Chemical element profiles by instrumental neutron activation analysis : in, part 1, two species of wheat bunt spores, Tilletia caries (DC) Tul. and Tilletia controversa Kühn; part 2, representative sediment and basalt samples taken from a DSDP 678 m core, site 525A, Leg 74, Walvis Ridge

• Main Author: Liu, Yun-gang
• Other Authors: Schmitt, Roman A., Ingle, J. D. Jr, Dymond, J., Dasch, E. J., Chemistry, Oregon State University. Graduate School
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English; unknown
• Published: Oregon State University
• Subjects: Nuclear activation analysis; South Atlantic Ocean
• Online Access: https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/q524jr49k

Part 1 The concentration of seventeen elements in two species of fungus which cause wheat bunt disease, Tilletia caries (DC.)Tul. (TS) and Tilletia controversa Kiihn (DS), were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis in 37 TS spore samples, and 31 DS spore samples. Aluminum was chosen as a soil contamination indicator to correct for soil contamination. The plot of the concentrations of the ith element [X[subscript i]] versus Al, yielded the biological concentrations of [X.[subscript i]]. The results show that the biological concentrations of Sc, V, La, and Sm are insignificantly small and that their contents in the spores are essentially all derived from soil dust contamination. For Na and Fe, considerable fractions, 0.15 and 0.60, respectively, of their total concentrations are derived from soil contamination. For other elements, the soil contamination contributions are relatively small compared to their biological concentrations. The "student" t-test was used for comparisons of the geometric means of the element concentrations between the TS and DS spore series. The differences between the mean values of Cl, K, Ca, Mn, Zn, and Br for the TS and CS series are not totally due to random errors within the 95% confidence level. The differences for K and Cl between the TS and DS series are large and outside the ±10- limits; therefore, the concentrations of these two elements can be used as reliable criteria for distinguishing these two species. Also, Br may be useful as a diagnostic trace element due to the significant difference between the Br geometric means of the TS and DS spores. Part 2 Forty sediment and four basement basalt samples, taken from a 678 m core drilled by the DSDP (Deep Sea Drilling Project) at Site 525A, Leg 74 (June 10-15, 1980), as well as sixteen selected basalt samples around the south Atlantic Ocean were subjected to instrumental neutron activation analysis. Thirty-two major, minor, and trace elements were determined. The core from the Wavlis Ridge site (2467 m) consisted of ...