Multi-element analysis of environmental samples by cold and thermal guided neutron induced prompt gamma-ray measurement

Non-destructive multi-element determination in environmental samples by neutron-induced prompt gamma-ray analysis (PGA) has been investigated. Comparative standardization for the elements including H, B, C, N, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Co, Cd, Sm, Gd, Hg by PGA has been carried out using the cold and thermal guided neutron beams of JRR-3M reactor and then several environmental reference materials have been analyzed. Accuracy and precision of better than 20% were found for these elemental analyses except for H, C, N and Cl in biological samples. Detection limits in various environmental matrices were 25 to 820 mu g/g for B, Cd, Sm and Gd, 1.1 to 820 mu g/g for H, Na, S, Cl, K, Ti, Mn, Co and Hg, and 0.031 to 10% for C, N, Mg, Al, Si, P, Ca and Fe. ?he present method is being applied to environmental studies of post war Persian Gulf together with INAA and ICP-MS.