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Radioactive Contamination of Polyethylene Surfaces by Cs-137 in Solution and Their Decontamination (in Japanese)

Journal Article · · Radioisotopes (Tokyo)
The radioactive contamination of polyethylene surfaces by Cs/sup 137/ in solution- and their subsequent decontamination were investigated. The time and temperature of immersion, concentration of cesium and other ions in solution, concentration of cesium and other ions in solution, and pretreatment of the sample were varied to study the effects of these factors. Addition of non- radioactive salts, such as CsNO/sub 3/ and NH/sub 4/NO/sub 3/, to a carrier-free Cs/sup 137/NO/sub solution, and increase in temperature decrease the radioactive contamination, whereas pretreatments of polyethylene surfaces have little effect on the contamination. Autoradiographs of the contaminated surfaces always showed a pronounced nonuniformity of distribution of the activity, i.e., numerous localized spots of Cs/sup 137/, on the surface. When the contaminated samples were immersed in water, it was found that the resulting decontamination curves consist of the fast and slow desorption steps. Hot nitric acid (1: 4) was found to be most effective for decontamination among the reagents tested. Physical adsorption of cesium ions on polyethylene surfaces seems to be the predominant phenomenon under normal laboratory conditions.
Research Organization:
Tokyo Univ.
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
NSA Number:
NSA-16-000440
OSTI ID:
4823207
Journal Information:
Radioisotopes (Tokyo), Journal Name: Radioisotopes (Tokyo) Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 10; ISSN 0033-8303
Country of Publication:
Country unknown/Code not available
Language:
Japanese