Zinc as a Marker in Viscera of Suspected Metal Phosphide Poisoning: A Study by Neutron Activation Analysis

Zinc as a marker element in the viscera of suspected metal phosphide poisoning has been studied during the present work. Neutron activation analysis (NAA) has been employed to detect and quantify the concentration of zinc in the viscera/stomach portion. The methodology has been developed on simulated and real life viscera samples to quantify the amount of zinc using NAA. The results obtained by NAA for real-life samples have been validated using a complementary analytical technique (viz. differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry), and the values obtained were in good agreement, within ± 5–8%. This exercise could be useful in medico-legal field for framing a definitive opinion about zinc phosphide poisoning.