Rutherford backscattering spectrometry for the analysis of atmospheric aerosols

First results of the application of Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) to the analysis of heavy metals content in aerosol samples are described. Procedures of sample collection, preparation, and measurement are characterized with respect to the main instrumental demands. At this stage of development, RBS looks promising with respect to other established analytical methods. The presently achieved sensitivity of about 10 12 at/cm 2 is already satisfying but can be further enhanced by at least one order of magnitude by using a Si multidetector array instead of a single device.