Sample preparation of environmental samples using benzene synthesis followed by high-performance LSC
Liquid scintillation counting (LSC) techniques have been widely employed as the detection method for determining environmental levels of tritium and {sup 14}C. Since anthropogenic and nonanthropogenic inputs to the environment are a concern, sampling the environment surrounding a nuclear power facility or fuel reprocessing operation requires the collection of many different sample types, including agriculture products, water, biota, aquatic life, soil, and vegetation. These sample types are not suitable for the direct detection of tritium of {sup 14}C for liquid scintillation techniques. Each sample type must be initially prepared in order to obtain the carbon or hydrogen component of interest and present this in a chemical form that is compatible with common chemicals used in scintillation counting applications. Converting the sample of interest to chemically pure benzene as a sample preparation technique has been widely accepted for processing samples for radiocarbon age-dating applications. The synthesized benzene is composed of the carbon or hydrogen atoms from the original sample and is ideal as a solvent for LSC with excellent photo-optical properties. Benzene synthesis followed by low-background scintillation counting can be applied to the preparation and measurement of environmental samples yielding good detection sensitivities, high radionuclide counting efficiency, and shorter preparation time. The method of benzene synthesis provides a unique approach to the preparation of a wide variety of environmental sample types using similar chemistry for all samples.
- OSTI ID:
- 7050603
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-911107-; CODEN: TANSA
- Journal Information:
- Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States), Vol. 64; Conference: 1991 Winter meeting of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) session on fundamentals of fusion reactor thermal hydraulics, San Francisco, CA (United States), 10-15 Nov 1991; ISSN 0003-018X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
BENZENE
SCINTILLATION COUNTING
SYNTHESIS
CARBON 14
RADIATION MONITORING
FUEL REPROCESSING PLANTS
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
TRITIUM
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BIOSPHERE
CARBON DIOXIDE
FOOD CHAINS
HYDROLYSIS
LIQUID SCINTILLATION DETECTORS
LITHIUM CARBIDES
PLANTS
SAMPLE PREPARATION
SENSITIVITY
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
AROMATICS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON ISOTOPES
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DECOMPOSITION
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
LITHIUM COMPOUNDS
LYSIS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MONITORING
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWER PLANTS
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIOISOTOPES
SCINTILLATION COUNTERS
SOLVOLYSIS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
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