In-Vivo Quantification of Magnesium in Hand Bone Using Neutron Activation Analysis
Abstract
Magnesium is an essential element. An adult body contains approximately 21-28 grams of magnesium, with 50-60% present in the bones. Too high or too low levels of magnesium intake can have harmful effects on human body. To study how magnesium intake and storage in the body affect human health, it is important to identify a credible biomarker for the intake and storage. Usually, the amount of magnesium in the body is determined by a blood draw, but blood contains less than 1 percent of the total amount of magnesium in the body. In addition, the concentration of magnesium in blood is not stable. Bone holds the majority of magnesium in the body; therefore, bone is expected to be an ideal biomarker for measuring any surplus or deficiencies in the body. This thesis investigates the feasibility of quantifying magnesium in hand bone in vivo using MCNP simulation models and experiments with magnesium doped phantoms. The fast neutrons, generated by a deuterium-deuterium neutron generator with a flux of 1e9 neutrons/second, were moderated and guided to produce maximum number of thermal neutrons in an irradiation cave with acceptable radiation dose to the hand. The dimensions of the neutron generator along with the current shielding techniques were simulated in MCNP. The data show that the differences between the experimental and simulated calibration lines resulted in a percent difference of 9.40%. The experimental detection limit for bone magnesium was found to be 334 µg magnesium/g dry bone with a total body dose of 11 µSv.
Degree
M.Sc.
Advisors
Nie, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Atomic physics|Physics
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