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Radioanalysis of ultra-low level radionuclides for environmental tracer studies and decommissioning of nuclear facilities

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Abstract

Determination of long-lived radionuclides is critical for environmental radioactivity investigation, environmental processes studies and decommissioning of nuclear facilities. This paper summarizes main progress in the radiochemical analysis in our laboratories in the past years for determination of ultra-low level radionuclides in the environment using chemical separation combined with mass spectrometry measurement. The analytical methods for determination of ultra-low level 129I and its chemical species in various environmental samples are highlighted. The methods developed in our laboratories for characterization of decommissioning waste, especially the methods for the determination of difficult-to-measure radionuclides using sequentially chemical separation and radiometric measurement are also briefly presented. This is also a part of the Hevesy Medal award lecture in the RANC2019 conference.

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Acknowledgements

The author thanks the colleagues and students in Radioecology and Tracer Studies (RAS) group in the Center for Nuclear Technologies, Technical University of Denmark, Dr. Sven P. Nielsen, Mr. Qingjiang Chen, Dr. Per Roos, Dr. Jixin Qiao, Dr. Szabolcs Osváth, Mr. Liuchao Zhu for their contributions in the development of the analytical methods summarized in this papers. Dr. Keliang and Prof. Wangsuo in Lanzhou University are appreciated for their contributions in the development of some methods and suggestions to this paper. The author is grateful to Dr. Luyuan Zhang, Ms. Yanyun Wang, Dr. Ning Chen, Dr. Qi Liu, Dr. Weichao Zhang, Dr. Maoyi Luo, Dr. Shan Xing, Dr. Yukun Fan and prof. Weijian Zhou for their contribution in the development of the analytical methods for 129I and its chemical species in environmental samples and AMS measurement methods for 129I. The author also likes to thank prof. Zhifang Chai, prof. Jan Kucera, prof. Nora Vajda, prof. Phil Warwick, and prof. Amares Chatt for their great and continuous support and collaboration. This work was partly supported by NKS, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (No. 2015FY110800), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 11875261, 91643206, 11605206, 41603125), Chinese Academy of Sciences (132B61KYSB20180003), and National Research Program for Key Issues in Air Pollution Control (DQGG0105-02).

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  1. Center for Nuclear Technologies, Technical University of Denmark, Risø Campus, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark

    Xiaolin Hou

  2. School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, China

    Xiaolin Hou

  3. Xi’an AMS Center, Institute of Earth Environment, CAS, Xi’an, 710061, China

    Xiaolin Hou

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Hou, X. Radioanalysis of ultra-low level radionuclides for environmental tracer studies and decommissioning of nuclear facilities. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 322, 1217–1245 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06908-9

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