Determination of trace elements in soil and plants in the Orontes basin of Syria by using instrumental neutron activation analysis

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) have been used for the determination of some major, minor and trace elements (As, Cr, Co, Ni, Zn, Sb, Sc, Ce, Ti, Fe, Mn and V) in various plant leaves together with their soil. The accuracy of the measurements have been evaluated by analyzing a number of plant and soil reference materials, precision have been estimated by triplicate analysis of the sample as well as that of the reference material. The obtained accurate and reliable data of some trace elements on microgram level for plants and soil will serve as baseline values and will be helpful to monitor the changes in the trace element content of soil and plant leaves.The authors are thankful to Prof. I. Othman General Director of AECS for his encouragement and his support.     

高良姜根茎叶及其种植土壤中无机元素含量的研究

用等离子体原子发射光谱法对高良姜根、茎、叶及其种植土壤中无机元素的含量进行了测定，大多数元素的含量分布是：根〈茎〈叶。除Ａｌ、Ｓｂ、Ｃｏ、Ｚｎ、Ｐ等元素外，其它元素的含量与土壤中该元素含量的高低相一致。     

Determination of chromium,manganese, lead and cadmium in biological samples including hair using direct electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

Direct analysis of solid samples employing a laboratory assembled electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometer is demonstrated to be a feasible approach for determination of trace elements in plant tissue and hair samples for special applications in plant physiology and biomedical research. As an example, the kinetics of Cr uptake by cabbage and its distribution have been measured as a function of chromium speciation in the nutrient solution. Further, longitudinal concentration gradients of Cr, Pb and Cd have been measured in hair of various population groups exposed to different levels of these elements in ambient and/or occupational environments. The techniques are validated for the determination of these trace elements by neutron activation analysis, dissolution atomic absorption spectrometry and by analysis of certified reference materials. Slurry sample introduction is found appropriate for routine trace element determination and in homogeneity testing. Direct sample introduction is indispensable in the analysis of very small (< 1 mg) tissue biopsy samples in the determination of trace element distributions.     

Elemental uptake of radish grown near a Municipal Solid Waste dumping site by EDXRF

Radish plant was collected along with root and soil from the nearby area of a Municipal Solid Waste dumping site of the metropolitan city of Kolkata, West Bengal, India and analyzed for a wide range of elements using the EDXRF technique with a ¹⁰⁹Cd point source and a Si(Li) detector. The samples comprized of the root-soil, root and leaves. For quality control purposes, NIST standard reference material (SRM) 1648 Urban Particulate Matter had also been analyzed using the same procedure as for the samples. Concentrations of elements with X-ray energies in the range of 3–20 keV in the soil around the root and their uptake pattern by the root and the leaves have been estimated.     

Determination of concentrations of chromium and other elements in soil and plant samples from leather tanning area by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis

Chromium, one of the toxic elements, along with other elements has been determined in samples of soil and plant (leaves and seeds) from Jajmau Area, Kanpur district, India, which is irrigated with effluent waste water from leather tanning industries. Soil and plant samples were collected from these areas and analyzed by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) using high flux reactor neutrons and high resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. Concentrations of fifteen elements in soil and five elements in plant samples were determined by relative method. Chromium concentrations were found to be in range of 45–3,900 mg kg^?1in soil samples and 14–83 mg kg^?1 in plant samples. This study showed that Cr is present in significant amounts, in the soil as well as in the plant samples, near to the leather tanning area. As a part of quality control work, IAEA reference material (RM) SL-3 and NIST standard reference material (SRM) 1645 were analyzed and the quality of the results has been evaluated by calculating % deviations from recommended/literature/certified values.     

Evaluation of trace-element pollution in Barada River environment by instrumental neutron activation analysis

The impact of tanning and electroplating industry on the eastern part of Barada River environment has been evaluated. Sediment, soil and plant samples were collected from nine sites at the river near the eastern industrial complex during 1999. Results of instrumental neutron activation analysis have shown high levels of Cr in sediment collected near the tanning factories; the highest value obtained being 2692 ppm. In addition, relatively high levels of Cr were also found in the agriculture soil collected near the riverbank in the industrial complex; Cr concentrations varied between 77 ppm and 327 ppm. However, Cr concentrations in plant leaves grown at riverbank were found low and this due to strong bounding of Cr to soil. Other trace metals such as copper and nickel were also high in sediment samples. The highest concentration of copper was about 4000 ppm, which is much higher than the natural levels; electroplating shops are the main source of this element in the area. Furthermore, concentrations of the studied trace metals have decreased as the sampling site distance became far from the industrial complex. In general, other trace elements were found to be at low concentrations, but the obtained data can be used as a baseline for future monitoring.     

Wet-chemical analysis and determination of trace elements by neutron activation in meteorites

As a contribution to the cosmochemical distribution of elements, 35 meteorites of the collections of the Museum of Natural History in Vienna, the Mineralogical-Petrographical Institute and the Analytical Institute of the University of Vienna were analyzed. In the meteorites main and minor constituents were determined by wet-chemical methods, whereas for the determination of about 16 trace elements neutron activation analysis was employed. This paper has been dedicated to Prof. Dr.J. W. Breitenbach on the occasion of his 60th birthday.     

Analysis of non-organic elements in plant foliage using polarised X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

An X-ray fluorescence (XRF) method for the rapid and non-destructive analysis of 30 non-organic elements in plant leaves over five orders of magnitude concentration from several percentage of dry weight to sub-milligram per kilogram, is described. There is a growing need for a simple method of monitoring non-organic trace elements in plant material, especially those which accumulate in soils with application of fertilisers, both inorganic and biosolids. Earlier attempts to use XRF for the analysis of plant material suffered from sensitivity loss due to the high background of organic matrices caused by scattering of the X-ray source. We overcome this by using polarised X-ray sources in a Cartesian geometrical arrangement with sample and energy dispersive detector (EDPXRF), a configuration which can achieve an order of magnitude reduction in background compared with unpolarised sources. Further sensitivity gains are made using a high power tube as a source of primary X-rays and for some analytes employing secondary targets for near-monochromatic excitation. Sample preparation is simple involving only pulverising and briquetting of dried samples. Accuracy is evaluated by comparing data obtained for the suite of NIST plant leaf samples (NIST 1515 apple leaves, NIST 1547 peach leaves, NIST 1570a spinach leaves, NIST 1573a tomato leaves and NIST 1575a pine needles) and tobacco leaf standards CTA-OTL-1 and CTA-VTL-2. The data compare well over the whole concentration range and the method provides a rapid analytical tool for monitoring potentially toxic trace elements in all types of foliage with adequate sensitivity for many purposes.     

Concentration levels of rare-earth elements and thorium in plants from the Morro do Ferro environment as an indicator for the biological availability of transuranium elements

Plants and soils from a natural thorium and rare-earth element occurrence (Morro do Ferro, Brazil) were analyzed by alpha spectrometry (Th) and ICP-AES (REE), after pre-concentration of the elements by solvent extraction, co-precipitation and ion exchange procedures. Leaching experiments with humic acid solutions and different soils were performed to estimate the fraction of elements biologically available. High concentrations of the light rare-earth elements (LREE) and of Th, reaching some hundreds of g/g-ash, were measured in plant leaves from the areas of the highest concentration of these elements in soil and in near-surface waters. Chondrite normalized REE plots of plant leaves and corresponding soils are very similar, suggesting that there is no significant fractionation between the REE during uptake from the soil solution and incorporation into the leaves. However, Ce-depletion was observed for some plant species, increasing forSolanum ciliatum in the sequence: leaves<fruits<seeds. Soil to plant concentration ratios (CR's) for Th and the REE, based on the total concentration of these elements in soils, are in the range of 10^–3 to 10^–2. Leaching experiments confirmed the importance of humic acid complexation for the bio-uptake of Th and REE and further showed that only a very small fraction of these elements in soil is leachable. The implications of these results on the calculated CR's will be discussed.     

Uptake,Translocation, and Bioaccumulation of Elements in Forest Nettle (Laportea alatipes)

Elements found in the edible parts of plants are considered to be the main source of nutrients for humans and animals. However, there is insufficient information on the relationship between heavy metal pollution in the growing soil of most edible plants. In this study, the distribution of elements in the edible forest nettle (Laportea alatipes) was evaluated as a function of geographical location. Forest land soils had higher concentrations of minor elements (Cu, Cr, Ni, and Zn) compared to soils from rural and suburban areas. Translocation factors for Cd and Pb showed effective translocation from the roots to the leaves; however, these heavy metals in leaves were still above South African maximum permissible levels for vegetables. Atmospheric depositions may play a significant role in higher Cd and Pb concentrations in the leaves. Bioaccumulation factors showed the plant to accumulate Cu, Mn, and Zn to meet physiological requirement levels. Geoaccumulation indices and enrichment factors showed no soil contamination or minimal enrichment by trace metals. Principal component analysis showed Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn in soil to originate from a common source which may be soil silicates and other minerals.     

Trace elements in land plants: Concentration ranges and accumulators of rare earths,Ba, Ra,Mn, Fe,Co and heavy halogens

More than 2000 samales of land plant leaves, mostly of tree, have been analyzed by neutron activation analysis in order to find out macroscopic relations between distributions of chemical elements in plants and soil characteristics. The distributions of the elements in plants were also examined from the view point of botanical taxonomy or phylogeny. New species which accumulate Co, rare earths, Ba, Ra, heavy halogens and some other elements have been found. Capability or potentiality for accumulating elements could be related to higher ranks of taxonomy, that is, genus or family. The nature of soil is also found to have profound effects on the extent of accumulation of elements in plants.     

Instrumental neutron activation analysis of environmental samples using thek 0-standardization method

The use of thek ₀-standardization method in instrumental neutron activation analysis gives good accuracy and precision. The analysis time can be reduced drastically by employing software for thek ₀-standardization calculations. In this work samples were irradiated in a TRIGA reactor and the gamma spectrum was analysed by Sampo 90 and thek ₀-standardization by the KAYZERO/SOLCOI code (DSM Research). The efficiency measurement and the peak to total ratio at the reference and other geometries were measured and tested for their accuracy by analysing some reference materials. Reference materials such as SRM 1572 (Citrus leaves), SRM 1573 (Tomato leaves), SRM 1575 (Pine needles), IAEA Soil-7 (Soil) and SRM 1646 (Estuarine sediment) were analysed for the major, minor and trace element contents. The results were in good agreement with the certified or literature values. The recently released IAEA 140 (Sea plant homogenates) was also analysed for 28 elements.     

Interacalation of pyridine and its derivatives into crystalline bismuth molybdenum hydrous oxide

The use of thek ₀-standardization method in instrumental neutron activation analysis gives good accuracy and precision. The analysis time can be reduced drastically by employing software for thek ₀-standardization calculations. In this work samples were irradiated in a TRIGA reactor and the gamma spectrum was analysed by Sampo 90 and thek ₀-standardization by the KAYZERO/SOLCOI code (DSM Research). The efficiency measurement and the peak to total ratio at the reference and other geometries were measured and tested for their accuracy by analysing some reference materials. Reference materials such as SRM 1572 (Citrus leaves), SRM 1573 (Tomato leaves), SRM 1575 (Pine needles), IAEA Soil-7 (Soil) and SRM 1646 (Estuarine sediment) were analysed for the major, minor and trace element contents. The results were in good agreement with the certified or literature values. The recently released IAEA 140 (Sea plant homogenates) was also analysed for 28 elements.     

粉末压饼LA-ICP-MS测定土壤样品中微量元素

研究了采用粉末压饼制样LA-ICP-MS测定土壤样品中多元素的分析方法.在土壤样品中事先加入已知含量的In,并以聚四氟乙烯(PTFE)为粘合剂,在200 KN的压力下制备用于激光剥蚀的压饼.详细讨论了粉末压饼样品中元素的均一性及元素相对信号响应.所建立的方法用于土壤标准参考物质固体样品的直接分析,测定值与参考值具有较好的一致性.     

Determination of trace elements in biological standard kale by neutron activation analysis

Fifteen elements at trace levels have been determined by neutron activation analysis in the biological standard kale distributed byBowen. La, Br, As, Se, Sc, Ag, Zn, Co, Cr, Sb, Eu, Fe, and Zr have been determined by a nondestructive technique using a high-resolution Ge(Li) detector. Two more elements, Au and Hg, have been determined after radiochemical separation. The nondestructive procedure is shown to yield data in generally good agreement with those obtained by destructive techniques. Potential sources of error in the nondestructive technique are discussed.     

Assessment of the ICP-MS method using the interlaboratory QA study of two Polish soil RMs

 Under an international collaborative certification programme, two new Polish soil reference materials, PL-1 (loess) and BPGM-1 (sandy loam soil), were analysed for 34 trace elements including all the rare earth elements using the acid decomposition method and inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). After the certification by the organisers, the analytical data obtained at our institute were compared with the certified data. 'Z-score' values calculated for individual trace elements helped in the assessment of the quality of the data. While the majority of the data obtained on ICP-MS was very precise and accurate, some of the data especially for elements such as Zr, Hf and Nb suffered from incomplete dissolution of the sample and spectroscopic interferences. For some trace elements, certified data are not available for comparison. These features together with the usefulness of interlaboratory collaborative programmes and ICP-MS for the certification of soil reference materials are discussed. Received: 6 August 1999 / Accepted: 28 February 2000     

Study on essential and toxic elements intake from drinking of Chinese tea

Twenty different brands of Chinese tea were analyzed for multiple trace elements, including some essential and toxic elements, by neutron activation analysis (NAA). A comparison among tea brands from China, India, US and other countries was made for the ranges and averages of concentrations for Na, K, Mn, Cu, and Br. It has been observed that the trace element contents in tea leaves are largely dependent upon the soil and the environment where the tea grows. Chinese tea is rich in Mn and Cu comparing with those of other counties surveyed, but is indigent in Na. The transference ratio for each element determined (i.e., the fraction of an element in tea leave transferred into solution when tea is leached by percolation) is also reported. Adult daily intakes of some essential and toxic elements from tea drinking were also estimated.     

Determination of elemental concentrations in environmental plant samples by instrumental neutron activation analysis

The intake of leafy vegetables in daily diet is very important to meet our nutritional needs. Vegetables provide the essential elements which are necessary and recommended for human growth. However, due to rapid industrialization and urbanization our environment becomes polluted and this affects the normal growth of agricultural products and composition of environmental species. The elemental concentrations present in the environmental samples are good indicators to assess the toxicological levels due to pollution affects. In the present work we have analysed several vegetable plant samples by instrumental neutron activation analysis to determine the elemental concentrations at major, minor and trace levels. The leafy vegetables like spinach, red leafy veagetable, pui, gourd leaf, lettuce and katoua were chosen as these are extensively consumed by local peple in eastern part of India. We have determined 15 elements in the above mentioned vegetable samples and some of these are essential elements and some are toxic elements. It was found that Na and K were present as major elements, Fe and Zn as minor elements and As, Ce, Cr, Co, La, Mo, Rb, Sc, Sm, Sr as trace elements. The concentration level of Cr was found to be higher than that of recommended value certified by WHO and National environment quality control for human consumption. The validation of our analytical results have been performed by the Z-score tests through the determination of concentrations of the elements of interest in certified reference materials.     

Comparison of NAA and ICP-MS for the determination of major and trace elements in environmental sample

Summary Major and trace elements in soil and plant samples, including standard reference materials were determined by means of neutron activation analysis (NAA) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The analytical procedure for NAA utilized dried powder samples. The concentration of iodine in soil samples was determined by radiochemical NAA. The irradiated samples were cooled and then counted with a Ge gamma-ray detector connected to a multi-channel analyzer. For ICP-MS analysis, the samples were decomposed by microwave digestion with an acid mixture. The concentration of I in the soil samples was measured by ICP-MS after separation by ignition. The analytical values for most elements in the environmental samples by both methods were in good agreement, whereas sample treatments were different. Measured value of Zr in the soil samples by ICP-MS was about 50% lower than that by NAA. It should be assumed that some minerals of Zr in soil particles were not entirely dissolved by the acid mixture. Analytical results of Cd for three different Cd levels in unpolished rice flour samples (NIES 10-a, b and c) determined by ICP-MS were in agreement with certified values. The concentration of Cd in the sample with the lowest Cd level, as determined by NAA with 57% counting error, was 3 times higher than the certified value.     

Multielemental fast analysis of vegetation samples by wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry: Possibilities and drawbacks

X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) is universally recognized as a non-destructive method for rapid and sequential, or simultaneous analysis of elemental composition of a material. The use of this technique for the direct determination of chemical elements in plant matrices has increased over the last few years.In the present study, a wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) method for the quantitative analysis of some major elements (Na, Mg, Al, P, S, K, Ca), trace elements (Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, As) and non-essential elements (Sr, Pb) in vegetation specimens has been developed. The method uses a quick and easy sample preparation procedure since only drying, pulverizing and pressing of the samples are necessary. The calibration procedure was established by employing four plant reference materials and several synthetic cellulose calibrators spiked with appropriate amounts of analytes. Matrix effects were corrected employing the method of the influence coefficients on the basis of the computerized routine program linked to the equipment.Trueness of the experimental procedure was checked by using the standard reference material GBW07602 “Bush branches and leaves”. In general, good agreement was achieved between certified values and the measured ones with recoveries ranging from 94% to 107%. Moreover, quality parameters, including repeatability and reproducibility of the developed method, were also evaluated.On the whole, from results obtained, WDXRF method proposed prove to be good and effective tool for environmental investigation and quality control processes in vegetation specimens.