Charged-particle activation analysis of biological material

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Nuclear Physics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Charged-particle activation analysis (CPAA) is valuable for trace element determination in biological matrices.
• It complements neutron activation analysis (NAA) by detecting elements like Li, B, Al, Si, V, Cr, Ni, Cd, Sn, Tl, and Pb.
• Proton activation has been applied to vegetal and human samples, but faces challenges like sample heating and range calculation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the potential of CPAA for trace element analysis in biological materials.
• To address challenges in CPAA, such as sample heating and the need for known sample composition.
• To explore the use of internal standards and standard additions for improved accuracy.

Main Methods:

• Proton activation analysis (PAA) was employed.
• Testing was conducted on a diverse range of reference materials.
• An internal standard and standard additions procedure was investigated as an alternative approach.

Main Results:

• PAA demonstrated accurate determination of numerous trace elements in biological reference materials.
• The method proved effective even when using a purely instrumental approach.
• The findings support the application of PAA in the certification of reference materials.

Conclusions:

• CPAA is a viable technique for trace element analysis in biological samples, offering advantages over NAA for specific elements.
• Addressing challenges like sample heating and composition determination is crucial for optimal results.
• The independence of nuclear methods from chemical properties makes PAA suitable for reference material certification.