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 microel ements content in the hair of children under school and primary school age which included 12 children ill with bronchial asthma and 11 control group p ersons in the town of Troitsk, Moscow Region. The hair specimens with weigh t 15-220 mg were analysed with the application of epithermal neutron activa tion analysis conducted at experimental installation REGATA and neutron sou rce-unique Pulsed Fast Reactor IBR-2, with the application of combined gamm a-neutron irradiation at Microtron MT-25 and with Roentgen Fluorescence Ana lysis device of JINR. The data of elements content in hair were obtained wi th 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 microel ements concentration obtained with NAA and RFA analyses. The obtained conce ntrations 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 10 0-200%). The presented analysis of results shows that in the clinical pictu re there is some proved correlation between an increased content of some el ement in hair and symptoms of their accumulation in the organism of ill chi ldren, the revelation of which is the basic idea of our examination. (C) 20 01 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.