Trace element determination in aerosols from the Antarctic Peninsula by neutron activation analysis

The knowledge of the composition of atmospheric aerosols in remote areas, like the Antarctic Peninsula is of great importance for the study of long-range transport of atmospheric contaminants and also from the climatological point of view. Instrumental neutron activation analysis was applied in the present work to determine the elements Al, V, Mn, Na, Cl, Ca, Au, Br, Sb, Sc, Fe, Zn, K, Th and La in aerosol samples collected in the Brazilian Antarctic Station Comandante Ferraz (62° S, 58° W) located on King George Island in the Antarctic Peninsula. The sources of the aerosols were investigated by means of Enrichment Factors and Principal Factor Analysis. Both methods yielded similar results. Sea and soil were identified as the major sources of aerosols, in the samples collected at the Brazilian Station.