Determination of Mercury in Coal Using Radiochemical Neutron Activation Analysis†

Abstract

A radiochemical neutron activation analysis method was developed based on pyrolysis followed by double gold amalgamation for the determination of mercury in solid samples. Accurate results were obtained for mercury determinations in six standard reference materials of varying matrices certified for mercury, including coal. Linearity was demonstrated up to mercury concentrations of 10000 ng g^–1. The method is capable of yielding precise, reproducible values with a detection limit of 5 ng g^–1 for mercury determination in coal.