Research on Neutron Activation Analysis of Biological Samples, Coals and High Purity Materials

Abstract

In the first study, the analytical conditions for the determination of platinum in biological samples by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) were optimized. The distributions of platinum and selenium in organs of rats treated with cisplatin and sodium selenite were determined. In the second study, selenium in soybean originating from Japan, China, Formosa, Burma, Brazil, Argentina and U.S.A. was determined by INAA. The γ-ray spectrometry was three counting methods, two conventional countings for 75Se and 77mSe, and a coincidence counting for 75Se. Concentration of selenium in analyzed soybean ranged from 5200 ppb. In the third study, the contents of about 50 elements in very bitter edible plants and the less bitter edible plants were determined by INAA. Especially, the contents of Al, Mg, Mn, K, Co, Cr, Fe and Te in very bitter edible plants were higher than in the less bitter edible plants. In the fourth study, distributions of 54 elements in coal samples were determined by INAA. In the fifth and sixth study, uranium and thorium in a high purity silica and an aluminium were analyzed by radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA) with anion exchange chromatography and coprecipitation of LaF3. The lower limit for the determination of uranium or thorium was found to be on the ppt level. In the seventh study, ultra-trace amounts of uranium and thorium in high purity silica, aluminium, copper and niobium oxides were determined by RNAA using the Japan Materials Testing Reactor (JMTR).