Published July 1976 | Version v1
Journal article

Feasibility of the measurement of whole-body nitrogen by collection of exhaled 11CO2 and 11CO

  • 1. Birmingham Univ. (UK). Dept. of Physics

Description

The reasons for interest in whole-body nitrogen are stated. Various techniques of neutron-activation analysis for the in vivo determination of whole-body nitrogen are summarized. One employs irradiation with 14-MeV neutrons and detection of the activity of nitrogen-13 produced in the reaction 14N(n,2n)13N. The second uses detection of a prompt γ-ray resulting from thermal neutron capture by nitrogen-14. Recently it has been proposed to measure body nitrogen by detection of the activity of carbon-11 in the expired air of a subject following irradiation with 14-MeV neutrons (carbon-11 being produced from a (p,α) reaction on nitrogen-14, the protons being hydrogen nuclei knocked-on by collisions with incident fast neutrons). The present report considers this last suggestion in comparison with the other two techniques and presents results from a preliminary investigation. (U.K.)

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Proc. Anal. Div. Chem. Soc.
Journal Volume
13
Journal Issue
7
Series
Proc. Anal. Div. Chem. Soc.
Journal Page Range
207-209