NEUTRON ACTIVATION STUDY OF SPRING WATER SAMPLES FROM QINXIAN COUNTY, SHANXI PROVINCE

water samples from seven springs in Qinxian County; Shanxi province, have been analyzed for 29 elements using both INAA and RNAA. Freeze concentraion (instead of freeze drying) and direct irradiation of concentrated water samples were used to overcome difficulties in quantitative transfer of dried residues, usually encountered in routine freeze drying procedure. Thermal neutron flux amplification caused by 4ml water samples(hydrogen induced thermalization of reactor fast neutrons) has been proven to be negligible. Two simple radiochemical procedures were established for the removal of ~(82)Br interference and the separation of ~(56)Mn. The final results indicate that the Sr concentrations in five out of the seven spring waters are in the range of 0.37—0.52mg/l, coming up to the National Standard for Natural Mineral Drinking Water (Sr>0.2mg,/L). The low Na and fairly abundant trace elements of nutritional interest in the five spring waters are in accordance with recent international market trends.