Neutron, gamma and Roentgen fluorescent activation analysis of hair of children suffering from bronchial asthma

The aim of present study was the multiparametric study of dangerous microelements content in the hair of children under school and primary school age which included 12 children ill with bronchial asthma and 11 control group persons in the town of Troitsk, Moscow Region. The hair specimens with weight 15-220 mg were analysed with the application of epithermal neutron activation analysis conducted at experimental installation REGATA and neutron source-unique Pulsed Fast Reactor IBR-2, with the application of combined gamma-neutron irradiation at Microtron MT-25 and with Roentgen Fluorescence Analysis device of JINR. The data of elements content in hair were obtained with solid state track detectors and semiconductor electronic spectrometers. The solid state track detectors provide the determination of U, Th, Bi and Be elements at the level of sensitivity up to 10-8-10-9 g/g. These data were compared with more representative information about dangerous microelements concentration obtained with NAA and RFA analyses. The obtained concentrations of most elements vary in a wide range, but in agreement with the known data. The highest degree of element dispersion was observed for U, Th, Pb, I, Br, Sb, Co, K and Be (the radiation coefficient was higher than 100-200%). The presented analysis of results shows that in the clinical picture there is some proved correlation between an increased content of some element in hair and symptoms of their accumulation in the organism of ill children, the revelation of which is the basic idea of our examination. © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.