Determination of trace elements in water by radioisotope alpha-particle induced X-ray emission

Abstract

An X-ray spectrometric system including210Po α-particle sources for excitation and a Si(Li) detector has been applied to determine the concentrations of trace elements in water samples. Thin targets were prepared by the evaporation of a known volume of water deposited on a Mylar backing. The system was calibrated using the internal standard method. Relative sensitivities were measured for 16 elements detected by their K, L and M X-rays. The results are compared with theoretical calculations. The minimum detection limits from 0.01 to 0.07 μg/ml were obtained for 2000 s analysis time.