ABSTRACT
Alpha spectrometry and solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs) are used for monitoring ultra-trace amount of alpha emitting actinides in different aqueous streams. However, these techniques have limitations i.e. alpha spectrometry requires a preconcentration step and SSNTDs are not chemically selective. Therefore, a thin polymer inclusion membrane (PIM) supported on silanized glass was developed for preconcentraion and determination of ultra-trace concentration of actinides by α-spectrometry and SSNTDs. PIMs were formed by spin coating on hydrophobic glass slide or solvent casting to form thin and self-supported membranes, respectively. Sorption experiments indicated that uptakes of actinides in the PIM were highly dependent on acidity of solution i.e. Am(III) sorbed up to 0.1 molL(-1) HNO3, U(VI) up to 0.5 molL(-1) HNO3 and Pu(IV) from HNO3 concentration as high as 4 molL(-1). A scheme was developed for selective sorption of target actinide in the PIM by adjusting acidity and oxidation state of actinide. The actinides sorbed in PIMs were quantified by alpha spectrometry and SSNTDs. For SSNTDs, neutron induced fission-fragment tracks and α-particle tracks were registered in Garware polyester and CR-39 for quantifications of natural uranium and α-emitting actinides ((241)Am/(239)Pu/(233)U), respectively. Finally, the membranes were tested to quantify Pu in 4 molL(-1) HNO3 solutions and synthetic urine samples.
Subject(s)
Actinoid Series Elements/analysis , Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis , Actinoid Series Elements/chemistry , Actinoid Series Elements/urine , Alpha Particles , Mass Spectrometry , Neutrons , Oxygen/chemistry , Plutonium/analysis , Polyesters/chemistry , Polymers/chemistry , Radiometry , Spectrum Analysis , Uranium/analysis , Water/chemistry , Water PurificationABSTRACT
Bioassay monitoring is carried out for occupational workers handling plutonium (Pu) in nuclear facilities. In India, presently Pu estimation in bioassay samples is done by alpha spectrometry. The minimum detectable activity (MDA) of alpha spectrometry is 0.5mBq for a counting period of 1 day. To reduce the load of sample counting on alpha spectrometry, an alternative method based on alpha track registration in solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs) is developed in the present paper. For this purpose, few urine samples of normal subjects spiked with known amounts of Pu in the range of 0.5-5.5mBq were exposed to CR-39 SSNTDs. The total number of alpha tracks seen in the CR-39 films of the sample and the standard were used to calculate the amount of Pu in the sample. The results of alpha track registration technique were also compared with that obtained by the well-established alpha spectrometry and were found to agree well within +/-30%. The minimum amount of Pu that can be analyzed by this method is 0.18mBq for an exposure period of 45 days.
Subject(s)
Occupational Exposure/analysis , Plutonium/urine , Radiometry/methods , Alpha Particles , Humans , Linear Energy Transfer , Radiation DosageABSTRACT
In the present work, a method for determination of uranium concentration in aqueous solution in standard geometry from attenuating samples has been developed based on modification of the empirical approach of Venkataraman and Croft [2003. Determination of plutonium mass using gamma-ray spectrometry. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A 505, 527-530]. The method makes use of the multiple gamma (gamma)-rays emitted by 235U and depends on the empirical relation between apparent mass of the sample and gamma-ray energy. It was possible to determine uranium concentration in the range of 12-400mg/ml rapidly by this method without applying transmission corrections.