Non-vacuum PIXE for multi-elemental analysis of heavy metals in stream water

An improvement has been made on a liquid target preparation for an external proton beam PIXE which is regarded as an excellent technique for multi-elemental analysis of a liquid specimen. A 2.5 MeV proton beam taken out to the atmosphere through an exit Kapton foil bombards an acidic solution target. Such bombardment enables the comparison of X-ray yields of a liquid sample with those of standard solutions so that one can determine the elemental concentration in a liquid sample more precisely and easily. The dose limit of a 7.5 μm Kapton foil was found to be 0.8-1.0 mC for a 2 MeV proton beam of 10-20 nA in intensity. An example is given for the analysis of heavy metals in stream water. (author)