Determination of iodine in biological materials by epithermal neutron activation analysis

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6726362

Lutz, G J

Epithermal neutron activation analysis (ENAA) has been used for the rapid, reliable nondestructive determination of iodine in foods and other biological materials. Samples are encapsulated in boron nitride containers with wall thickness of several millimeters. The boron serves to substantially absorb thermal neutrons but allows epithermal neutrons to activate the sample. Iodine is an attractive element to determine by ENAA as it exhibits substantial neutron capture resonances in the epithermal region, enhancing the productivity of the neutron capture reaction of iodine relative to that of interfering elements such as sodium, potassium, manganese, chlorine, and bromine. Most of the irradiations were conducted with the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) research reactor. The boron nitride container had walls of approx.5-ml thickness and enclosed a polyethylene snap cap vial of 1.4 ml (0.4 drams). Irradiations were limited to a time of 4 s at a reactor power level of 20 MW because of the large amount of heat generated via the reaction /sup 6/Li(n,..cap alpha..)/sup 3/H. The sensitivity for the iodine determination has been evaluated for a 105-ml Ge(Li) detector and a 70-ml well Ge(Li) detector using four different NBS standard reference materials. Results are given.

• Research Organization: National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC
• OSTI ID: 6726362
• Report Number(s): CONF-861102-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States) Journal Volume: 53
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400101* -- Activation
Nuclear Reaction
Radiometric & Radiochemical Procedures
ACTIVATION ANALYSIS
ALKALI METALS
BARYONS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BROMINE
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHLORINE
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
EPITHERMAL NEUTRONS
FERMIONS
FOOD
GE SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS
HADRONS
HALOGENS
IODINE
IRRADIATION
LI-DRIFTED DETECTORS
LI-DRIFTED GE DETECTORS
MANGANESE
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MEDICINE
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEUTRON CAPTURE THERAPY
NEUTRON THERAPY
NEUTRONS
NONMETALS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
NUCLEONS
POTASSIUM
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIOLOGY
RADIOTHERAPY
SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS
SENSITIVITY
SODIUM
THERAPY
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
US DOC
US NBS
US ORGANIZATIONS