ABSTRACT
A comprehensive study was conducted to assess heavy elemental pollution in the Savannah River, which flows through diverse landscapes encompassing agricultural, industrial, and commercial zones in South Carolina and Georgia. The investigation focused on the impacts of various anthropogenic activities on the river, potentially harming human health and aquatic ecosystems. Thirty samples, collected from the beginning of the Savannah River at Lake Hartwell to the Savannah River estuary near the Atlantic Ocean, were analyzed using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis. In regions of intense industrial activities, water samples exhibited elevated concentrations of elements such as Al (0.04-1.99 mg/L), Mg (0.4-5.5 mg/L), Ba (0.08-2.8 mg/L), Zn (0.017-0.9 mg/L), Cr (0.005-1.5 mg/L), and Fe (2.8-110.13 mg/L). Similarly, sediment samples near industrial areas also exhibited enhanced concentrations of heavy elements like Cr, Zr, Rb, Co, Zn, Mg, Mn, and Al. The outcome of this study has identified a spatial trend along the Savannah River, revealing major elements responsible for pollution that could disrupt the ecological environment and potentially impact human health.
ABSTRACT
Despite being widely used for high-resolution spectral analysis and quantifying low activity in natural samples, the operations and data analysis of High Purity Germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray detectors are seldom fully automated due to the excessive costs associated with commercially available automatic sample changing systems. This paper introduces the design and implementation of a cost-effective, customized remote gamma-ray spectra collection system centered around the HPGe detector coupled to a cosmic-ray veto background reduction device. The HPGe detector system, equipped with a Lynx DSA, is seamlessly integrated with an economically viable automatic sample changer. This sample vial changer is controlled by a high-torque NEMA 34 stepper servo motor from Vention. Web control of the rotary actuator is facilitated through a CAD-based programming tool. The remote-controlled sample pick-and-place procedure is executed using a robotic arm (Trossen Robotics, Viper X 250). The DYNAMIXEL servomotors of the robotic arm are programmed using Python software supported by the Robotic Operating System. Beyond its technical construction, this system is uniquely fashioned for academic research, providing invaluable hands-on experience in gamma spectrometry to both junior researchers and students.
ABSTRACT
In this study, Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) was applied to study the elemental information of geological samples with the assistance of chemometric techniques. Samples of genuine Hetian Jade from Xijiang Province of China, counterfeit jade samples purchased at the neighborhood market, and granitoid samples from the same geographic location of genuine Hetian Jade were analyzed using INAA. The preliminary study indicates that INAA, with the help of principal component analysis (PCA), can be applied to obtain the multi-elemental concentrations of geological samples with high sensitivity, thereby effectively differentiating genuine Hetian Jade from counterfeit ones.
