Elemental evaluation of local cereal by instrumental neutron activation analysis using NIRR-1 facility
The nutritional role and the essentiality of trace elements as well as their biochemical and pathological significance to man and animals have been recently reviewed by several researchers. Elemental concentrations of local rice and maize were determined using the instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) technique. Twenty one elements (Na, K, As, Br, La, Sm, Np, Sc, Cr, Fe, Co, Zn, Se, Rb, Sb, Ba, Eu,Yb, Lu, Hg and Pa) were determined and analyzed in these cereals foods. Two locally cultivated rice and maize samples were obtained directly from the farmers and two rice and maize samples grown under surveillance condition were collected from Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR) of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. The samples were irradiated for long regimes (6 hours) in a neutron flux of 5x1011ncm-2s-1 with the Nigerian Research Reactor at the Centre for Energy Research and Training, CERT, A.B.U, Zaria.