title: Plastics from household waste as a source of heavy metal pollution. An inventory study using INAA as the analytical technique.
abstract: An inventory study to the levels of cadmium in the plastic component of household waste was carried out utilizing INAA as the analytical technique. In a 2-h irradiation, 2-d decay, and 1-h measurement, protocol adequate sensitivities could be obtained for Cd, but also for a group of other metals: Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Sr, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Sn, Sb, Ba, and Hg. Red-, orange-, and yellow-colored plastics either contain Cd at high levels (over 1000 mg/kg) or have relatively low Cd concentrations (less than 50 mg/kg). High concentrations were also occasionally found for Sr, Se, Ba, Sb, and Hg. INAA appeared very well to be routinely usable for such analysis because of the absence of a destruction step, adequate sensitivity, high accuracy, and multielement results.
authors.affiliation: Delft University of Technology, Interfaculty Reactor Institute, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bode
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Bruin
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Aalbers
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Meyer
mesh_terms: D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis*; D009501:Neutron Activation Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D010969:Plastics / Q000032:analysis*; D012037:Refuse Disposal
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008670:Metals; D010969:Plastics; D002104:Cadmium