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Rapid Emergency Methods for Actinides and Sr-89/90

Rapid Emergency Methods for Actinides and Sr-89/90. Sherrod L. Maxwell, III Westinghouse Savannah River Company. Background. Radiological Preparedness Exercise (NRIP’04) Kenneth Inn, NIST spoke at RRMC-2004 of “need to improve efficiency and effectiveness of radioanalytical capabilities”

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Rapid Emergency Methods for Actinides and Sr-89/90

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  1. Rapid Emergency Methods for Actinides and Sr-89/90 Sherrod L. Maxwell, III Westinghouse Savannah River Company

  2. Background • Radiological Preparedness Exercise (NRIP’04) • Kenneth Inn, NIST • spoke at RRMC-2004 of “need to improve efficiency and effectiveness of radioanalytical capabilities” • Need for faster actinide and Sr-89/90 analyses for Homeland Security reasons • Current water/air filter methods may take 1-2 days • Need for fast, reliable methods (< 8 hours)

  3. Developments at SRS • Water/Air Filters Method • Streamline calcium phosphate precipitation (water) • Dissolve air filters • Collect and prepare Sr-89/90 with actinides • No ashing of Am/Cm or Th fractions • Eichrom prefilter cartridges/Resolve filters

  4. Developments at SRS • Streamline calcium phosphate precipitation • Eliminate heat step for volumes less than 200 mL/add Ba to complex carbonate • Use 200 mL (or less) sample volumes in centrifuge tubes • Prep time: ~1-1.5 hours-12 samples • Stack TEVA (Pu, Np, Th) + TRU (Am,Cm, U) + Sr Resin (Sr-89/90) • Collect Sr-89/90 at same time • Prep time: <4 hours-12 samples • Count time • actinides-1 hour (or as needed) • Sr-89/90-10 minutes (or as needed)

  5. Rapid TEVA-TRU-Sr Separations(Pu, Np, Am, Cm, U, Sr)

  6. Remove Sr on Sr Resin, Pu from TEVA and Am-Cm/U from TRU

  7. Am Strip with Prefilters Below TRU

  8. Performance • 20 groundwater samples • 200 mL volume/ 6 hour counts * • Sr carrier recoveries: 98.1% (3.9% rsd) • Pu-242 recoveries: 104% (4.9% rsd) • Am-243 recoveries: 92.6% (6% rsd) • U-232 recoveries: 85.6% (5.4% rsd) *count less time in emergency when high levels expected

  9. Other Efficiency Improvements • Eliminate ashing steps used for extractant bleed-off that affects alpha resolution • Prefilter cartridge(~$5) with Resolve filters • Saves time, labor, better FWHM • faster TAT • improved alpha resolution • less rework

  10. Resolution with Filters from “Bad” Lot

  11. Summary • Need to share radioanalytical methods-Ken Inn • Faster actinide and Sr-89/90 methods developed • Quality and Speed • Streamlined precipitation for water samples • Collect Pu, Am, Cm, U, Sr in a single stacked column • High recoveries, good resolution, no interferences • Applicable to radiological emergency analyses • Improved efficiency and effectiveness • Short count as needed • Analysis time < 8 hours

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