Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Determination of plutonium, americium and curium isotopes in radioactive metal wastes deriving from nuclear decommissioning

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A radiochemical analytical method, coupling different measurements techniques (alpha spectrometry, liquid scintillation counting and mass-spectrometry) for quantifying the content of the most significant plutonium and americium/curium isotopes in metal waste samples, is presented. The method based on the sequential determination of all the analytes of interest has the great advantage to perform the sample pre-treatment only once, resulting fast and cheap while maintaining sufficient selectivity and sensitivity. The mean values of radiochemical yields and the minimum detectable activities have been evaluated. Significant activity ratios between transuranic isotopes have been revealed and used to investigate the origin of the waste samples.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Xu Y, Qiao J et al (2014) Determination of plutonium isotopes (238Pu, 239Pu, 240Pu, 241Pu) in environmental samples using radiochemical separation combined with radiometric and mass spectrometric measurements. Talanta 119:590–595

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Maxwell SL, Culligan B, Hutchison JB, McAlister DR (2015) Rapid fusion method for the determination of Pu, Np and Am in large soil samples. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 305:599–608

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Geraldo B, Taddei MHT, Cheberle SM, Ferriera MT, Marmo JT (2011) Determination of 238Pu, 239+240Pu, 241Pu and 241Am in radioactive waste from ipen’s reactor. INAC—International Nuclear Atlantic Conference, ISBN: 978-85-99141-04-5

  4. Jaggi M, Rollin S, Corcho Alvarado JA, Eikenberg J (2012) Determination of 241Pu in nuclear waste slurries: a comparative study using LSC and ICP–MS. Appl Radiat Isotopes 70:360–364

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Lee MH, Jeon YS, Song K (2009) Determination of activity concentrations and activity ratios of plutonium, americium and curium isotopes in radioactive waste samples. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 280:457–465

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Arginelli D, Battisti P, Giardina I (2016) Extraction chromatography with DGA resin for the determination of americium and curium in biological samples by high resolution alpha spectrometry. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 309:279–284

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Arginelli D, Montalto M, Bortoluzzi S, Nocente M, Bonardi M, Groppi F (2005) Radioanalytical determination of americium in human urines by extraction chromatography and high resolution alpha-spectrometry. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 263:275–279

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. MARLAP Multi-agency radiological laboratory analytical protocols manual (2014) In: Part II, Chapter 13

  9. IAEA-TECDOC-1537 (2007) Strategy and methodology for radioactive waste characterization, Vienna

  10. Maxwell SL, Culligan BK, Kelsey-Wall A, Shaw PJ (2011) Rapid radiochemical method for determination of actinides in emergency concrete and brick samples. Anal Chim Acta 701:112–118

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. EPA 402-R14-006 (2014) Rapid radiochemical method for plutonium-238 and plutonium-239/240 in buildings materials for environmental remediation following radiological incidents

  12. Irlweck K (1996) Effects of Fe(III) ions on the electrodeposition of trace amounts of plutonium and americium. J Radioanal Nucl Chem Lett 214:429–437

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Mahmoud MHH, Mohsen Q (2011) Enhanced solvent extraction of cadmium and iron from phosphoric acid in chloride media. Physicochem Probl Miner Process 47:22–40

    Google Scholar 

  14. Mao XH (2016) Solvent Extraction of iron (III) from acid choride solutions by trioctylamine and decanolo, Material Science an Environmental Engineering—Chen (ed) Taylor & Francis Group, London, ISBN 978-1-138-02938-5

  15. Delle Site A, Santori G, Testa C (1976) RT/PROT(76)6 The determination of Plutonium and Americium in Fecal Samples by Extraction Chromatography

  16. Eicrom/Triskem Technologies, Analytical Procedures

  17. Horwitz EP, McAlister DR, Bond AH, Barrans RE (2005) Novel extraction chromatographic resins based on tetraalkyldiglycolamides: characterization and potential applications. Solvent Extr Ion Exch 23:219

    Google Scholar 

  18. Villa M, Vioque I, Jimenez-Ramos M C, Manjon G, Garcia-Tenorio R (2005) Study of quenching effects when measuring soft β emitters in environmental samples by LSC and its application to determine 241Pu. Adv Liq Scintill Spectrom. Tucson: Radiocarbon, pp 277–284

  19. Landstetter C, Damberger V, Zapletal M, Katzlberger C (2015) Development of a rapid method to determine plutonium in foodstuffs. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 304:343–347

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. NuDat 2.7β. http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/nudat2/chartNuc.jsp

  21. ISO 11929 (2010) Determination of the characteristic limits (decision threshold, detection limit and limit of confidence interval) for measurement of ionizing radiation—Fundamentals and application

  22. ISO 28218 (2010) Radiation Protection—Performance criteria for radiobioassay

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Radioactivity Measurement and Monitoring, Radiation Protection Institute, ENEA-CR Casaccia, via Anguillarese 301, 00123, Rome, Italy

    D. Gorietti & I. Giardina

  2. Laboratory of Radioactivity Measurement and Monitoring, Radiation Protection Institute, ENEA-CR Saluggia, Strada per Crescentino 41, 13040, Saluggia, VC, Italy

    D. Arginelli

  3. Laboratory of Radioactivity Measurement and Monitoring, Radiation Protection Institute, ENEA-CR Bologna, via Martiri di Monte Sole 4, 40129, Bologna, Italy

    P. Battisti

Authors
  1. D. Gorietti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. I. Giardina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. D. Arginelli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. P. Battisti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to I. Giardina.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Gorietti, D., Giardina, I., Arginelli, D. et al. Determination of plutonium, americium and curium isotopes in radioactive metal wastes deriving from nuclear decommissioning. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 314, 1785–1792 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-017-5553-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-017-5553-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation