Feasibility Study for the in Vivo Measurement of Lead in Bone Using L-X-Ray Fluorescence

Lead deposits in bone were detected by x-ray fluorescence using x-rays from either a 125 I or a 109Cd source. Measurements were taken from tibia in intact human legs, post-mortem. On the basis of preliminary measurements, it was concluded that an exposure of one rad is adequate for determination of lead in bone. Both the advantages and the disadvantages of L-x-rays, used in the technique developed for this study, are compared with those of K-x-rays.