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Assay of actinides in human urine by rapid method

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Abstract

A method using DGA resin (N,N,N′,N′-tetra-n-octyldiglycolamide on an inert support) was developed for the rapid analysis of actinides in urine samples. Samples acidified with HCl to 4 M were loaded directly (without digestion) onto a DGA column. Actinides were stripped simultaneously, α-sources were prepared by co-precipitation with NdF3. Americium, plutonium and uranium were separated with acceptable high recoveries (40–80%). The americium, plutonium and uranium content of 100–200 ml urine samples was determined within 24 h with detection limits as low as 0.01 Bq l−1. Based on model experiments using 14C-spiked urea, it was proven that high urea content can affect americium separation deleteriously due to irreversible fixing of americium on DGA resin.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Erzsébet Faiglné Birkás for 14C marked urea and Szabolcs Osváth for reference values determined by OSSKI.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Energy Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 29-33 Konkoly Thege Miklós Street, Budapest, 1121, Hungary

    M. Zagyvai

  2. Radanal Ltd., 29-33 Konkoly-Thege Street, Budapest, 1121, Hungary

    N. Vajda, J. Groska, Zs. Molnár, E. Bokori & P. Szeredy

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  1. M. Zagyvai
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  2. N. Vajda
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  3. J. Groska
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  4. Zs. Molnár
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  5. E. Bokori
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  6. P. Szeredy
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Correspondence to M. Zagyvai.

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Zagyvai, M., Vajda, N., Groska, J. et al. Assay of actinides in human urine by rapid method. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 314, 49–58 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-017-5363-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-017-5363-2

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