Measurement of Pu-241 in low level radioactive wastes from reactors

Journal Article · Tue Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1985 · Radiation Protection Management; (United States)

OSTI ID:5287064

Martin, J E; Conway, K C ^[1]

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1. School of Public Health, Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (US)

This paper reports that plutonium-241 occupies a pivotal position in the formation of a number of transuranic nuclides and itself accounts for the majority of transuranic activity in low level radiative wastes from power reactors. Previous methods for measuring {sup 241}Pu used a lengthy procedure involving alpha spectroscopy for counting {sup 241}Am ingrowth and back-calculation of {sup 241}Pu content. A more direct method described here uses liquid scintillation analysis to detect beta emissions from {sup 241}Pu in a radiochemically separated sample. The method uses a window setting similar to that used for tritium analysis and accounts for sample contamination by high energy beta emitters as well as interference from alpha-emitting plutonium isotopes.

• OSTI ID: 5287064
• Journal Information: Radiation Protection Management; (United States), Journal Name: Radiation Protection Management; (United States) Vol. 3:1; ISSN 0740-0640; ISSN RPMAE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
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38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
400702 -- Radiochemistry & Nuclear Chemistry-- Properties of Radioactive Materials
440102 -- Radiation Instrumentation-- Radiation Dosemeters
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA PARTICLES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMISTRY
DOSES
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LIQUID SCINTILLATION DETECTORS
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MONITORING
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM 241
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
POWER PLANTS
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOCHEMISTRY
RADIOISOTOPES
SCINTILLATION COUNTERS
SPONTANEOUS FISSION RADIOISOTOPES
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES