Narrow Results

Kidney stones collected from different hospitals in Chennai, south India were analyzed by PIXE with 3MeV protons. The matrix was calcium oxalate and mixture of calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate. Light elements present in minor concentration were P, Cl. Trace elements such as V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Sr, Zr & Mo were also present in the stones. Significant amount of Zr was found in one of the samples, Pb and Cd were not present in any of the stones analyzed.

Quantitative analysis of powder sample, soil, ash and so on, which consists of rich heavy metal elements that are not decomposed easily with acid or alkali was attempted. Usually, powder sample was ground with an agate mortar, mixed with binding material cellulose and pelletized for quantitative PIXE analysis. However, the resulting pellet target is thick. Accordingly, when heavy elements are included in sample, it gives effect on PIXE spectrum. Namely, matrix effect arises on it. So firstly, a fixed quantity of molybdenum was added into sample and mixed as standard material in order to determine the concentration of the most typical element, iron included in sample. Then the mixed powder were pelletized and analyzed to determine the concentration of iron. Next, original powder sample was pushed on a backing film to make thin target, and the thin target was analyzed as internal standard of determined iron by ordinary PIXE analysis method. In the result, concentrations of major elements of powder sample were determined quantitatively.