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Measurement of radium and thorium isotopes in environmental samples by alpha-spectrometry

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Abstract

A new method for the determination of low-level radium and thorium isotopes in environmental samples by α-spectrometry is described. Thorium and radium isotopes were chemically separated from the same sample, by using the same tracer (229Th). Two different ways were explored for the concentration process in water samples, obtaining a chemical yield for Ra isotopes between 70–90% in both cases using KMnO4 as carrier and BaCl2 and FeCl3, respectively. The method can also be directly applied for uranium measurements, but in this case there is a limitation on the range of uranium isotopes that can be analyzed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Fisica Corpuscular (I.F.I.C.), Universidad de Valencia-C.S.I.C., Avda. Dr. Moliner 50, E-46100, Burjasot, Valencia, Spain

    M. J. Rodríguez-Alvarez & F. Sánchez

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  1. M. J. Rodríguez-Alvarez
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  2. F. Sánchez
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Rodríguez-Alvarez, M.J., Sánchez, F. Measurement of radium and thorium isotopes in environmental samples by alpha-spectrometry. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Articles 191, 3–13 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02035979

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02035979

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