Distribution of 35 elements in peat cores from ombrotrophic bogs studied by epithermal neutron activation analysis

Summary In ombrotrophic bogs the surface peat layer is supplied with chemical substances only from the atmosphere. Therefore, peat cores from these bogs can be used to study temporal trends in atmospheric deposition of pollutants. In this work epithermal neutron activation analysis was applied for the first time to study the distribution of 35 elements in peat profiles from ombrotrophic bogs. The selected samples were from Finnmark county in northern Norway, one pristine site far from any local pollution source, and the other samples from strongly affected by long-term operation of a Russian copper-nickel smelters located close to the border. The elements are classified with respect to their behavior in the uppermost 40 cm of the peat, and similarities and differences between the two profiles are discussed. As compared with other more commonly used analytical techniques based on acid decomposition of the sample, ENAA has the advantage of providing the total concentrations of the elements.     

Ombrotrophic peat bogs as monitors of trends in atmospheric deposition of pollutants: Role of neutron activation analysis in studies of peat samples

Ombrotrophic peat bogs, which are quite common in temperate regions, receive chemical compounds only from the atmosphere. These bogs are therefore well suited to study temporal and spatial trends of air pollutants such as heavy metals, provided that the substances concerned are sufficiently strongly retained in the peat. In this paper, the use of instrumental and radiochemical neutron activation analysis to study trace elements in ombrotrophic peat is described. This work has provided very useful information with respect to the impact of long range atmospheric transport of pollutants to different parts of Norway, and has also been shown to be a useful tool in the study of natural trace element cycling processes. Elements discussed in particular are Zn, Se, Sb, and Br.     

Composition and origin of trace elements in fog water studied by INAA

Characterization of dilute solution of gamma-irradiated polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) in acetone has been carried out. The polymer sample in form of natural beads was administered a gamma-ray dose of 30 kGy by a cobalt-60 radiationsource. Various types of viscosities, viscosity average molecular weight, shape and size of irradiated PMMA and its two fractions were calculated. The results were compared with those for unirradiated PMMA. Degradation of PMMA as a result of irradiation has been observed.     

Biomonitoring of atmospheric trace element deposition around an industrial town in Ghana

Parmelia sulcata lichen species have been used to study the atmospheric deposition of heavy metals and other toxic elements around an industrial area in Ghana. Natural soil samples were collected at all the sampling points and analysed in order to investigate surface accumulation of the heavy metals. The sampling points used for the study were: Afienya, Doryemu Cemetery and Doryemu River. The surface accumulation of the heavy metals would be used to examine the correlation of the elements in the lichen and soil samples in order to separate contributions from atmospheric deposition and from that of soil minerals. Thermal neutron activation analysis techniques employing a 30 kW tank-in-pool research reactor operating at a thermal neutron flux of 5×10¹¹ s⁻¹ cm⁻² was used to determine Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ti, Th and V in both the lichen and soil samples. The level of contamination was quantified using the enrichment factor approach. This approach was adopted in order to ascertain whether these elements are enriched in the soil or in the atmosphere. The sampling points were enriched in the atmosphere with Cr, Mn, Fe, Ti, Th and V in the decreasing order of Afienya, Doryemu Cemetery and Doryemu River.     

Long-range transport of trace elements to Southern Norway studied by INAA of air filters

The present work is a multi-element study of air concentrations at Birkenes, Southern Norway, based on daily filter samples during 1985. Sixteen elements are determined regularly by INAA; i.e. Na, Al, Cl, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, As, Se, Br, Ag, Sb, La. In addition sulfate is determined by ion chromatography and Cu, Ni, Cd and Pb by electrothermal AAS. The main aim of the study is to see whether the air concentrations of long-range transported pollutants have changed significantly since 1979 when a similar study was last performed. Analysis of inter-element correlations in the two data series serves to define four main aerosol compounds: One general pollution, one marine, one soil, and one fossil-fuel component. Classification of air samples with respect to emission areas according to calculated air trajectories indicates from the limited number of 1985 samples analyzed so far that the contribution of air pollutants from Eastern Europe is at least as high as in 1979 while that from Western Europe has decreased. This decrease is evident for Pb in particular.     

Toxic and trace element analysis of surface sediments from the Gulf of Saros by INAA and XRF methods

Some surface sediment samples, collected from 53 sampling sites of the Saros Gulf, were analyzed quantitatively by radioisotope energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Results indicated some correlations between Rb and Sr (r = 0.64), Fe₂O₃ and MnO (r = 0.59), Th and La (r = 0.71), Th and Ce (r = 0.64), Th and Sm (r = 0.60), concentration pairs. U and Th results are found to be compatible with those given in the literature for marine sediments.     

Determination of trace elements in honey by INAA in Turkey

Instrumental neutron activation analysis was applied to the determination of As, Cr, Sb, K, Br, Zn, Fe, Co in Turkish honey. Irradiation time was 6 h underwater at a thermal flux of 10¹³ n cm^–2 s^–1; cooling times of 100 h and 3–4 weeks and counting times of 5000 s and 80.000 sec were used. The detection limit for As is 0.01 ppm for honey matrix under these conditions. A technique was developed for sealing the quartz tube containing the honey with flame.     

Determination of the trace element levels in atmospheric pollutants by neutron activation analysis

An investigation of the potentials of neutron activation analysis for the routine analysis of trace elements present in atmospheric pollutants is discussed. Various techniques including sequential air sampling, multiple neutron irradiation, high resolution γ-ray spectrometry, chemical isolation, high flux neutron irradiation and X-ray spectrometry have been employed to determine the levels of Pb, Al, V, I, Cl, Mn, Cu, Br, Na, La, Mo, Au, Cr, Fe, Ni, Se, Zn, Ag and Co in atmospheric pollutants. The results of the analysis of nearly two hundred samples collected from the Buffalo New York area during 1968–1969 are reported. Presented at the Fourth Annual Conference on Trace Substances in Environmental Health, University of Missouri, Columbia Missouri, USA (June, 1970).     

Determination of trace elements in Wuxi fallen ice by INAA

The concentrations of 14 elements, including Ir, Au, Co, Cr, Fe, Sr, Rb, K, Ta, Zn, Sb, Ba, Sc and Se, in the Wuxi fallen ice were determined by neutron activation analysis. The experimental results show that the relative concentration ratios of Ir/Co, Ir/Cr and Ir/Sc etc. in the ice water (0.0069, 0.00024 and 0.11, respectively) are quite close to those of Type C1 chondrite (0.0102, 0.00021 and 0.092, respectively), which implies that the fallen ice might be a piece of extraterrestrial substance.     

Liquid chromatography determination of natural dyes in extracts from historical Scottish textiles excavated from peat bogs

Textiles excavated from Scottish sites belonging now to the collections of the National Museums of Scotland, including seventeenth century textiles from peat bogs in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, were selected for analysis by high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection (PDA HPLC) to detect whether any dyes remained and, if so, to identify their biological sources. Dye components were identified in 36 of the 81 samples analysed. Although it was not possible to identify the exact sources of the dyestuffs because of the wide-spread occurrence of these natural dyes components, the study has shown that textiles previously not thought to have been coloured had detectable traces of dye. Before the historical textiles were analyzed, an improved extraction procedure that combined the routine acid hydrolysis method with one using dimethylformamide (DMF) was applied. The DMF method enabled increased recovery of major flavonoid and anthraquinoid compounds, and very high efficiency of recovery of indigotin even in textiles with no colour visible, thereby complementing the acid hydrolysis method already in use. Extracts from historical thread samples were analysed by PDA HPLC using a reversed-phase gradient system comprising of a C18 column (150 mm x 4.6 mm i.d., 25 +/- 1 degrees C) with water, methanol and o-phosphoric acid at an eluent flow rate of 1.2 ml/min. A preliminary investigation to improve the detection limits further for a selection of natural dyes was made by comparing results from the 4.6mm internal diameter (i.d.) column with a narrow bore C18 column (2.1 mm i.d.). An increase in the detector response was observed for narrow-bore column proving its possibility of enhancement of sensitivity.     

Variations of trace element contents within single tree rings

X-ray fluorescence was used to measure variations in relative and absolute trace-element concentrations within single tree rings taken from a 32-year-old pine tree near a coalburning power plant. The Zn/Cu ratio was found to have a constant value, both along individual rings and between different rings. The Fe, Ca and 8 concentrations varied in a single tree ring and depended on the age of the tree. The results indicate that the variations in concentrations of elements along a single ring are caused by heterogeneous tree tissue structure.     

The determination of trace elements in active charcoal by INAA

Neutron activation followed by X-ray spectrometry with magnetic deflection of -rays was applied to the nondestructive determination of Co, Cu and Br in active charcoal.     

INAA of trace impurities in aluminium clads

As a contribution to nondestructive neutron assay of reactor grade aluminium, a number of elements have been investigated qualitatively and quantiatively using a vertical channel in the IRT-5000 reactor with a thermal neutron flux of 7.6·10¹²n·cm^–2·s^–1. The -ray spectra of irradiated samples were analysed with a 30 cm³ Ge(Li) detector connected to an HP-computer and a 4096 channel analyser. The following impurities have been determined: Sc, Ca, Cr, Fe, Ni, Co, Zn, As, Sb, W, Au, Th and U, while Lu and Hf have been determined qualitatively only.     

Determination of trace elements in Na-bentonitic clay by INAA in Turkey

Instrumental neutron activation analysis was applied to the determination of trace elements in a Na-bentonitic clay. The irradiation was done in the Triga Mark II type reactor of ITU Nuclear Energy Institute. The sample was irradiated in two steps for short- and long- lived isotopes. After irradiation, spectra were taken using a germanium detector, multichannel analyzer Canberra System 100 and a fitting program called Sampo 90. The spectra of short-lived isotopes were analyzed to determine Al, Mg, Na, K, Ca, Ti elements and Mn, V trace elements. The spectra of long-lived isotopes were analyzed to determine Sc, Br, Sb, Cs, La, Ce, Sm, Yb, Hf, Pa, Np trace elements.     

Frequency of concentrations of some trace elements in serum by INAA

Concentration levels of eight trace elements in 120 samples of human blood serum were investigated by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) for the purpose of medical research. The elements Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, Rb, Sc, Se, and Zn were simultaneously determined by the relative method in comparison with inorganic standards treated under identical conditions. The process of analysis and its reliability was checked using human serum and IAEA certified reference material. Statistical results are expressed in ppm or ppb. Both normal and, if necessary, log-normal frequency distributions of all elements determined are presented, types of distribution curves are verified statistically on 95% level of probability.     

Trace element impurity determination in aspirin tablets by INAA

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) was applied to assess trace element concentrations in six samples of aspirin tablets acquired in São Paulo city, Brazil. Concentrations of the elements Br, Ca, Co, Cr, Fe, K, La, Na, Sc and Zn were determined. Comparisons were made between the results obtained with published data for aspirins from foreign countries. Certified reference materials, INCT-MPH-2 Mixed Polish Herbs were analyzed for quality control of the analytical results.     

Determination of some trace elements in the thyroid gland by INAA

Neutron activation analysis without radiochemical separation was used for simultaneous analysis of eight trace elements in thyroid glands, obtained as necroptic material from persons not suffering from diseases of this gland. Inorganic standard solutions were used for calculations of concentrations of measured elements. Concentrations are expressed in ppm, or ppb. IAEA reference materials were used for quality assurance of analyses. From analyses of 42 thyroids concentration levels of Se, Cs, Sc, Fe, Cr, Zn, Co, and Rb and their variances in the thyroids were calculated. These results might serve as comparison material for medical research of pathological and functional changes in thyroid glands.