Sample preparation for low-level, .alpha.-particle spectrometry of radium-226

Keisch, B.; Levin, Arnold S.

doi:10.1021/ac50155a090

Cited by 14 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Based on the results shown in Table , it is expected that most of the radium and barium and some of the strontium can be effectively separated from other cations by this resin. Previous studies used 50W-X8 resin to separate radium and barium from other cations in groundwater with very high radium recoveries (e.g., 97%). , In order to validate the effectiveness of Ba/Ra separation for the dramatically more saline MSW sample, elution profiles of major cations and Ra-226 were developed in this study when 2 mL of acidified synthetic MSW was loaded on 4 mL of preconditioned 50W-X8 resin. The loaded resin was first washed with 100 mL of 1.7 or 2.2 M HCl followed by 25 mL of 6 M HNO 3 .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ra-226 can be directly quantified by alpha spectrometry at 4.8 MeV. However, due to the low penetrability of alpha particles, extensive sample preparation is needed to minimize sample thickness. , Gamma spectrometry utilizes sodium iodide (NaI) scintillation counter or high purity germanium (HPGe) detectors to quantify Ra-226 by analyzing its equilibrium progenies, such as Pb-214 and Bi-214. Indirect measurement of Ra-226 is often necessary in gamma spectrometry due to strong interference from U-235 near the 186 keV emission of Ra-226.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Analysis of Radium-226 in High Salinity Wastewater from Unconventional Gas Extraction by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry

Zhang

Bain

Hammack

et al. 2015

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Elevated concentration of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) in wastewater generated from Marcellus Shale gas extraction is of great concern due to potential environmental and public health impacts. Development of a rapid and robust method for analysis of Ra-226, which is the major NORM component in this water, is critical for the selection of appropriate management approaches to properly address regulatory and public concerns. Traditional methods for Ra-226 determination require long sample holding time or long detection time. A novel method combining Inductively Coupled Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) with solid-phase extraction (SPE) to separate and purify radium isotopes from the matrix elements in high salinity solutions is developed in this study. This method reduces analysis time while maintaining requisite precision and detection limit. Radium separation is accomplished using a combination of a strong-acid cation exchange resin to separate barium and radium from other ions in the solution and a strontium-specific resin to isolate radium from barium and obtain a sample suitable for analysis by ICP-MS. Method optimization achieved high radium recovery (101 ± 6% for standard mode and 97 ± 7% for collision mode) for synthetic Marcellus Shale wastewater (MSW) samples with total dissolved solids as high as 171,000 mg/L. Ra-226 concentration in actual MSW samples with TDS as high as 415,000 mg/L measured using ICP-MS matched very well with the results from gamma spectrometry. The Ra-226 analysis method developed in this study requires several hours for sample preparation and several minutes for analysis with the detection limit of 100 pCi/L with RSD of 45% (standard mode) and 67% (collision mode). The RSD decreased to below 15% when Ra-226 concentration increased over 500 pCi/L.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of Radium-226 in High Salinity Wastewater from Unconventional Gas Extraction by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry

Zhang

Bain

Hammack

et al. 2015

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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“…In contrast, direct measurement of 226 Ra through its own α-emission is completely independent of any consideration of equilibria or loss of gaseous intermediates. Previous procedures using α-spectrometry [4][5][6] have been only marginally successful because of extremely poor resolution caused by too much barium carrier used to avoid low recoveries and inadequate removal of absorbing materials from both samples and reagents. Sill [7] developed a method based on an efficient separation of radium from all other components of the sample and preparation of a final barium-radium fraction for α-spectrometry to obtain a high resolution for the resultant spectra without sacrificing high chemical recovery.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sensitivity and Precision of Determination of α-Emitting Nuclides of Radium in Water Samples by α-Spectrometry

1996

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An accurate, sensitive and reliable radioanalytical procedure for determining α-emitting nuclides of radium in water samples has been tested using 226 Ra standard reference sources. Radium is chemically separated together with barium from all other components and precipitated by acetic acid in presence of seeding suspension to produce fine crystals to minimize self absorption of the α-particles in getting out of the crystal lattice. The precipitate is mounted on a membrane filter and analyzed using α-spectrometer. Sensitivity, precision and accuracy of the technique are thoroughly investigated. Representative data for some water samples are given.

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Radium: Radionuclides

Vandenhove¹,

Verrezen²,

Landa³

2005

Encyclopedia of Inorganic Chemistry

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This article describes (1) the occurrence, chemistry, and bioavailability of radium (Ra) in terrestrial and aquatic environments, and its analysis in environmental samples, (2) the nature of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) and their role in radium‐contamination scenarios, and (3) the geochemical processes and remedial measures associated with radium‐contaminated water and soil. Radium is the heaviest of the Group II, alkaline earth metals. Radium is exclusively divalent and its chemistry resembles that of barium. Radium has a limited environmental mobility due to sorption (e.g., by hydrous oxides of Fe, Mn, and Al) and coprecipitation reactions (e.g., with barite). All isotopes of radium (atomic number 88) are radioactive. The most important radium isotopes are 226 Ra (half life 1600 years) and 228 Ra (half life 5.7 years), decay products of, respectively, the 238 U and the 232 Th series. As members of natural radioactive decay series, these radium isotopes are found in uranium‐ and thorium‐bearing minerals. Concentrations of uranium and thorium in rocks can range from those of ore‐grade deposits to the trace levels typical of common rock‐forming minerals. In uncontaminated surface waters, radium content is generally low and within a narrow range (0.5–20 mBq l −1 ). Radium in groundwater is highly variable (<0.52–55 000 mBq l −1 ) and can arise from natural sources, resulting from the interaction of groundwater with radium‐bearing materials or indirectly from man's exploitation of the radioactive minerals of uranium and thorium. The major challenge associated with many NORM‐containing residues or NORM‐contaminated sites is the larger volumes of material and the relatively low specific activities.

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Sample preparation for low-level, .alpha.-particle spectrometry of radium-226

Cited by 14 publications

References 7 publications

Analysis of Radium-226 in High Salinity Wastewater from Unconventional Gas Extraction by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry

Analysis of Radium-226 in High Salinity Wastewater from Unconventional Gas Extraction by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry

Sensitivity and Precision of Determination of α-Emitting Nuclides of Radium in Water Samples by α-Spectrometry

Radium: Radionuclides

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