Abstract
A portable, field rugged, sampling and analysis system has been developed for the rapid screening of aqueous samples during scoping and remediation studies. Using field portable equipment, water is pumped through ion selective solid phase extraction (SPE) disks, at a flow rate of 150-250 ml/min, and counted for the radionuclide of interest in the field using portable detectors. SPE disks are currently available to selectively concentrate 99Tc, 90Sr, radiocesium (134Cs and 137Cs) and radium isotopes. In the field the radiocesium concentration is determined by gamma-spectrometry, 90Sr and 99Tc are determined by beta-counting. A one-liter sample can be processed and ready for counting within ten minutes. Using a 5-minute counting time, a detection limit of <50 pCi/l for 99Tc or 90Sr and ~50 pCi/l for 137Cs has been achieved. Up to 10 liters of water have been processed for the analysis of 99Tc and 137Cs when lower limits of detection were required. The sampling and analysis system has been field tested at the Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken SC, and the Hanford Site, Richland WA. The SRS H-area tank farm storm water runoff system was analyzed for 90Sr and 137Cs. Groundwater from the SX tank farm at the Hanford Site was analyzed for 137Cs and 99Tc. Groundwater from seeps below the 100-H area at Hanford was analyzed for 90Sr and 99Tc.
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References
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Beals, D.M., Hofstetter, K.J., Johnson, V.G. et al. Development of field portable sampling and analysis systems. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry 248, 315–319 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010655420102
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010655420102