APPLICATION OF A POWDERED-INTERNAL-STANDARD METHOD TO POWDERED HAIR SAMPLES PREPARED BY A NEW METHOD

Abstract

PIXE analysis has been performed at NMCC (Nishina Memorial Cyclotron Center) as a common utilization in Japan since 1993. In order to cope with a variety of samples, various sample-preparation methods have been developed at NMCC. In order to make uniform hair samples of large quantity, a method of powdering in liquid nitrogen was carried out. A powdered-internal-standard method was applied to the powdered hair sample thus prepared and the results were compared with those obtained by a standard- free method for untreated hairs and with those by an internal-standard method combined with the chemical ashing method. As a result, good agreement was obtained for the principal elements such as sulfur, calcium and zinc. Moreover, good reproducibility was achieved in the results obtained by repeated measurements, and it is found that uniformity of the powdered sample and the powdered- internal standard (palladium-carbon) was almost satisfactory.