Determination of iodine in cereal grains and standard reference materials by neutron activation analysis

Trace amounts of iodine in thirty-eight cereal grain samples cultivated at different locations in Austria were determined for the first time in this s tudy by radiochemical neutron activation analysis. For the dissolution of c ereal grain samples and standard reference materials, two different procedu res, alkaline and acidic dissolution, were applied in the presence of an io dine carrier. Rapid and simple dissolution procedure with acidic solution w as demonstrated in this study. The analytical values in the cereal grain as well as in the standard reference materials obtained by the different diss olution procedures were in good agreement within one standard deviation. Th e iodine in cereal grains and the standard reference materials ranged from 0.002 to 0.03 mug g(-1) and 0.0015 to 0.30 mug g(-1), respectively. The dis tribution of relative standard deviation (RSD) for iodine concentration bel ow 0.01 mug g(-1) were 21 % and 24 % of all data for the range 1-10 % RSD a nd 11-20 % RSD. respectively. The g RSD for 0.1 mug g(-1) of iodine concent rations were around 10 %.