Determination of Extractable and Bound Organochlorine in Sediment by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis
Samuel Afful
Nuclear Chemistry Environmental Research Center, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Box LG. 80, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
Johannes A. M. Awudza
Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Shiloh Osae
Nuclear Chemistry Environmental Research Center, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Box LG. 80, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
Michael Tawiah
Nuclear Chemistry Environmental Research Center, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Box LG. 80, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
Ellis Enimil
Nuclear Chemistry Environmental Research Center, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Box LG. 80, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
Beatrice Puplampu
Nuclear Chemistry Environmental Research Center, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Box LG. 80, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
Gladys Adjei Mantey
Nuclear Chemistry Environmental Research Center, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Box LG. 80, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Extractable organochlorine (EOC) and bound organochlorine (BOC) compositions in sediments from Lake Bosomtwi have been determined with instrumental neutron activation technique. Within the limit of experimental errors, the precision and accuracy of the method for the determination were within 3% and 4% respectively. The mean levels of EOC and BOC were in the range of 1.71 mg/kg to 5.18 mg/kg and 0.31 mg/kg to 0.68 mg/kg respectively. Analysis of organochlorine data showed the EOC content on the average was about seven times more than those of BOC. Washing of chloride from sediment fortified with an insoluble chloride, thus PbCl2, with various concentrations of sodium nitrate (NaNO3) solutions was investigated and washing with 0.1 M solution of NaNO3 gave the optimum yield of chloride. Organic carbon (OC) and BOC compositions in the sediments were subjected to correlation analysis and results showed that the two correlated very well with corrected coefficient of 0.65. OC in sediments could therefore, be one of the carrier phases of BOC in sediments.
Keywords: Extractable organochlorine, bound organochlorine, instrumental neutron activation, sediments, Bosomtwi