An on-site rapid sequential separation and radioanalysis of Pu, Am, and Sr isotopes in river samples
摘要
When a nuclear accident occurs, an urgent need for rapid analysis of environmental samples is needed, including water samples such as river water, seawater as well as underground water for dose evaluation. A novel rapid method for determining of plutonium, americium, and strontium in large-volume river samples has been established by optimizing the enrichment and purification process, which can be used on-site. The new method includes HTiO and Ba(CO3)2 co-precipitation, valence adjustment, and then nuclide separated with stacked TEVA, TRU, and SR resin cartridges, measuring by the alpha spectrometer and portable liquid scintillation counter. This method can be performed in less than 4.5 h with total yields over 95% and good reproducibility (RSD ≤ 5%, n = 10).