Comparative Study of Activation Analyses for the Determination of Trace Halogens in Geological and Cosmochemical Samples

Abstract

Halogens (fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine) were determined by activation analyses (neutron activation analysis (NAA), photon activation analysis (PAA) and prompt gamma-ray analysis (PGA)) for geological and cosmochemical solid samples. We studied how each analytical method was for the determination of trace amounts of halogens in rock samples. Radiochemical NAA (RNAA) showed the highest analytical reliability for three halogens (chlorine, bromine and iodine), whereas a set of four halogens (fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine) could be determined in principle by radiochemical PAA (RPAA) from a single specimen. Although it is a non-destructive method, PGA showed an analytical sensitivity for chlorine comparable to those of RNAA and RPAA.

Reference Materials in Geoanalytical and Environmental Research ‐ Review for 2006 and 2007

“…The reliability of the ICP-MS method was evaluated using the well-studied geochemical RMs AGV-1, BCR-1 and GBW07312. Halogens were determined by Nakamoto et al (2007) using different activation analyses and analysing JB-1, JG-1 and the Allende meteorite RM. RNAA showed the highest analytical reliability for the halogens Cl, Br and I.…”

Photochemical vapor generation of iodine for detection by ICP-MS

“…A number of analytical methodologies have been applied for the determination of iodine, including ion chromatography (IC), [5][6][7] gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), 8,9 radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA), [10][11][12] accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), [13][14][15] inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) [16][17][18][19] and, most recently, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). [20][21][22][23] The latter technique provides excellent detection power, isotopic selectivity and high sample throughput but is not without its drawbacks.…”

Accurate Determination of Chlorine, Bromine, and Iodine in Sedimentary Rock Reference Samples by Radiochemical Neutron Activation Analysis and a Detailed Comparison with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry Literature Data

“…Fluorine, however, can be determined by different activation analyses such as INAA with cyclic neutron irradiation 8 and radiochemical photon activation analysis. 9 In this study, trace three halogens (chlorine, bromine, and iodine) were determined by radiochemical NAA (RNAA) for 12 geological reference powder samples: 9 sedimentary rocks and 3 rhyolites. There are three major goals in this study.…”

“…However, three halogens (chorine, bromine, and iodine) have been routinely determined by NAA with radiochemical purification. − As for fluorine, the half-life of neutron-capturing nuclide 20 F (11 s) is too short to be radiochemically purified in the RNAA procedure. Fluorine, however, can be determined by different activation analyses such as INAA with cyclic neutron irradiation and radiochemical photon activation analysis …”