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Optimization of a new radiochemical method based on extraction chromatographic resins and plastic scintillation for measurement of 90Sr in nuclear waste

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Abstract

A purification method is developed to determine 90Sr in radioactive waste. A separation based on Sr-resin® with a pretreatment using TRU-resin® provides satisfactory Sr recovery yields before the 90Sr measurement by liquid scintillation counting (LSC) regardless the analyzed samples with low or high activity level. The selectivity of the procedure is checked by measuring the 90Y ingrowth after different days of separation without waiting for secular equilibrium. In order to obtain a REACH compliant method without scintillation cocktails, a plastic scintillation resin selective for Sr is implemented on the basis of the developed protocol. The optimized method is applied successfully to representative nuclear waste including samples with high Pu content (effluents, concretes and sludges).

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Acknowledgements

The CEA LASE team thanks the LA2D/LABOS project for the funding provided. The authors would like to thank Kimberly Colas for her valuable proofreading and corrections in English language.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CEA, Service de Physico-Chimie, Université Paris-Saclay, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

    Emilie Baudat, Céline Gautier, Christèle Colin & Elodie Laporte

  2. Department d’Enginyeria Química I Química Analítica, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franqués, 1-11, ES-08028, Barcelona, Spain

    Hector Bagán & Alex Tarancón

  3. Institut de Recerca de l’Aigua, University of Barcelona, C/Montalegre, 6, ES-08001, Barcelona, Spain

    Alex Tarancón

  4. CEA, DES/DDSD/DFDE/SGOF, Building 611, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

    Pascal Fichet

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  1. Emilie Baudat
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Correspondence to Céline Gautier.

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Baudat, E., Gautier, C., Bagán, H. et al. Optimization of a new radiochemical method based on extraction chromatographic resins and plastic scintillation for measurement of 90Sr in nuclear waste. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 333, 1911–1925 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-024-09396-8

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