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An Improved Radiochemical Neutron Activation Analysis Procedure for Trace Mercury

Published

Author(s)

Richard M. Lindstrom

Abstract

Radiochemical neutron activation analysis has proven to be a powerful tool for measuring trace mercury in a variety of materials. In a modification of an established NIST method, selenium interfering with the 203Hg indicator is removed by precipitating mercury as periodate, and the chemical yield is measured gravimetrically. The current method is better suited to multiple samples, less subject to explosion during the combustion step, provides a measurement of the yield for each sample, and involves less radiation exposure to personnel. The procedure has been applied to the certification of mercury in SRMs 1575a Pine Needles, 1632c Bituminous Coal, and 2702 Marine Sediment.
Citation
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry
Volume
263
Issue
3

Keywords

combustion separation, mercury analysis, radiochemical neutron activation analysi, Standard Reference Materials

Citation

Lindstrom, R. (2005), An Improved Radiochemical Neutron Activation Analysis Procedure for Trace Mercury, Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry (Accessed April 19, 2024)
Created February 1, 2005, Updated February 17, 2017