ABSTRACT
A great number of analytical methods have been developed and applied for the determination of (90)Sr and (89)Sr in environmental and nuclear samples using various measuring techniques, i.e. beta counting, liquid scintillation spectrometry and mass spectrometry. This paper is intended to give an overview about the development of the radiochemical procedures for the separation of strontium and/or yttrium including the classical procedure based on a series of semi-selective precipitations, the ion exchange and solvent extraction procedures and the recently developed extraction chromatographic ones offering high selectivity. An outlook to the procedures under development aiming the technological separation of strontium from radioactive wastes and process solutions is also given. Nuclear measuring techniques and mass spectrometric techniques will be comparatively evaluated.
ABSTRACT
More than 50 soil samples were analysed from different parts of the country, the activity concentration of 239+240Pu was in the range of 0.01-0.84 Bq/kg dry soil with the average of 0.10 Bq/kg. 238Pu could be detected only in few moss samples and 238Pu/239+240Pu ratio determines the origin of plutonium. 241Pu was determined by liquid scintillation spectrometry. The activity concentration of this isotope in the soil is between 0.04 and 3.74 Bq/kg with the average of 0.82 Bq/kg, while in the moss is also similar 0.01-2.07 Bq/kg fresh mass with the average of 0.43 Bq/kg. Significant difference could not be observed between the different types of soils occurring in the country, but the results could be sorted according to the sampling carried out on undisturbed or cultivated area. The isotope ratios 241Pu/239+240Pu prove that the origin of the plutonium in Hungary is the global fallout determined by the atmospheric nuclear weapon tests.
Subject(s)
Isotopes/analysis , Plutonium/analysis , Radiation Monitoring/methods , Soil Pollutants, Radioactive , Alpha Particles , Environmental Monitoring , Humans , Hungary , Nuclear Warfare , Radioactive Fallout , Scintillation Counting , Soil , Spectrophotometry/methods , Water Pollutants, RadioactiveABSTRACT
(94)Nb and (93m)Nb are long-lived radionuclides, produced by thermal and fast neutrons from (93)Nb that is a major component of the Zr alloys used in nuclear reactors. A radiochemical method for the determination of these nuclides has been developed. The separation is based on the insolubility of Nb oxides and the retention of the fluoric complexes on anion exchange resin. The Nb sources are detected by gamma- and X-ray spectrometries. Activity concentrations determined in radioactive waste samples of a nuclear power plant are presented.
