Mercury and gold concentrations of highly polluted environmental samples determined using prompt -ray analysis and instrument neutron activation analysis

即発線と放射化分析を用いた汚染環境試料中の水銀及び金の定量法

大澤 崇人  ; 初川 雄一; Appel, P. W. U.*; 松江 秀明 

Osawa, Takahito; Hatsukawa, Yuichi; Appel, P. W. U.*; Matsue, Hideaki

発展途上国で行われている小規模金採鉱では多量の水銀が使用されているため、水銀の環境汚染が問題視されている。われわれは水銀汚染問題を解決するために、即発線分析と放射化分析を組合せて廃鉱中の汚染状況と金の濃度を定量するための方法を確立した。この方法は世界的環境汚染問題の解決に大きく資することができる。

The authors have established a method of determining mercury and gold in severely polluted environ-mental samples using prompt -ray analysis (PGA) and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Since large amounts of mercury are constantly being released into the environment by small-scale gold mining in many developing countries, the mercury concentration in tailings and water has to be determined to mitigate environmental pollution. PGA can determine high mercury concentrations in polluted samples as it has an appropriate level of sensitivity. Moreover, gold concentrations can be determined sequentially by using INAA after PGA. In conclusion, the analytical procedure established in this work using PGA and INAA is the best way to evaluate the degree of pollution and the tailing resource value. This method will significantly contribute to mitigating problems in the global environment.