Sequential isotopic determination of strontium, thorium, plutonium, uranium, and americium in environmental samples
- Westinghouse Electric Corp., Carlsbad, NM (United States)
- Bechtel Nevada, Las Vegas, NV (United States)
Environmental samples, such as water, soil, air, and vegetation, are frequently collected and analyzed for both emergency and routine effluent and environmental monitoring. Analytical results of environmental samples enable the health physicists to estimate the amount of radioactive material present in the environment, calculating its burden for the radiological workers and the general public. In the attached document, a procedure is presented to provide sequential determination of isotopic strontium, thorium, plutonium, uranium, and americium in a single environmental sample. This technique conserves labor and monetary resources. The method begins with digestion and/or dissolution of the sample with the addition of tracers and/or carriers as chemical yield monitors. Strontium is first separated from the actinides by precipitation as nitrates, and then purified. Strontium-90 is then measured by gas proportional counting. Actinides are separated by ion-exchange chromatography, and then quantified by alpha-particle spectrometry. This procedure enables the determination of the radioisotopes of strontium, thorium, plutonium, americium, and uranium, with typical chemical recovery ranging from 40 percent to 100 percent. Broad radiometric and/or gravimetric yields are quite typical, and very acceptable for radiochemical analyses of actinides. Fluctuation of the yields is due to the nature and the amount of any interference presented in the various sample matrices. Interfering substances, especially those present in soil and vegetation samples, may affect the effectiveness of actinide separation and purification by the ion-exchange chromatographic resin.
- OSTI ID:
- 560610
- Journal Information:
- Radioactivity and Radiochemistry, Vol. 8, Issue 2; Other Information: PBD: 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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