Activation Analysis—Its Present State of Development and Its Importance as an Analytical Tool

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Abstract
Activation analysis is one of the most important methods available for the determination of traces of elements and of isotopes. One special advantage of activation analysis is its ability to cope with the simultaneous determination of many elements with very high detection sensitivity–for many elements lying below the ppb level. In some cases as little as 10−14—10−15g of an element can be detected. A number of sources of systematic errors common to other analytical procedures, mainly those caused by the blank, are eliminated in activation methods. The disadvantages may be seen as the inconvenience of handling radioactive materials, the dependence on large irradiation facilities, and sometimes the unavoidably long irradiation and cooling periods. On account of its unique capabilities activation analysis finds applications in all fields of endeavor where minute amounts of elements are of significance, from materials research through medicine to archaeology. Further improvements in performance and increases in scope are seen to lie in the development of new radiation sources, activation techniques, measurement systems, and separation procedures.