Background:

Silicon is one of the most abundant elements of the earth's crust, is the major component of the minerals of the group of silicates and is considered an essential element for certain crops. Neutron activation analysis is a nuclear technique that allows to identify and quantify minerals present in different matrices; it is a very sensitive analytical technique that can be used in research of scientific and technological interest. Objective: The objective of the research was to determine the silicon content in soil samples from the Eastern Region of Paraguay through nuclear analytical techniques. Methodology: For the study, twenty soil samples from nine departments of the Eastern Region of Paraguay were used, the determination was made according to the methodology described by Iturbe (2003).The analyzes were performed in triplicate, digitized in an Excel 2007 ® spreadsheet (USA) and presented the values ​​according to their mean and standard deviation. Results: The presence of silicon was determined in the twenty soil samples analyzed, the lowest values ​​were obtained in soils of Katuete 17.2g/100g and Obligado 20.8g/100g, and the highest in Simón Bolívar 66.1g/100g, Pirayu65.3g/100g and Mbuyapey 62.6g/100g.Conclusions: The analysis carried out through nuclear analytical techniques allowed to quantify the silicon content in the soils under study. The technique used requires a small amount of sample and can be applied to the study of other minerals in soil and even plant tissues.

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