Analysis of Rocky Flats soils for six radionuclides by a sequential method [electronic resource]
Saved in:
| Online Access: |
Online Access |
|---|---|
| Corporate Authors: | , |
| Format: | Government Document Electronic eBook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Washington, D.C : Oak Ridge, Tenn. :
United States. Dept. of Energy ; distributed by the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, U.S. Dept. of Energy,
1979.
|
| Subjects: |
| Abstract: | 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: ²³⁸U, ²³⁵U, ²³⁴U, ²³²Th, ²³°Th, ²²⁸Th, ²³⁷Np, ²³⁹²⁴°Pu, ²⁴¹Am, and ²⁴⁴Cm. 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. |
|---|---|
| Item Description: | Published through SciTech Connect. 01/01/1979. "rfp-2955" " conf-791049-15" 23. conference on analytical chemistry in energy technology, Gatlinburg, TN, USA, 9 Oct 1979. Grossaint, K. J.; Stevens, J. R.; Guhlow, D. R.; Rees, T. F. |
| Physical Description: | Pages: 19 : digital, PDF file. |