Compositional characterization of Kakinada Bay sediment by INAA and IBA methods: preliminary study.

Elemental concentrations of contaminated sediment samples were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis, particle induced X-ray emission and particle induced gamma-ray emission. Sediment samples were collected from the Godavari estuary, Kakinada Bay, East Coast of India. A total 35 elements were determined through the aforementioned analytical techniques. International Atomic Energy Agency reference materials including SL-1, SL-3 were used for method validation. Hazardous elements such as As, Ba, Cr, Mn, Fe and Zn were compared with United States Environmental Protection Agency data and previous studies data to determine their preliminary contamination levels in Kakinada Bay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]