Rapid method to determine 226Ra in steel samples

Journal Article · Fri Sep 22 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-017-5491-8· OSTI ID:1427455

Maxwell, Sherrod L. ^[1]; Culligan, Brian ^[1]; Hutchison, Jay B. ^[1]; Sudowe, Ralf ^[2]; McAlister, Daniel R. ^[3]

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1. Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC, Aiken, SC (United States)
2. Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States)
3. PG Research Foundation, Inc., Lisle, IL (United States)

The rapid measurement of ²²⁶Ra in steel samples is very important in the event of a radiological emergency. ²²⁶Ra (T_1/2 = 1600 y) is a natural radionuclide present in the environment and a highly toxic alpha-emitter. Due to its long life and tendency to concentrate in bones, ²²⁶Ra ingestion or inhalation can lead to significant committed dose to individuals. A new method for the determination of ²²⁶Ra in steel samples has been developed at the Savannah River Environmental Laboratory. The new method employs a rugged acid digestion method that includes hydrofluoric acid, followed by a single precipitation step to rapidly preconcentrate the radium and remove most of the dissolved steel sample matrix. Radium is then separated using a combination of cation exchange and extraction chromatography, and ²²⁶Ra is measured by alpha spectrometry. This approach has a sample preparation time of ~ 8 h for steel samples, has a very high tracer yield (> 88%), and removes interferences effectively. A ¹³³Ba yield tracer is used so that samples can be counted immediately following the separation method, avoiding lengthy ingrowth times that are required in other methods.

• Research Organization: Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: AC09-08SR22470
• OSTI ID: 1427455
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 22662866
• Report Number(s): SRNS-STI--2017-00659; PII: 5491
• Journal Information: Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Journal Name: Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 314; ISSN 0236-5731
• Publisher: Springer
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY