjects. In our findings Mg and Zn were found to have an inverse relation with systolic and diastolic pressure. The reliability of the methods was checked by the concurrent analysis of the IAEA reference material (RM) employing the optimized INAA and AAS protocols. The determined values by both techniques were found to be in good agreement with the IAEA reference values. The elemental data in whole blood samples of normal volunteers has also been compared with Mg and Zn contents reported by other countries.     

Qualitative soil mineral analysis by EDXRF,XRD and AAS probes

Soil minerals study is vital in terms of investigating the major soil forming compounds and to find out the fate of minor and trace elements, essential for the soil–plant interaction purpose. X-ray diffraction (XRD) has been a popular technique to search out the phases for different types of samples. For the soil samples, however, employing XRD is not so straightforward due to many practical problems. In the current approach, principal component analysis (PCA) has been used to have an idea of the minerals present, in qualitative manner, in the soil under study. PCA was used on the elemental concentrations data of 17 elements, determined by the energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) technique. XRD analysis of soil samples has been done also to identify the minerals of major elements. Some prior treatments, like removal of silica by polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) slurry and grinding with alcohol, were given to samples to overcome the peak overlapping problems and to attain fine particle size which is important to minimize micro-absorption corrections, to give reproducible peak intensities and to minimize preferred orientation. A 2θ step of 0.05°/min and a longer dwell time than normal were used to reduce interferences from background noise and to increase the counting statistics. Finally, the sequential extraction procedure for metal speciation study has been applied on soil samples. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was used to find the concentrations of metal fractions bound to various forms. Applying all the three probes, the minerals in the soils can be studied and identified, successfully.     

Comparative evaluation of the possibilities of INAA, ED-XRF, ICP-AES and AAS in the analysis of plants

The usefulness of INAA, radionuclide ED-XRF, ICP-AES and AAS are comparatively evaluated for the determination of nutrients, essential and trace elements in various plant matrices. The comparison is performed by analysis of the following reference materials: NIST-SRM-1573, NIST-SRM-1575, NIES-1, NIES-3, NIES-6, IAEA-V-10 and Bowen's kale. The detection limits, accuracy and precision of the methods are discussed and a combination of INAA and GFAAS is recommended for analysis of plants for monitoring purposes.     

利用旋风炉玻璃化处理垃圾焚烧飞灰实验研究

在自行设计的旋风炉实验台上对焚烧飞灰进行玻璃化熔融实验,系统研究了焚烧飞灰熔融前后微观形貌、灰渣中重金属特性和浸出特性。实验结果表明,焚烧飞灰旋风熔融后成黑色的脆硬玻璃态熔渣,表层呈浅黄色。在熔渣中N i、Cr的固溶率最高,均超过95%以上;低熔点重金属多数挥发至熔融烟气和熔融烟道飞灰颗粒中,Cd的固溶率仅有21%,Pb和Zn部分固溶于玻璃态熔渣中,两者固溶率可达42%以上。Cu和As的固溶率分别为37%和18%。熔融后的玻璃态熔渣重金属浸出率明显低于熔融前的焚烧飞灰,且均低于美国EPA的标准限值。     

Environmental pollution study by multielemental neutron activation analysis of garden soil samples from Nagpur City, India

A multielemental instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) method has been employed for the determination of 30 elements in seven garden soil samples from Nagpur City and two intercomparison soil standards from IAEA, Vienna and Institute of Radioecology and Applied Nuclear Techniques (IRANT), Slovak Republic. Environmental implications of elemental concentrations in different soils have been discussed.     

Volatile metal and metalloid species in gases from municipal waste deposits

We have detected volatile species of silicon, vanadium, arsenic, bromine, tin, antimony, tellurium, iodine, mercury, lead and bismuth in gases released from domestic waste deposits, using inductively coupled argon plasma mass spectrometry (ICP MS). By concurrent aspiration of a multielement standard solution for calibration, the element concentrations in deposit gas are found to be in the range from 0.1 ng m^?3 to 10 μg m^?3 gas. The global amount of some metal species emitted by this process may be of the order of several tons per year. These results suggest a biogeochemical pathway for the transfer of metals into the atmosphere via volatile species. This process may have significant influence on atmospheric cycling of metals as well as on metal toxicity within ecosystems.     

Radon emission along faults: a case study from district Karak,Sub-Himalayas,Pakistan

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - By using Durridge RAD7, onsite soil radon measurements were performed on 13 profiles and 65 points, across the known geological faults in district...     

Blood-copper and zinc levels and consequences of cardiovascular complications: a study by INAA and FAAS

To understand the role of Cu and Zn in human blood both in controls as well as in cardiovascular (CVD) patients, whole blood samples of 181 CVD and 185 controls between the ages of 20–66 years were investigated. Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and flame atomic absorption spectrophotometric techniques were successfully employed to quantification Cu and Zn levels. The mean blood-Cu levels (1.50 mg L⁻¹) were found as enhanced whereas Zn levels (5.88 mg L ⁻¹) were reduced in cardiovascular patients group as compared to 0.90 and 6.70 mg L⁻¹ for Cu and Zn respectively in controls. Cu/Zn ratios for CVD patients are also higher than in control subjects. Negative correlation exists between Cu and Zn levels in both controls and patient groups. However, when the CVD patients were checked for their systolic and diastolic pressure it was found that copper concentrations in these patients was significantly increased (p < 0.001) with the rise of blood systolic pressure so a positive correlation was observed between copper and systolic pressure. Zn on the other hand has an inverse relation with systolic as well as diastolic pressure (p < 0.001). Total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride (TG) in blood samples have also been determined and their probable role in the CVD complication has been observed. A positive correlation of blood-Cu with TC, TG, and LDL-C indicates that rise in blood-Cu levels may initiate the development of CVD. An increase in Cu/Zn ratio can instigate the cardiovascular risk factor. The findings from this study can definitely update our knowledge of the role of Cu and Zn in the development of CVD risk in humans.     

Investigation of uptake processes in a soil/mushroom system by AES and AAS methods

Investigations were carried out to explore how much Cd, Cs, Hg, Se, Ni and Pb trace elements cultivated mushrooms take up of the amount previously put into their soil. The intake of elements differs considerably to the extent that: on the one hand, mushrooms might be observed to behave practically as a filter for Mn, Ni and Pb; and on the other hand they accumulate Hg, Cd and Cs. The way manganese gets into the fruit body was also investigated and, in addition, the element effect on the increase of production was measured. All the experiments were carried out in the knowledge of the significant role manganese has in the decomposition of cellulose.