Mercury and gold concentrations of highly polluted environmental samples determined using prompt gamma-ray analysis and instrument neutron activation analysis |
| |
Authors: | Takahito Osawa Yuichi HatsukawaPeter WU Appel Hideaki Matsue |
| |
Affiliation: | a Neutron Imaging and Activation Analysis Group, Quantum Beam Science Directorate, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Shirakata Shirane 2-4, Tokai-mura, Naka-gun, Ibaraki 319-1195, Japan b Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Oester Voldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen, Denmark |
| |
Abstract: | The authors have established a method of determining mercury and gold in severely polluted environmental samples using prompt gamma-ray analysis (PGA) and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Since large amounts of mercury are constantly being released into the environment by small-scale gold mining in many developing countries, the mercury concentration in tailings and water has to be determined to mitigate environmental pollution. Cold-vapor atomic absorption analysis, the most pervasive method of mercury analysis, is not suitable because tailings and water around mining facilities have extremely high mercury concentrations. On the other hand, PGA can determine high mercury concentrations in polluted samples as it has an appropriate level of sensitivity. Moreover, gold concentrations can be determined sequentially by using INAA after PGA. In conclusion, the analytical procedure established in this work using PGA and INAA is the best way to evaluate the degree of pollution and the tailing resource value. This method will significantly contribute to mitigating problems in the global environment. |
| |
Keywords: | Prompt gamma-ray analysis Instrument neutron activation analysis Mercury Small-scale mining Environmental pollution |
本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录! |
|