Determination of cadmium in petroleum

A rapid and selective radiochemical separation procedure has been developed based on an amalgam exchange for the determination of sub-ppm levels of cadmium in petroleum. The variables which affect the exchange have been optimized to obtain quantitative yields. Decontamination factors are very high and can be controlled by the use of carriers and hold-back carriers. Precision is better than 10% on average, and accuracy is quite good as proved by comparison to results obtained via flameless atomic absorption. (author)