Toxic Element Analyses of Summer and Winter Storm-Water Sediment by Neutron Activation Analyses

Abstract

AbstractTo maintain the effectiveness of a storm-water detention/retention pond, the sediments accumulating at the bottom the pond must be periodically removed and treated for ultimate disposal. The required pond clean-outs may be executed during the winter months to minimize the impact on the pond’s operation and the recreational use of surrounding areas. However, the difference in trace element concentrations of storm-water sediments between the winter and summer months has not been fully investigated because most earlier studies focused on the summer season and sediment samples were seldom collected during the winter months. In this study, sediment samples were deliberately collected during both the winter and summer seasons at the same location. Neutron activation analysis (NAA) and prompt gamma ray techniques were used to determine the trace element concentration in the sediment samples, while a laser diffraction particle size analyzer and an optical microscope were used to analyze the sizes and shap...