X-RAY-FLUORESCENCE TECHNIQUE FOR INVIVO DETERMINATION OF LEAD CONCENTRATION IN A BONE-MATRIX

A two-component cylindrical finger phantom was constructed from silica paraffin wax and animal bone ash. The diameter of the finger bone was estimated from X-ray examinations in two orthogonal projections. The bone mineral concentration was then estimated from the quotient of the number of coherent and Compton scattered primary photons. The lead concentration in the finger bones was then derived from a measurement on a finger phantom made of silica paraffin wax and bone ash with the same size and bone mineral concentration as the real bone. The minimum detectable lead concentration in a finger bone was 14 mu g g-1 for 15 min measuring time. The lead concentration measured in workers from a metal industry was found to be in the range of 40-100 mu g g -1.