Isolation of Pu-isotopes from environmental samples using ion chromatography for accelerator mass spectrometry and alpha spectrometry

TL;DR

This paper presents a new, efficient radiochemical method using specific chromatography resins for isolating plutonium isotopes from environmental samples, validated by alpha spectrometry and accelerator mass spectrometry, improving accuracy and reducing waste.

Contribution

The study introduces a faster, more reproducible radiochemical method with higher yields for plutonium isotope separation, replacing less specific traditional techniques.

Findings

High radiochemical yields achieved with TEVA resin

Good agreement between alpha spectrometry and AMS measurements

Method reduces acid waste and processing time

Abstract

A radiochemical method for the isolation of plutonium isotopes from environmental samples, based on the use of specific chromatography resins for actinides (TEVA, Eichrom Industries), has been set up in our laboratory and optimised for their posterior determination by alpha spectrometry (AS) or accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). The proposed radiochemical method has replaced in our lab a well established one based on the use of a relatively un-specific anion-exchange resin (AG1X8, Biorad), because it is clearly less time consuming, reduces the amounts and molarities of acid wastes produced, and reproducibly gives high radiochemical yields. In order to check the reliability of the proposed radiochemical method for the determination of plutonium isotopes in different environmental matrixes, twin aliquots of a set of samples were prepared with TEVA and with AG 1X8 resins and measured by AS. Some samples prepared with TEVA resins were measured as well by AMS. As it is shown in the text, there is a comfortable agreement between AS and AMS, which adequately validates the method.