P. Stegnar

Some trace elements in the waters, marine organisms and sediments of the Adriatic by neutron activation analysis

A number of investigations of trace elements in the waters, organisms and sediments of the Adriatic, using neutron activation analysis with radiochemical, separations are reported. These include studies of Hg in mussels from the Northern Adriatic, of Hg and Se in edible animals from the Rijeka region, and of seven elements (As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Mn, Se and Zn) in marine invertebrates from the Slovene coast. Additionally, plankton, sediment cores and water samples were taken from a grid of stations covering the whole Adriatic and analyzed for 6 to 11 of the trace elements As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Sb and Zn (Hg only in water). Generally, levels found were not indicative of pollution as compared with oceanic samples, but some evidence of locally increased levels was found, especially for Hg. The levels of eleven trace elements in three marine Intercomparison samples prepared by the IAEA Monaco Laboratory are also presented.

k0-NAA quality assessment by analysis of different certified reference materials using the KAYZERO/SOLCOI software

A suite of natural matrix reference materials (RMs) were used to assess the quality of analytical results obtained by k0-instrumental neutron activation analysis (k0-INAA) at the Jožef Stefan Institute (IJS). Five certified reference materials (CRMs) from the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM), two standard reference materials (SRMs) from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), three RMs from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and one RM from IJS were analyzed. Altogether, results for twenty-four elements in inorganic matrices and twenty-nine elements in organic matrices, obtained by k0-INAA, were compared to certified values. Results obtained show good agreement with certified or assigned values except for Fe, La, Nd, Sm and U in inorganic matrices, and Ag, Al and Cr in organic matrices.

Mercury, methyl-mercury and selenium in scalp hair of inhabitants from Mediterranean areas

Abstract In this article the concentrations of Hg, MeHg and Se in scalp hair of persons from different geographical areas with different dietary habits, determined by the use of cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS), radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA) and gas chromatography (GC), are described.

The Occurrence of Mercury in Amphibia

Studies have been made of the distribution of mercury and its occurrence as methylmercury in the organs of amphibia collected from different sites mainly in Slovenia, Yugoslavia, including the area around the mercury mine at Idrija. Liver accumulates the highest amounts of mercury, up to 2 ppm in apparent background areas, with values up to 0.5 ppm in muscle, where virtually all mercury is present in the methyl form. Results are reported for some other trace elements in liver. Amphibia may provide useful monitors of the occurrence and spread of mercury contamination.

Extsangle : an extension of the efficiency conversion program solang to sources with a diameter larger than that of the Ge-detector

AbstractThe computer program SOLANG, originally developed by MOENS et al. for the efficiency conversion via effective solid angles (Ω), is extended in this work to cylindrical sources with a diameter larger than that of the Ge-detector. New program, named EXTSANGLE, is experimentally checked in our three laboratories. For the most unfavourable case from the standpoint of the accuracy of

Multielement analysis of NIST proposed SRM 1547 Peach Leaves

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Radiochemical separation of the trace elements As, Mo, Sb and Se from some biological standard reference materials

(bulky source counted at the top of detector), discrepancies were below 7% in the whole range of gamma-energies considered (88–1115 keV), with an average of 3–4%. EXTSANGLE is extensive and flexible with respect to the data input, storage and output, thus contributing to the automation of a gamma-spectrometry laboratory dealing, for instance, with the k0-NAA and/or environmental radioactivity monitoring.

Mercury levels in dental surgeries and dental personnel in Slovenia

The nonideality of the epithermal neutron flux distribution at a reactor site can be described by a 1/E1+α spectrum representation, with parameter α being a measure of the nonideality. α-values were determined in 3 typical irradiation positions of the TRIGA MARK II reactor of the “Jozef Stefan” Institute, Ljubljana, Yugoslavia, using the “Cd-ratio for multi-monitor” method. The simpler “Cd-ratio for dual monitor” method (monitors:197Au−94Zr) also yielded reliable results. This characterisation is of use in the k0-method of NAA, which is recently introduced at the Institute.