The aim of the present work is the determination of different essential (minor and trace) elements found in five Moroccan vegetables collected from large commercial markets in Kenitra city, Morocco, and in some organic vegetables which were traditionally grown without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers, in a plot located in the rural commune of Dar Laaslouji, 48 km from Kenitra city. The k0-standardisation method of the Neutron Activation Analysis (k0-INAA) using the TRIGA Mark II research reactor of 2 MW at the National Centre for Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology (CNESTEN) and gamma-ray spectroscopy facility were employed. For quality control, the accuracy of measurements has been investigated using certified reference materials (IAEA-336 lichens, and NIST SRM 1547 peach leaves) which were analyzed simultaneously with the samples. Good agreement was found between certified and determined values. The primary results are presented and discussed for the concentration of minor and trace elements in some vegetables (tomatoes, carrots, green peppers, cilantro and mint), that are widely used in Moroccan meals.
The recent advancements in neutron scattering technologies in China, with the development of China's first Spin-Echo Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (SESANS) spectrometer at China Mianyang Research Reactor (CMRR) and the integration of a Very Small Angle Neutron Scattering (VSANS) instrument at China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS), have significantly bolstered the nation's scientific capabilities. This review aims to highlight the distinctive features and applications of SESANS and SANS, and to offer a valuable contribution by demonstrating how SESANS and SANS can be leveraged for the study of soft matters and solid-state materials, with a particular emphasis on the benefits of techniques such as chain labeling, contrast variation, and contrast matching. We also aim to illustrate what types of information can be gleaned from these methods. The review is structured to first introduce the general concepts of SANS and SESANS, followed by a discussion on the information these techniques can provide. Then the applications of these techniques, in combination with other techniques, on various material investigations will be demonstrated. The review concludes with a summary and future perspectives, aiming to inspire further interdisciplinary research and collaboration, and beneficial to a broader audience.
This study uses Monte Carlo simulations to examine the dose enhancement effect of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in radiation therapy and its effects on DNA damage. Using the GATE- 9.0 and Geant4-DNA packages, Monte Carlo simulations were used to simulate a mathematical phantom and determine the energy deposition in the vicinity of AuNP. The simulations were conducted for various photon beam energies (50, 100, 250, and 6000 keV) with and without the presence of different-size AuNPs (10, 30, 50 and 100 nm). The dose enhancement factor (DER) was evaluated using Geant4-DNA to examine the effects AuNP sizes and photon beam energies on DNA damage. A multi-scale Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to evaluate enhanced DNA damage owing to nanoparticles in the proximity of cancer cells. The Monte Carlo simulations indicated that AuNPs boost the dose delivery, resulting in enhanced energy deposition and subsequent DNA damage. The DER analysis revealed a significant increase in the dose deposition within DNA, leading to single or double-strand breaks. Geant4-DNA simulations revealed information on the dosage enhancement factor for various AuNP sizes and photon beam intensities, enabling a deeper comprehension of the underlying mechanics. The outcomes of this study emphasize the potential of AuNPs as effective radiosensitizers in radiation therapy and contribute to the growing body of research on the use of nanotechnology in enhancing cancer treatment outcomes. Further investigations and experimental validations are necessary to optimize the usage of AuNPs for improved radiation therapy.
The objective of this study is to assess natural activity in soil to estimate potential radiological risks for the population. Given that soil is inherently radioactive and can reach hazardous levels, it is crucial to determine the activities of radionuclides such as Potassium-40 and Uranium-238 descendants at different depths and geographical positions. For this work, gamma spectrometry method was employed to analyze soil samples collected at three different positions in the Missour region. Each position was sampled at five different depths, spaced 5 cm apart, resulting in a total of 15 samples. The activity of Potassium-40 and Uranium238 descendants in the soil was accurately assessed using Lvis software, enabling the estimation of radiological doses.
With a suitable half-life and abundant radiolabeling strategy, 225Ac has become one of the most promising radionuclides in the area of targeted alpha therapy. However, limited radionuclide supply is threatening the development of 225Ac related endoradiotherapy dramatically. As the parent nuclide of 225Ac, 229Th can be produced via 226Ra(3n, 2β)229Th reaction in a nuclear reactor. However, related practice has not been conducted in large scale, since the nuclear reaction pathway for producing 229Th is complicated. In this work, the feasibility of producing 225Ac/229Th in a reactor was confirmed by systematic theoretical calculations, and a procedure that combines irradiation with separation process was proposed. The results show that 176 MBq of 229Th can be produced by irradiating 1.0 g of 226Ra with a neutron flux density of 1 × 1015 n cm−2 s−1 for 90 days. This will generate 150 MBq of 225Ac monthly from a radionuclide generator, which is sufficient for the single treatment cycle of 200 patients each year considering the radioactivity loss in radiochemical separation, transfer and radiolabeling process. In addition, this irradiation process will also produce 37.8 GBq 227Ac for the preparation of 227Ac-227Th-223Ra generator. In general, the production of 225Ac by neutron irradiation of 226Ra in reactor is practicable and holds potential to alleviate the shortage of current supply of 225Ac.
Well water quality has been characterized with constant and continuous changes via the interaction of rock, soil and natural nano-filters which terminates at the aquiferous layer for clean well-water collection. The continuous exploration and production of crude oil has resulted significant increase of unwanted elements such as naturally occurring radionuclides in the water-bed which necessitates this study. The study determines the radionuclides based health impact or hazards associated with drinking water from crude oil exploration/production release in Ughievwen and Udu communities of Delta State, Nigeria. Sixty well water samples (three samples from each community) were collected and analyzed using sodium iodide (Nal (Tl)) detector. The obtained mean values of 238U, 232Th and 40K are 6.91 1.62BqL−1, 4.39 1.47 BqL−1 and 24.54 1.59 BqL−1 respectively. The 238U, 232Th and 40K results showed that the measured values are higher than the world standard (UNSCEAR; WHO) and the control values The mean values of total annual effective dose of different age groups are: 11.08 mSvy−1, 2.54 mSvy−1, 1.93 mSvy−1, 2.52 mSvy−1, 7.03 mSvy−1 and 1.12 mSvy−1 respectively. While the mean committed effective dose of adult is 55.94 mSvy−1. The total annual effective dose, committed effective dose, cancer risks and hereditary effects are all lower than recommended limit (WHO; ICRP; USEPA) and reported scientific values except 11.08 mSvy−1 and 7.03 mSvy−1 that are higher than limit. It is evident from obtained results that the drinking water may not be radiologically safe for use by the public, which necessitates routine monitoring and caution to circumvent increase in radiation and the radiological of the studied communities’ drinking water. This is to avoid long term radiological risk arising from accumulation of such release in the studied communities.