Utilisation of a low power reactor for instrumental neutron activation analysis of 40 elements in coal

Coal is mostly used as an energy source for power generation and in local b rick kilns in Pakistan, which causes environmental pollution problems due t o the release of toxic constituents. Elemental characterisation provides us eful information regarding the nature of environmental pollutants to which coal workers and adjacent terrain are exposed and circumscribes different e lements as they exist in the coal. Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis employing a low power Miniature Neutron Source Reactor has been used for t he determination of 40 major, minor, and trace elements in coal. Bituminous , sub-bituminous and lignite coal varieties of Pakistan were analysed which show that bituminous coal from Salt Range contains lower amount of toxic e lements. The quality of the analysed data has been assured by simultaneous analysis of the IAEA and NBS/NIST Certified Reference Materials. The data w ill be useful for extrapolating the extent of elemental emission through th e combustion of these coals. Enrichment factors calculated for these elemen ts in coal show high values for As, Br, Cl, Dy, Hg, Mo, Sb, and Se, indicat ing difference in geochemistry and growth environment of the coal deposits. Elemental concentrations of our coal varieties have been compared with tho se of other countries.