A PC-BASED COMPUTER-PROGRAM FOR QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF INAA RESULTS OFEMISSION AND AIR PARTICULATE SAMPLES

A PC-based computer program for quality assessment (QAS) of results ob tained by neutron activation analysis (NAA) is described. Program QAS is designed for the quality assurance system based on a routine use of certified reference materials (CRMs) with similar matrix composition as the samples analyzed together with each sample batch. The results o btained for CRMs samples are then compared with certified (true) value s and with the results obtained for particular CRM in previous analysi s runs. Five various tests are applied to check the quality of NAA res ults (for CRM and, consequently, for real samples) obtained for a part icular analysis run. Control charts for elemental concentrations found in CRM and ranges of results for duplicate aliquots of CRM are displa yed to visualize possible discrepancies. The program accepts files tra nsported from a gamma-ray spectrometric system ND 683 (based on a PDP 11 computer), extracts and stores reference material results, and prep ares a work spreadsheet for each set of results to avoid typist and ot her kinds of errors.