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Determination of plutonium isotopes in environmental samples with triisooctylamine and alpha spectrometry

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Abstract

An alternative method for determination of Pu isotopes in various environmental samples has been developed. The separation of Pu is attained by two stage solvent extraction with triisooctylamine/xylene in hydrochloric acid and nitric acid [Pu is converted to Pu4+ by the redox system Fe3+/(NO3)−/(SO3)2−] media. The analytical method has been successfully applied for the determination of Pu isotopes in surface air in a 100 km area around the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant in Bulgaria and in surface water of the Danube River. The analytical quality was checked by analyzing reference materials from IAEA (Soil-6, IAEA-375, IAEA-384) and NPL (AL-2008, AL-2009, AL-2010, AL-2011).

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Mrs. G. Mihailova for the support of Pu analyses of surface aerosol filter samples, Mr. T. Petrinov for collecting aerosol samples and to Mrs. Lorna Fecitt for her careful examination of the text.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Monitoring Division, Safety Department, Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant, 3321, Kozloduy, Bulgaria

    Lyubomir Popov

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  1. Lyubomir Popov
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Correspondence to Lyubomir Popov.

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Popov, L. Determination of plutonium isotopes in environmental samples with triisooctylamine and alpha spectrometry. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 310, 829–839 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-016-4897-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-016-4897-z

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