Actinides / ICP-MS / α-Spectrometry / TRU resin Summary.A rapid procedure for the determination of Am, Pu, Th and U radionuclides in soil and sediment samples is described that can be used for environmental monitoring in emergency situations. The method is based on the fast and complete destruction of small amounts (up to 0.5 g) of samples by lithium metaborate fusion, followed by preconcentration of the actinides by co-precipitation with calcium fluoride in acidic solution, and separation of the actinides by selective extraction chromatography using a single column filled with TRU resin. Am, Pu and Th are stripped separately, while U and Np are stripped together. Alpha sources are prepared from the chromatographic strip solutions directly by micro-co-precipitation with neodymium fluoride. Activities are determined by means of isotope dilution alpha spectrometry. The method provides accurate and reliable results for the activity concentrations of elevated levels of 239,240 Pu, 238 Pu, 241 Am and natural levels of Th nuclides in soil and sediment samples in course of 24 h. By further purification U and Np nuclides can be separated and determined, too.

This study describes the multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) method for the determination of n(233U)/n(238U), n(234U)/n(238U), n(235U)/n(238U), and n(236U)/n(238U) isotope ratios in purified uranium solutions.

Actinides / ICP-MS / alpha spectrometry / TRU resin Summary.A radioanalytical method based on the use of a single TRU extraction chromatographic column and selective, on-column oxidation state adjustment of actinides was developed for the determination of Th, U, Np, Pu and Am(Cm) in environmental samples (such as sediment and swipe samples). The procedure of Vajda et al.[1] was further investigated and optimized focusing on the separation of Th, U and Np. The improved method combines two measurement techniques -alpha spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) -which allows to obtain more reliable information on a wider range of isotopes: 228 Th,

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