Micro-element content of wool from twin wethers raised on two soils as determined by neutron activation analysis

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Abstract
The micro-element content of wool from twin wethers raised on pastures, the micro-element composition of which reflected soil differences in two areas, was determined by neutron activation analysis. Nine elements, Mn, Zn, Cu, Al, Se, Mo, W, V, and Au, were measured quantitatively, and the presence of small amounts of four others, Ag, Hg, Sb, and Cr, was noted. Five of the elements, Mn, Zn, Cu, Se, and W, appeared to vary in the wool, depending on which soil area a twin was raised on. Molybdenum in the wool seems to reflect liver Mo, although in this study neither appear to follow pasture Mo differences. It is suggested that micro-element analysis of wool offers some possibilities in the field of animal nutrition.