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Pre-concentration and separation of thorium, uranium, plutonium and americium in human soft tissues by extraction chromatography

  • Actinides in Biological and Environmental Systems
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Abstract

An extraction chromatographic method is described for the pre-concentration and separation of thorium, uranium, plutonium and americium in human soft tissues. Tissues such as lung and liver are oven dried at 120°C, ashed at 450°C and the ashed sample is alternately wet (HNO3/H2O2) and dry ashed, and then dissolved in 8M HCl. Because of the complex matrix and large sample samples (up to 1500 g), the actinides were preconcentrated from the tissue solution using the TRUTM resin (EIChroM) prior to elemental separation by extraction chromatography and determination of americium, plutonium, uranium and thorium by alpha spectrometry. The actinides were eluted from the preconcentration column and each actinide was individually eluted on TEVATM and TRUTM resin columns in a tandem configuration. Actinide activities were then determined by alpha spectrometry after electrodeposition from a sulfate medium. The method was validated by analyzing human tissue samples previously analyzed for americium, plutonium, uranium and thorium in the United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries (USTUR). Two National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Standard Reference Materials, SRM 4351-Human Lung and SRM 4352-Human Liver were also analyzed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Oregon State University, 97331, Corvallis, OR, USA

    C. A. Moody, S. E. Glover & R. H. Filby

  2. Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, 99163, Pullman, WA, USA

    S. E. Glover, D. B. Stuit & R. H. Filby

Authors
  1. C. A. Moody
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  2. S. E. Glover
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  3. D. B. Stuit
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  4. R. H. Filby
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. A. Moody.

Additional information

United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99163, USA.

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Moody, C.A., Glover, S.E., Stuit, D.B. et al. Pre-concentration and separation of thorium, uranium, plutonium and americium in human soft tissues by extraction chromatography. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 234, 183–188 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02389769

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02389769

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