Trace elements in bone may be determined by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA). INAA may be defined as a chemical element analysis made by nuclear activation followed by the measurement of specific induced radioactivities without the use of radiochemical separations. This type of analysis is performed on a SLOWPOKE (Safe LOW POwer Kritical Experiment) Reactor with a gamma-ray counting detector. The SLOWPOKE Facility can analyze samples for a number of elements simultaneously, with a sensitivity at the ppm level. The analytical techniques used require minimal sample preparation and are non-destructive permitting retention of valuable samples or re-use of the same sample for further measurements.
For our studies, we are primarily interested in the following bone elements:
strontium (Sr)
magnesium (Mg)
sodium (Na)
phosphorus (P)
calcium (Ca)
fluoride (F)