Activation analysis of air particulate matter

Assay of metallic components in ambient atmosphere is achieved by using many methods, including activation analysis. Due to the low abundance of aerosols, accurate and high-sensitivity procedures are needed. This has brought the activation technique, especially instrumental neutron activation analysis, to the forefront. This chapter outlines the various aspects of such applications. The inhalation pathway and the air system to be analyzed are discussed, and then the analytical scheme is described in detail: formulation of questions to be answered, sampling, sample/standard preparation, irradiation/counting/gamma spectrometry, data processing/evaluation/presentation, relative and monostandard methods. Literature on the use of AA of atmospheric samples in various localities is reviewed, and levels of toxic and other elements in the atmosphere are tabulated. 190 refs, 9 tabs, 4 figs