Analysis of Rocky Flats soils for six radionuclides by a sequential method
A method for the sequential analysis of Rocky Flats soils for six actinides of interest was developed to facilitate the large number of radionuclide analyses. The isotopes determined were: /sup 238/U, /sup 235/U, /sup 234/U, /sup 232/Th, /sup 230/Th, /sup 228/Th, /sup 237/Np, /sup 239/240/Pu, /sup 241/Am, and /sup 244/Cm. The method included addition of tracer isotopes for each actinide, pyrosulfate fusion to help solutize minerals and decompose organic matter, sequential separation by cation and anion exchange techniques, extraction into thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA)/organic phase, and subsequent counting of alpha activity by pulse height analysis. The efficiency of recovery for tracer isotopes ranged from 40% for curium, to 95% for plutonium. The detection limits for the method were determined at 0.2 disintegrations per minute per gram (DPM/g) of soil for thorium, uranium, neptunium, and plutonium. The limits were a factor of three higher (0.6 DPM/g) for americium and curium, primarily because of inefficient extraction of these components by TTA. The sequential analysis was developed into a routine laboratory procedure to be used when multi-element soil analyses were requested.
- Research Organization:
- Rockwell International Corp., Golden, CO (USA). Rocky Flats Plant
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-04-3533
- OSTI ID:
- 5923949
- Report Number(s):
- RFP-2955; CONF-791049-15; TRN: 80-000123
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 23. conference on analytical chemistry in energy technology, Gatlinburg, TN, USA, 9 Oct 1979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
AMERICIUM 241
RADIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
ION EXCHANGE
NEPTUNIUM 237
RADIATION MONITORING
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
SOILS
RADIOACTIVITY
THORIUM 228
THORIUM 230
THORIUM 232
URANIUM 234
URANIUM 235
URANIUM 238
CURIUM 244
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
ISOLATED VALUES
MULTI-ELEMENT ANALYSIS
PULSE ANALYZERS
ROCKY FLATS PLANT
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CURIUM ISOTOPES
DATA
DATA FORMS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
INFORMATION
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MONITORING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEPTUNIUM ISOTOPES
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
THORIUM ISOTOPES
URANIUM ISOTOPES
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
400103* - Radiometric & Radiochemical Procedures- (-1987)
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Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Soil- (-1987)
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