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Validation of a radiochemical method for the determination of 55Fe and 63Ni in water and steel samples from decommissioning activities

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Abstract

We present the validation of a radiochemical procedure for the determination of 55Fe and 63Ni in water and steel samples from nuclear decommissioning activities. The in-house validation was an essential requirement of the accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025. A combination of co-precipitation, anion chromatography and extraction chromatography steps was used for separating and purifying both radionuclides. The activities were measured by liquid scintillation counting. Due to the lack of reference materials, the method was validated by analysing simulated samples and by the standard addition technique. The parameters precision/accuracy, repeatability/linearity, selectivity/specificity, decision threshold, detection limit and uncertainty of the method were evaluated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nuclear Chemistry Division, Spiez Laboratory, Federal Office for Civil Protection, 3700, Spiez, Switzerland

    J. A. Corcho-Alvarado, H. Sahli, S. Röllin, C. von Gunten, R. Gosteli, J. Ossola & M. Stauffer

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  1. J. A. Corcho-Alvarado
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  2. H. Sahli
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  3. S. Röllin
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  4. C. von Gunten
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  5. R. Gosteli
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  6. J. Ossola
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  7. M. Stauffer
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Correspondence to J. A. Corcho-Alvarado.

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Corcho-Alvarado, J.A., Sahli, H., Röllin, S. et al. Validation of a radiochemical method for the determination of 55Fe and 63Ni in water and steel samples from decommissioning activities. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 326, 455–463 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-020-07297-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-020-07297-0

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