title: A rapid, high sensitivity technique for measuring arsenic in skin phantoms using a portable x-ray tube and detector.
abstract: Using a portable x-ray tube and silicon PiN diode detector, an improved approach to the measurement of arsenic in skin phantoms was demonstrated. Skin phantoms of 8 mm thickness were made from polyester resin, with arsenic concentrations ranging from 0 to 30 microg g(-1). The excitation of characteristic arsenic x-rays was performed with the x-ray tube and K(alpha) x-rays were used as an indicator of arsenic concentration. From repeated phantom measurements, an instrumental minimum detection limit of 0.446 +/- 0.006 microg g(-1) was found, using an acquisition time of 120 s (real time). This compares with previously reported approaches having instrumental minimum detection limits of 3.5 +/- 0.2 microg g(-1) (1800 s real time), 2.3 +/- 0.1 microg g(-1) (1000 s live time) and 0.40 +/- 0.06 microg g(-1) (1000 s live time).
authors: Department of Physics, Mount Allison University, 67 York Street, Sackville, NB E4L 1E6, Canada. dfleming@mta.ca
authors: David E B
authors: DE
authors: Fleming
authors: Mihai Raul
authors: MR
authors: Gherase
mesh_terms: D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006801:Humans; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011859:Radiography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012867:Skin / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012869:Skin Absorption / Q000502:physiology*; D014159:Transducers
chemical_list: D001151:Arsenic