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Provisional Elemental Values for IAEA‐Sewage Sludge by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis
Author(s) -
Wasim Mohammad,
Arif Mohammad,
Iqbal Sajid,
Daud Muhammad
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
geostandards and geoanalytical research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.037
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1751-908X
pISSN - 1639-4488
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-908x.2012.00182.x
Subject(s) - neutron activation analysis , sewage sludge , neutron activation , radiochemistry , chemistry , environmental science , analytical chemistry (journal) , environmental chemistry , neutron , sewage , nuclear physics , physics , environmental engineering
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) organised a proficiency test (PT), IAEA‐CU‐2010‐02, for the determination of elements in sewage sludge. The PT sample was analysed by semi‐absolute standardless k 0 ‐instrumental neutron activation analysis ( k 0 ‐INAA). Results for seven elements (As, Co, Cr, Fe, Hg, Se, Zn) were submitted to the IAEA by our laboratory. All of our results were scored ‘acceptable’ by the ‘result evaluation criteria’ adopted by the IAEA. The same analytical methodology produced quantitative results for twenty‐six additional elements. In total, thirty‐six elements were determined with uncertainty varying from 4 to 11%. This paper presents the provisional mass fractions of twenty‐six additional elements (Ag, Al, Br, Ca, Ce, Cl, Dy, Eu, Ga, Hf, I, K, La, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Ta, Tb, Th, V, U, W) not reported by the IAEA. The analytical methodology was discussed with important sources of spectral, nuclear and fission‐product interferences. It was shown that the important components of uncertainties were the k 0 factor, Q 0 factor, detector efficiency, mass and counting statistics. The methodology was validated by analysing the IAEA‐S7 reference material.