• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.3 no.3
• /
• pp.135-143
• /
• 1971

In order to find out the degree of mercury contamination of common foodstuffs a series of determination was carried out by a highly sensitive activation analysis and the following results were obtained. 1. Polished rice contained 0.050 ppm of mercury whereas rice bran had 0.095 ppm mercury which was found in other grain in lesser degree. 2. Vegetables and fruits also contained $0.035{\sim}0.190\;ppm$ of mercury with relatively small variations from sample except persimmon which had a considerably higher amount of mercury. 3. Soybean sprout contained an unexpectantly high amount of mercury. 4. Of the animal products chicken and egg contained more mercury than the meat.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.48 no.5
• /
• pp.1273-1279
• /
• 2016

Production of iodine-131 by neutron activation of tellurium in tellurium dioxide ($TeO_2$) material requires a target that meets the safety requirements. In a radiopharmaceutical production unit, a new lid for a can was designed, which permits tight sealing of the target by using tungsten inert gaswelding. The leakage rate of all prepared targets was assessed using a helium mass spectrometer. The accepted leakage rate is ${\leq}10^{-4}mbr.L/s$, according to the approved safety report related to iodine-131 production in the TRIGA Mark II research reactor (TRIGA: Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomics). To confirm the resistance of the new design to the irradiation conditions in the TRIGA Mark II research reactor's central thimble, a study of heat effect on the sealed targets for 7 hours in an oven was conducted and the leakage rates were evaluated. The results show that the tightness of the targets is ensured up to $600^{\circ}C$ with the appearance of deformations on lids beyond $450^{\circ}C$. The study of heat transfer through the target was conducted by adopting a one-dimensional approximation, under consideration of the three transfer modes-convection, conduction, and radiation. The quantities of heat generated by gamma and neutron heating were calculated by a validated computational model for the neutronic simulation of the TRIGA Mark II research reactor using the Monte Carlo N-Particle transport code. Using the heat transfer equations according to the three modes of heat transfer, the thermal study of I-131 production by irradiation of the target in the central thimble showed that the temperatures of materials do not exceed the corresponding melting points. To validate this new design, several targets have been irradiated in the central thimble according to a preplanned irradiation program, going from4 hours of irradiation at a power level of 0.5MWup to 35 hours (7 h/d for 5 days a week) at 1.5MW. The results showthat the irradiated targets are tight because no iodine-131 was released in the atmosphere of the reactor building and in the reactor cooling water of the primary circuit.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.357-364
• /
• 2011

Selenium is an antioxidant trace element linked to cardiovascular disease and cancer. Although diet is a major source, relatively little else is known about independent determinants of selenium levels in free-living humans. In this study, we aimed to investigate the independent demographic. lifestyle, and dietary determinants of selenium levels in 1,997 men and 1,905 women in two large prospective U.S. cohorts. Toenail selenium levels were quantified using neutron activation analysis. Diet, geographic residence, demographic, and environmental factors were assessed by validated self-administered questionnaires. Multivariate generalized linear models were conducted to assess the independent relations of these factors with toenail selenium levels, correcting for measurement error in the diet. In multi variable-adjusted analyses, independent predictors of higher selenium were male gender (6.3% higher levels); living in West and Northern-Midwest U.S. regions (8.9% and 7.4% higher than Southern-Midwest regions, respectively); consumption of beef and bread products (between 0.7 - 2.5% higher per daily serving); and selenium supplement use (6.9% higher than non-users); whereas cigarette smoking (5-10% lower than never smokers), older age (0.6% lower per 5 years), and consumption of eggs, white rice, dairy products, coffee, and alcohol (between 0.1 to 2.0% lower per daily serving) were associated with lower selenium. Multiple dietary and non-dietary factors independently predicted selenium levels, suggesting that both consumption and non-dietary processes (e.g.. related to oxidant status) may affect levels. Significant geographic variation in selenium levels exists in the US.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.765-772
• /
• 2016

In analyzing residual radiation, researchers generally use a two-step Monte Carlo (MC) simulation. The first step (MC1) simulates neutron transport, and the second step (MC2) transports the decay photons emitted from the activated materials. In this process, the stochastic uncertainty estimated by the MC2 appears only as a final result, but it is underestimated because the stochastic error generated in MC1 cannot be directly included in MC2. Hence, estimating the true stochastic uncertainty requires quantifying the propagation degree of the stochastic error in MC1. The brute force technique is a straightforward method to estimate the true uncertainty. However, it is a costly method to obtain reliable results. Another method, called the adjoint-based method, can reduce the computational time needed to evaluate the true uncertainty; however, there are limitations. To address those limitations, we propose a new strategy to estimate uncertainty propagation without any additional calculations in two-step MC simulations. To verify the proposed method, we applied it to activation benchmark problems and compared the results with those of previous methods. The results show that the proposed method increases the applicability and user-friendliness preserving accuracy in quantifying uncertainty propagation. We expect that the proposed strategy will contribute to efficient and accurate two-step MC calculations.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.109-121
• /
• 1992

For the purpose of mineralogical and chemical study on the topazes from various localities of world(Brzail, China, India, Nigeria and Sri Lanka), electron microprobe analysis(EPMA), neutron activation analysis(NAA), X-ray diffractometry, Raman spectroscopy, etch test, scanning electron microscopy, refractive index, specific gravity, fluid inclusion were performed. The chemical composition in topaz was discussed along with its physical and structural properties. Variations in the unit-cell dimension and physical properties of topaz were found to have a close relations in the unit-cell dimension and physical properties of topaz were found to have a close relationship with extent of substitution of $OH^-\;for\;F^-$. According to neutron activation analyses, the trace elements had no effects on the physical properties of topaz. Raman spectra showed that the peaks of topaz were different in intensity from one locality to another. Etching defects in topaz includes negative crystal defect o point-bottom pit(India, Nigeria) and net work defect of curl-bottom pit(Brazil, China). Fluid inclusions in topaz may be classiffied into liquid $CO_2$-bearing inclusion, gaseous inclusion, halite, sylvite-bearing inclusion and liquid inclusion. The results of this study can be useful to devising artificial coloring methods for topaz with different mineralogical compositions.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.5-12
• /
• 2005

It has been established that soft error of high precision electronic circuits can be induced by alpha particles emitted from the naturally occurring radioactive impurities such as U, and Th. As the electronic circuits have recently become lower dimension and higher density, these alpha-particle emitting radioactive impurities have to be strictly controlled. The aim of this study is to develop of NAA (Neutron Activation Analysis) and gamma-spectrometry to improve the analytical sensitivity and precision of U and Th. A new NAA method has been established using the HTS (Hydrulic transfer system) irradiation facility which has been used to produce radioisotopes for industries and medicines instead of the PTS (pneumatic transfer system) irradiation facility which has been used in general NAA. When the ultratrace impurities have to be analyzed by NAA, background gamma-ray spectra induced from $^{222}Rn$ and its progenies in air is serious problem. This unstable background has been eliminated or stabilized by the use of a nitrogen purging system. Ultra trace amounts of U (0.1 ng/g) and Th (0.01 ng/g) in high purity silica used for EMC could be analyzed by the use of HTS-NAA and low background gamma-spectrometry.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.271-280
• /
• 1998

Rice flour reference materials were prepared from the unpolished rice grown in Korea and certified for elemental composition. The reference materials consist of two samples containing normal and high level. The reference material at elevated level was prepared by spiking to the normal rice flour six toxic elements of As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Hg, Pb with $1.0{\mu}g/g$ on a dry weight basis. Homogeneity of the prepared materials was evaluated through the determination of Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Small variance of elemental composition among interbottled samples assured homogeneity of the prepared materials. The materials were decomposed by high pressure digestion and microwave digestion method. INAA, AAS, inductively coupled plasma-atomic absorption spectrometry (ICP-AES), ICP-mass spectrometry (MS) and vapour generation techniques were employed to analyze the reference materials. From this independent analytical results, the certified or reference values are determined for As, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, P, Pb, Se, Zn.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.51 no.1
• /
• pp.40-49
• /
• 2018

Purpose: The number of patients with dyslipidemia have been increasing steadily over the past few decades in South Korea. The association between the chromium level and chronic disease has attracted considerable interest, but few studies have been conducted on the Korean population. The aim of this study was to identify the dietary and non-dietary correlates of the toenail chromium level, and evaluate the association between the toenail chromium level and dyslipidemia. Methods: The baseline data of an ongoing prospective cohort study in Yeungnam area in South Korea were analyzed. A total of 500 participants aged 35 years or older who completed questionnaires on their demographics, lifestyle characteristics, and medical information were included. The toenail chromium level was analyzed by neutron activation analysis. The dietary intake was assessed using a validated 146-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The blood lipid profiles were obtained from medical examinations conducted by the Korean National Health Insurance Service or medical institutions. Results: Higher chromium levels were associated with the residential area (urban), higher education level, higher intakes of noodles and vegetables, and lower intake of fruits. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the toenail chromium levels were not associated significantly with the prevalence of dyslipidemia (odds ratio: 0.99, 95% confidence interval: 0.61 ~ 1.60). Conclusion: This study is the first study in Korea to determine the independent correlates of the toenail chromium levels and the association between chromium exposure and dyslipidemia. These findings provide useful scientific evidence for the development of chromium intake guidelines for the Korean population.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.252-263
• /
• 2006

Zinc is an antioxidant trace mineral, scavenging free radicals and known to be involved in inflammatory reactions. The prevalence of atherogenic diseases such as coronary heart disease (CHD) are increasing in Korean adults of middle age and elderly. The increased cell damage from free radicals and inflammation have been implicated in etiology of CHD, and the evidence is accumulating that low zinc status is involved in the prevalence of this inflammatory atherogenic disease. However, little is known about the zinc status of Korean CHD and its relationship with dietary zinc intake and zinc bioavailabilty. In this study the serum zinc levels of male patients with CHD over 40 yrs. were compared with that of healthy adult males and its associations with dietary zinc intake and zinc bioavailabilty affecting factors were examined. Serum zinc level was measured by HANARO research reactor using neutron activation analysis (NAA) method. The overall proportion of patients with zinc deficiency, serum zinc concentrations below $74.0{\mu}g/dL$ was 32.8% compared to the 10.3% in healthy group. The average serum zinc levels were $80.7{\mu}g/dL\;and\;88.3{\mu}g/dL$ in patients and healthy group, respectively, showing significantly low zinc status in CHD patients compared to healthy group. The intake of nutrients such as energy, carbohydrate, iron, and copper of CHD patients was significantly higher compared to that of the healthy group. In addition, the intake of calcium, iron, and protein from vegetable foods was significantly higher in CHD patients than that of healthy group. The dietary zinc intake was $12.7{\pm}4.5mg$ and $11.5{\pm}6.9mg$ in CHD patients and control group, respectively, which showed no difference. The phytate intake of patients group, which is 1389.0 mg, was significantly higher than the control group which showed 1104.8 mg. However, the ratio of phytate: zinc or phytate * calcium. zinc per 1000 kcal energy intake did not show any difference between two groups. The serum zinc levels did not show any correlation with zinc or factors that affect the bioavailability of zinc. The dietary factors influencing the zinc status were not found in CHD patients.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.13 no.6
• /
• pp.766-774
• /
• 2000

The major and trace constituents of Mongolian chromite were analyzed by ICP-AES. The dissolution procedures, mixed acid ($HClO_4+H_3PO_4$) digestion and fusion with $Na_2O_2$ flux, have been studied to dissolve the chromite. The optimum dissolution method was found to be a fusion with $Na_2O_2$ flux. The effect of large amount of Na on major and trace constituents was examined when these elements were determined by ICP-AES. There was no effect on major elements at a concentration of Na 250 mg/L solution. The emission intensity of trace constituents containing Na 1,250 mg/L decreased to 1.0-5.2% according to elements and wavelengths. The result of this method was compared with that of neutron activation analysis (NAA) to confirm the accuracy of this procedure. The results between two methods were in a good agreement within less than 5% for $Al_2O_3$, $Cr_2O_3$, MgO and -20 to 8% for Co, Mn, V, Zn, respectively.