Instrumental neutron activation analysis of fly ash and aerosols

Recent results obtained by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) at UJV and the techniques used in analyzing coal fly ash and aerosols are summed up. A complex INAA procedure including both long-term and short-term irradiation allows determining more than 30 elements in such samples. Thus, fly ash can be distinguished emitted by brown coal-fired power plants from that emitted by large sources firing mazout; fly ash can even be differentiated from power plants burning brown coal of different origin. In analyzing aerosols, thanks to their reliability the INAA results for background aerosols are very important for the definition of pollution of large territorial areas in Czechoslovakia. (author)