Australian technology helping bust New York smog

American researchers investigating the nature of air pollution in New York have chosen to utilise the international reputation and expertise of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) to analyse their samples.

The New York researchers are looking to identify the elements in the air, with particular reference to man-made versus natural sources of air pollution, and the effects of coal burning for power generation.

Dr David Cohen of ANSTO Physics said that while a number of laboratories around the world are capable of performing Ion Beam Analysis (IBA), ANSTO's ability to efficiently analyse very small samples with high sensitivity and precision is proving to be highly competitive on the world stage.

By applying advanced nuclear techniques, ANSTO researchers can detect the presence and concentration of up to 35 elements in dust collected on filters to accurately establish results for concentrations as low as one nanogram (one thousand-millionth of a gram) per cubic metre of air.

ANSTO's accelerator based IBA Analysis Facility can simultaneously perform PIXE (Proton Induced X-Ray Emission), PIGE (Proton Induced Gamma ray Emission), RBS (Rutherford Backscattering) and PESA (Proton Elastic Scattering Analysis) to analyse materials for many of the elements in the periodic table from hydrogen to uranium.

As well as aerosol analysis, major applications for this work have included studies into pigment composition of paintings, studies of Aboriginal and Polynesian artefacts, and composition of geological samples for mineral ore prospecting.

Item provided courtesy of ANSTO