Volume 2, Issue 2

Original research papers

Neutron and
Heavy Ion Radiations

NEUTRON ACTIVATION TECHNIQUE: A RELIABLE TOOL TO DETERMINE THE MINERAL COMPOSITION IN AGRO-INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS

Maria Ângela de B. C. Menezes, Ana Clara Oliveira Pelaes, Paula Maria Borges de Salles, Wellington Ferrari da Silva, Rodrigo Reis de Moura, Igor Felipe Silva Moura, Radojko Jaćimović

Pages: 124-128

DOI: 10.21175/RadJ.2017.02.026

Received: 13 FEB 2017, Received revised: 27 APR 2017, Accepted: 2 JUL 2017, Published online: 28 OCT 2017

Mineral composition analysis in agro industrial products is necessary for several reasons, such as the determination of nutritious value, assessment of product quality, detection of adulteration, compliance with legal and labelling requirements, food forensic, research and development. It is important to enhance that a variety of toxic elements in food has been increasing as a consequence of new agricultural practices, industrial development, and environmental pollution. For that, analytical techniques are expected to play a crucial role on chemical elemental concentration determination. In this paper, the neutron activation technique was applied by means of k0-standardized method. This method uses neutron flux monitors, spectral parameters of the nuclear reactor, gamma system counter absolutely calibrated and k0 constants and not standards of chemical elements, as in relative method. Several agro-industrial samples and one soil sample were analysed using the 100 kW TRIGA Mark I research reactor. Therefore, the objective of this paper was to show the versatility and the efficiency of this technique on multielemental concentration determination in diversified matrices, showing that several chemical elements were determined with a large range of elemental concentration. Reference materials were also analysed and evaluated statistically, pointing out the reliability of the technique.
  1. W. Wardencki et al., “Instrumental techniques used for assessment of food quality,” in Proceedings of ECOpole, 2009, pp. 273-279.
    Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265307501_Instrumental_techniques_used_for_
    assessment_of_food_quality

    Retrieved on: Feb. 2, 2017.
  2. J. Davídek, “Food Quality and Assurance,” in Food Quality and Standards, vol. 2, R. Lasztity, Ed., Paris, France: EOLSS Publishers, 2009, pp. 1-25.
    Retrieved from: https://www.eolss.net/Sample-Chapters/C10/E5-08-03-00.pdf
    Retrieved on: Jan. 20, 2017.
  3. L. H. Jomaa et al., “Development of a standardized measure to assess food quality: a proof of concept,” Nutrition Journal, vol. 15, no. 1, p. 96, Nov. 2016.
    DOI: 10.1186/s12937-016-0215-4
    PMid: 27829438
    PMCid: PMC5103403
  4. L. E. Rodriguez-Saona and M. E. Allendorf, “Use of FTIR for rapid authentication and detection of adulteration of food,” Annu. Rev. Food Sci. Technol., vol. 2, pp. 467–483, 2011.
    DOI: 10.1146/annurev-food-022510-133750
    PMid: 22129392
  5. D. R. Abernethy et al., “Metal impurities in food and drugs,” Pharmaceutical Research, vol. 27, no. 5, pp. 750-755, May 2010.
    DOI: 10.1007/s11095-010-0080-3
    PMid: 20217462
  6. J. M. Perkel,Does this taste funny? The Technologies of Food Forensics,” Science, vol. 332, no. 6037, pp. 1582-1584, Jun, 2011.
    DOI: 10.1126/ science.332.6037.1582
  7. M. de la Guardia, S. Garrigues, Handbook of Mineral Elements in Food, Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2015.
    DOI: 10.1002/9781118654316
  8. H. Gallardo et al., “Possibilities of low-power X-ray fluorescence spectrometry methods for rapid multielemental analysis and imaging of vegetal foodstuffs,” Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, vol. 50, pp. 1–9, Apr, 2016.
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfca.2016.04.007
  9. A. L. de Oliveira et al., “Elemental contents in exotic Brazilian tropical fruits evaluated by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence,” Sci. Agric. (Piracicaba, Braz.), vol. 63, no. 1, pp. 82-84, Jan-Feb. 2006.
    DOI: 10.1590/S0103-90162006000100013
  10. M. Waziri et al., “Elemental composition of ‘Dalang’: A food condiment from evaporated extract of Borassus aethiopum fruit ash,” Am. J. Food. Nutr, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 123-125, 2011.
    DOI: 10.5251/ajfn.2011.1.3.123.125
  11. 11. Y. F. Huang et al.,Evaluation of essential and toxic elements concentrations in different parts of buckwheat,” Czech J. Food Sci., vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 249–255, 2013.
    Retrieved from: http://www.agriculturejournals.cz/publicFiles/92401.pdf
    Retrieved on: Feb. 3, 2017.
  12. E. P. Nardi et al., “The use of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for the determination of toxic and essential elements in different types of food samples,” Food Chemistry, vol. 112, no. 3, pp.727-732, Feb. 2009.
    DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.06.010
  13. D. K. Adotey et al., “Essential elements content in core vegetables grown and consumed in Ghana by instrumental neutron activation analysis,” African Journal of Food Science, vol. 3, no. 9, pp. 243-249, Sep. 2009.
  14. M. Bounakhla et al., “Instrumental neutron activation analysis for essential and toxic elements in Kenitra city (Morocco) foods,” J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., vol. 282, no. 1, pp. 145-150, Sep. 2009.
    DOI: 10.1007/s10967-009-0364-4
  15. D. De Soete, R. Gijbels, J. Hoste, Neutron Activation Analysis, New York (NY), USA: Wiley - Interscience, 1972.
  16. P. M. B. Salles et al., “Inorganic elements in sugar samples consumed in several countries,” J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., vol. 308, no. 2, pp. 485-493, May 2016.
    DOI: 10.1007/s10967-015-4478-6
  17. K. A. P. Oliveira et al., “Use of nuclear technique in samples for agricultural purposes,” Engenharia Agrícola, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 46-54, Jan-Feb. 2013.
    DOI: 10.1590/S0100-69162013000100006
  18. M. A. Beinner et al., “Plasma zinc and hair zinc levels, anthropometric status and food intake of children in a rural area of Brazil,” Revista de Nutrição, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 75-83, Jan-Feb. 2010.
    DOI: 10.1590/S1415-52732010000100009
  19. M. A. B. C. Menezes et al., “Iron Quadrangle, Brazil: Elemental concentration determined by k0-instrumental neutron activation analysis Part I: Soil samples,” J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., vol. 270, no. 1, pp. 111–116, 2006.
    DOI: 10.1007/s10967-006-0316-1
  20. M. A. B. C. Menezes et al., “Iron Quadrangle, Brazil: Elemental concentration determined by k0-instrumental neutron activation analysis Part II: Kale samples,” J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., vol. 270, no. 1, pp. 117–121, 2006.
    DOI: 10.1007/s10967-006-0317-0
  21. A. L. Maulvault et al., “Nutritional quality and safety of cooked edible crab (Cancer Pagurus),” Food Chem., vol. 133, no. 2, pp. 277–283, Jul. 2012.
    DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.01.023
    PMid: 25683396
  22. M. A. B. C. Menezes and R. Jaćimović, “Optimised k0-instrumental neutron activation method using the TRIGA MARK I IPR-R1 reactor at CDTN/CNEN, Belo Horizonte, Brazil,” Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A, vol. 564, no. 2, pp. 707-715, Aug. 2006.
    DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2006.04.013
  23. F. De Corte, The k0-standardization method: A move to the optimization of NAA, Habilitation Thesis, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium, 1987.
  24. F. De Corte, A. Simonits, “Recommended nuclear data for use in the k0 standardization of neutron activation analysis,” Atomic Data and Nuclear Data Tables, vol. 85, no. 1, pp. 47–67, Sep. 2003.
    DOI: 10.1016/S0092-640X(03)00036-6
  25. R. Jaćimović et al., “The recommended k[sub]0 database”, Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, vol. 300, no. 2, pp. 589-592, May 2014.
    DOI: 10.1007/s10967-014-3085-2
  26. B. J. Alloway, Heavy Metals in Soil, London, UK: Blackie Academy & Professional, 1995.
    DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-4470-7
  27. HyperLabs Software, Budapest, Hungary, 1998–2013, HyperLab Gamma Spectroscopy Software.
    Retrieved from: http://hlabsoft.com/
    Retrieved on: Jun. 9, 2011.
  28. Kayzero for Windows for reactor neutron activation analysis (NAA) using the k­­­0 standardization method: Version 2, DSM Research, Geleen, The Netherlands, 2011.
    Retrieved from: http://www.kayzero.com/KfW%20Manual%20V1.pdf
    Retrieved on: Apr. 2, 2017.
  29. Statistical methods for use in proficiency testing by interlaboratory comparisons. ISO 13528: 2005, 2005.