ON ACHIEVING MEASUREMENT QUALITY IN AIR-POLLUTION STUDIES EMPLOYING NUCLEAR TECHNIQUES

Instrumental neutron activation. proton induced X-ray emission and ene rgy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence procedures were employed for trace e lement determinations in samples of fractionated air particulate matte r deposited on filters. The techniques are well suited to analyse the generally small samples. However, indications of bias between techniqu es were found in the analysis of individual filters. This may be recti fied with the development of matched reference materials. The three te chniques were used in this work to determine trace elements in bulk sa mples of air particulate matter and in a set of intercomparison sample s of fine air particulate matter on filters. The test results on these materials showed good agreement among the employed techniques and dem onstrated the quality potential of air particulate analyses.