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A study on an optimized pretreatment method for the determination of 55Fe and 63Ni in decommissioning waste samples

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Abstract

Radioactive wastes, such as concrete and soil, generated during the decommissioning of nuclear facilities contain radionuclides with varying levels of activity. Beta-emitting radionuclides can be identified after thoroughly decomposition and separation from the sample matrix. Among these radionuclides, Fe–55 and Ni–63 play vital roles in the management of radioactive waste from nuclear facilities owing to their pronounced incidence and high mobility in the environment. This study documents the results of the extraction efficiencies of Fe and Ni with a rapid pretreatment method within 2 h by wet digestion methods using hydrochloric acid and nitric acid (3:1, v/v). The average Fe and Ni extraction efficiencies for certified reference materials in soil and sediment matrix were evaluated to be 84–94% and 90–96% with analytical precision within 5%, respectively.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the KAERI institutional Program (Project No. 521510). This study was presented at the International Conference on Nuclear Analytical Techniques in 2022 (NAT2022), which was held in Daejeon, Korea, from Dec. 7 to 9, 2022.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Radioactivity Assessment Team, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 111 Daedeokdae–ro 989 beongil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34057, Republic of Korea

    Chae-Yeon Lee, Jong-Myoung Lim, Hyuncheol Kim & Da-Young Gam

  2. Department of Environmental Engineering, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong–gu, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea

    Chae-Yeon Lee

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  1. Chae-Yeon Lee
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Correspondence to Jong-Myoung Lim.

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Lee, CY., Lim, JM., Kim, H. et al. A study on an optimized pretreatment method for the determination of 55Fe and 63Ni in decommissioning waste samples. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 332, 5185–5191 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-023-08985-3

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