Multitracer screening for in vivo element-element interrelations

Radioactive multitracer technique was applied to study the screening of in vivo interrelations between radioactive tracers (⁴⁶Sc, ⁵⁴Mn, ⁵⁸Co, ⁶⁵Zn, ⁷⁵Se, ⁸³Rb, ⁸⁵Sr and ⁸⁸Zr) and stable Zn species. Comparative uptake rates were examined in the blood, nine organs (thymus, lung, cardiac muscle, spleen, pancreas, kidney, liver, testes and bone) and eight brain regions (cerebral cortex, striatum, hippocampus, thalamus and hypothalamus, midbrain, cerebellum, pons and medulla, olfactory bulb) using 3-week-old mice fed by four kinds of Zn-deficient, -adequate and -excessive diets with Zn content from 0.7 to 3520 ppm. As a result, no significant difference between the dietary Zn-deficient state (Zn content: 3.6 ppm) and Zn-adequate state (Zn content: 36 ppm) was observed in the uptake rates of ⁶⁵Zn and other ⁴⁶Sc, ⁵⁴Mn, ⁵⁸Co and ⁷⁵Se, except for ⁸³Rb. In addition, significant differences among the organ and brain regional uptakes of ⁴⁶Sc, ⁵⁴Mn, ⁵⁸Co, ⁷⁵Se and ⁸³Rb were found in the dietary Zn-excessive state (Zn content: 3520 ppm). These results indicate that the organ and brain regional uptakes of tracers in Zn-deficient and excessive mice are strongly correlated with the blood uptakes and retentions of the tracers. Furthermore, the multitracer screening gives us new findings concerning the diet-related element-element interrelations in living bodies.     

Simultaneous biobehavior of trace elements, Sc, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, Se, Rb and Zr in the brain and other organs of C57BL/6N mice

The radioactive multitracer technique was applied to a study on the uptake of trace elements in normal C57BL/6N mice. Comparative uptake behavior of⁴⁶Sc,⁵⁴Mn,⁵⁹Fe,⁵⁸Co,⁶⁵Se,⁸³Rb and⁸⁸Zr tracers was examined among 11 organs (brain, cardiac muscle, lung, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, bone, muscle, eyeballs and testes) and blood, and evaluated in terms of the “tissue uptake rate (the radioactivity percentage of injected dose per gram of tissue, %dose/g)”. The multitracer technique revealed reliable data demonstrating characteristic uptake of the 8 trace elements, Sc, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, Se, Rb and Zr by the brain and other organs, as well as the distinctive features of the accumulation and retention of each element in the brain.     

Multitracer screening for in vivo element-element interrelations

Radioactive multitracer technique was applied to study the screening of in vivo interrelations between radioactive tracers (⁴⁶Sc, ⁵⁹Fe, ⁵⁸Co, ⁶⁵Zn, ⁷⁵Se, ⁸³Rb, ⁸⁵Sr and ⁸⁸Zr) and stable Mn species. Comparative uptake rates were examined in the blood, 9 organs (thymus, lung, cardiac muscle, spleen, pancreas, kidney, liver, testes and bone) and 8 brain regions (cerebral cortex, striatum, hippocampus, thalamus and hypothalamus, midbrain, cerebellum, pons and medulla, olfactory bulb) using the 3-weeks-old mice fed the Mn-deficient, -adequate or -excessive diets with Mn concentration from 0.4 to 300.4 ppm. Significant diet-related differences were found for ⁶⁵Zn uptake in some organs. The dietary Mn-deficient state induced increase Zn absorption in thymus and lung in short-time span (during 48 hours after injection). On the other hand, no significant diet-related differences were observed in any brain regional uptake rates except for ⁵⁴Mn uptake rate. The screening results are expected to give us new findings concerning the diet-related element-element interrelations in living bodies.     

Effect of humic acid on the bioavailability of radionuclides to rice plants

We investigated the effect of humic acid and solution pH on the uptake of the radionuclides, (83)Rb, (137)Cs, (54)Mn, (65)Zn, (88)Y, (102)Rh, and (75)Se in rice plants by the multitracer technique. The addition of humic acid to a culture medium containing SiO(2) increased the uptake of Mn and Zn at pH 4.3, whereas their uptake was decreased at pH 5.3. Humic acid depressed the uptake of Y at both pHs. The uptake of Se, which does not interact with humic acid, was not affected by its presence. These results suggest that uptake of the radionuclides by the rice plant is regulated by the affinity of radioactive nuclides for humic acid, as well as by the soil solution's pH.     

Multitracer study on transport and distribution of metal ions in plants

Transport and distribution of metal ions in rice and soybean plants were studied using multitracers produced by irradiating an Au target by 135 MeV/nucleon¹²C,¹⁴N, or¹⁶O ions accelerated by RIKEN Ring Cyclotron. The multitracer consisted of radioisotopes of the following elements: Be, Na, Sc, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Ag, Te, Ba, Ce, Pm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Tm, Yb, Lu, Hf, Ir, and Pt. Rice and soybean plants were grown in a nutrient solution and also on soil containing a multitracer. -ray spectroscopy of different parts of the plants showed that all the elements were more or less taken up by roots, while appreciable transport to leaves and seeds was observed only for Mn, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr, and Ba.     

Major and Trace Element Accumulation in Coastal Sediments along Southeastern Baja California Studied by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis and 210Pb Age-Dating

The vertical distribution of K, Rb, Cs, Ca, Sr, Ba, Fe, Cr, Co, Ni, Zn, Sc, Zr, Sb, Se and As was studied by means of instrumental neutron activation analysis in four sediment cores collected from the eastern shelf of tectonically active Baja California peninsula accompanied by ²¹⁰Pb age-dating. ²¹⁰Pb analysis was performed by extraction chromatography with measuring the ingrowing daughter 210Bi radioactivity by liquid-scintillation spectrometry. It was found that concentration variations of Se, As, Sb, Zr and Zn are probably controlled by the intensity and composition of the material supplied from the drainage basin constituted by volcanic and sedimentary rocks.     

Loss of trace impurities during NAA of liquid reagents

The loss of trace elements during NAA of five liquid reagents, hydrofluoric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide and deioniyed water, has been investigated using 17 radioactive tracers of⁴⁶Sc,⁵¹Cr,⁵⁴Mn,⁵⁹Fe,⁶⁰Co,⁶⁴⁵Zn,⁷⁵Se,⁸⁵Sr,⁹⁵Zr,¹¹³Sn,¹²⁴Sb,¹⁵¹Eu,¹⁶⁰Yb,¹⁷⁷Lu,¹⁸²Ta,²³³Pa. Two kinds of container quartz and polyethylene have been used for irradiation and also for preconcentration of the reagents. The containers were cleaned before use by washing-leaching-rinsing procedure. The reagents were preconcentrated by subboiling evaporation under the infrared lamp in clean bench. The loss of trace elements has been revealed to be severer for the reagents of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid in the container of quartz than for the other cases, while that is lowest for hydrogen peroxide.     

Preliminary study of trace elements in human brain tumor tissues by instrumental neutron activation analysis

Elemental profiles of brain tumor tissues from 15 patients of astrocytomas (grade I–III) and normal human brain tissues of 23 male age matched autopsies as controls have been studied by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The SLOWPOKE reactor with a thermal neutron flux of 8·10¹¹n·cm^–2·s^–1 and swimming pool type reactor with a thermal neutron flux of 1·10¹³n·cm^–2·s^–1 were used for short and long irradiation of samples, respectively. Spectrophotometry was only used for analyzing phosphorus. A total of 18 elements Se, Na, K, Br, Cl, Mn, Mg, S, Ca, Cu, Hg, Cr, Fe, Rb, Zn, Co, Sc and P has been determined for this purpose. The reliability of methods has been checked by analyzing biological standard reference materials horse kidney (IAEA H-8) and bovine liver (NBS SRM 1577a). The analytical results showed that compared with the normal brain tissues, concentrations of Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Mn, Br and Sc were significantly higher in tumor tissues (P<0.01) and concentrations of Rb, K and P were lower, while no differences for contents of Mg, S, Cr, Hg, Na and Cl were observed. A negative correlation between P and Ca in malignant and normal brain tissues was observed.     

Excretion of biotrace elements using the multitracer technique in mice

A radioactive multitracer solution obtained from the nuclear reaction of selenium with 25 MeV/nucleon⁴⁰Ar ions was applied to the investigation of the trace elements behavior in feces and urine of mouse. The excretion rates of 23 elements, Na, K, Rb, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ga, As, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Fe, Zn, Y, Zr, Mo, Nb, Tc, Ru, Ag and In were simultaneously detected under strictly identical experimental conditions, in order to clarify the excretion behavior of the elements in mice. Fecal and urinary excretion rates of the elements in mice reached the highest value separately at 48 and 24 hours. The total excretion of Mo, Tc and Co within 96 hours were all larger, more than 60%. Accumulative excretion rates of Ca, Nb, Mg, Sr, V, Sc, Na, Cr, Fe, Ag, Mn and Zr were 60-30%. The total rates of Ru, K, As, Zn, Rb, Y, Ga and In were less than 30%, and low excretion. The main excretion pathway of Mo, Co, Mg, Fe and Ag was through urine, and Na, K, As and Rb were eliminated from the body also in urine. But fecal excretion of Tc, Nb, Sr, Y, Ru, and In were larger than urinary excretion, and Ca, Sc, Mn, Zr, Zn were eliminated from the body in feces.     

Plant uptake of radioactive corrosion products in a field study

The root uptake by wheat of three activation products (⁵⁷Co, ⁵⁴Mn and ⁶⁵Zn) was studied in a 3-year field experiment. The aim of the investigation was to calculate the soil–plant transfer factors of these nuclides and to verify the role played by different soil treatments (Ca and K) on the uptake. The uptake of ⁵⁴Mn and ⁶⁵Zn, relevant for the plant, was higher than that of ⁵⁷Co (physiologically unimportant). The temporal distribution of the uptake showed a decreasing trend, while the treatments containing Ca led to lower transfer factors for ⁵⁴Mn and ⁶⁵Zn, which varied between 0.67 and 3.68. The variations exhibited by the different nuclides were discussed, as well as the differences between the treatments.     

Effect of zinc on the uptake of various elements into carrot

The effect of ZnCl₂ on the uptake of Be, Na, Mn, Co, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr, Rh, Cs and lanthanoids (Ce, Pm, Gd and Lu) by carrot (Daucas carota cv. U.S. harumakigosun) was investigated. Uptake was measured using a multitracer technique which enables to acquire information about various elements under identical conditions. The amount of uptake of Rb, Cs, Sr, Mn and Co, into roots decreased with increasing concentration of ZnCl₂. On the other hand, little effect was observed for the uptake of Be, Se, Rh and lanthanoids. These results suggest that Rb, Cs, Sr, Mn and Co competed antagonistically with Zn for the binding sites of carriers in the roots, while there was no influence on the uptake of the other elements. Uptake of Se was not influenced by Cl added as ZnCl₂. It is concluded, therefore, that carrot can distinguish Se from Cl based on the physicochemical differences between these two anion species.     

Extraction-chromatographic system TBP-HBr in radiochemical neutron activation analysis of high-purity materials

The extraction and extraction-chromatographic behaviour of a variety of elements in the TBP-HBr system with concentrations from 0.1 to 7M HBr has been studied. The results allowed the development of simple procedures for radiochemical neutron activation determination of 22 impurity elements (Na, K, Sc, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Ga, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Zn, Mo, Ag, Sb, Te, Ba, La, Hf and W) in high-purity cadmium and indium samples with detection limits from 1 g g^–1 for Fe and Zr to 0.01 ng g^–1 for Na, Sc, Mn with relative standard deviations < 0.15. To increase the selectivity of the extraction-chromatographic separation, use was made of extraction suppression and co-extraction effects. The procedure for the extraction-chromatographic separation of scandium from a number of other elements is described as an example. The procedure can be used for simultaneous quantitative separation of impurity radionuclides from radiation produced long-life scandium radionuclides in the neutron activation analysis of titanium and vanadium.     

Radiochemical multielement neutron activation analysis of niobium via medium- and long-lived radionuclides

Two radiochemical neutron activation analysis techniques capable for the determination of Ag, Au, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Hf, Ir, K, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Pd, Pt, Rb, Sc, Se, Ta, Th, Sn, W, Zn, and Zr in niobium via medium- and long-lived indicator radionuclides were developed. They involve two different irradiation and cooling times as well as two different group separation schemes based on extraction and ion exchange. The achievable limits of detection are between 10⁻⁷ g/g and 10⁻¹³ g/g. The techniques were applied to analysis of niobium of different purity grades. For a number of elements, the results of these techniques are compared with those of other techniques. This work was supported by Bundesministerium für Forschung und Technologie, Bonn.     

Elemental content in deionized water by total-reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

This study aimed to evaluate minor and trace elements in the water during different water purification steps of a deionized water production plant, located at CENA, by total-reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) technique, using Ga as internal standard for elemental quantification. This approach was capable of determining Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ge, As, Se, Br, Rb at concentrations higher than 40–100 μg L⁻¹, and for K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V and Sr at concentrations higher than sub mg L⁻¹ in the water samples. TXRF spectrometer encompasses an X-ray tube with a Mo target with a Zr filter. The elemental characteristic X-rays were recorded by a Si(Li) semiconductor detector and the X-ray spectra deconvoluted by AXIL software.     

Trace element content of medicinal plants from Algeria

Neutron activation analysis (INAA) has been applied to multielemental determination of eleven medicinal plants used to cure the urinary tract diseases observed in Algeria. These plants include Androgena Citratus, Ceratonia Siliquata, Punica Granatum, Glyryrrhiza Glabra, Lausaunia Alba, Fragaria Vesca, Arbutus Unedol, Hordeum Vulgaris, Papieteria Officinalis, Zea Mays L, and Davallia Seae. Concentrations of twenty elements Ba, Br, Ca, Cl, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, I, Mn, Na, Mg, Rb, Sb, Se, Sc, Sr, Ti, V, and Zn have been determined by short, and long irradiation times with a thermal and epithermal flux of 1.4·10¹² n·cm⁻²·s⁻¹ and 1.4·10¹¹ n·cm⁻²·s⁻¹, respectively. These analyses were performed in conjunction with Compton suppression. In almost herbs studied the Co, Cr, Cu, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se and V are found to be present at trace levels, Br, Mn, and Zn at the minor level, and Ca, Cl, Fe, Mg and Na are generally at the major level. The accuracy of the measurements has been evaluated by analyzing NIST-botanical references materials.     

Determination of zinc in geological samples using Compton suppression with thermal and epithermal instrumental neutron activation analysis

The determination of Zn in geological samples using instrumental neutron activation analysis is usually done using the ⁶⁴Zn(n,γ)⁶⁵Zn reaction and its 244 day half-life. However this analysis has proven to be potentially difficult. This is due to its relatively low neutron absorption cross section and gamma ray intensity, and the relatively high neutron absorption cross section and gamma intensity of ⁴⁶Sc, which has an energy peak that is only 5 keV greater than ⁶⁵Zn. The use of a high resolution detector makes it possible to differentiate between the ⁶⁵Zn and ⁴⁶Sc photopeaks peaks. However, the dominating ⁴⁶Sc gamma ray can even make peak fitting routines unsuccessful in the proper determination of ⁶⁵Zn. The use of a Compton suppression system suppresses the ⁴⁶Sc peak, which has two coincident gamma-rays, and this greatly improves the ratio of the height of the ⁴⁶Sc 1120.5 keV photopeak to the ⁶⁵Zn 1115.4 keV photopeak. Irradiating the sample with epithermal neutrons also improves the measurement since ⁶⁵Zn has a higher cross section for epithermal neutrons rather than thermal neutrons, whereas ⁴⁶Sc has a higher thermal cross section. Another technique to determine zinc is the use of ⁶⁸Zn(n,γ)^69mZn reaction with its 13 h half-life using epithermal neutrons and Compton suppression INAA. However, the 438 keV gamma ray of ^69mZn has no interference with any adjoining photopeak. A critical comparison of these two methods is given.     

Use of INAA and ICP-MS for the assessment of trace element mass fractions in adult and geriatric prostate

The variation with age of the mass fraction of 54 trace elements (Ag, Al, As, Au, B, Be, Bi, Br, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Dy, Er, Eu, Fe, Ga, Gd, Hf, Hg, Ho, Ir, La, Li, Lu, Mn, Mo, Nb, Nd, Ni, Pb, Pd, Pr, Pt, Rb, Re, Sb, Sc, Se, Sm, Sn, Ta, Tb, Te, Th, Ti, Tl, Tm, U, Y, Yb, Zn, and Zr) in intact nonhyperplastic prostate of 65 healthy 21–87 year old males was investigated by instrumental neutron activation analysis with high resolution spectrometry of long-lived radionuclides and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. This work revealed that there is a significant tendency for an increase in Bi, Cd, Co, Fe, Hg, Sc, Sn, Th, U, and Zn (p < 0.0014) mass fraction in normal prostate from age 21 years to the sixth decade. In the sixth to ninth decades the mass fractions of almost all chemical elements investigated in nonhyperplastic prostates were maintained at approximately stable levels. Our finding of correlation between pairs of prostatic chemical element mass fractions indicates that there is a great disturbance of prostatic chemical element relationships with increasing age.     

Instrumental neutron activation analysis of blood serum

Instrumental neutron activation analysis has been used to determine 15 trace elements in twelve blood serum samples taken from healthy students at Bilkent University in Ankara. The method allowed the determination of Sc, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, Se, Rb, Cs, Ce, Eu, Tb, Hf, Ta and Hg, which occur at the g.ml^–1 to ng.ml^–1 levels. There are no values reported for Tb, Hf, Ce, Eu and Ta before. The other results are compared with the values reported in the literature. Most are in the range of the reported values except for Fe, Zn, Se and Cs.     

INAA of IAEA-331 (spinach), SRM,for 40 elements

Forty elements in IAEA-331 (Spinach), an intercomparison material, have been determined using NAA. Among them, 30 elements, Ag, Al, Ba, Br, Ca, Ce, Cl, Co, Cr, Cs, Eu, Fe, Hf, K, La, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Rb, Re, Sc, Se, Sr, Ta, Tb, Th, V, Zn and Zr were determined by INAA. A series of simple and quantitative radiochemical separation procedures were established for the determination of ten additional elements. Cd, Lu, Mo, Sb, Sm, Yb, U were determined by removing the major interfering nuclide⁸²Br. Cu was determined by 0.048M NaDDTC/CHCl₃ extraction from 1M HCl medium. As and P were determined using an inorganic exchange column of acid aluminium oxide (AAO). Integral counts from 80 keV to 130 keV contributed by Bremsstrahlung from³²P -were used to evaluate the content of phosphorus.     

Determination of elements in different parts of goat brain using k 0 instrumental neutron activation analysis

Researcher’s interest is increasing worldwide to study the role of trace elements in brain tissues. This paper discusses the application of k ₀-instrumental neutron activation analysis to study the distribution of trace elements in seven different anatomical regions of goat brain. These regions include cerebellum, cerebrum, medulla oblongata, meninges, midbrain, pons and thalamus. The analysis protocol followed 1 h irradiation at 10 MW material testing type nuclear research reactor with nominal thermal neutron flux of 2 × 10¹³ cm^?2 s^?1. A total of 14 elements, namely Br, Co, Cr, Eu, Fe, Hg, K, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, Tb and Zn were determined in all parts. Reliability of the method was assessed by analyzing biological reference material IAEA-336 (lichen). On comparing the analytical results with the healthy human brain data, it showed that eight elements (Eu, K, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, Tb) were found with relatively higher elemental concentrations in human brain. Principal component analysis revealed distribution of seven parts in different three groups having similar elemental concentrations of elements.