Determination of manganese in tissues by neutron activation analysis using an antimony pentoxide column

A rapid and accurate method is presented for the determination of manganese in biological samples, using neutron activation analysis. Biological samples were irradiated at 5000 kW for 30 min. The samples were ashed on a hot plate with 14 mol/l HNO3 and 6 mol/l HClO4, and resolved in 1 mol/l HClO4. 24Na and 24K were removed by passing each sample through in antimony pentoxide column. 54Mn was added as a tracer to calculate the ratio of manganese recovered by the separation procedure. Recovery was over 90%. This method was applied in order to determine manganese in various tissues. In the cervical spinal cord of the controls, the mean manganese concentrations in the anterior horn, the lateral and the posterior columns were 1.14, 1.06 and 0.90 ng/mg of dried tissue, respectively. In two cases if amyotrophic lateral sclerosis the manganese concentrations in the cervical spinal cord were elevated, particularly in the anterior horn and the lateral column.