Laboratory validation of the IMEEDS nuclear detection suite
There are naturally occurring radionuclides in the ocean that are derived from cosmic ray interaction in the atmosphere and weathering of crustal rocks on land and under the sea. In addition, man-made radioisotopes are present as a consequence of mining, processing, enrichment, re-processing and testing of fissile nuclear material. The distribution of radioisotopes in natural waters is a function of the chemical properties of the elements and the physico-chemical properties of the medium (Harvey et al., 1990; von Gunten and Benes, 1995). To improve analytical detection levels, the sampling system described in this report is capable of processing hundreds of liters of seawater rapidly, and isolating, or pre-concentrating radionuclides found on particle, colloidal and dissolved phases. Results for a variety of trace elements and radiocesium in river and coastal waters processed through this sampler system are described in a companion report (Field Test of the Radionuclide Sampling System). The previous report discussed fraction of elements and radionuclides between the dissolved and solid phases in natural waters that show large salinity and turbidity variation. The following report describes results for laboratory tests using identical natural waters that were spiked with a broad suite of traceable reference gamma-emitting radioisotopes. These isotopes are man-made, and they are found in natural waters only as a consequence of human activity. The spiked water samples were processed through the sampler system, and radionuclides in the solid and dissolved phases were analyzed directly by gamma spectrometry without further extraction using mineral acids and solvents. Radioisotope abundance in the different samples provide additional information on partitioning in the environment, as well as the efficiency, or effective recovery of isotopes in waters processed through the sampler. The objective of this test is to quantify extraction efficiency for a suite of radioisotopes spiked in real water samples. Previous work has described instrument detection levels (IDL) for various isotopes and y-ray detectors, and measurement of low background levels (1 O s femtoCuries/Liter) of radiocesium (Cs-137) in natural waters using this sampler system. This test expands the extraction efficiency and MDL determination for a larger suite of man-made radioisotopes that are typically absent in most natural waters.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Defense Programs (DP)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 6409246
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-ID-132788; ON: DE00003391
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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