Induced X-ray Emission Method Research Articles

TRACE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF TROPICAL WOODS USING PARTICLE INDUCED X–RAY EMISSION (PIXE) METHODS FROM WESTERN NIGERIA

Trace element investigation and its corresponding concentration level in selected tropical woods from western Nigeria was done using PIXE-particle induced X-ray emission methods. Fifteen selected tropical woods were analyzed and twenty-seventrace elements were identified and quantified. The identified trace elements are Na,Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Ba, Pb and Bi. Calcium concentration were2835, 3195, 4923, 5608, 7770, 5110, 2743, 5092 and 3451ppm in samples 2, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15, respectively. Potassium recorded2838, 4811, 3184, and 2021ppm in samples 1, 3, 8 and 9, respectively. Silicon recorded5206ppm for sample 4 and 5253ppm for sample 7. Calcium and potassium were observed to have concentration level that is greater than 1000ppm in all the studied samples, hence it can be said that calcium and potassium are major trace element of wood. The concentrations of the elements identified have no immediate health concern on environment and human, therefore the studied tropical woodssafe for use as fuel and other purposes.

Investigation on major, minor and trace elements in some medicinal plants using Particle Induced X-ray Emission

Elemental concentrations namely P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Rb, Br and Sr were determined using Particle Induced X-ray Emission method in leaves and flowers of medicinal plants namely flowers of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, leaves and flowers of Annona reticulata, leaves of holy basil and leaves of Psidium guajava. No toxic elements were detected in these samples. The method was validated by analyzing the reference materials namely IAEA RM V-10 and NIST SRM 1632a. The main objective of this study is to provide a good source of elemental concentration data for Ayurvedic medicine dosage.

Using the PIXE method to evaluate the characteristics of aerosols in Kumamoto City, Southwestern Japan, from March 2004 to March 2007

Recently, atmospheric particles, including Asian dust, have attracted considerable attention because of their potential effects on the environment and human health. From March to May, a huge volume of Asian dust is whipped up over China and carried to Japan by the westerly winds. In this study, we analyzed the elemental compositions of 72 aerosol samples collected biweekly in Kumamoto City from March 2004 to March 2007, to investigate the characteristics of Asian dust. The mass concentrations of the aerosol in Asian dust events were 1.5 times higher than non-Asian dust events. The concentrations of elements were determined by the Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) method. Concentrations of Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Ti, Mg and K in Asian dust events were 2.3, 2.0, 2.0, 1.6, 1.6, 1.5 and 1.4 times higher than those in non-Asian dust events, respectively. These elements are considered indicators of a soil-derived fraction. The concentrations of the soil-derived fraction were calculated, assuming that the Al concentration in the soils is 7%. The predicted mean concentration of the soil-derived fraction in Asian dust events (16.92 μg·m−3) was twice that in non-Asian dust events (8.39 μg·m−3). Moreover, in Asian dust events, the soil-derived fraction was the main component in aerosols and accounted for 43% of the total aerosol mass.

PIXE in the studies of stable cesium sorption from water solutions

The possibility of cesium content evaluation by the particle induced X-ray emission method from X-ray emission L-shell at sorption from water solutions has been investigated. Consideration has been given to the processes of dynamic cesium sorption by zeolites from water solutions. The technique has been developed for preparing targets analyzable in the proton beam of energy up to 2.0 MeV. The relationship has been determined between the cesium content and the intensity of X-ray emission L-shell. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Determination of the density of silicon–nitride thin films by ion-beam analytical techniques (RBS, PIXE, STIM)

This work presents the investigation of some commercially available and commonly used Si3N4 foils prepared with LPCVD technique. The density and the stoichiometry of these films were determined by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and profilometry, while the study of impurities was achieved with particle induced X-ray emission method. It was found that the density of the studied Si3N4 films is significantly less (~2.71 g cm−3), while the stoichiometry is close to the values of the bulk material. The results were verified by measuring the ion energy loss through the films by scanning transmission ion microscopy.

GEOPHYSICAL AND LABORATORY STUDIES OF THE SPREAD AND QUALITY OF THE ODUKPANI LIMESTONE DEPOSIT

The Odukpani limestone deposit has been investigated using geophysical and laboratory techniques with the aim of generating information on its spread and quality. Information generated from the analyses of twenty-six Vertical Electrical Soundings (VES) and core drilling data were used in the study. The VES data were acquired in both grid and random patterns in the immediate area of the limestone mineralisation and the adjoining areas using the Schlumberger array was adopted in acquiring the VES data in both grid and random patterns in the limestone mineralized and the adjoining areas. Cored limestone samples were analysed using the Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) method in order to determine their elemental composition and consequently quality. Both manual and computer modeling techniques were used in modeling the VES. Results show that the limestones have limited spread and have high concentration of Ca (11,200%) and K (302,400%). Mean electrical resistivity of the limestone horizon is 405 Ωm which is suggestive of a limestone deposit that is not pure but contaminated with Fe (8,620%), shaly and other contaminants. The limestone deposit is limited in both vertical and lateral extents. Thus the deposit will not favor any large scale mining operation and equipment deployed for its exploitation must be corrosion resistant type.

Honey Bee tissues as a biomarker for Environmental pollution with heavy metals.

The purpose of this study is to verify the importance of the body surface and tissues of foraginghoney bee Apis mellifera as bioaccumulator of heavy metals that can therefore, be included inbiomonitoring programmes of heavy metals in terrestrial ecosystems. The presence of fiverepresentative heavy metals (copper, zinc, cadmium, lead and iron) was investigated in honeybee tissues (mid gut, hind gut and fat body), body surface and wings using proton induced X-rayemission method. X-ray spectrums of mid gut and fat body of forager bees demonstrated smallpeaks for Cd, Pb, Fe and Ni compared to the control. Moreover, slightly larger peaks for Cu andZn were noticed in the X-ray spectrums of whole honey bee mid gut, hind gut and fat body thanthose of the control. Forager honey bee body surface showed small peaks for Cu and Pbcompared to the control. Similarly, small peaks for Cd, Pb and Ni were noticed in the X-rayspectrums of wings and hind gut of the forager honey bee compared to control.

Influence of Vanadium–organic Ligands Treatment on Selected Metal Levels in Kidneys of STZ Rats

The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of five organic vanadium complexes supplement and a small dose of insulin injection on V, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Ca, and K level in the streptozotocin diabetic rat’s kidney during a 5-week treatment with the tested complexes. In all groups of animals, metal level in the lyophilized kidney organs was investigated by means of the proton induced X-ray emission method. Tissue vanadium level was naturally higher in vanadium-treated rats. The maximum level of vanadium was observed in the kidney ( {x_{text mean}} =16.6 upmu mathrm{g}/left. mathrm{g} right) . The influence of vanadium administration on other metal level in rat’s tissue was also investigated. Spectacular influence of vanadium action was observed on copper and zinc level in examined tissue.

Particle-Induced X-ray Emission Analysis of Elements in Plasma from Wild and Captive Sea Turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata, Chelonia mydas, and Caretta caretta) in Okinawa, Japan

The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of direct determination of trace and major element concentrations in plasma samples from wild (six hawksbill, nine green, and nine loggerhead) and captive sea turtles (25 howksbill, five green, and three loggerhead) in Okinawa, Japan. The particle induced X-ray emission method allowed detection of 23 trace and major elements (Al, As, Br, Ca, Cl, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, P, Pb, S, Se, Si, Sr, Ti, Y, and Zn). The wild sea turtles were found to have high concentrations of As and Pb in plasma compared with captive, but there were no significant changes in the Al and Hg concentrations. Loggerhead sea turtles were found to have significantly higher accumulation of As and Pb in plasma in comparison to other species. These findings may be useful when adjusting environmental and species-related factors in severely polluted marine ecosystems. Our results indicate that measuring the plasma As and Pb concentrations in wild sea turtles might be of help to assess the level of pollution in marine ecosystems, keeping in mind that loggerhead sea turtles had been shown to have higher levels of As and Pb in plasma.

HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT OF ARSENIC AND OTHER HEAVY METALS FROM VEGETABLES GROWN IN BANGLISH VILLAGE, BANGLADESH

Intake of heavy metals from contaminated agricultural products represents a significant pathway for human exposure. Banglish village in the Comilla district is one of the most devastated arsenic (As) contaminated areas in Bangladesh. This study focus whether As is solely responsible for causing arsenicosis or whether some other heavy metals have a synergistic effect on the toxicity of As . The study sampled various leafy and non-leafy vegetables and groundwaters were analyzed by using the Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) method. The results revealed that both the vegetables and the groundwater were highly contaminated with As and lead (Pb) , although the contents in the vegetables and the groundwater varied depending on species and tube wells. As and Pb concentrations in the edible part of all tested vegetables and in groundwater exceeded the permissible intake levels of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The findings inferred that the inhabitants of the study area are experiencing health risks resulting from the intake of As and Pb , and that Pb might have a synergistic role with As by aggravating the arsenicosis. The potential health risks due to Pb is being reported for the first time in Bangladesh.

INFLUENCE OF DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS ON ARSENIC ACCUMULATION IN HUMAN POPULATION: CASES OF TWO ARSENIC AFFECTED VILLAGES IN BANGLADESH

This study was conducted to investigate the relationships between arsenic ( As ) levels in human hair and demographic factors on As accumulation in humans. Hair samples of 619 subjects (383 females and 236 males), including 390 confirmed arsenicosis patients, 11 fish and six vegetable samples were analyzed using the Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) method. The results revealed that As in hair accumulates in different patterns for males and females in accordance with age. Within patient groups, male patients accumulated higher amounts of As than female patients. For all individuals, middle aged females accumulated higher As amounts in hair than children, adolescents and females over 50 years old, while children, adolescents and males over 50 accumulated higher amounts of As than middle aged males in both villages. Surprisingly, high levels of As concentrations were found in hair samples of those living near safe drinking water in both villages, irrespective of age and sex. There were weak positive correlations between hair As levels and groundwater As levels in both villages. Furthermore, toxic levels of As were found in different kinds of food products. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that As accumulation in hair is dependent not only on water contamination, but also on food contamination.

Removal of Ni2+from aqueous solution by blast furnace sludge as an adsorbent

The blast furnace sludge (BFS), by-product and waste material of steelmaking industry was utilized as an adsorbent for Ni2+ ions removal from aqueous solution. Chemical and mineralogical composition of BFS was examined by Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) methods. The structural properties of BFS were characterized using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) methods. Batch experiments were conducted to evaluate the adsorption performance. The equilibrium adsorption level was determined to be a function of the solution concentration and temperature. Two simple kinetic models, pseudo-first and second-order, were used to investigate the adsorption mechanisms. The pseudo-second-order reaction kinetics provides the best correlation with the experimental data. The equilibrium data were analyzed using the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The characteristic parameters for each isotherm were found. The results obtained from Freundlich's isotherm are sl...

ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS OF ATMOSPHERIC PARTICLES COLLECTED ON POLYTETRAFLUOROETYLENE (PTFE) FILTER USING IN-AIR HELIUM ION INDUCED X-RAY EMISSION METHOD

In order to confirm the availability of an in-air Helium ion induced X-ray emission method for multi-elemental analysis of polytetrafluoroetylene (PTFE) filter sample containing atmospheric particles, NIST urban particulate matter (SRM 1648) collected on PTFE filter using a special small chamber was analyzed by an in-air PIXE method with Helium ions and a proton beam. In addition, we analyzed 10 elements, mixing a standard solution with different concentrations to confirm detection sensitivity of characteristic X-ray peaks. As a result, it is suggested that 1) elements that are lighter than Zn and Pb can be satisfactorily measured using the in-air Helium ion induced X-ray emission method if the amount contained in the filter sample is at least 0.1 mg/L, i.e., 15 ng/cm2, 2) the in-air Helium ion induced X-ray emission method is useful as a method for quantitatively analyzing the light elements such as Mg , Al , Si , S and Cl that are important for identifying the behavior and characteristics of atmospheric particles from the PTFE filter sample containing atmospheric particles, and 3) in the case of the PTFE filter sample containing atmospheric particles, it is possible to measure elements from Mg to Pb by means of analysis using Helium ions and protons.

Investigation of sulfate and nitrate formation on mineral dust particles by receptor modeling

The formation of sulfate and nitrate by heterogeneous reactions of gaseous precursors on mineral dust particles was investigated using positive matrix factorization (PMF) of coarse PM 10 (particulate diameters from 2.2 to 10 μm) collected at urban (Hanoi) and rural (Lucnam) sites in northern Vietnam. Air samples were analyzed for ionic and elemental components using ion chromatography and proton induced X-ray emission methods. PMF revealed six similar sources/types of coarse PM 10 at the two sites, namely soil dust containing nitrate and sulfate, coal fly ash from distant and local sources, soil dust containing organic matter and ammonium sulfate and marine aerosol. Traffic (road) dust was found only at the urban site. From the PMF factor models, the yields of NO 3 - , SO 4 2 - and NH 4 + can be estimated and their possible chemical forms in different particulate types can be suggested. The yields of nitrate and sulfate formation on mineral dust particles increase with the [Ca]/[Si] ratio, which is greater in soil dust than in coal fly ash. Nitrate is bound to Ca-richest soil dust particles. Ammonium was found in dust particles containing soil organic matter, which also hold the largest amount of sulfate. The comparison of urban and rural receptor models provided synergy for the source identification and insights into the properties of mineral dust particles relevant to their interactions with acidic gases in ambient air.

Studies of crystal orientation and calcium distribution in trabecular bone

These studies were focused on the relation between the orientation of crystallites, calcium concentrations and the stress distributions within human vertebral bodies. The elemental composition was measured using the proton induced X-ray emission method in combination with a proton microprobe (micro-PIXE) while the orientation of the hydroxyapatite crystals was extracted from the X-ray diffraction spectra acquired during the synchrotron microprobe irradiation (micro-XRD). To calculate the distribution of stresses the finite element (FE) method was applied. The distributions of Ca concentrations indicate that the irradiated samples differ slightly in the degree of mineralization. The micro-XRD data confirmed that c-axes of the hydroxyapatite crystallites are preferentially oriented ((40–80)% of the crystals are textured). The comparison of the micro-XRD data and the results of the FE calculations proved the hypothesis that the preferential orientation of crystals reflects the mechanical loading of the structure.

STUDY OF ELEMENTAL CONCENTRATION AND DISTRIBUTION IN HUMAN FEMORAL HEAD BY PIXE AND SRXRF

In order to explore the distribution and the loss way of inorganic substances in bone and to provide scientific basis for prevention and therapy of osteoporosis, Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) method is used for the determination of elemental concentration in femoral head from five autopsies and seven patients with femoral neck broken, and Synchrotron Radiation X-ray Fluorescence (SRXRF) microprobe analysis technique is used to scan a slice of the femoral head from its periphery to its center, via cartilage, compact and spongy zones. The results show that the concentrations of P , Ca , Fe , Cu , Sr in a control group are higher than those in a patient group, but the concentrations of S , K , Zn , Mn are not significantly different. The quantitative computerized tomography of elemental distribution, such as Ca , P , K , Fe , Zn , Sr and Pb in bone slice tissue including cartilage, substantial compact and substantial spongy, is investigated. Combined with the correlations between P , K , Zn , Sr and Ca , the loss way of minerals and the physiological functions of some metal elements in bone are also discussed.

A comparison analysis of chemical composition of aerosols in the dust and non-dust periods in Beijing

Dust events occurred frequently in Beijing in recent years. In this work, 120 aerosol samples were collected in two typical dust events (21–22 March and 15 May) and a non-dust period in Beijing from March to May 2001. Samples were analyzed for major elemental components by the Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) method. Results show that the enrichment factors of crustal elements such as Mg, Al, and Ti had little differences between the dust period and the non-dust period in Beijing, while the enrichment factors of other elements that have a relation to anthropogenic emissions were very low during the dust period. The results derived by using multivariate factor analysis from the observation data show that the sources such as soil dust, industry, and fuel combustion were among the major contributors to the particles in Beijing.

Study of color centers induced by PIXE irradiation

The particle induced X-ray emission method is perfectly adapted to the study, by external beam, of art objects (like paintings) and allows non-destructive analysis of the atomic composition of the target. However, a strange phenomenon occurs during irradiation on some pigments: dark brownish stains appear, and this could be due to the formation of color centers. In fact, these darkening spots progressively fade out and disappear after a few weeks. Heat and UV light accelerate the decreasing process. The aim of this study is to understand the physical processes of the stain creation and to find a way to make stains disappear, avoiding any damage for the painting.

Analysis of a rare-earth sample, Didym by ion chromatography/neutron activation analysis and isotachophoresis/particle induced X-ray emission method.

希土類元素の発見史において, 当時単元素と考えられていたジジム (Didym) はBraunerにより現在のPr, Ndに分離され原子量が測定されている (1882年). 本研究では, 実際の分離過程で使用された酸化物試料中の希土類元素の組成を二つの結合分析法を用いて分析した. 中性子放射化分析法 (NAA) では, 40μgの試料で四つの元素が測定されたのに対して, イオンクロマトグラフ分離 (IC) を組み合わせたIC/NAAを用いた分析では, 100μgのジジムを分析したとき, 0.004重量%のYbなど13種の希土類元素を定量することが可能であった. 一方, 等速電気泳動分離/粒子励起X線分析法 (ITP/PIXE) では12種の希土類元素が定量できた. 二つの結合分析法による測定結果はよく一致しており, セル石 (Cerite) から分離されたジジムには, CeはほとんどなかったがLaが多量に含まれており, 今回分析した試料はLaを分離する前の試料と推察された.

Distribution of Chemical Elements of Iron-Gall Ink Writing Studied by the PIXE Method

The chemical element profiles of iron-gall ink writing before and after water treatment and deacidification were determined. A 17th century manuscript of rag paper was used in the study. The chemical elemental analysis was performed non-destructively by the Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) method. The concentration profiles of 15 elements ranging from Na to Pb were measured with the precision of 0.3 mm. Quantitative composition of ink and paper was determined and the elemental concentration changes due to the aqueous treatments were traced by PIXE. It is considered that the method can be developed and could help conservators in a decision making process.