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Detection of mercury in the kidney via source‐excited x‐ray fluorescence
Author(s) -
Grinyer J.,
Popovic M.,
Chettle D. R.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
x‐ray spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.447
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1097-4539
pISSN - 0049-8246
DOI - 10.1002/xrs.952
Subject(s) - imaging phantom , detection limit , detector , mercury (programming language) , materials science , attenuation , in vivo , optics , analytical chemistry (journal) , nuclear medicine , chemistry , physics , medicine , chromatography , computer science , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , programming language
Non‐invasive detection of kidney Hg in vivo is important in order to prevent detrimental health effects in occupationally exposed persons. In this study, preliminary results of a 109 Cd source‐based x‐ray fluorescence system for the detection of Hg in the kidney are presented. The system includes a single 50 mm diameter HPGe detector with a 109 Cd source mounted on the detector face for backscatter measurement geometry. A detection limit of 3.9 ppm was obtained during a bare kidney phantom feasibility study. In order to simulate an in vivo measurement, kidney phantoms were also placed inside a water tank representing the torso. The detection limit was 5.0 ppm at 1 cm phantom depth, as measured to the phantom boundary. As expected, Hg sensitivity decreased with kidney depth owing to the attenuation of incident 109 Cd γ‐rays and emitted characteristic Hg K x‐rays, so that at a phantom depth of 4 cm the detection limit was 44 ppm. Further improvements to the detection limit will allow future in vivo kidney Hg measurements of chronically exposed workers. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.