Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Combined determination of 99Tc and 108mAg in L/ILW liquid wastes

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The low- and intermediate-activity level liquid wastes produced by the Paks Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) contain routinely measureable gamma-emitting (e.g., 54Mn, 60Co, 110mAg, and 137Cs) as well as many so-called “difficult-to-measure” radionuclides. Despite of their low specific activity compared to the total, the reliable determination of these radionuclides is an important issue of nuclear waste management. The increasing amount of waste samples to be qualified yearly by our laboratory put a pressure on revising the existing procedure of 99Tc separation applied. We have managed to halve the initial amount of the sample required to achieve the same level of detection of technetium. Furthermore, one of the new purifying steps introduced have proved to be able to separate 108mAg (and 110mAg) better than 99% keeping the 99Tc content of the product almost intact. Means of separation of 99Tc from 106Ru and 124+125Sb have also been successfully investigated. As intended, this new procedure has a major impact on the chemical reagent as well as the electricity requirement of the separation making it more cost-effective.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Peker LK (1994) Nucl Data Sheets 73:1–80

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Blanchot J (2000) Nucl Data Sheets 91:135–296

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Garcia-Leon M (1990) Determination and levels of 99Tc in environmental and biological samples. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 138:171–179

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Tagami K, Uchida S (1996) Analysis of technetium-99 in soil and deposition samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Appl Radiat Isot 47:1057–1060

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Szűcs Z, Hertelendi E, Svingor É, Gulyás J, Csongor J (1997) Development of new analytical procedures for the determination of 129I and 99Tc in waste materials produced by the Hungarian NPP. In: Reffo G, Ventura A, Grandi C (eds) Nuclear data for science and technology, SIF, Bologna, 1997, conference proceedings, vol 59

  6. Aakrog A (1986) In: Desmet G, Myttenaere C et al (eds) Technetium in the environment, 1st edn. Elsevier Applied Science Publishers, London

    Google Scholar 

  7. Holm E (1986) In: Desmet G, Myttenaere C et al (eds) Technetium in the environment, 1st edn. Elsevier Applied Science Publishers, London

    Google Scholar 

  8. Bohn B (1986) In: Desmet G, Myttenaere C et al (eds) Technetium in the environment, 1st edn. Elsevier Applied Science Publishers, London

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bates TH (1988) An intercomparison exercise on technetium-99 in seaweed. Environ Int 14:283–288

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Keller BJ, McKibbin TT, Erikson AL, Filby CW (1992) The sequential separation of 99Tc and 129I in waste samples. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 158:75–78

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Hertelendi E (1996) Project report. ATOMKI, Debrecen, Hungary

  12. Ormai P, Fritz A, Solymosi J, Gresits I, Hertelendi E, Szűcs Z, Vajda N, Molnár Zs, Zagyvai P (1996) Inventory determination of low and intermediate level radioactive waste of Paks Nuclear Power Plant origin. J Radioanal Nucl Chem Art 211(2):443–451

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Uchida S, Tagami K (1997) Separation and concentration of technetium using a Tc-selective extraction chromatographic resin. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 221(1–2):35–39

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Kabai E, Vajda N, Gaca P (2003) Simultaneous determination of radioactive halogen isotopes and 99Tc. Czechoslov J Phys 53:181–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Lieser KH (1993) Technetium in the nuclear fuel cycle, in the medicine and in the environment. Radiochim Acta 63:5–8

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Killey RWD, McHugh JO, Champ DR, Cooper EL, Young JL (1984) Subsurface Cobalt-60 migration from low-level waste disposal site. Environ Sci Tech 18(3):148–157

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Means JL, Crerar DA, Dignid JO (1978) Migration of radioactive wastes: radionuclide mobilization by complexing agents. Science 200:1477–1481

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Stephenson G, Skinner PE, Jensen C (2006) Removing antimony from PWR waste streams. EPRI international low-level waste conference, June 28, 2006, Albuquerque, NM

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Nuclear Research of Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 51, 4001, Debrecen, Hungary

    Árpád Bihari, Zoltán Szűcs & Magdolna Mogyorósi

  2. Paks Nuclear Power Plant, Paks, Hungary

    Tamás Pintér

Authors
  1. Árpád Bihari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zoltán Szűcs
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Magdolna Mogyorósi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tamás Pintér
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Árpád Bihari.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bihari, Á., Szűcs, Z., Mogyorósi, M. et al. Combined determination of 99Tc and 108mAg in L/ILW liquid wastes. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 286, 759–763 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-010-0718-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-010-0718-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation