Geochemical study of trace vanadium in water by preconcentrational neutron activation analysis

By preconcentrational neutron activation analysis, trace vanadium was determined in natural water samples such as ground water, river water, lake water and so on. Preconcentration was accomplished by adsorption of vanadium on activated carbon surfaces using 8-quinolinol as an adjunct. As an analytical line, the 1434 keV γ-photopeak of52V (T1/2=3.75 m) produced in the51V (n,γ)52V reaction was measured with a conventional γ-ray spectrometer. The present analytical results show that the vanadium contents in natural water range widely from several tens ppt to about 100 ppb. A relatively larger amount of vanadium was observed in the ground water samples from the locations with basaltic soils or rocks, for example, around Mt. Fuji. This suggests that the geochemical interactions of ground water with such soils or rocks could enhance the vanadium concentrations. As an application, the vanadium contents were measured in the lake water from the five lakes surrounding Mt. Fuji in order to clarity geochemical and geological behaviors of natural water by probing vanadium as an indicator.