Interlaboratory comparison of gross alpha/beta activity of drinking water over a decade.

Interlaboratory comparison exercises for determining the gross alpha and beta activity concentrations in drinking water, organized by the National Institute for Radiological Protection (NIRP), China CDC, have been carried out since 2012. The purpose of this study is to assess the accuracy and precision of gross alpha and beta analyses of low-level radioactivity concentrations. Natural water samples were used for the comparison, and the performance of the participating laboratories was evaluated with respect to the reference values using the Z-score performance indicator. The comparison data from 2012 to 2022 were analyzed, where the percentage of laboratories with acceptable results was 80-92%, and the dispersion of the measurement results across laboratories became smaller over time. The results demonstrate that these exercises can help laboratories to resolve issues in gross α/ß analysis and improve the consistency of the measurement results.

Simultaneous determination of 226Ra and 228Ra in food samples using liquid scintillation counting.

The 228Ra and 226Ra isotopes of radium are significant contaminants in food, raising public concern because of their radiotoxicity. Several methods are available for determining 228Ra and 226Ra. However, the application of these procedures is not focused on food but only on water and environmental matrices. In this study, a cost-effective method for the simultaneous determination of 226Ra and 228Ra radioactivity in food samples using liquid scintillation counting was developed. The overall efficiencies of 226Ra and 228Ra in the food samples are 69.4-78.4% and 30.1-35.8%, respectively. The minimum detectable activities of 226Ra and 228Ra are 11.3 mBq/g and 33.4 mBq/g, respectively, in our food sample, obtained using a 1.0 g ash sample and 60 min of counting time. The method was validated using IAEA-certified reference materials and compared with data obtained using gamma spectrometry in tea, kelp, and oyster samples.

Determination of 90Sr and 210Pb in food samples by liquid scintillation counting after sequential separation with an extraction chromatographic column.

90Sr and 210Pb are considered to be key radionuclides in internal exposure resulting from dietary intake, however, the established methods employed for their detection are time-comsuming. A method for the sequential separation of 90Sr and 210Pb using a Sr·spec resin by LSC measurement is developed, which is highly suitable for food safety monitoring as its minimal sample requirements. The sequential separation of Sr and Pb from the sample was using 0.05 mol/L HNO3 and 0.05 mol/L C6H5O7(NH4)3. The chemical recoveries of Sr and Pb measured using ICP-OES were 72-83% and 80-88%, respectively. The minimum detectable activities of 90Sr and 210Pb in the food sample were 36.2 mBq/kg and 28.6 mBq/kg, respectively, obtained from a 0.1 kg fresh sample and 300 min counting time. The method was validated using reference materials and compared with other methods. The feasibility of the developed method for other highly complex food matrices needs further investigation.

Identification of the anti-oxidants in Flos Chrysanthemi by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS(n) and HPLC coupled with a post-column derivatisation system.

INTRODUCTION: Flos Chrysanthemi (Jiju) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that is known to have anti-oxidant activity; in this study, on-line HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS(n) and HPLC-DAD-DPPH methods have been developed for rapidly screening and identifying free-radical scavengers in Jiju extract. OBJECTIVE: To develop an efficient method for the simultaneous identification and detection of the anti-oxidant components in Flos Chrysanthemi (Jiju). METHODOLOGY: A concentrated methanol extract of Flos Chrysanthemi from Jiaxiang County (Jiju) was first separated into phases soluble in water, petroleum ether and n-butanol. The off-line 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging method was then used to evaluate the anti-oxidant activity of each phase in vitro. The results showed that the n-butanol extract had the highest anti-oxidant activity, and its anti-oxidant compounds were analysed by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS(n) and HPLC coupled with a post-column derivatisation (PCD) system supplied with DPPH, aluminium chloride or sodium acetate solutions. RESULTS: A total of 17 compounds were separated and identified, three of which were identified in Jiju for the first time, and seven active compounds serve as the chemical basis of the anti-oxidant efficacy of Jiju. CONCLUSION: The methods described here allow rapid separation and convenient identification of the multiple constituents in Jiju, and may be applied to other complex natural matrices.

Design of functionalized magnetic silica multi-core composite nanoparticles for synergistic magnetic hyperthermia/radiotherapy in cancer cells.

Nanomaterials in particular the magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) offer tremendous potential for cancer treatment due to their unique intrinsic properties. Combining materials with a variety of functional groups, and forming a multifunctional nanosystem to overcome the limitations of monotherapy for cancer treatment has always been a research focus with notable difficulties. Considering the many challenges faced by radiotherapy and hyperthermia, in this study, we designed a rational strategy for magnetic hyperthermia using Fe3O4@SiO2@Sec2@FA nanoparticles as a novel nano-radiosensitizer to simultaneously enhance the therapeutic effects of radiotherapy in the future. Fe3O4@SiO2 core-shell structured nanoparticles were synthesized with an appropriate silica layer thickness to maintain good saturation magnetization. The as-prepared Fe3O4@SiO2@Sec2@FA nanoparticles had the specific absorption rate (SAR)value of 57 W/g, which was below the clinically acceptable alternating magnetic field value of 4.9 × 109 Am-1s-1, indicating good heat generation efficiency (the temperature level ΔT=6-10 °C). Moreover, Folate-modified nanoparticles exhibited approximately 6-fold higher cellular internalization of Hela cells with no obvious cytotoxicity for the Hela and MDA-MB-231 cells, and lower cytotoxicity for the HUVECs in a concentration range of 0-150 µg/mL. In addition, these nanoparticles were modified on the silica surface by L-selenocystine, which could enhance the elimination of tumor cells by producing reactive oxygen species under X-rays, resulting in a novel radiosensitization effect. Therefore, the as-prepared Fe3O4@SiO2@Sec2@FA nanoparticles with good biocompatibility and active targeting would possess synergistic magnetic hyperthermia/radiotherapy effect.

Estimation of Inhaled Effective Doses of Uranium and Thorium for Workers in Bayan Obo Ore and the Surrounding Public, Inner Mongolia, China.

Uranium and thorium are two common natural radioactive elements with high concentrations in Earth's crust. The main aim of this study is to estimate the inhaled effective dose of uranium and thorium caused by a typical radioactive rare earth ore to the occupational population and the surrounding public. The particulate matter (PM) concentrations in the atmosphere of four typical workplaces and one surrounding living area were obtained by a high-flow sampling equipment with a natural cellulose filter membrane. The critical parameter for the inhaled effective dose estimation-the activity median aerodynamic diameter (AMAD)-was determined. The AMAD values of uranium and thorium in the atmosphere PM were 3.36 and 3.64 µm, respectively. The estimated median effective dose caused by inhalation thorium among the occupational population ranged from 15.3 to 269.0 µSv/a, and the corresponding value for the surrounding public was 2.3 µSv/a. All values for the effective dose caused by the inhalation of uranium were in the nSv magnitude.

Simultaneous determination of 210Pb and 210Po in seafood samples using liquid scintillation counting.

The measurement of 210Pb and 210Po in seafood samples has attracted tremendous interest because of their radiotoxicity. In this study, a fast and cost-efficient method for the simultaneous determination of 210Pb and 210Po in seafood samples by ultralow-level liquid scintillation counting after separation on a Sr•spec column was developed. The recoveries of 210Pb and 210Po were ~70% and ~85%, respectively. The minimum detectable activity of the proposed method for 210Pb and 210Po was 3.85 Bq/kg and 1.50 Bq/kg, respectively, which is suitable for the determination of 210Pb and 210Po in seafood samples. The radiochemical procedure was validated by measuring 210Pb and 210Po activity concentrations in IAEA-certified reference materials and successfully applied to shrimp and clam samples.

A facile method for effective doping of Tb3+ into ZnO nanocrystals.

A technical challenging issue in rare-earth ion doping in ZnO nanocrystals has been tackled in this communication by a novel isocrystalline core-shell protocol, and the fabricated ZnO:Tb(3+)/ZnO core/shell nanocrystals showed efficient doping and excellent optical properties.

Monitoring of ultra-trace uranium and thorium in six-grade particles.

The natural radioactive elements uranium(U) and thorium(Th) in atmospheric environment should be given attention, and their particle size distribution and concentration are important for estimating their hazardous effects to the human body. The concentrations of U and Th in 360 aerosol samples collected using six-stage aerosol collector from June - December, 2016 in Beijing were determinated using ICP-MS after acid digestion. The mass concentration ranges of U in PM0.39-0.69, PM0.69-1.3, PM1.3-2.1, PM2.1-4.2, PM4.2-10.2, and PM10.2- reached 0.0030-0.079, 0.0020-0.069, 0.0015-0.095, 0.0053-0.054, 0.0039-0.098, and 0.0083-0.10 ng/m3, respectively. The mass concentration range of Th in PM0.39-0.69, PM0.69-1.3, PM1.3-2.1, PM2.1-4.2, PM4.2-10.2, and PM10.2- amounted to 0.011-0.11, 0.0065-0.11, 0.0026-0.18, 0.0078-0.14, 0.015-0.30, and 0.0021-0.19 ng/m3, respectively. The contents of U and Th in all PM increased from June to December, and the contents in PM2.1 increased more sharply compared with those in other PM. A positive correlation was observed between the concentrations of U and Th and air quality index and relative humidity, whereas a negative correlation was identified between temperature and PM2.1, PM10.2, and total suspended particulates (TSP) after the Spearman-rank correlation test. The formation of PM was affected by meteorological conditions, which concurrently influenced the contents of U and Th in PM. The atmospheric contents of U and Th at night were higher than those in daytime. Compared with Th, the dose contribution of U to the public can be negligible. The median effective dose in public owing to inhalation of natural radioactive U and Th in the atmosphere measures 1.206 µSv/a.

Ni-Co Selenide Nanosheet/3D Graphene/Nickel Foam Binder-Free Electrode for High-Performance Supercapacitor.

Transition-metal selenide electrodes have recently attracted increasing interest in supercapacitors resulting from their superior electrochemical performance, lower-cost, and environmental friendliness. Herein, we report a novel bimetallic Ni-Co selenide nanosheet/three-dimensional (3D) graphene/nickel foam binder-free electrode (NiCo2.1Se3.3 NSs/3D G/NF) prepared via chemical vapor deposition followed by a simple two-step hydrothermal process in this paper. The NiCo2.1Se3.3 NSs array vertically on 3D G/NF with a uniform and stable structure without using any chemical binders. This novel electrode is flexible, highly conductive, and exhibits an excellent specific capacitance of ∼742.4 F g-1 at 1 mA cm-2. Furthermore, with a 10-fold increase to 10 mA cm-2, it still retains 471.78 F g-1 and a high cycling stability of ∼83.8% of the initial retention after 1000 cycles at 10 mA cm-2, demonstrating that NiCo2.1Se3.3 NSs/3D G/NF binder-free electrode has potential for energy storage application in high-performance supercapacitor fields.

Rapid method for determination of 90Sr in biological samples by liquid scintillation counting after separation on synthesized column.

A simple, rapid and cost-efficient method for determination of activity concentration of 90Sr in biological samples with an extraction chromatographic column (crown ether on teflon powder) and following counted by liquid scintillation counting was developed in this paper. The column retained most of 90Sr while almost all of matrix ions were removed during rinsing steps with 8M nitric acid and finally 90Sr was eluted with deionized water, the chemical recovery of strontium is greater than 60%, almost all of matrix ions were removed by the procedure we reported. Finally the uncertainty was evaluated and minimum detectable activity of this method is 1.28Bq/kg.

Determination of total tritium in urine from residents living in the vicinity of nuclear power plants in Qinshan, China.

To estimate the tritium doses of the residents living in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant, urine samples of 34 adults were collected from residents living near the Qinshan nuclear power plant. The tritium-in-urine (HTO plus OBT) was measured by liquid scintillation counting. The doses of tritium-in-urine from participants living at 2, 10 and 22 km were in a range of 1.26-6.73 Bq/L, 1.31-3.09 Bq/L and 2.21-3.81 Bq/L, respectively, while the average activity concentrations of participants from the three groups were 3.53 ± 1.62, 2.09 ± 0.62 and 2.97 ± 0.78 Bq/L, respectively. The personal committed effective doses for males were 2.5 ± 1.7 nSv and for females they were 2.9 ± 1.3 nSv. These results indicate that tritium concentrations in urine samples from residents living at 2 km from a nuclear power plant are significantly higher than those at 10 km. It may be the downwind direction that caused a higher dose in participants living at 22 km. All the measured doses of tritium-in-urine are in a background level range.

Determination of the metals by ICP-MS in wild mushrooms from Yunnan, China.

UNLABELLED: The elemental contents of Li, Cs, U, Co, As, Sr, Cd, Ba, Pb, Sb in 157 wild-grown mushrooms were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The mushrooms including 9 species were collected from 5 counties in Yunnan province, China. Based on the findings for the results from the certified reference materials GBW10014 (cabbage) and GBW10016 (tea), the data from the sample mushrooms were corrected. The contents of investigated trace elements in mushroom samples were determined as µg/g dry weight (dw) in the range of 0.030 to 13 for Li, 0.070 to 8.1 for Cs, 0.0010 to 0.28 for U, 0.040 to 5.4 for Co, 0.070 to 44 for As, 0.28 to 86 for Sr, and 0.15 to 23 for Cd. The maximum contents were 58, 11, and 0.11 for Ba, Pb, and Sb, respectively. The minimum contents of Ba, Pb, and Sb were below the detection limit of the method used. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The analysis of 9 species wild-grown edible mushrooms in different regions provides the useful information to evaluate the levels of elements or of the toxic heavy metals, such as Cd, As in wild-grown edible mushrooms which grew in different regions of China for consumers and other interested groups, especially for the regulators.

An investigation of the electronic properties of MgO doped with group III, IV, and V elements: trends with varying dopant atomic number.

The electronic properties and the trends with varying dopant atomic number of III, IV, and V main group elements in MgO have been investigated using density functional theory. It is found that all of the geometry-optimized systems with the dopant atom replacing O in MgO exhibit half-metallic ferromagnetic properties regardless of metal or non-metal doping, and this agrees well with other theoretical computations. However, because of the high formation energy of metal atoms substituting for O atoms, we have calculated metal atom substitution for the Mg atom in MgO. We found that this system has a paramagnetic state and the formation energy is much lower than that of the former case. Finally, we have performed calculations for MgO doped with an F atom which shows a metallic behavior.