These recommendations are a vocabulary of basic radioanalytical terms which are relevant to radioanalysis, nuclear analysis and related techniques. Radioanalytical methods consider all nuclear-related techniques for the characterization of materials where 'characterization' refers to compositional (in terms of the identity and quantity of specified elements, nuclides, and their chemical species) and structural (in terms of location, dislocation, etc. of specified elements, nuclides, and their species) analyses, involving nuclear processes (nuclear reactions, nuclear radiations, etc.), nuclear techniques (reactors, accelerators, radiation detectors, etc.), and nuclear effects (hyperfine interactions, etc.). In the present compilation, basic radioanalytical terms are included which are relevant to radioanalysis, nuclear analysis and related techniques.

As a safer alternative for the use of radioactive tracers, the enriched stable 58Fe isotope has been introduced in studies of iron metabolism. In this study this isotope is measured with instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) in blood samples of patients with iron related disorders and controls after oral ingestion of a 58Fe containing pharmaceutical. Results were compared with those derived from MC-ICP-MS, applied on the same samples, and analytical and practical aspects of the two techniques were compared. Both techniques showed an increased absorption and incorporation in red blood cells of the 58Fe isotope in iron deficient patients in contrast to the controls. In all individuals results of INAA measurements were in good agreement with those of MC-ICP-MS ( |zeta| < 2 ). Uncertainties in INAA are substantially higher than those achievable by MC-ICP-MS but the INAA technique offers a high specificity and selectivity for iron close to 100%. In contrast to INAA, sample preparation before measurement is very critical in MC-ICP-MS and interferences with 58Ni and 54Cr may hamper the measurement of 58Fe and 54Fe respectively. Since it takes at least five days after irradiation to reduce the activity of interfering radionuclides (mainly 24Na), INAA is a more time consuming procedure; the need of a nuclear reactor facility makes it also less accessible than MC-ICP-MS. Costs are comparable. Both INAA and MC-ICP-MS are able to adequately measure changes in iron isotope composition in blood when an enriched stable iron isotope is applied in clinical research. Although MC-ICP-MS is more sensitive, is faster and has easier access, in INAA preparative steps before measurement are simpler and there are hardly demands on the kind and size of the samples. This may be relevant working with biomaterials in a clinical setting.

The neutron irradiation of molybdenum hexacarbonyl has been systematically studied to identify possible improvements for the production of molybdenum-99. After
irradiation, the targets were dissolved in dichloromethane, and Szilard-Chalmers liquid-liquid extraction was carried out with aqueous extractants.
The effects of the irradiation time, the aqueous phase composition and the irradiated mass were studied with a focus on the chemistry involved. Stable extraction
yields of 20% were obtained with enrichment decreasing with target decomposition. Improved enrichment requires decreased decomposition.

Accurate assessments of the iron (Fe) intake from food is mandatory for mass balance studies. The reliability of such assessments is strongly dependent on the representativeness of the analytical test portion and, as such, the quality of the homogenization of the double portions collected. Large sample Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) circumvents these problems as the entire double portions can be analysed without homogenization.
Fe was measured both in approximately 1 kg freeze-dried food as well as in moist products. A (commercially available) porridge fine wheat grain was used as a reference sample (assumed to be homogeneous in the Fe content). The amount of iron in the fine wheat grain was also measured using small sample INAA. The moisture content of the fresh food did not cause any problem during the irradiation such radiolysis and excessive gas formation due to low radiation dose during the irradiation. The results obtained for the moist sample were statistically equivalent to those found for the dried sample ( 73.1± 4, 74± 3 mg/kg respectively, zeta (ζ ) score = 0.18) . The applicability of LS-NAA was further illustrated by measurement of Fe in commercially available microwave meals which was found to be 30±2 mg/kg. Large Sample INAA is a novel and attractive approach for measurement of element content of the dietary intake by the double portion technique collected during 5-7 day in mass balance experiments. Similarly, it can be directly applied without sample preparation for the analysis of faeces collected in such studies.

Iron deficiency anaemia is a major health problem worldwide, but may be complicated in underdeveloped nations by deficiencies of other micronutrients with consequences for adequate treatment. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 2 billion people – over 30% of the world’s population – are anaemic, approximately 50% of cases of anaemia are considered to be due to iron deficiency. Aim: Since a combined deficiency of trace elements has great consequences in the approach of this problem, zinc status was assessed in blood of iron deficient anaemic patients in Sudan representing sub-Saharan Africa and compared with Dutch anaemic patients representing Western Europe. Method: Zinc as well as iron were measured with instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) in 22 Sudanese anaemic patients and four controls as well as in 17 Dutch anaemic patients and four controls. Result: In the Sudanese patients very low concentrations of zinc were measured, 3 ± 1 mg/L compared to a control group of healthy individuals (5 ± 1 mg/L), while all Dutch patients had normal zinc levels (5 ± 1 mg/L). When matched for haemoglobin level, the Sudanese patients still showed lower zinc concentrations. Even in the Sudanese patients without a known history of malnutrition and in patients with the anaemia of chronic disease zinc levels were significantly lower than in the controls. A positive correlation was observed between Fe and Zn in blood of the Sudanese subjects (r=0.654), while there is no or a very week relation between Fe and Zn in blood of the Dutch group (r=0.08). The low level of Fe and Zn for the Sudanese group might be ascribed to the poor intake of these two nutrients with the main dietary food (cereals) in this area. Conclusion: In iron deficiency anaemia in Sudanese patients, a deficiency of zinc should be taken into account in case of supplementation.

A crucial part of any chemical analysis is the degree of representativeness of the measurand(s) in the test portion for the same measurands in the object, originally collected for investigation. Such an object usually may have either to be homogenized and sub-sampled, or digested/dissolved. Any of these steps introduce sampling errors, risk of contamination or loss of the measurand(s). Neutron (and photon) activation analysis and prompt gamma analysis have the capabilities of analyzing large objects or samples without the need of any pre-treatment, i.e., intact 'as received', with masses varying from tens of grams to tens of kilograms, and with any type of (irregular) shape. The basic concept of neutron activation analysis and prompt gamma analysis are shortly revisited and the scope of application of the large sample analysis with these technique are elaborated on with an outlook for use in forensic studies, including the analysis of medicinal products and drugs of abuse.

The quality of dog diets depends on adequate ingredients capable of providing optimal nutrition and free of contaminants, for promoting long-term health. Trace elements in 95 samples of dry food for dog puppies (n = 32) and adults (n = 63) of various brands were measured using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The mass fractions of most elements were within the permissible limits for dogs. Aluminum, antimony, and uranium presented fairly high levels in some samples, which may imply health risks. Aluminum mass fractions ranged from <21 to 11,900 mg/kg, in same brand, super-premium dog food. Antimony mass fractions ranged up to 5.14 mg/kg, with the highest values measured in six samples of dog food from the same producer. The mass fractions of uranium was found up to 4 mg/kg in commercial brands from five different producers.

This study examines the potential to use instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) to explore temporal and geographical variation in exposure to heavy metals and other selected elements in common kestrel Falco tinnunculus using feathers from a natural history collection. The study gathered samples of two breast feathers from each of 16 adult male kestrel specimens from Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, collected in The Netherlands between 1901 and 2001. Feather samples were analysed for more than 50 elements, using INAA at the Reactor Institute Delft. Results (in mg/kg dw) were transformed into ratios of milligram of element per millimetre of feather length. The distribution of the mass fractions and ratios was plotted for each element against time and by geographical area. Observed mass fractions and/or ratios are discussed for selected elements (Hg, Cd, Zn, Pt, Pd, Se, Al, Rb, As, Sb, Cr, V, Cl, Br) known to have, at certain concentrations, adverse effects on raptors. Some samples show mass fractions of certain elements (Cr, Cd, Se, As) above levels known to have adverse effects. We conclude that the analysis of museum feathers using INAA provides reference values for concentrations of selected elements, including those of high societal concern such as Hg and Cd, against which to assess concentrations of these elements in feathers of present-day living raptor populations.

Three multi-element techniques employed for analysis of lichen transplants deployed at sites in Romania with strongly differing exposure to air pollutants were compared with respect to precision and determination limits for 54 elements. The results obtained for Evernia prunastri (unexposed and 6 months’ exposure at three sites) are presented here. The techniques were energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis (EDXRF), sector-field inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS), and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). From an assessment of the data the EDXRF values were preferred for 3 elements (Ni, Cu, Pb), ICPMS for 18 elements (B, Mg, P, Ga, Rb, Sr, Y, Mo, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Cs, Ba, Pr, Hg, Tl, Bi), and INAA for 23 elements (Na, Al, Cl, Ti, Cr, Co, Se, Br, I, La, Ce, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Yb, Lu, Hf, Ta, W, Au, Th, U). For the remaining 10 elements (S, K, Ca, Sc, V, Mn, Fe, Zn, As, Sb) two or all three techniques gave results of similar quality. In spite of good performance relative to certified reference materials the ICPMS data for some elements were systematic low relative to corresponding data from INAA and EDXRF, presumably because the samples contained mineral matter not dissolved in the nitric acid dissolution for ICPMS.

Commerecially available pulse generators for use in γ-ray spectroscopy to correct for dead-time and pile-up losses share the problem that the fall-time of the output pulses does not match the fall-time of the detector pulse. Upon pulse shaping in the main amplifier the pulser's signals result in a considerable undershoot fo the amplifier's output signal, which cannot be restored by the P/Z network. As a result, peaks in the γ-ray spectrum are broadened. Moreover, amplitude stability of the generators is often poorer than the overall gain stability of the spectrometer. To overcome these problems a special pulse generator has been developed at the Interfaculty Reactor Institute, which simulates Ge-detector signals. It generates pulses with a constant frequency of 25 Hz using a crystal oscillator controlled mercury relay. The stability of the generator's amplitude and frequency is extremely high and the peak-shapes in the γ-ray spectrum are not distorted.