Analysis of 10B by PIGE with factor analytical gamma-ray peak identification

Studying the biodistribution of boronated compounds for B neutron capture therapy (BNCT) requires the accurate detection of low levels of boron (10B) in biological samples. Proton induced gamma-ray emission analysis (PIGE) of 10B was found to be viable in a study of low density lipoprotein (LDL), in tissue and blood samples. However, the method is sensitive to Na present in the samples and can therefore not be used for accurate measurements of 10B concentrations below 5 ppm in samples containing Na. PIGE can be considered to be an appropriate reference method for chemical B analysis. The factor analytical method presented here is the most objective way to separate Na and B peaks from each other, and the factorizing method can be applied in different forms of spectral analysis.