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Suárez-Navarro JA, Expósito-Suárez VM, Crespo MT, Sánchez-Castaño B, Suárez-Navarro MJ, Gascó C, Barragán M, Gascón JL, Pecker R, Sánchez-Pérez L, González-Cano L, Rosario A. Improvements in the radiochemical method for separating 226Ra in solid samples through coprecipitation with BaSO 4. Appl Radiat Isot 2022; 187:110321. [PMID: 35732096 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2022.110321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this work was to improve the commonly used method for 226Ra determination in water and to establish its application in solid samples. This method is based on the coprecipitation of Ra with BaSO4 and gross alpha counting of the precipitate. An exhaustive study of the coprecipitation behaviour of the most abundant cations present in solid samples was performed to avoid incorrect radiochemical yields. As a result, it was considered necessary to introduce two new purification steps into the conventional method. Likewise, two nuclides, 241Am and 226Ra, were compared to obtain the mass efficiency curve given their different behaviour in the coprecipitation process. While Ra behaves similarly to Ba, Am coprecipitates, forming mixed crystals that may behave differently in the self-absorption process. The influence of the cations on the chemical yield with no precipitate purification was: Sr2+≫Fe3+>Mg2+≈Ca2+>K+≈Na+. The method was successfully applied to soil, sediment, and plant ash samples.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - M T Crespo
- CIEMAT, Avenida Complutense 40, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - M J Suárez-Navarro
- Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), E.T.S.I. Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Profesor Aranguren s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - C Gascó
- CIEMAT, Avenida Complutense 40, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - M Barragán
- CIEMAT, Avenida Complutense 40, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - J L Gascón
- CIEMAT, Avenida Complutense 40, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - R Pecker
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - A Rosario
- IES Virgen de la Paloma, 28039, Madrid, Spain
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Zhang T, Bain D, Hammack R, Vidic RD. Analysis of radium-226 in high salinity wastewater from unconventional gas extraction by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:2969-2976. [PMID: 25642997 DOI: 10.1021/es504656q] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
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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Affiliation(s)
- Tieyuan Zhang
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering and ‡Department of Geology & Planetary Science, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
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Jia G, Jia J. Determination of radium isotopes in environmental samples by gamma spectrometry, liquid scintillation counting and alpha spectrometry: a review of analytical methodology. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2012; 106:98-119. [PMID: 22245211 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2011.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2011] [Revised: 11/28/2011] [Accepted: 12/04/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Radium (Ra) isotopes are important from the viewpoints of radiation protection and environmental protection. Their high toxicity has stimulated the continuing interest in methodology research for determination of Ra isotopes in various media. In this paper, the three most routinely used analytical techniques for Ra isotope determination in biological and environmental samples, i.e. low-background γ-spectrometry, liquid scintillation counting and α-spectrometry, were reviewed, with emphasis on new methodological developments in sample preparation, preconcentration, separation, purification, source preparation and measurement techniques. The accuracy, selectivity, traceability, applicability and minimum detectable activity (MDA) of the three techniques were discussed. It was concluded that the MDA (0.1mBqL(-1)) of the α-spectrometry technique coupled with chemical separation is about two orders of magnitude lower than that of low-background HPGe γ-spectrometry and LSC techniques. Therefore, when maximum sensitivity is required, the α-spectrometry technique remains the first choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guogang Jia
- China Institute of Atomic Energy, PO Box 275-24, Beijing 102413, China.
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Tsai TL, Lin CC, Wang TY, Wei HJ, Men LC. Application of ICP-QMS for the determination of ultratrace-levels of 226Ra in geothermal water and sediment samples. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-010-0625-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Determination of 226Ra in sediments by ICP-MS: A comparative study of three sample preparation approaches. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-007-6870-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Karamanis D, Ioannides KG, Stamoulis KC. Determination of 226Ra in aqueous solutions via sorption on thin films and α-spectrometry. Anal Chim Acta 2006; 573-574:319-27. [PMID: 17723540 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2006.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2005] [Revised: 03/03/2006] [Accepted: 03/08/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
An improved spectrometric method to determine the 226Ra activity in aqueous solutions is described. The method involves two stages, a preconcentration stage of 226Ra sorption onto a thin manganese layer and a measurement stage using alpha-spectrometry. Manganese oxide thin films were prepared and characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses. The thin films were found to follow the XRD patterns and chemical formula of the K-birnessite layered exchanger. The preconcentration of radium was studied relative to the initial radium concentration, pH and salt concentrations. The preconcentration kinetics was studied as a function of manganese surface, solution volume and salt concentration. Extensive Monte Carlo calculations were performed to optimise the detection of alpha-particles. In this way, the thin film preparation procedure as well as the radium sorption and the measurement conditions were optimised and detection limits lower than 0.5 mBq L(-1) were obtained for 2d of procedure completion. The method was validated with IAEA standards and it was applied for the determination of 226Ra in bottled waters and also wastewaters from the major thermoelectric plant in Greece. Moreover, the 226Ra distribution coefficients (K(d)) of two differently prepared powder manganese oxides, a crystalline silicotitanate and an aluminium-pillared montmorillonite were determined by gamma-spectrometry. 226Ra sorption experiments on silicotitanate thin films were performed and improvements in resolution and reduction of exposure time were observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Karamanis
- Physics Department, The University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece.
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Altzitzoglou T, Sibbens G, Bickel M, Bohnstedt A, Decaillon JG, Hill C, Holmes L. Characterisation of reference materials for radioactivity with assigned values traceable to the SI units. Appl Radiat Isot 2004; 61:395-9. [PMID: 15177377 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2004.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements participates in an IAEA co-ordinated project to upgrade Analytical Quality Control Services intercomparison materials to reference materials. The principal objective is to ensure that assigned property values are traceable to the International System of Units. General principles and practical mechanisms for achieving this traceability are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Altzitzoglou
- European Commission, DG Joint Research Centre, Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements Retieseweg 111, Geel B-2440, Belgium.
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