NEUTRON-ACTIVATION ANALYSIS FOR SIMULTANEOUS DETERMINATION OF TRACE-ELEMENTS IN AMBIENT AIR COLLECTED ON GLASS-FIBER FILTERS

Arsenic with 25 other elements are simultaneously determined in ambient air samples collected on glass-fiber filter composites at 250 United States sites. The instrumental neutron activation analysis (NAA) technique combined with the power of a dedicated mini-computer resulted in a routine analysis of the collected filter composites. The computer output defined ambient air levels for each element in units of nanograms per cubic meter. Values for the range determined, the mean, and coefficients of variation for split and control samples are reviewed for each of the elements involved in this multielement scan. Thirteen of the 26 elements are detected in concentrations above the discrimination limits in over 20% of the samples analyzed. © 1979, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.