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Radiochronometric analysis of an historic Cs-137 activity standard

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Abstract

A 137Cs activity standard discovered during routine inventory was analyzed to determine its model age using radiochronometry. The aqueous activity standard was separated using an established separation method that employs commercially available Sr resin. The method was also tested against a nuclear forensics reference material developed specifically for benchmarking 137Cs radiochronometry methods. Results of the analyses showed good agreement between the results and the certified values of the reference material. Analysis of the discovered activity standard were also in good agreement with the activity certification date, though uncertainty was higher due to natural Ba contaminating the sample and the stable 133Cs used as a carrier during the standard’s production.

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Acknowledgements

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under contract number HSHQDN-16-X-00011. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

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  1. Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 Cass Ave, 60439, Lemont, IL, USA

    Derek R. McLain, Thomas W. Brossard, Yifen Tsai & Jodi L. Canaday

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  1. Derek R. McLain
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  2. Thomas W. Brossard
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Correspondence to Derek R. McLain.

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McLain, D.R., Brossard, T.W., Tsai, Y. et al. Radiochronometric analysis of an historic Cs-137 activity standard. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 331, 4745–4751 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-022-08554-0

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