Activation analysis nondestructive assays

The post-bombardment processing of the activated sample may follow either a nondestructive assay of the radioactivity in the sample (gamma-ray scintillation spectrometry is used most often for this) or a chemical processing of the sample prior to the radioactivity assay. Techniques involving either precipitation, electrodeposition. solvent extraction, and ion exchange or some combination of these form the basts of the radio-chemical separation techniques used in activation analysis. 

Making an Activation-Analysis Measurement. The most prominent technique in nuclear analytical chemistry is Instrumental neutron activation (INAA), in which thermal neutrons from a nuclear reactor are used to irradiate the sample and the induced radionuclides are measured nondestructively with a germanium gamma-ray spectrometer. Sensitivity may be enhanced by chemically separating the elements of interest before radionuclide assay. 

The content of uranium in food products cannot usually be determined directly by nondestructive assay (NDA) methods due to the low concentration that is normally present in the sample so that sample preparation is usually necessary. One exception is the use of neutron activation analysis (Zikovsky 2006) to determine the uraninm... 

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