Measurement of the neutron flux distribution in a research reactor by neutron activation analysis

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - The neutron flux distribution in the core region of the JRTR was measured through the neutron activation analysis method. Sample mount and a tool...     

Moderator for neutron activation with the photoneutrons produced by a LINAC

Using Monte Carlo methods a polyethylene moderator has been designed to induce activation using the photoneutrons field of a 15 MV linear accelerator for radiotherapy. In the calculations the photoneutron spectrum at 1 m from the isocenter was used as a source term and the neutron spectra were calculated in the center of different size cylindrical moderators. The best size was selected defining the thermal-to-fast-neutron ratios as a figure of merit. The moderator was built and its performance was evaluated by inducing the activation of Mn dissolved in water, silver coins and souvenir coin. The thermal neutron fluence rate was determined with the Mn samples being 9.96 × 10⁵ cm^?2 Gy _x ^?1 .     

Recovery and determination of tritium produced in lithium-aluminium alloy by neutron irradiation

Neutron-irradiated Li−Al alloy was heated at 800°C in He flow. The tritiated species released from the sample were oxidized to H₂O(T) by passing them through a CuO column heated at 800°C and completely trapped in water scrubbers. The tritium was determined by liquid scintillation counting. The amount of tritium determined by this method was consistent with that calculated by the method of WESTCOTT et al.     

Measurement of moisture and hydrogen contents by intermediate neutron moderation

An intermediate neutron moderation method for measurement of moisture and/or hydrogen contents of small samples is presented. The sample is placed on the top face of a neutron howitzer, with a cadmium sheet between. Thermal neutrons resulting from intermediate neutron moderation in the sample are detected with a³He proportional counter placed on the sample, by a cadmium difference method. With a 500 mCi Am-Be neutron source, the limit of moisture detection for a 10×20×1.8 cm³ asbestos plate in 1 min count time is 0.5 wt.%. The precision of measuring the hydrogen contents of 250 ml hydrocarbons containing 112 mg H/ml is 0.9% under the same conditions.     

Speciation of239U and238Np produced by radiative neutron capture

Various simple and complex compounds of²³⁸U and²³⁷Np have been irradiated in a neutron flux. The chemical state of²³⁹U and²³⁸Np formed in (n, ) reactions has been determined as a function of the initial oxidation state of the actinide elements and of the nature of ligands. A scheme for the chemical reactions following neutron capture is proposed.     

Measurement of the neutron capture cross-section of 238U using the neutron activation technique

The ²³⁸U(n, ??)²³⁹U reaction cross-section at average neutron energy of 3.7?±?0.3?MeV from the ⁷Li(p, n)⁷Be reaction has been determined using activation and off-line ??-ray spectrometric technique. The ²³⁸U(n, ??)²³⁹U and ²³⁸U(n, 2n)²³⁷U reaction cross-sections at average neutron energy of 9.85?±?0.38?MeV from the same ⁷Li(p, n)⁷Be reaction have been also determined using the above technique. The experimentally determined ²³⁸U(n, ??)²³⁹U and ²³⁸U(n, 2n)²³⁷U reaction cross-sections were compared with the evaluated data of ENDF/B-VII, JENDL-4.0, JEFF-3.1 and CENDL-3.1. The experimental values were found to be in general agreement with the evaluated value based on ENDF/B-VII, and JENDL-4.0 but not with the JEFF-3.1 and CENDL-3.1. The present data along with literature data in a wide range of neutron energies were interpreted in terms of competition between different reaction channels including fission. The ²³⁸U(n, ??)²³⁹U and ²³⁸U(n, 2n)²³⁷U reaction cross-sections were also calculated theoretically using the TALYS 1.2 computer code and were also found to be in agreement experimental data.     

A study of measured neutron elastic differential neutron cross sections for 23Na

Elastic neutron scattering angular distributions from ²³Na have been measured for incident neutron energies between 1.0 and 4.0 MeV at the University of Kentucky Accelerator Laboratory using neutron time-of-flight techniques for the scattered neutrons. This is an energy region in which existing data are very sparse. Measurements are compared with the predictions of the light particle-induced reaction code TALYS. The calculations reproduce forward angle scattering but have difficulty with relative minima in the differential cross section and large-angle scattering.     

Trace element exposure in man by instrumental neutron activation analysis of hair

A nondestructive instrumental neutron activation technique was used to analyze human hair samples collected from people living in metropolitan and rural areas in Korea. Samples were also collected from factory workers and cancer patients. Hair from metropolitan area residents contain higher concentrations of Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu, Na, Br, Mn, I and S than rural area residents. Concentrations of I and S from cancer patients, Mg, Zn, Al, Na, Mn and As from glassware workers were relatively higher. The results show that the trace element concentrations of the hair are possibly related to the trace element concentrations in the body.     

Instrumental neutron activation analysis of Na in biological materials

Sodium contents in seven mixtures of biological materials from varying aliquants of wheat flour and oyster tissue were analyzed using the INAA (instrumental neutron activation analysis) method. The samples were activated in the thermal column (TC) of the 1 MW TRIGA reactor at our laboratory. To analyze and compare the measured results, the ratioa of the epithermal neutron flux to the thermal neutron flux was determined in the TC, the rotating rack (RR) and the pneumatic terminal (PT). Due to the negligible interferences of²⁴Mg(n, p)²⁴Na and²⁷Al(n, )²⁴Na to²³Na(n, )²⁴Na, the Na results were obtained with 97% accuracy and 99% precision. It is shown that the method is suited for accurately determining Na contents in 12 various biological materials, especially for the samples that are low in Na content. From the cadmium ratio measurements of Au (4.9 eV resonance of¹⁹⁸Au) and Sm (8 eV resonance of¹⁵³Sm), ratios ofa_e/₀ were determined at 0.0011, 0.052 and 0.053 in the TC, RR and PT activation positions, respectively.     

Accidental exposure to UV radiation produced by germicidal lamp: case report and risk assessment

Ultraviolet radiation is known to cause both benefits and harmful effects on humans. The adverse effects mainly involve two target organs, skin and eye, and can be further divided into short- and long-term effects. The present case report describes an accidental exposure of two health-care workers to ultraviolet radiation produced by a germicidal lamp in a hospital pharmacy. The germicidal lamp presented a spectrum with an intense UV-C component as well as a modest UV-B contribution. Overexposure to UV-C radiation was over 100 times as large as the ICNIRP exposure limits. A few hours after the exposure, the two subjects reported symptoms of acute UV injury and both of them continued having significant clinical signs for over 2 years. In this study, we describe acute and potentially irreversible effects caused by high UV exposure. In addition, we present the results of risk assessment by occupational exposure to germicidal lamps.     

Measurement of acoustic modes of vibration in 1-methylthymine by neutron scattering

Coherent inelastic neutron scattering results have been obtained from a single crystal of hydrogenous (hydrogen content 44 at.%) 1-methylthymine. The results have been directly interpreted as acoustic phonons and effective elastic constants determined at 150 and 296 K.     

Measurement of arsenic in sectioned hair samples by instrumental neutron activation analysis

In a recent Texas murder case, bundles of head hair from the female victim (aligned with all root ends together) were washed, cut into 7 mm sections, air-dried and weighed, activated in a nuclear reactor neutron flux, and then counted with a Ge(Li) detector/4096-channel gamma-ray spectrometer. In each of the 15 samples, the 559 keV gamma-ray peak of 26.3 hour⁷⁶As was measured. In the section closest to the scalp, an arsenic concentration of 107 ppm was found (cf. a normal level of about 1 ppm As). Barium ingestion was also possible so Ba was looked for, but not found. The victim's husband was found guilty of murder by chronic arsenic poisoning.     

Measurement of mercury isotopic ratio in stone meteorites by neutron activation analysis

¹⁹⁶Hg and²⁰²Hg isotopes have been measured by neutron activation analysis in samples of twelve stone meteorites. Hg is extracted from an irradiated sample by stepwise heating. The mercury concentrations vary from 0.07 to 33 ppm. While most of the samples give¹⁹⁶Hg/²⁰²Hg ratios similar to terrestrial value within error limits, in some cases large anomalies are observed. A number of control experiments have been devised, that show the absence of experimental artifacts, during sample preparation, neutron irradiation, chemical separation and counting stages. Several anomalous and normal Hg distillate have been re-irradiated as Hg-diethyl-dithio-carbamate complex to eliminate the influence of neutron self shielding and interfering reactions from matrix elements. The isotopic ratio patterns persist in the distillates too proving that any artifacts during meteorite irradiation and measurement are essentially absent. Both positive and negative anomalies are observed; however, the negative anomalies are much more frequent and abundant. In an extreme case of fine grained magnetic particles of Ambapur Nagla the¹⁹⁶Hg is apparently absent in the Hg released at 100 °C. A 2¹⁹⁶Hg/²⁰²Hg value is only 6% relative to the monitor. This experiment shows the robustness of neutron activation analysis and suggest some constrains on the formation history of stone meteorites.     

Assessment of gold exposure and contamination in galvanizing workplace by neutron activation analysis

Gold is not included in the current list of elements considered essential to humans and there are many controversies related to its toxicity. According to the chemical characteristics of the element, Au¹⁺ is favored for binding at sites with S donor, such as sulfhydryl group (-SH) in proteins in biological systems. This tendency raises the possibility of health-related risk, mainly linked to a long-term exposure to high and low levels of gold. This paper highlights the determination of gold by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) during the assessment of exposure levels to metals and possible workers’ contamination in three galvanizing factories applying the same processes. This assessment is aimed at giving support to Worker’s Health Awareness Program of the Municipal Department of Health of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. INAA, mix of k ₀ and monostandard methods was applied to air filter, hair and toenail samples, and to urine samples. Solvent extraction of gold was carried out followed by comparative INAA. The results revealed that gold was present in all matrixes, indicating the exposure in the workplace and suggesting endogenous contamination. Is gold playing a role as a toxic element?     

Study of arsenic reabsorption in the body by the neutron activation analysis after thermal springs treatments

At French spa, La Bourboule, arsenical mineral waters are applicated by several ways. The process and degree of absorption of water are not well known; so, we tried to study absorption, measuring arsenic concentration in the blood and in some organs. On rabbits, thirty minutes after the animal had drunk mineral water, the increase of arsenic concentration in its blood is about twenty times and it is only about three to nine time in lungs, bronchia and traches. On human subjects, it was observed an increase of five times in the blood, two hours after treatment.     

Total body calcium by neutron activation analysis: Reference data for children

There is a paucity of data on the chemical composition of the humanbody during growth. Total body calcium (TBCa) has been reported for only onemale child, aged 41/2 yr. We have obtained TBCa values for 25 children and27 young women using in vivo neutron activation analysis. Our TBCa resultswere lower than those reported for the one male cadaver, as well as the estimatesderived for the Reference Man model. We conclude that the referencevalues for TBCa may need to be adjusted to appropriately describe skeletalmineralization of contemporary children.     

Review of neutron activation analysis in the standardization and study of reference materials, including its application to radionuclide reference materials

Summary Neutron activation analysis (NAA) plays a very important role in the certification of reference materials (RMs) and their characterization, including homogeneity testing. The features of the method are briefly reviewed, particularly aspects relating to its completely independent nuclear basis, its virtual freedom from blank problems, and its capacity for self-verification. This last aspect, arising from the essentially isotopic character of NAA, can be exploited by using different nuclear reactions and induced nuclides, and the possibility of employing two modes, one instrumental (nondestructive), the other radiochemical (destructive). This enables the derivation of essentially independent analytical information and the unique capacity of NAA for self-validation. The application of NAA to quantify natural or man-made radionuclides such as uranium, thorium, ²³⁷Np, ¹²⁹I and ²³⁰Th is discussed, including its advantages over conventional radiometric methods, and its usefulness in providing independent data for nuclides where other confirmatory analyses are impossible, or are only recently becoming available through newer atom counting techniques. Certain additional, prospective uses of NAA in the study of RMs and potential RMs are mentioned, including transmutation reactions, creation of endogenously radiolabelled matrices for production and study of RMs (such as dissolution and leaching tests, use as incorporated radiotracers for chemical recovery correction), and the possibility of molecular activation analysis for speciation.     

Measurement of low concentrations of hydrogen in small samples by intermediate neutron moderation

An improved method based on the moderation of intermediate neutrons for the measurement of hydrogen in small samples is described. With the aid of boron and cadmium filters, a space shielded from slow neutrons is set up close to an isotopic neutron source shrouded by water moderator. A BF₃ proportional counter enclosed with a sample cell is placed in this space. The neutron count rate of the counter increases when a hydrogen-containing material is introduced into the cell, due to the moderation of intermediate neutrons passing through the filters. With a 1.3 μg²⁵²Cf neutron source, the lower limit of hydrogen detection for 200 ml samples in 10 min count time is 0.01 wt.%. This method is suitable for measuring the H₂O content of heavy water.     

Low-level measurement of the cosmogenic 22Na radionuclide in fresh water by ultra low-background gamma-ray spectrometry after simple radiochemical separation

A simple analytical method was developed for the determination of cosmogenic ²²Na radionuclide in fresh water samples by ultra low-background g-ray spectrometry after radiochemical separation. The method consists in pre-concentration of ²²Na(Na) by a ion exchange resin column from a large volume of ca. 500-liter water samples, elution with 4M HCl from the resin, and removal of the main metal components such as Ca and Mg as carbonate precipitates and of ⁴⁰K(K) as potassium tetraphenylborate K[B(C₆H₅)₄]. The obtained ²²Na fraction was successfully measured by an ultra low-background Ge detector installed in the Ogoya Underground Laboratory.