A New Method to Analyze ^242mAm in Low-Level Radioactive Waste Based on Extraction Chromatography and β-ray Spectrometry

Abstract

A new method for identifying (242m)Am in low-level radioactive waste (LLW) using β-ray spectrometry is proposed. First, (152)Eu, (241+242m+243)Am, and (244)Cm in a digested solution of simulated LLW were separated from the major components of the digested solution and Pu using a transuranium element resin (TRU resin). Next, Am and Cm were separated from Eu using a tetravalent actinide element resin (TEVA resin). A β-ray spectrum of the fraction containing Am and Cm was recorded and the contribution of (239)Np, which is a daughter nuclide of (243)Am, was subtracted to determine the radioactivity of (242m)Am. Also mutual separation of Am, Cm, and Eu was carried out using a tertiary pyridine resin to determine (242m)Am by analyzing the increase of (242)Cm in the Am fraction just after separation of Am from Cm, which is the traditional method. The isotope ratio of (242m)Am/(241)Am determined by β-ray spectrometry agreed with that obtained by analyzing the traditional method.

New horizons in microparticle forensics: Actinide imaging and detection of 238 Pu and 242m Am in hot particles

“…The total abundance of 242m Am lies in the range of a few mg/t U0 , depending on burnup. The low beta-decay energies together with the low abundance make 242m Am extremely difficult to detect radiometrically ( 46 , 47 ). In the present work, 242m Am has been detected in a fuel sample without any chemical pretreatment.…”

Advances in Sample Extraction

“…Besides these, extraction techniques were also combined with different detection methods: (1) Rusinek et al first reported the combination of cloud point extraction (CPE) (see also below) and an electroanalytical method to detect cadmium (Cd 2+ ); (2) on-cartridge SPE integrated with paper spray MS was developed for bioanalysis; (3) Deng et al reported that they coupled HS thin-film microextraction and surface-enhanced Raman scattering for detection of sulfur dioxide in wine; (4) Shimada et al developed a new method to analyze 242m Am in low-level radioactive waste based on extraction chromatography coupled with β-ray spectrometry.…”

Development of a separation method for molybdenum from zirconium, niobium, and major elements of rubble samples

“…The tetra valent actinide resin (TEVA resin) has been routinely applied to the analysis of technetium, tetravalent actinides, and the separation of americium from lanthanides [10][11][12][13]. The active component of the TEVA resin is an aliphatic quaternary amine.…”