Radioactive analytes, sensing

In addition to these research applications of fluorescence, there is a continuing use of fluorescence detection to replace analytical methods based on radioactivity, as can be judged from the recent books and conferences on fluorescence sensing methods. (7 n) These emerging applications of fluorescence can be seen by the growth and introduction of improved methods for immunoassays, enzyme-linked immunoassays... 

Activation analysis has been proposed to obtain more reliable analytical information.73 The sample is irradiated with neutrons, photons (gamma radiation), or charged particles the radioactivity generated is measured by sensing the entire gamma spectrum with a semiconductor detector. The most reliable variant is neutron activation analysis (NAA).73... 

The term radiometric analysis is often used in a broad sense to include all methods of determination of concentrations using radioactive tracers. In a more restricted sense it refers to a specific analytical method which is based on a two-phase titration in the presence of a radioactive isotope. The endpoint of the titration is indicated by the disappearance of the radioisotope from one of the phases. Figure 9.4 illustrates two cases, (a) the determination of Ag in a solution by titration with Nal solution containing ( y t 1.57x10 y),and (b) the determination of Fe in an aqueous solution, to which trace amounts of radioactive Fe (EC 2.73 y) has been added. In case (a) the Agl precipitate is radioactive but the solution has little radioactivity until all the Ag has been precipitated. The activity of the solution is measured by a liquid flow GM-detector (Ch. 8). In the latter case (b) a two-phase liquid-liquid analytical technique is used ( 9.2.6) the titrant contains a substance (oxine) which extracts Fe(II) from the aqueous to the chloroform phase. The radioactivity of the organic phase is followed by liquid scintillation (sampling) to determine the end point of the titration. 

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