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Updated: Mar 27, 2026
An Anaerobic Biosensor Assay for the Detection of Mercury and Cadmium
Published on: December 17, 2018
Development of a (170)Tm source for mercury monitoring studies in humans using XRF
K Phanisree Timmaraju1, Bibi Najah Fajurally1, Andrea F Armstrong1
1Department of Medical Physics & Applied Radiation Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1.
Abstract:
The goals of the present study were to develop a (170)Tm radioisotope and generate a K XRF spectrum of mercury. Thulium foil and thulium oxide powder were both tested for impurities and the latter was found to be a better prospect for further studies. The (170)Tm radioisotope was developed from thulium oxide powder following the method of disolution and absorption. A suitable source holder and collimator were also designed based on Monte Carlo simulations. Using the radioisotope thus developed, a mercury XRF spectrum was successfully generated.
