In vivo total body chlorine measurements using prompt-gamma neutron activation analysis

Total body chlorine (TBC1) provides an estimate of extracellular water. We have examined the feasibility of measuring TBC1 using the 5.6, 6.1, and 8.6 MeV C1 peaks produced during in vivo prompt-gamma neutron activation (dose<0.3 mSv). In subjects, background interference permitted the use of only the 8.6 MeV peak in C1 analysis. Preliminary analyses of the prompt-gamma spectra for 33 healthy females (ages: 24–40 yr) provided a mean estimate of 0.85 g C1 per kg body weight. It is therefore feasible to measure TBC1 concurrently with body nitrogen using relatively low-dose prompt-gamma neutron activation analysis.     

In vivo neutron activation analysis of rats

A method of estimating total body calcium and sodium in rats by in vivo neutron activation analysis is described. The subjects were exposed to an integrated flux of about 1.6·10¹¹ thermal neutrons and activity was determined by counting with a 3″×3″ NaI(Tl) detector. The growth of the subjects was followed for about 75 days. The values of total body concentrations obtained are 0.83–0.90% for Ca and 0.128% for Na. Consideration is given to the accuracy attainable and to the effects on the blood and the hematopoietic tissues of the radiation doses imparted.     

Determination of cadmium using radiochemical neutron activation analysis

A method has been developed for the determination of cadmium in samples of food and biological materials using neutron activation analysis with radiochemical separation. The irradiated sample is digested in presence of cadmium carrier, with a nitric-perchloric mixture, evaporated to dryness, dissolved in 6M HCl and placed onto an ion exchange column loaded with Dowex 1-X8 resin in chloride form and conditioned with HCl 6M. The cadmium is retained in the resin. After a washing procedure with several portions of HCl of decreasing concentration, the cadmium is eluted with an ammonia-ammonium chloride buffer. The activity of ^115mIn which is in equilibrium with ¹¹⁵Cd, is measured using a NaI(Tl) well type detector. The method has been evaluated by analyzing certified reference materials with cadmium concentrations covering a range of 0.020 to 200 mg^.kg^-1. The agreement of the results with the certified values is within 95%, which gives an indication of the sensitivity and accuracy of the proposed method.     

In vivo activation analysis: Present and future prospects

In vivo activation analysis has proved to be an analytical assay for the elemental composition of the human body. Applications have included the diagnosis of disease, the evaluation of therapeutic clinical interventions, the study of basic human physiology (especially of the aging process), and the development of reference standards for indirect measures of body composition. This paper will focus on the in vivo activation techniques currently in use and their future prospects, with an emphasis on body Ca, N, C and Cd. The prospects for delayed, prompt, and pulsed neutron activation will be included in the discussion.     

In vivo analysis for nitrogen using a252Cf source

A set up forin vivo determination of nitrogen has been built. Phantoms containing different amounts of nitrogen have been measured as well as a volunteer in a pilot study. A total body protein content of 18.8 kg was calculated, to be compared with 17.0 kg estimated from potassium measurements.     

Neutron activation analysis of cadmium in Jamaican soils

A procedure for the instrumental neutron activation analysis of Cd in soils with relatively high Cd content and possible inteferences is reported. Cadmium concentrations in Jamaican soils above 4 mg·kg⁻¹ can now be reliably determined by multielemental instrumental activation analysis with an accuracy ±10% and the reasonably high throughput of 30 samples per day. Over 600 geochemical survey samples were analysed for Cd along with some 20 other long-lived elements.     

Determination of cadmium by substoichiometric thermal neutron activation analysis

A rapid and selective method has been developed for the determination of cadmium in environmental samples by thermal neutron activation analysis, employing substoichiometric solvent extraction technique. Alcoholic solution of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole /2-HMBT/ has been used for the substoichiometric extraction of Cd/II/ from an aqueous solution of pH 7.0 into methyl iso-butyl ketone /MIBK/.     

In vivo and in vitro medical diagnoses of toxic cadmium in rats

Rat exposed to toxic cadmium chronically and acutely are diagnosed byin vivo promt gamma-ray activation andin vitro neutron activation using nuclear reactor neutron beam. Linear correlation of bothin vivo andin vitro methods is established, damage level of 1.7 mg/g Cd in kidneys and 0.16 mg/g Cd in liver are confirmed by biochemical diagnosis. Features ofin vivo andin vitro nuclear medical diagnoses of cadmium contamination, serving as the basis for future research and correletion to human beings, are discussed.     

Epithermal neutron activation analysis and its application in the Miniature Neutron Source Reactor

The cadmium and boron ratios from 44 elements, totally 66 nuclides, were determined in the inner and outer irradiation sites of the Miniature Neutron Source Reactor (MNSR). China Institute of Atomic Energy. A permanent Cd-shielded epithermal neutron irradiation site has been designed and installed in the outer of the beryllium reflector of this reactor. Elements e.g., I, Br, Sr, Si, Th and U in biological samples, such as foodstuff, water and blood, geological and environmental samples, such as soil, rock, sediment and vegetable leaves were analyzed by BN-shielded epithermal neutron activation analysis (ENAA), and Au, As, Sb, Th and U by Cd-shielded ENAA. The results show that the detection limits of these elements by ENAA are better by a factor of 1.5–7 than those with conventional NAA.     

Determination of cadmium in environmental materials by fast neutron activation analysis

Cadmium is determined by activation analysis with fast neutrons, obtained by irradiation of a thick beryllium target with 14.5-MeV deutrons. Cadmium-111m, formed via the ¹¹²Cd(n, 2n)^111mCd and ¹¹¹Cd(n, n′)^111mCd reactions, is separated by liquid—liquid extraction with zinc dithyldithiocarbamate in chloroform and measured with a Ge(Li) γ-spectrometer. For low concentrations, cadmium is precipitated as cadmium ammonium phosphate after the extraction. NBS and BCR reference materials were analyzed: for concentrations between 3 and 500 μg g^?1, the relative standard deviation ranges from 5 to 3% The results obtained for sewage sludge are compared with those obtained by reactor neutron activation analysis.     

A brief review of the determination of cadmium by prompt gamma-ray neutron activation analysis

An examination of the literature concerning the determination of cadmium by Prompt Gamma-Ray Neutron Activation Analysis (PGNAA) has been conducted. In-vivo activation analysis of the liver and kidney is the most common application reported and is briefly reviewed here. This review will concentrate on the determination of cadmium in in-vitro systems. These include a number of different complex matrices such as geological, environmental and biological materials, as well as water, sediments, foods and construction material. Nuclear reactors, accelerators, and radioisotopes have all been used as neutron sources with varying degrees of sensitivity.     

In vivo monitoring of the gastrooesophageal system using optical fibre sensors

In the present paper optical fibre sensors for the detection of foregut diseases are described, in particular, sensors for the detection of bile, carbon dioxide and pH. Bile-containing refluxes are measured by means of a sensor which uses bilirubin as natural marker. The sensor, which is already present on the market, has been clinically validated by various hospitals. The clinically relevant parameter is the exposure time of the stomach/oesophagus mucosa to the bile. When measured in the oesophagus, it has been shown to be closely correlated with the onset of Barrett's oesophagus or general oesophagitis. Recently, optical fibres have been proposed for the continuous monitoring of carbon dioxide in the stomach: an important parameter in critically ill patients. A clinically validated prototype has shown its superiority in comparison with the traditional method, that is based on gastric tonometry. For the sake of completeness, also gastric pH sensors are considered, although at the moment their development is stationary at the laboratory stage.     

Determination of cadmium in water samples by co-precipitation and neutron activation analysis

Lanthanide (Ln) levels in plasma and tissues from colorectal patients and healthy subjects were determined by radiochemical neutron activation analysis. Results, precision, accuracy and sensitivity are presented and discussed. Mean plasma levels of La, Ce, Nd, Eu and Yb were significantly higher (p<0.01) in adenoma and adenocarcinoma patients compared to control subjects. Increasing concentrations of plasmatic La, Eu and Yb as well as Ln levels in tissue from healthy subjects, adenomatous polyps, and adenocarcinoma (ADK) patients were observed. Measured tissue levels of Ln were constantly higher in ADK and adenomatous polyps than in the adjacent normal tissues. These findings may reflect impaired calcium metabolism possibly involved in the early process of carcinogenesis leading to the development of ADK.Presented at the MTAA-8 Conference, September 16–20, 1991, Vienna, Austria.     

Epithermal neutron activation analysis using the monostandard method

A method is described for epithermal neutron activation analysis of 17 elements in granite rock samples using a single standard. Gold has been used as a single comparator due to its relatively high resonance integral value (I₀=400 barn). In addition, it is preferable to Co in order to obtain a large epithermal activation in a short irradiation. The method of calculation is simple and rapid and can be done using a small calculator. Epithermal activation is able to overcome the difficulty arising from changing irradiation position as well as increasing the number of determinable elements by eliminating the interference from undesired isotopes which have relatively high thermal cross section values (₀), when reactor neutron flux is used. The coupling of epithermal activation with the monostandard method has the advantage of using a small Cd-cover which overcomes most of the difficulties arising in the relative method with large volume cadmium filters.     

Radiochemical proton activation analysis for the determination of cadmium and lead in sediment reference materials

Proton activation analysis was used for the determination of cadmium and lead in three sediment reference materials. The method is based on the^111,112Cd(p, xn)¹¹¹ In and the^206,207,208Pb(p, xn)²⁰⁶Bi reactions.¹¹¹In and²⁰⁶Bi were chemically separated by anion exchange. The results obtained were taken into account for the certification of the materials and are in the excellent agreement with the certified values.     

Determination of indium in metallic tin and cadmium by substoichiometric neutron activation analysis

The paper deseribes the determination of indium in metallic tin and cadmium metals by the direct method, which is a variant of substoichiometric radioactivation analysis. It is based on substoichiometric extraction of indium diethyldithiocarbamate into carbon tetrachloride. Indium in tin metal was determined by^116mIn (T=54 min), while^115mIn (T=4.5 h), formed by the reaction¹¹⁴Cd(n, γ)¹¹⁵Cd was used for cadmium samples. The irradiated sample was dissolved and the radioactivity of^116mIn or^115mIn, A, was measured. After the separation of indium from the matrix, a known amount of indium, m, was separated substoichiometrically and the radioactivity, a, was measured. Indium was calculated as M_x=m A/a. If a known amount of the element, M, is added to the irradiated sample in advance, the equation for calculation is given as M_x-m A/a−M. By this method, indium can be determined without any consideration of self-shielding and secondary nuclear reaction of the matrix.     

Practical aspects of instrumental neutron activation analysis with the Miniature Neutron Source Reactor (MNSR)

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) often relies on reactions withthermal neutron fluxes of 10¹²cm^-2s^-1 like with the Chinese madeMiniature Neutron Source Reactor (MNSR). Next to the obvious advantages of a small reactor,there are the inherent limitations of intermittent operation, the low flux and its eventualdecrease over the working period and the necessity of using cyclic INAA rather than singlerabbit irradiations. They bear on the precision and accuracy of results. This paper dealswith the use of the MNSR for routine INAA in terms of the capacity of existing and eventualadditional irradiation facilities and with the elimination of systematic biases and theoptimization of precision. A survey of eventual applications is added.     

Detector shielding in the study of osteoporosis by in vivo neutron activation analysis

Calcium may be measured in vivo by neutron activation analysis /IVNAA/, observing the 3.1 MeV -ray from the decay of⁴⁹Ca. Normally the detection of this -ray is done in a heavily shielded whole body counter. It is shown that the use of shielding is unnecessary. As a result, the cost of building an IVNAA facility for Ca is very much reduced.     

Trace-element analysis of argyle diamonds using instrumental neutron activation analysis

Thirty four elements were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis in colourless, brown, and pink diamonds, with and without inclusions. These were compared with data obtained for similar elements in the host lamproite rock. The natural radioactivity of these samples was measured by instrumental techniques, and found to be negligible.     

In vivo measurement of the Ca/P ratio by local activation with isotopic neutron sources

In connection with the study and the treatment of generalised demineralising bone diseases, the amount of phosphorus and calcium has been determined in the hand by “in vivo” neutron activation analysis using²⁵²Cf and²³⁸Pu−Be isotopic neutron sources. The statistical accuracy of the induced radioactivity measurement carried out on the hand of a normal subject is about 2% for P and Ca, while the standard deviation over a series of 10 analyses performed on a same phantom remains within 3% for both P and Ca. The results are normalized and expressed in grams of P or Ca per cm³ of bone. The values observed on a group of 55 normal subjects and on some osteoporotic patients are given.