Combined method for the fast determination of pure beta emitting radioisotopes in food samples

Recent Development on Determination of Low-Level 90Sr in Environmental and Biological Samples: A Review

In the context of the rapid development of the world's nuclear power industry, it is vital to establish reliable and efficient radioanalytical methods to support sound environment and food radioactivity monitoring programs and a cost-effective waste management strategy. As one of the most import fission products generated during human nuclear activities, ⁹⁰Sr has been widely determined based on different analytical techniques for routine radioactivity monitoring, emergency preparedness and radioactive waste management. Herein, we summarize and critically review analytical methods developed over the last few decades for the determination of ⁹⁰Sr in environmental and biological samples. Approaches applied in different steps of the analysis including sample preparation, chemical separation and detection are systematically discussed. The recent development of modern materials for ⁹⁰Sr concentration and advanced instruments for rapid ⁹⁰Sr measurement are also addressed.

Determination, Separation and Application of 137Cs: A Review

In the context of the rapid development of the world's nuclear power industry, it is necessary to establish background data on radionuclides of different samples from different regions, and the premise of obtaining such basic data is to have a series of good sample processing and detection methods. The radiochemical analysis methods of low-level radionuclides ¹³⁷Cs (Cesium) in environmental and biological samples are introduced and reviewed in detail. The latest research progress is reviewed from the five aspects of sample pretreatment, determination, separation, calculation, application of radioactive cesium and the future is proposed.

Supercritical water pretreatment method for analysis of strontium and uranium in soil (Andosols)

Hydrothermal pretreatment of soils (Andosols) from Ibaraki prefecture (Japan) was used to improve methods for monitoring radioactive Sr and U. Calcined samples were pretreated with subcritical or supercritical water (SCW) followed by extraction with 0.5 M HNO₃ solutions. With SCW pretreatment, recoveries of Sr and U were 70% and 40%, respectively. Experimental recoveries obtained can be described by a linear relationship in water density. The proposed method is robust and can lower environmental burden of routine analytical protocols.

A review of measurement methodologies and their applications to environmental 90Sr

The high fission yield product ⁹⁰Sr has been released into the environment in large amounts due to nuclear weapon tests, nuclear power plant accidents, and nuclear fuel reprocessing industries. It is a long half-life radionuclide (28.9 y), with serious consequences to human health; hence, it is desirable to perform routine monitoring of ⁹⁰Sr in environmental samples. Many ⁹⁰Sr radiometric methods have been developed in the past decades, which generally require complicated separation and purification steps with a relatively long analytical time. Moreover, some nominally rapid methods usually have high method detection limits, making them unsuitable for the environmental samples with ultra-low ⁹⁰Sr levels. In this review, some rapid and practical methods for ⁹⁰Sr routine monitoring are summarized. Different sample pretreatments and major purification procedures for ⁹⁰Sr developed in recent years, such as variable digestion methods and extraction chromatography using Sr resin or DGA resin, are especially described. Additionally, four conventional and widely used β spectrometric and mass spectrometric methods are demonstrated. Finally, ⁹⁰Sr evaluations focusing on contaminated soil and seawater samples collected after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, and ⁹⁰Sr application as tracers for environmental behavior are also reviewed.

Evaluation of different methods for measuring 89Sr and 90Sr: Measurement uncertainty for the different methods as a function of the activity ratio

In case of a radiological emergency situation involving e.g. fission of uranium or plutonium, analysis of radioactive strontium will be of importance. The primary radionuclides of interest are ⁹⁰Sr, its progeny ⁹⁰Y and ⁸⁹Sr. A few days following an event, ⁸⁹Sr will be the predominant radioisotope of strontium. Most methods found in the literature are valid and applicable when measuring ⁹⁰Sr, but when samples contain both ⁸⁹Sr/⁹⁰Sr interference problematics arise. How these interferences are dealt with will have an effect on the uncertainty of the ⁹⁰Sr determination. This work aims at evaluating three measurement approaches, all mentioned in the literature, with respect to the measurement uncertainty when determining ⁹⁰Sr in an emergency preparedness situation and to propose a suitable measurement strategy.

Estimating contamination monitor efficiency for beta radiation by means of PENELOPE-2008 Monte Carlo simulation

Monte Carlo computer simulation of beta radiation transport within radioactively-contaminated food samples was studied and compared with experimental results. We used the Monte Carlo code PENELOPE-2008. The basic geometry of a hand-held contamination monitor and the geometry of beta-emitting food samples and surface sources were modeled, and the detection efficiency of the device was determined. Possibilities to improve the detection efficiency were tested by simulation.