Photon activation analysis of NIST SRM sediment sample using the electron linear accelerator at Pohang Accelerator Laboratory

Photon activation analysis (PAA) of a sample of standard reference material 1646a (SRM 1646a) sediment sample was carried out using the electron linear accelerator (LINAC) at Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL). A method is presented for the simultaneous determination of Sc, Mn, and Zr by PAA using all elements and sediment SRM 1646a as internal standards. The results show good agreement with the values given by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). However, a large amount of Zr in SRM 1646a was discovered, which was not in the NIST certificate.