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Low-level measurements of actinides and long-lived radionuclides in biological and environmental samples

Measurement of technetium-99 in large volume water samples

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Abstract

This paper describes a radiochemical method for the determination of99Tc in large volumes of rain, river and seawater. The procedure is based on the reduction of technetium to the +4 oxidation state with potassium disulfite in a slightly acidic medium, followed by iron hydroxide precipitation. After oxidation to the +7 oxidation state, the technetium fraction is purified with iron hydroxide and calcium carbonate precipitations. Technetium (+7) is extracted with TBP (xylene) in 3M H2SO4, back extracted in 2M NaOH or ammonia, and the electrodeposition is made in 2M NaOH or H2SO4/NH4OH medium at pH 5–6. The radiochemical yield is determined by gamma counting of the 140 keV gamma ray from99Tcm.99Tc is counted on an anti-coincidence shielded GM-gas flow counter. The purity of the99Tc plated samples is checked by alpha and beta spectrometry using surface barrier detectors and by gamma spectrometry on Ge(HP) detector. The radiochemical yield of 50–150 l water samples is around 20–60%.

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Author notes

  1. G. Barci

    Present address: Service de Radiochimie, Faculté des Sciences, 06034, Nice, France

Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Laboratory of Marine Radioactivity, International Atomic Energy Agency, Monaco-Ville, (Principality of Monaco)

    S. Ballestra, G. Barci, E. Holm, J. Lopez & J. Gastaud

Authors
  1. S. Ballestra
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  2. G. Barci
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  3. E. Holm
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  4. J. Lopez
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  5. J. Gastaud
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Ballestra, S., Barci, G., Holm, E. et al. Low-level measurements of actinides and long-lived radionuclides in biological and environmental samples. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Articles 115, 51–58 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02041975

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02041975

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