Instrumental neutron activation analysis of air suspended particles in Rasht city, Iran

Background: In addition to gas pollutants, many chemicals and air pollutants are in the form of particulate matter. Particulate matter consists of a complex mixture of variable sized particles and physicochemical composition. These particles mainly contain minerals including Fe, Al, Ca, K, Cu, Ti, Mn, Ni, V and their size, chemical composition and concentration are important to assess the extent to which people has been protected. Materials and Methods: Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) was employed to determine the composition of elements in material collected on whatman 41 filter using high volume air sampler in Rasht. Conce ntration of elements including Al, Ca, V, Mg, Cu, Ti, K, Ba, Cl, Mn, Na, As, Br, Cr, La, Sb, Co, Fe, Hg, Sc and Zn were determined in samples. Results: Results showed that the levels of most air pollutants in Rasht to be lower than those measured in other cities in Iran (Tehran, Esfahan and Shiraz) by the same technique. Compared to other cities in world except for some elements, mean concentration of elements in air in Rasht were lower than those reported for Milan, Pavia and Beijing. Conclusion: Although the level of most air pollutants in Rasht are lower than those measured in other cities in Iran, due to considerable differences in element concentrations depending on the day of sample collection, more detailed studies are needed to control the emission of pollutants in this region. Iran. J. Radiat. Res., 2011 9(2): 139-143