Vapour phase mercury in the atmosphere Methodology for instrumental neutron activation analysis

摘要

Atmospheric gas phase mercury was collected on commercial activated charcoal by a mercury collection apparatus in Antalya, on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Because of the high collection efficiency due to its high surface area and low blank concentration for mercury and other metals, activated coconut charcoal was used as a sorbent material. Ozone was also monitored automatically during the collection period. Instrumental neutron activation analysis was used as the analytical technique. The collected charcoal samples were irradiated with neutrons at the CNAEM reactor with a flux of 1.10~13 n cm~(-2) s~(-1). The 77 keV gamma ray energy of ~(197)Hg (T_1/2=2.672 d) and 279 keV gamma ray energy of ~(203)Hg(T_(1/2)=46.61 d) isotopes were analysed separately. The ~75Se correction for ~203Hg was made because of interfering gamma ray energy. The average concentration of gas phase mercury was found to be 3.7 +- 1.5 ng m~(-3). The correlation with other gas phase pollutants was also investigated.