Emergency Radiobioassay Method for Determination of 90Sr and 226Ra in a Spot Urine Sample

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.

Synergy of flow injection system and molecular recognition technology products for rapid determination of 89,90Sr and 210Pb

A rapid, automated separation procedure was developed for radioactive strontium and lead isotope determination. This system includes a portable automated system for the preconcentration and sequential elution of targeting isotopes with an Na₂H₂EDTA solution from solid phase extraction materials, AnaLig®Sr-01 and SuperLig®620, provided by IBC Technologies. Strontium and lead were separated from the majority of matrix constituents to obtain pure fractions of Pb and Sr prior to radiometric detection. In case of barium presence, it can also be fully isolated and completely separated from Sr. The automated procedure can be successfully used for preconcentration and separation from high as well as low radioactivity samples. With only a 1 mL column filled with SuperLig®620, it is possible to isolate Sr and Pb with 100% recovery from 1 L to 2 L of sample at a flow rate of up to 10 mL min^-1 within several hours. ^89,90Sr isotopes can be further determined by Cherenkov counting, while ²¹⁰Pb isotopes can be determined by either gamma spectrometry or liquid scintillation counter. The method was tested and validated using certified standard materials and proficiency test samples. The synergy of automated separation and detection procedures enables the determination of the low level activity of ⁹⁰Sr and ²¹⁰Pb in a short time with detection limits of 20 mBq L^-1 for both isotopes. The proposed method enables lower labour costs, minimal size of apparatuses and columns, low separation time, and reduced secondary waste production. The automated procedure may be easily implemented in laboratories worldwide and can also be used at sampling sites.

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.

Analysis of radioactive strontium-90 in food by Čerenkov liquid scintillation counting

A simple liquid scintillation counting method using DGA/TRU resins for removal of matrix/radiometric interferences, Čerenkov counting for measuring ⁹⁰Y, and EDXRF for quantifying Y recovery was validated for analyzing ⁹⁰Sr in various foods. Analysis of samples containing energetic β emitters required using TRU resin to avoid false detection and positive bias. Additional 34% increase in Y recovery was obtained by stirring the resin while eluting Y with H₂C₂O₄. The method showed acceptable accuracy (±10%), precision (10%), and detectability (~0.09Bqkg^-1).