Determination of heavy metals in municipal sewage plant sludges by neutron activation analysis

Research is presented which deals with the use of Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) to scan sewage sludges for their trace metal content. Of special interest are the metals Hg, Se, Cr, Sb, Co and Fe which are highlighted in sludges from six North Carolina cities that represent the spectrum of rural to heavily industrialized pollution sources. Trace metal content variations and possible meanings for these variations are presented along with the precision and potential of NAA for trace metal scanning.