Improvements to sample processing and measurement to enable more widespread environmental application of tritium

Moran, James; Alexander, Thomas; Aalseth, Craig; Back, Henning; Mace, Emily; Overman, Cory; Seifert, Allen; Freeburg, Wilcox

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2017.01.033

Title: Improvements to sample processing and measurement to enable more widespread environmental application of tritium

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Abstract

Previous measurements have demonstrated the wealth of information that tritium (T) can provide on environmentally relevant processes. Here, we present modifications to sample preparation approaches that enable T measurement by proportional counting on small sample sizes equivalent to 120 mg of water and demonstrate the accuracy of these methods on a suite of standardized water samples. We also identify a current quantification limit of 92.2 TU which, combined with our small sample sizes, correlates to as little as 0.00133 Bq of total T activity. Furthermore, this enhanced method should provide the analytical flexibility needed to address persistent knowledge gaps in our understanding of both natural and artificial T behavior in the environment.

Authors:

Moran, James ^[1]; Alexander, Thomas ^[1]; Aalseth, Craig ^[1]; Back, Henning ^[1]; Mace, Emily ^[1]; Overman, Cory ^[1]; Seifert, Allen ^[1]; Freeburg, Wilcox ^[1]

Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Publication Date:: Thu Jan 26 00:00:00 EST 2017

Research Org.:: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

OSTI Identifier:: 1344912

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1550609

Report Number(s):: PNNL-SA-120318
Journal ID: ISSN 0969-8043; PII: S0969804316305498

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-7601830

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Applied Radiation and Isotopes

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 126; Journal ID: ISSN 0969-8043

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES; proportional counter; organically bound tritium; low background

Citation Formats


                    Moran, James, Alexander, Thomas, Aalseth, Craig, Back, Henning, Mace, Emily, Overman, Cory, Seifert, Allen, and Freeburg, Wilcox. Improvements to sample processing and measurement to enable more widespread environmental application of tritium.  United States: N. p., 2017. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2017.01.033.

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                    Moran, James, Alexander, Thomas, Aalseth, Craig, Back, Henning, Mace, Emily, Overman, Cory, Seifert, Allen, & Freeburg, Wilcox. Improvements to sample processing and measurement to enable more widespread environmental application of tritium.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2017.01.033

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                    Moran, James, Alexander, Thomas, Aalseth, Craig, Back, Henning, Mace, Emily, Overman, Cory, Seifert, Allen, and Freeburg, Wilcox. Thu .  
"Improvements to sample processing and measurement to enable more widespread environmental application of tritium".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2017.01.033.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1344912.

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@article{osti_1344912,

  title        = {Improvements to sample processing and measurement to enable more widespread environmental application of tritium},

  author       = {Moran, James and Alexander, Thomas and Aalseth, Craig and Back, Henning and Mace, Emily and Overman, Cory and Seifert, Allen and Freeburg, Wilcox},

  abstractNote = {Previous measurements have demonstrated the wealth of information that tritium (T) can provide on environmentally relevant processes. Here, we present modifications to sample preparation approaches that enable T measurement by proportional counting on small sample sizes equivalent to 120 mg of water and demonstrate the accuracy of these methods on a suite of standardized water samples. We also identify a current quantification limit of 92.2 TU which, combined with our small sample sizes, correlates to as little as 0.00133 Bq of total T activity. Furthermore, this enhanced method should provide the analytical flexibility needed to address persistent knowledge gaps in our understanding of both natural and artificial T behavior in the environment.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.apradiso.2017.01.033},

  journal      = {Applied Radiation and Isotopes},

  number       = ,

  volume       = 126,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Thu Jan 26 00:00:00 EST 2017},

  month        = {Thu Jan 26 00:00:00 EST 2017}

}

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Improvements to sample processing and measurement to enable more widespread environmental application of tritium

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