Further investigation of epithermal neutron activation analysis in the determination of heavy metals in the Arctic atmosphere

Abstract

We have further explored the use of epithermal NAA with Compton suppression to establish the presence of barium, potassium, strontium and zinc in Arctic air filters. Silver was determined using cyclic epithermal NAA in air filters. For one-sixteenth of a Whatman air filter detection limits for barium, potassium, silver strontium, and zinc were 5, 7, 0.01, 1 and 0.9 μg, respectively. Results revealed that longer counting times for the activation products of barium, strontium and zinc would be needed to consistently achieve uncertainties less than 20 %.