Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence and neutron activation analyses of sediments from the Turkish coast of the west Black Sea

Abstract

Some surface sediment samples, collected from 10 sampling sites of the southwest part of the Black Sea in 1998, were analysed quantitatively by radioisotope energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) methods. The concentration of U, Th, Sc and some other rare earth elements (REEs) and important heavy metals in the sediment samples are as follows: U (1.5-5.7 mg/kg), Th (1.9-11 mg/kg), Sc (1.7-13 mg/kg), La (7.8-30 mg/kg), Ce (12-68 mg/kg), Nd (9-20 mg/kg), Sm (1.5-5.3 mg/kg), Th (0.18-0.82 mg/kg), Lu (0.06-0.44 mg/kg), Cd (0.10-0.26 mg/kg), Sb (0.036-2.30 mg/kg), Hg (0.02-0.08 mg/kg), and Pb (2-35 mg/kg). The results investigated indicate the presence of correlations between the concentrations of some elements of the sediment samples. The results are also compared to those of other marine sediments.