Uncertainty estimation in the determination of lanthanum in soils by instrumental neutron activation analysis at the nuclear reactor IAN-R1
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32685/2590-7468/invapnuclear.8.2026.762Keywords:
Neutron activation, Comparator method, measurement uncertainty, Lanthanum
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Copyright (c) 2026 Diana Carolina Herrera, David Leonardo Alonso, Oscar Alberto Sierra, Jimmy Alejandro Muñoz, Mary Luz Peña
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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Abstract
This study presents the activities carried out to estimate the uncertainty associated with the determination of the lanthanum (La) mass fraction in soil matrices, by the instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) technique at the neutron activation analysis laboratory, employing the IAN-R1 research nuclear reactor. The uncertainty estimation procedure involved defining the measurand, identifying, and quantifying the significant sources of uncertainty at each stage: (1) sample preparation, (2) sample irradiation, and (3) gamma-ray spectrometry measurement. The estimation was performed for two samples with decay times of 7 and 12 days. The expanded uncertainty values, expressed as percentages (U), were 3.6 % and 4.4 %, with a 95 % confidence level (k=2 ). This work represents a significant step forward, as it demonstrates the laboratory’s metrological competence in multielement analysis and, in particular, in the determination of La in solid geological samples.
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