Daily dietary intake of trace elements of radiological and nutritional importance by the adult Indian population

The concentrations of eleven trace elements: Ca, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, I,K, Se, Sr, Th and Zn were determined in total diet samples and also in individualfood materials which constitute the typical Indian diet. Instrumental neutronactivation analysis (INAA) and radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA)were employed for the analysis. Whereas the elements Fe, Co, Cr, Se and Znare important from the view point of their role in nutrition, the elementsCs, K, Sr and Th are of importance in radiation protection, and Ca and I havedual importance: both in nutrition as well as in radiation protection. Basedon the analysis of twenty total diet samples, prepared as per the data onthe dietary intake pattern of four provinces of India and the data on intakepattern of an average adult Indian, the geometric mean (GM) intake of variouselements was estimated to be 0.33 g (0.2–0.67) for Ca, 16.5 µg(8.3–31.1) for Co, 52.3 µg (35.1–131) for Cr, 4.7 µg(2.79–11.8) for Cs, 94.6 µg (60.6–201) for I, 1.90 g (1.25–3.54)for K, 1.13 mg (0.78–2.97) for Sr, 0.76 µg (0.45–1.66) forTh, 15.9 mg (10.2–34.3) for Fe, 56.3 µg (27.6–105.3) forSe and 8.6 mg (5.1–16.7) for Zn. Some of the important individual foodmaterials, such as cereals, pulses, milk, vegetables etc., were also analysedfor these elements to observe the contributions of the individual food materialsto their daily dietary intake. The results of the analysis showed that inthe case of Cs, K, Sr, Th, Fe, Zn and Co, almost 50% of the daily dietaryintake of the above stated elements is contributed by cereals and pulses.In the case of Ca however, significant amount is contributed by milk and incase of I, iodised salt could make significant contribution. The data collectedso far, for Se and Cr, was not sufficient to draw any definite conclusion.     

Daily dietary selenium intake of selected Brazilian population groups

Due to its essential characteristics, the daily dietary selenium intake of individuals should be monitored accurately. In the current work, daily selenium intake of different Brazilian population groups based on duplicate portion diet analysis was evaluated and compared with the new estimated average requirement values (EAR), to assess if selenium deficiency or excess could be observed in these groups. Selenium content was determined by neutron activation analysis (NAA). The average daily dietary selenium intake found was 26.3 (±8.3) ·g/day for children from the city of São Paulo, 37.4 (±16.0) ·g/day for children from Belém, 107 (±107) ·g/day for children from Macapá, 28.4 (±7.5) ·g/day for institutionalized elderly, 32 (±6) ·g/day for non-institutionalized elderly and 37 (±17) ·g/day for university students from São Paulo. Most daily dietary selenium intake range observed were below the EAR values. The values obtained for children groups from Belém and Macapá cities, whose intake levels were much higher than the recommendation, were an exception.     

Daily dietary intake of elements of nutritional and radiological importance by adult Koreans

A one day representative mixed diet of an adult Korean was collectedfrom the data based on the food intake of 108 healthy subjects between theages 20 and 50. Sampling for the Korean total diet was carried out by usinga market basket study based on the Korean standard food consumption schemereported by the Korean Nutrition Society. Average consumption frequency ofdifferent food items for a one day representative mixed diet of an adult Koreanand the amount of each item to prepare a one day Korean representative totaldiet are surveyed. The analytical methods involve both instrumental and radiochemicalneutron activation techniques developed for the determination of the elementsCs, I, Sr, Th and U in various kinds of food samples. Concentrations of traceelements including 5 important elements for radiological protection, U, Th,Cs, Sr and I in the Korean total diet and the 4 most frequently consumed Koreanfoodstuffs have been analyzed by neutron activation analysis. Detection limitsfor U, Th, Sr and I were improved to ppb levels by radiochemical separationafter neutron irradiation. Five biological NIST reference materials were alsoanalyzed for quality control of the analysis. Seventeen trace elements inthe Korean total diet and four Korean representative foodstuffs were alsoanalyzed quantitatively by instrumental neutron activation analysis.     

Determination and speciation of minor and trace elements in volcanic exhalations by NAA

Volcanic gases in the temperature range from 269° to 635° were sampled by means of a filter combination, consisting of two activated charcoal filters, a cooler and a condensate trap. Samples of the steam plume were taken additionally to quantify the depletion of the elements after condensation and dilution by the atmosphere. The elements F, Cl, Br, I, As, Sb, Se, Te and Hg were determined by instrumental and radiochemical NAA. The data obtained are compared to literature values and the total amount released is estimated. The concentrations in the condensate are compared to the amounts on the filters, enabling the identification of some of the compounds present in the gases. Objects of the investigation were Stromboli and Vulcano in Southern Italy.     

Determination of minor and trace elements in Turkish diet by duplicate portion technique

The minor and trace element content of diet samples from two different social population groups were determined. Samples were prepared by duplicate portion technique by colecting everything 16 subjects ate and drank during a 3-day period. Samples were homogenized, freeze-dried and elemental concentrations of Br, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, K, Na, Rb, Sc, Se and Zn were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. Elemental concentrations and daily dietary intake of the elements were compared with the diets of other nations.     

Determination of major,minor and trace elements in Iraqi vegetable samples by INAA

Our aim was to discover a method of separating zirconium(IV) and uranium(VI) from solutions. It is known that Zr(IV) and U(VI) are effectively extracted by tertiary amines from weak acidic sulfate solutions but the possibility of extraction decreases with increasing acidity. The transition from tertiary amine to primary amine Primene JMT enables the extraction of Zr also from more acidic solution. If both Zr and U are present in an aqueous solution, Zr is extracted preferentially and only the free part of the amine can convert uranium to an extract. The separation described below was carried out by preferentially stripping zirconium from the organic phase. The application of nitrate solution (2M HNO₃) to eliminate Zr from the solvent was tested. This method does not demand any special regeneration of the extraction agent and the amine nitrate, formed in the organic phase, can be used for further extraction of Zr without modification. Using this method of separation, a solution for producing pure ZrOCl₂·8H₂O was obtained.     

Determination of minor and trace elements in silicate rocks by inductively-coupled plasma emission spectrometry

Samples (0.5 g) are decomposed with mixed acids in a sealed teflon vessel. After suitable treatment, barium, cobalt, chromium, copper, lithium, nickel, scandium. strontium, vanadium and zirconium are determined sequentially. The method is satisfactory for a variety of standard silicate materials.     

Level of some minor and trace elements in Bangladeshi meat products

An investigation on the level of some minor and trace elements in some varieties of meat (beef, mutton and chicken) consumed in Bangladesh is reported. In this study, protoninduced X-ray emission (PIXE) and radioisotope-induced X-ray fluorescence (XRF) techniques were used for analytical measurements. In PIXE measurements, the samples were exposed to the proton beam in air as 1 mm thick pellets and irradiated with 2.0 MeV protons having the beam intensity of 30 nA for characteristic X-ray excitation, whereas in XRF, the samples were excited for 5000 seconds with a 10 mCi¹⁰⁹Cd annular X-ray source. The elemental concentrations of Ca, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb and Sr were determined in the samples by comparison with X-ray yield curves constructed from IAEA and NBS standard reference materials. The significance of the results is dicussed in relation to human health and diseases.This research received financial support from the International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, under the research contract RC-4265/RB.     

Determination of trace and minor elements in Mexican cigarette wrapping paper

The concentration of 14 elements in cigarette wrapping papers used in manufacturing 21 different Mexican cigarette brands was measured using instrumental thermal neutron activation analysis. These elements are As, Ba, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, K, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sr, Th and Zn. The concentration of the elements was compared with the reported concentration in similar studies for elemental content in Pakistani, American, Chinese, Egyptian, Jordanian and Iranian cigarette wrapping papers.     

The status of trace and minor elements in some Bangladeshi foodstuffs

An investigation is conducted on the status of trace and minor elements in some foodstuffs (cereals, vegetables, milk, egg and fish), commonly consumed in Bangladesh, using proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and radioisotope-induced X-ray fluorescence (XRF) techniques. In PIXE measurements, the samples were irradiated in air with 2.0 MeV (energy on the target) protons having the beam intensity of 30 nA for characteristic X-ray excitation, while in XRF analysis, the samples were excited for 5000 seconds with a 10 mCi Cd-109 annular X-ray source. The elemental concentration of K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, As, Br, Rb, Sr, Mo, and Pb were determined in the samples by comparison with X-ray yield curves constructed from IAEA and NBS standard reference materials. The validity of the analytical procedures (PIXE and XRF) followed in this study has been confirmed by comparative measurements of Cu, Zn and Mn in some varieties of rice with atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results indicate that none of the food regimes investigated here is burdened with heavy metals beyond permissible limits except five species of vegetables with chromium having the range of 0.99–3.59 mg/kg compared to the literature value of 0.0–0.36 mg/kg (dry weight basis). An average value of 0.2 mg/kg of arsenic was observed both in IRRI (n=16) and local Aman (n=12) varieties of rice and only one hen egg contained 1.7 mg/kg of lead in yolk. The zinc content in some marine fish from Bay of Bengal was reported to be 5.4–19.5 mg/kg, whereas in the present study of sweet-water fish, the level is found to be 15.2–62.1 mg/kg (fresh weight basis) for five species. In human milk, both Cu (0.12–0.25 mg/l, n=8) and Zn (0.28–1.80 mg/l, n=8) levels appear to be almost half the literature values (n=25). On the other hand formula milk has higher values of Cu (0.32–1.63 mg/kg, n=16) and Zn (5.16–19.8 mg/kg, n=16).     

Distribution of trace and minor elements in hungarian spice paprika plants

Detailed investigations were carried out to study the distribution of trace and minor elements in different parts (fruit, seed and rib, peduncle, stem, leaf, root) of ripe Hungarian spice paprika plants. Two varieties of paprika plants were analyzed for their Cl, Co, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, Sc, V and Zn content by non-destructive neutron activation analysis. The results showed that the iron contents of the samples were much higher than those of the other trace elements. For the trace elements Co, Fe, Mn, Sc, V and Zn a considerable enrichment was observed in the leaf, while the Rb and K, Na, Mg showed accumulation mainly in the peduncle. In the other parts (fruit, seed and rib, stem) of the paprika plants no significant enrichment of trace elements was found. Since some of the elements investigated may have been partially eluted during the cleaning of the roots with distilled water and, on the other hand, if the cleaning was not intensive enough, some soil particles could be retained on the samples, the data obtained for the roots should be considered with precaution.     

Neutron activation analysis of 13 minor and trace elements in geological samples

A scheme of analysis for the determination of Na, Mn, U, Th, Hf, Sc, La, Ce, Eu, Tb, Co, Rb and Cs in geological samples using the neutron activation technique has been described. The results obtained in this work on eight geological standard rocks and a trachyte are presented and compared with literature data.     

Selected minor and trace elements from water bodies of western Paraguay

Minor and trace elements composition of bottom sediments from water bodies in Western Paraguay have been investigated by XRF techniques to determine their correlation as well as provenance. The analysis of complex spectra was performed by the AXIL software and the quantitative analysis by the QAES software. Analyzed trace elements were the refractory elements Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Zr, y and other HFSE as Cr, Ni, Cu, together with Zn. Minor elements were Ti, Mn, Fe which are often to the above refractories related. According to their normalized spidergrams two sets of sediments can be differentiated. Those from Pilcomayo and Verde rivers as well as from km164-Wetland show light rare earth elements (LREE) enrichment, negative Nb and Ti anomalies and no spike at Zr. On the other hand, sediments from Confuso, Aguaray(Jehe), Negro and Montelindo rivers have spidergrams very alike, with strong negative anomalies at Nb, Nd and Ti whereas a positive at Zr. Further, in the former there is a strong correlation of Fe versus the refractory elements; such a correlation does not exist in the latter. The sediments from the Pilcomayo & Verde Rivers and from the km164-Wetland evolved as the sub-Andean/Andean metamorphic/sedimentary materials.     

Distribution of minor and trace elements among some Italian chondritic meteorites

The cobalt, nickel, zinc, selenium, rubidium and cesium content was determined in eight Italian chondritic meteorites by destructive neutron activation analysis. The chemical procedure involves only a few steps: sample dissolution, radiochemical separation of the elements on inorganic adsorbers (copper grains and zinc ferrocyanide) and on Dowex 2×8 anionic resin. Element contents are reported and discussed. Precision and accuracy of the analytical method are given as well. Results and average class values are compared with existing values in the literature. Possible correlations between pairs of elements (Co−Ni, Zn−Se and Rb−Cs) in the examined chondrites were investigated and discussed.     

The status of trace and minor elements in pulses: A PIXE measurement

The proton particle induced X-ray emission (proton PIXE) technique has been employed to study the heavy element status (essential and toxic) in five different varieties of pulses commonly cultivated and consumed in Bangladesh. In this analysis, the samples were irradiated in air with 2 MeV protons having 30 nA beam intensity for characteristic X-ray excitation. For 40 μC irradiations, the concentration of ten elements (K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, and Rb) was determined by comparison with a calibration obtained from the NBS orchard leaf standard, SRM 1571. In a comparative study with atomic absorption spectrophotometric (AAS) measurements of some elements in lathyrus sativus, the data were found to be in good agreement. The results obtained from the present study are discussed and compared with available data.     

Simultaneous determination of major,minor and trace elements in biocarbonates by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A method was developed for simultaneous determination of major (Ca), minor (Mg and Sr) and trace (Ba and U) elements in biocarbonates by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The method precision (RSD%) is 0.73% for Ca, 0.77% for Mg, 0.59% for Sr, 2.02% for Ba, 1.13% for U, 0.67% for Mg/Ca, 0.27% for Sr/Ca, 2.06% for Ba/Ca and 1.23% for U/Ca. The ratio precision suggests that ICP-MS is satisfactory for obtaining multi-ratio data from biocarbonates. This technique was applied to 67 continuous coral samples.     

Concentrations and distributions of trace and minor elements in Chinese and Canadian coals and ashes

A total of 35 trace and minor elements including some of environmental significance were determined in each of a selection of 15 Chinese and 6 Canadian thermal coals and their ashes by using the SLOWPOKE-2 nuclear reactor facility of the University of Toronto. The concentrations and distributions of these constituents among the coals and their combustion products (viz. ash and volatile matter) are presented together with an interpretation of their significance in relation to the large scale combustion of these coals as thermal fuels in industrialized countries such as China and Canada. The detailed results showed wide variations in trace impurity concentrations (up to a factor of 100 and more) among the coals studied with few large differences between those of Chinese and Canadian origin except that the rare earths, Sc, Th, U, I, and Se were much higher in the former, other halogens, As and Na were lower. Values for elemental enrichment factors (EF) relative to normal crustal abundances indicated that only As(EF=13), Br(5.7), I(16), S(230), Sb(11) and Se(320) were appreciably enriched in coal. During static ashing at 750°C most of the halogens, S and Se were volatilized whereas most other inorganic constituents were highly retained and concentrated in the ash by factors of 6 to 11.     

Characterization of a potato reference material for major, minor and trace elements

Summary A potato reference material (RM) was prepared for the analytical quality control program to be employed by the Sub-network on Trace Elements in Food of the FAO European Co-operative Network on Trace Elements. Approximately 50 kg of commercially available potato granules prepared from baked, mashed and roller-dried potatoes, containing 2.8% ash and 3 mg/kg added butylhydroxyanisole was purchased. The granules were carefully homogenised in large glass cylinders followed by division into 50 g portions into numbered acid-washed bottles. The bottled material was tested for homogeneity by taking ten bottles throughout the bottling line and determining by validated atomic absorption spectrometric methods 1.0 g samples for seven mineral elements. Homogeneity for Mg, Ca, Zn, Fe, Mo, Ni and Cd was better than 5%. An international network on experienced, high-quality reference laboratories was established to conduct an interlaboratory comparison study on the determination of 14 mineral elements in the RM. A total of seven methods based on independent analytical principles were employed by the reference laboratories. After excluding outlying analytical results, the criteria defined by the IAEA were used for classification of the overall medians obtained through the interlaboratory comparison study. The relative standard deviations for the 95% confidence limits of the medians were as follows: P=4.2%, K=0.7%, Na=4.7%, Ca=5.5%, Mg=2.4%, Fe=9.3%, Mn=4.0%, Zn=3.6%, Cu=4.7%, Mo=23%, Ni=22%, Cr=19%, Pb=11% and Cd=4.6%. With the exception of Cr, all of the recommended concentration values obtained for the above indicated elements fell into category A, i.e. values recommended with a high degree of confidence according to the classification criteria of the IAEA. The present RM is the only certified potato RM currently available for mineral elements.

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Charakterisierung eines Kartoffel-Referenzmaterials für Haupt-, Neben- und Spurenelemente

     

Ion-exchange separation and atomic-absorption determination of fifteen major, minor and trace elements in silicates

A scheme of ion-exchange separation of fifteen elements (major, minor and trace) determined mainly by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry (Ti by colorimetry) is applied to rock, mineral and ceramic analysis. Mn, Cu, Co, Fe and Zn are separated on an anion-exchanger and Li, Na, K, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ti, Al, Ni and Ba on a cation-exchanger. The method has been tested by analysis of a synthetic mixture of the fifteen ions in the ratios in common rock samples, and of various international standards (100-mg samples).     

Simultaneous determination of major, minor and trace elements in airborne particulates by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy

Summary A method for the simultaneous multi-element determination of major, minor and trace elements in airborne particulates by ICP-AES was proposed based on multi-acid digestion. The methods for sample decomposition under high and ambient pressure were compared using a mixture of nitric, perchloric and hydrofluoric acids. The ambient pressure technique was finally adopted. Spectral interferences were taken into account and corrected. A recovery study was conducted for most of the elements, and a good agreement was obtained with the certified values of NBS SRM 1648 urban particulate materials using the recommended method.

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Simultanbestimmung von Haupt-, Neben- und Spurenbestandteilen in atmosphärischen Teilchen durch ICP-AES

Zusammenfassung Das Verfahren beruht auf dem Aufschluß mit einem Säuregemisch (Salpeter-, Perchlor-, Flußsäure) bei normalem Druck. Ein Druckaufschluß wurde ebenfalls geprüft, war jedoch weniger geeignet. Störungen wurden durch Korrekturen berücksichtigt. Im Vergleich mit einem Standard-Referenzmaterial wurde befriedigende Übereinstimmung erzielt.