Comparison of NAA and PIXE in the analysis of arctic aerosol samples

Journal Article · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:411509

Biegalski, S R; Landsberger, S ^[1]; Heydorn, Kaj ^[2]; Kemp, K; Wahlin, P

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1. Univ. of Illinois, Urbana, IL (United States)
2. Riso National Laboratory, Roskilde (Denmark)

Air filter samples have been collected at Station Nord in Greenland on a weekly basis since August 1990. Samples collected between February 24, 1992, and July 5, 1993, were analyzed by neutron activation analysis (NAA) and proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) for their elemental concentrations. A comparison was made between 14 elemental concentrations determined by both analytical methods. The elements for which results from both techniques were obtained were aluminum, arsenic, bromine, calcium, chlorine, chromium, copper, iron, potassium, manganese, selenium, titanium, vanadium, and zinc. Time series plots were made for these elements with data from both analytical methods. Since the precision of the NAA and PIXE results were of similar magnitude, the statistic {Beta} was used to assist in the interpretation of the results. This is a test for the absence of bias in the determination of concentrations utilizing two separate analytical procedures. This is the same test that was used by Heydorn to ascertain the absence of a blank value in a method for the radiochemical determination of arsenic. For this NAA-versus-PIXE comparison, the slope of the correlation line was always close to 1, so an approximation was used: {Beta} ={Sigma}{sup n}{sub i=1} (y{sub i1} - {rho}y{sub i2}){sup 2}/{sigma}{sup 2}{sub i1} + {sigma}{sup 2}{sub i2} where {rho} is the ratio y{sub 1}/y{sub 2} and {Beta} is closely approximated by a x{sup 2} distribution.

• OSTI ID: 411509
• Report Number(s): CONF-951006--
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Vol. 73; ISSN 0003-018X; ISSN TANSAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

40 CHEMISTRY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AEROSOLS
AIR FILTERS
ARSENIC
GREENLAND
MULTI-ELEMENT ANALYSIS
NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS
PIXE ANALYSIS