Rapid determination of actinides in asphalt samples

Abstract

A new rapid method for the determination of actinides in asphalt samples has been developed that can be used in emergency response situations or for routine analysis. If a radiological dispersive device (RDD), Improvised Nuclear Device (IND) or a nuclear accident such as the accident at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in March, 2011 occurs, there will be an urgent need for rapid analyses of many different environmental matrices, including asphalt materials, to support dose mitigation and environmental cleanup. The new method for the determination of actinides in asphalt utilizes a rapid furnace step to destroy bitumen and organics present in the asphalt and sodium hydroxide fusion to digest the remaining sample. Sample preconcentration steps are used to collect the actinides and a new stacked TRU Resin + DGA Resin column method is employed to separate the actinide isotopes in the asphalt samples. The TRU Resin plus DGA Resin separation approach, which allows sequential separation of plutonium, uranium, americium and curium isotopes in asphalt samples, can be applied to soil samples as well.

Rapid method to determine actinides and 89/90Sr in limestone and marble samples

“…Other techniques, such as conventional wet dissolution with mixtures of HNO 3 , HClO 4 and HF acids, microwave dissolution using HNO 3 and HF were less effective, with uranium losses of 35-60 %. Two reference materials, including NIST-4353a Rocky Flats Soil, and six soil samples from near a former uranium mine were investigated.…”

“…This includes recently published methods for soil, concrete and brick, and asphalt. [1][2][3] Limestone is sedimentary rock containing calcite and aragonite, which are different forms of calcium carbonate. Most limestone also contains skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral and mollusks.…”

A new method for separating first row transition metals and actinides from synthetic melt glass

“…In addition to the first row transition elements, the separation of other elements found in the melt glass debris are also of interest, such as Group 1 and 2 elements and the actinides. [8][9][10][11]. Therefore, this separation of urban melt glass, which consists of both cement and glass, with the intent to separate some of the first row transition metals using DGA resin, is unique.…”

Rapid determination of actinides and 90Sr in river water

“…To limit the exposure of populations to radiological contamination in food and in the environment in accidental and postaccidental scenarios, the development of new and rapid radioanalytical methods oriented toward the quantification of actinides and radiostrontium is essential [1]. These radionuclides have been identified as strategic from an accidental release scenario as they would be responsible of the majority of the alpha and beta contamination of the environment.…”