Studying on the using ability of soil-phase heated distil and neutron activation analysis to determine mercury and selenium in food and foodstuff

A method was studied for the simultaneous determination of mercury and selenium in food and food stuff by soil-phase heated distil and neutron activation analysis. After irradiation in Dalat Nuclear Research Reactor for 20 hours with a neutron flux of 2.1x1012 n/cm2s: (1) For foodstuff: Mercury and selenium were separated from sample by heating the furnace at 900oC and collected in the ampoule -1, after mercury was separated from selenium by heat activated carbon in the ampoule -1 at 400oC and collected in the ampoule -2. (2) For food: Mercury was separated from sample by heat from the furnace at 400oC for about 1 hour and collected in the ampoule -1, after temperature of the furnace was increased to 900oC, selenium was evaporated and collected in the ampoule -2. The activated carbon in the ampoules was quantitatively transferred into polyethylene vials for counting 76Se and 203Hg. (author)