Elemental Analysis of Air Suspended Particles in Rasht City Using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis

Instrumental neutron activation analysis （INAA） has turned out to be particularly useful in the analysis of suspended particles. This work describes the INAA characterization of air particulate matter collected in Rasht city, Iran. The particulate matter was collected in two sampling sites for elemental analysis in the period of winter-summer 2009. Samples have been transferred to the environmental laboratory of radiation applications research school. Neutron exposures were performed in Tehran Research Reactor, and measurements were carried out using HPGe detectors coupled to gamma ray spectrometer. In these filter samples, the elements, AI, As, Ba, Br, Ca, CI, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, La, Mg, Mn, Na, Sb, Sc, Ti, V and Zn were determined using different irradiation and counting protocols. Results show that mean concentration of most air-pollutants in Rasht are lower than those measured in other cities in Iran （Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan）. Collected data were also compared with reported results for other cities in the world.

Assessment of Minor and Trace Elements in Aquatic Macrophytes, Soils and Bottom Sediments Collected along Different Water Objects in the Black Sea Coastal Zone by Using Neutron Activation Analysis

The levels and compartmentalization of Na, Mg, Al, Cl, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Mo, Sb, I, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Sm, Eu, Tb, Hf, Ta, Au, Th, and U in Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud., Carex conescens L. and Cladophora sericea (Hudson) Kutzing from the Caucasian coast of the Black Sea-Anapa recreational region was investigated by Neutron Activation Analysis. The study touches upon subject of the sediment-to-plant and root-to-leaf elemental transfer as well as of the influence of anthropogenic pollution on wetland ecosystems in zone of resort. The content of the majority of considered elements was found higher in the belowground organs of P. australis than in the aboveground tissues while a reverse regularity was evidenced for C. conescens. The levels of elements decrease from bottom sediments to aquatic plants with the notable exception of the halogens Cl, Br and I that presented 5 to 100 fold higher content in plants than in sediments. The increased levels of As, Mo, and Sb in some soil and sediment samples most probably indicate the anthropogenic pollution. It recommends them for a continuous monitoring of the same area.

Determination of Major, Minor and Trace Element Compositions of the Gd₂O₂S:Pr,Ce Scintillation Ceramics with Neutron Activation Analysis

Neutron activation analysis technique of the Gd2O2S:М scintillation ceramics was developed. The concentrations of 15 trace, minor and major elements (As, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Eu, Fe, La, Sc, Tb, Zn, Zr, Pr, Gd, Na) have been measured with the instrumental neutron activation analysis of the Gd2O2S:Pr sample. The concentrations range of the determined elements is from 3 × 10-8 to 2.0% in mass. The determination limit of the elements was calculated to be (0.6 - 1.3 × 10-8% in mass).

Measurement of trace element content in bone samples using long-lived neutron activation products and high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry

A nondestructive instrumental neutron activation analysis with high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry of long-lived radionuclides was developed and used for measurement of trace element contents in samples of bone to determine health and diseases. Using this method, the silver(Ag), cobalt(Co), chromium(Cr), iron(Fe), mercury(Hg), rubidium(Rb), antimony(Sb), selenium(Se), and zinc(Zn) mass fractions were estimated in bone samples from 27 patients with intact bone(12 females and 15 males, aged from 16 to 49 years) who had died from various non-bone-related causes, mainly unexpected traumas,and from 5 patients with chondroma(2 females and 3males, 15–42 years old), obtained from open biopsies or after operation. The reliability of the differences in the results between intact bone and bone affected by chondroma was evaluated by a parametric Student's t test and a nonparametric Mann–Whitney U test. It was found that in the bone affected by chondroma, the mean mass fractions of Co, Cr, Fe, Se, Sb, and Zn were significantly higher than in normal bone tissues. In the neoplastic bone, many correlations between trace elements found in the control group were no longer evident. This work revealed that there is asignificant disturbance of the trace element metabolism in bone affected by chondroma.

REE and Other Trace Element Chemistry of Oldhamite(CaS)in the Qingzhen Chondrite(EH3)and Their Genetic Implications

Instrumental neutron activation analysis(INAA) of 14 single oldhamite grains separated from the Qingzhen chondrite (EH3) for refractory(La,Ce,Sm ,Eu,Yb,Lu,Ca,Sc,Hf, and Th),volatile (Na,Cr,Zn,Se,Br,etc.)and siderophile elements (Fe,Ni,Co,Ir,Au ,and As) revealed that oldhamite is highly rich in refractory elements.The mineral serves as the principal carrier of REE and contains about 80% of the REEs in the Qingzhen enstatite chondrite .Furthermore, the large enrichment of LREE relative to HREE is noticed in oldhamite from the Qingzhen .In general, the oldhamite from metal-sulfide assemblages is richer in REE than that from the matrix,i.e.,the earlier the oldhamite grains condensed, the richer they are in REE. Meanwhile.oldhamite is also rich in vol-atile elements such as Se,Br, etc.In terms of the distribution of trace elements in oldhamitc from the Qingzhen ,the chondrite is srggested to have resulted from high-temperature condensation of solar nebula.

INVESTIGATION ON TRACE ELEMENTS IN CRUDE OILS AND ORGANIC MATERIALS EXTRACTED FROM OIL-FORMING SOURCE ROCKS IN CHINA WITH INAA

A combination of Soxhlet extraction, column chromatography and INAA with GC and GC- MS was used in this work for the study of the abundance patterns of 36 trace elements and their correlation in nearly 100 samples of crude oil and organic materials extracted from oil- forming source rocks from 10 main Chinese oilfields. The low V/Ni ratios of 0.01 to 0.3 state the oil- forming continent environment. The geochemical significance hinted from other trace element abundances is also briefly discussed.

Neutron Activation Analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy of Phytoplankton in the Coastal Zone of Crimea (The Black Sea)

The physiology and ecology of planktonic organisms are influenced by the concentration, chemical speciation and resulting bioavailability of some trace metals. The determination of the elemental structure of phytoplankton is important for interpretation of physiological and functional states of coastal ecosystems. The present study is focused on the structure and elemental composition of the phytoplankton assemblages from the different coastal zones by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS). For the first time these complementary techniques were simultaneously applied to study the Black Sea phytoplankton. The concentrations of 45 elements in the coastal phytoplankton communities used as bioindicator of inorganic contamination of the Black Sea coastal area near Sevastopol, Ukraine, were determined. Phytoplankton samples were collected by total tows of the plankton net with 35 μm pore size at 3 stations situated in polluted and relatively pristine water areas of the Sevastopol coastal zone during autumn period of the phytoplankton growth. The concentration of Mg, Al, Sc, Ti, V, Mn, As, Rb, Ba, Th and Fe, Cr increases exponentially from relatively pristine station to more polluted station and 10-times and 3-times greater, respectively, in the phytoplankton of the Sevastopol Bay. The rare-earth elements have relatively the same concentration values less than 1 μg/g and tend to accumulate in the phytoplankton from the polluted station in the Sevastopol Bay. The obtained results are in a good agreement with the elemental concentration data in the oceanic plankton, plankton communities from the White Sea and the Black Sea. Using energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry the mineral particles of unknown origin and impurities of copper (0.42% by weight) in the phytoplankton at the polluted station and zinc (0.57% by weight) at the relatively pristine station were determined.

Study on the Fuzzy Cluster Analysis of the Trace Elements in Chinese Ancient Ceramics

In the archaeology of the ceramics, the determination of the place of production is important for the research of the establishment, development, changes and interrelations of the ancient ceramics kilns, and is also important in determining whether the ancient ceramics is genuine or not. Some scientists have determined the contents of more than 20 trace elements in some ancient ceramics with the neutron activation method. According to their experimental results, the characteristics of the places of production shown in the distributive regularity of the contents of trace element in ancient ceramics have also

Trace Element Levels in Prostate Gland as Carcinoma’s Markers

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in the prostatic levels of trace elements in the malignant human prostate. Methods: Contents of 43 trace elements in normal (N, n = 37), benign hypertrophic (BPH, n = 32) and cancerous (PCa, n = 60) prostate were investigated. Measurements were performed using instrumental neutron activation analysis and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Results: The mass fractions of all trace elements with the exception of La, Nb, and Yb show significant variations in cancerous prostate when compared with normal and BPH prostate. The contents of Co, Hg, Rb, Sc, Se, and Zn were significantly lower and those of Ag, Al, Au, B, Be, Bi, Br, Ce, Cr, Cs, Dy, Er, Gd, Ho, Li, Mn, Mo, Nd, Ni, Pb, Pr, Sb, Sm, Sn, Tb, Th, Ti, Tl, Tm, U, Y, Yb, and Zr were significantly higher in PCa than in BPH tissues. When trace elements of cancerous prostate were compared with those in normal prostatic parenchyma, contents of Cd, Rb, Sc, Se, and Zn were significantly lower and Ag, Al, Au, B, Be, Bi, Br, Ce, Cr, Dy, Er, Fe, Gd, Hg, Ho, Li, Mn, Nd, Ni, Pr, Sb, Sm, Sn, Tb, Th, Tl, Y, and Zr were significantly higher. Conclusion: The Ag, Al, B, Br, Li, Mn, Ni, and Zn mass fraction in a needle-biopsy core can be used as the informative indicators for distinguishing malignant from benign prostate. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of these tests were in range 72% - 100%, 66% - 100%, and 74% - 98%, respectively.

Comparison of 66 chemical element contents in normal and benign hyperplastic prostate

Objective:The aim of this study was to clarify the differences between the prostatic levels of chemical elements in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH)and healthy male.Methods:We evaluated the prostatic level of 66 chemical elements in 43 patients with BPH and 37 healthy males.Measurements were performed using five instrumental analytical methods.Results:In the hyperplastic prostates,we have observed a significant increase in the mean level of Bi,Cr,Hg,K,Sb,and Se accompanied a significant decrease in the mean level of Al,Ce,Cs,Dy,Er,Gd,Ho,La,Mo,Nd,Pb,Pr,Sm,Sn,Tb,Tm,U,and Y.No differences were found in the mean prostatic level of other chemical elements including Ag,Al,Au,B,Ba,Be,Br,Ca,Cd,Co,Cu,Fe,Li,Mg,Mn,Na,Nb,Ni,P,Rb,S,Sc,Si,Th,Ti,Tl,Yb,Zn,and Zr between BPH patients and healthy males.Conclusions:The finding of chemical element contents and correlation between pairs of chemical element mass fractions indicates that there is a great disturbance of prostatic chemical element metabolism in BPH gland.Trace elements Bi,Cr,Hg,K,Sb,and Se may be regarded as the possible tissue biomarkers of hyperplastic transformation of prostate gland.Obtained data did not confirm a critical role of Cd and Pb accumulation in the pathogenesis of BPH.A potential age-related Zn,Fe,and Se deficiency in the prostate tissue has not been found as being involved in the etiology of BPH.

High Resolution Element Records in the LatePleistocene Xifeng Loess Profile

Eighty-one samples were selected from the Late Pleistocene Xifeng loess profile and analyzed for their element abundances using instrumental neutron activation analysis, and for 10Be using the AMS method. The results show that the variations of element abundance and 10Be with depth are similar to those of δ18O in DSDP, and may be considered as an indicator of climatic and environmental changes.

稀土超量积累植物铁芒萁中稀土元素的赋存状态

从稀土矿区和非矿区采集的稀土超量积累植物铁芒萁的叶片分离成醚溶物、水溶物、碱溶物和残余物四个组分。用中子活化分析测定了其中稀土元素的含量 ,发现稀土元素主要存在于残余物 (果胶、半纤维素、纤维素 )中 ,而主要成份为蛋白的碱溶物中稀土含量维持较低水平 ,从而避免了大量稀土对植物正常生理功能造成影响。矿区幼叶醚溶物 (脂肪、色素、蜡等 )和碱溶物中稀土含量明显高于矿区和非矿区的成熟叶片 ,表明稀土元素很可能参与了植物的生理活动。

北京市场10种膳食鱼微量元素的中子活化分析

微量元素对人体健康起着至关重要的作用。而各种食品中微量元素的含量将是人体摄入和吸收的主要来源。本工作采用仪器中子活化分析技术研究了北京市场中人们经常食用的10种鱼肉(草鱼、鲤鱼、鲫鱼、武昌鱼、罗非鱼、鲈鱼、带鱼、黄鱼、三文鱼、鳕鱼)中的As、Br、Ca、K、La、Co、Cs、Eu、Fe、Hg、Rb、Na、Se和Zn元素。结果表明,不同种类鱼肉中的元素含量不同,海水鱼毒性元素含量高于淡水鱼。与国家标准相比较,As在鲈鱼和海水鱼中均超标,而Hg只有在鳕鱼中超标。从人们对鱼的日膳食量的初步估算,毒性元素的摄入量不会超标,也不会对人们的健康产生影响。

山西省煤矿样中微量元素的含量分布

一 引言 煤中含有多种微量元素,其中有一些是易对环境造成危害的元素。过去,人们只重视煤中有机排放物的研究,而忽视了无机物对人体健康的影响。近年来,已经意识到燃煤泄入环境中微量元素的积累势必留下严重的后果,因此,对煤中微量元素的有关研究已提到环境保护科研工作的日程上。

中子活化法研究砷中毒病区人发中微量元素的分布

应用中子活化分析法测定了地方性砷中毒病区病人头发中23种微量元素的质量分数,并与北京健康人发中微量元素的质量分数进行了比较。结果表明:As,Fe,REE,Ba,Br,Sb在重病患者发中的质量分数最高,轻病患者次之,正常人最低;而Se,Ca在健康人发中的质量分数最高。用t检验方法比较这三组之间人发中微量元素的差异,发现上述元素在三组中,人发之间均存在明显差异(P<0 05或P<0 001)。并且头发中As质量分数越高,病人病情越严重。Fe,REE和Ba等微量元素可能加重砷的中毒,而Se,Ca和Co可能拮抗砷的毒性。

人发中微量元素与某些呼吸系统疾病关系的研究

用仪器中子活化法测定了正常人和慢性支气管炎、肺气肿、肺心病患者头发中Ｃａ、Ｍｇ、Ｆｅ、Ｓｅ、Ｃｕ、Ｚｎ等１９种元素的含量。测得患者发中Ｃａ、Ｍｇ含量低于正常人，Ｆｅ、Ａｓ、Ｃｏ等含量高于正常人；慢性支气管炎急发期患者发中Ｃａ、Ｍｇ含量低于缓解期患者，Ｆｅ含量高于缓解期患者，均有显著性差异（Ｐ＜０．０５—０．０１）。人发Ｃａ与Ｍｇ呈高度正相关（Ｐ＜０．００１）．还测定了用于治疗慢性支气管炎的中药“咳喘得平”中的无机元素含量，并与１２０味中药中无机元素含量平均值比较，其中Ｃａ、Ｍｇ、Ｓｒ等元素含量高于平均值。提示慢性支气管炎等呼吸系统疾病患者缺少Ｃａ、Ｍｇ等元素。

用中子活化分析法研究25种元素在人体肝脏亚细胞组分中的分布

采用差速离心分离技术与中子活化分析法(NAA)相结合的方法分析了人肝25种元素,并用标准参考物保证结果的准确性.分析结果表明,大多数元素在各亚细胞组分中并非均匀分布.As、Au、Co、I、Mg、Mo、Sb、Sc在细胞核和线粒体浓度最高.Al、As、Au、Ba、Fe、I、La、Mg、Mn、Sb、Se在胞液中浓度最低,生物体内主要以离子形式存在的Br、Cl、K、Na则在胞液中浓度最高.值得注意的是,As在细胞核中大量聚集,是其它组分的2～4倍;而La与Fe则在微粒体中富集.

西峰晚更新世黄土剖面高分辨元素记录

利用仪器中子活化分析方法（ＩＮＡＡ）对西峰晚更新世黄土剖面８１个样品进行了测定，获取了３０个元素高分辨深度变化曲线，并与￣１０Ｂｅ变化曲线进行了对比研究，表明了一些元素与￣１０Ｂｅ相类似，也具有与深海沉积物δ￣１８Ｏ变化相关的深度变化规律，因而可作为气候环境变迁标志。

南极GRV 98003和其它3个铁陨石的化学组成及分类

用仪器中子活化测定了从南极回收的GRV98003铁陨石和乌珠穆沁铁陨石Cr,Co,Ni,Cu,Ga,Ge,As,Sb,W,Re,Ir,Pt及Au的浓度。根据化学组成,重新对这两个未分群的铁陨石进行了分类工作,其中将GRV98003铁陨石划分为IAB群,乌珠穆沁铁陨石划分为与IAB群相关的单独铁陨石。GRV98003铁陨石的元素丰度模式、元素对相关性(如NiAu,CoAu,AsAu,WAu,CuAu,SbAu)等与NWA468铁陨石(IAB)相似,但前者具有明显的难熔亲铁元素(Re,Ir)和中等挥发性元素(Ga,Ge)的贫化。此外,本文还对南丹铁陨石(IIICD)和邕宁铁陨石(IA)的化学群重新进行了讨论,提出将前者划分为IAB复合群的主群,而将后者划分为与IAB复合群相关的单独铁陨石的新观点。

人发中20种痕量元素的中子活化分析

探讨了用反应堆中子活化分析 (NAA)同时测定人发中20种痕量元素的方法 ,其中包括部分测试难度较大的镧系、锕系元素 ;方法的检出限为10-6～10-14g ,相对标准偏差 (RSD ,n=11)<10 %,选用美国国家标准局推荐的标准物质 (NBS_SRN)进行对照 ,取得了满意的结果。