Determination of aluminum levels in serum and red blood cells from long-term haemodialysis patients using instrumental neutron activation analysis

Abstract

Aluminum levels of serum and red blood cell (RBC) were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) in 15 patients undergoing long-term haemodialysis. In the sample, aluminum was bombarded with thermal neutrons due to 27Al(n,γ)28Al and was determined by measuring 1779 keV gamma-ray of 28Al (T 1/2 = 2.24 min) with a HPGe detector. Phosphorus, causing an important interference by the fast neutron reaction, 31P(n,α)28Al, was determined by the photometric method to correct the net-area under the 28Al gamma-peak. The one-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to control the normality distribution of the aluminum levels in serum and RBC. The results obtained were found to be in agreement with the serum aluminum determination performed by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The statistical results show a correlation between the aluminum levels of serum and RBC.