Activation analysis of mercury in environmental samples

Neutron-activation analysis has been applied to the determination of mercury in a variety of environmental samples (Table 11) and so far has played an important role in the environmental research concerned with mercury pollution. The virtues of this method as its high sensitivity, applicability to various samples make the method attractive. On the other hand the high cost, limited availability of irradiation facilities, the time consumming analysis (due to irradiation and cooling) are important drawbacks and limit the use of the method, particularly in routine work. With the development of flameless atomic absorption mercury determination is more and more carried out with the aid of the latter technique. It seems, however, that activation analysis will remain a reference method and an anchorage in the cases when other methods fail.