A simple preparation of calibration curve standards of134Cs and137Cs by serial dilution of a standard reference material

Two sets of calibration standards for¹³⁴Cs and¹³⁷Cs were prepared by small serial dilution of a natural matrix standard reference material, IAEA-154 whey powder. The first set was intended to screen imported milk powders which were suspected to be contaminated with¹³⁴Cs and¹³⁷Cs. Therefore the concentration range of the calibration standards were about 40–400 Bq/kg. The precision of the preparation of the standard with about 7 Bq/kg of¹³⁴Cs and 39 Bq/kg of¹³⁷Cs at measurement time was 7.4% and 3.2%, respectively. The preparation of a similar standard by spiking the matrix with radioisotope solutions resulted in a poorer precision, about double that of the former technique. The other set of calibration standards was prepared to measure the environmental levels of¹³⁷Cs in commercial Venezuelan milk powders. Their concentration ranged from 3–10 Bq/kg of¹³⁷Cs. The accuracy of these calibration curves was checked by using IAEA-152 and A-14 milk powders. Their measured values were in good agreement with their certified values. Finally, it is shown that these preparation techniques by serial dilution of a standard reference material were simple, rapid, precise, accurate and cost-effective.This work was partly funded by a research contract PC-075 from the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICIT).     

Stannic silicomolybdate as cesium selective cation exchanger

Stannic silicomolybdate was prepared under optimum conditions in well granulated amorphous form. It showed ion exchange properties with very high selectivity for cesium in both aqueous and ethanol solutions. The results suggest the application of this exchanger for separation and determination of¹³⁷Cs in environmental samples. The separation of⁹⁰Sr from¹³⁷Cs was achieved with great efficiency.     

Separation of137Cs and90Sr from mineralizates of biological materials by dicarbolide of cobalt

The distribution of some radionuclides in the course of¹³⁷Cs and⁹⁰Sr extraction and scrubbing between organic and water phase was determined.¹³⁷Cs and⁹⁰Sr were isolated from the mixture of radionuclides in mineralized biological materials. Dicarbolide of cobalt i. e. 3,3′-commo-bis[undecahydro-1,2-dicarbo-3-closo-dodecaborate] was used as an extracting agent. Quantities of the extracted radionuclides were determined by gamma spectrometric technique. Single and repeated extraction of⁹⁰Sr with 0.01M resp. 0.1M dicarbolide of cobalt in nitrobenzene and scrubbing of coextracted radionuclides by 0.5M HNO₃ were studied. The extraction of⁹⁰Sr was investigated from solutions of a hydrofobizing agent in the same way. Finally, the quantitative extraction of¹³⁷Cs followed by the extraction of⁹⁰Sr from mixtures of radionuclides in a mineralized biological material was studied. Extraction yields from dry and wet mineralizates of biological tissues, from urine and milk were compared. Suitable working conditions for the separation procedures were selected.     

Study on the preparation of a137Cs/137mBa radionuclide generator

^137mBa has been applied successfully to dynamic studies for diagnosis in nuclear medicine for a long time. A variety of inorganic exchangers have been employed for the separation of^137mBa from its parent¹³⁷Cs. In the present study, cupric cobaltic ferrocyanide and amorphous zirconyl phosphate were synthesized and compared for use in a¹³⁷Cs/^137mBa generator. The results show that the former can adsorb¹³⁷Cs more efficiently and provide high elution yield of^137mBa with greater than 99.99% radionuclide purity. A new generator involving multimillicuries of^137mBa, in connection with a computerized detection system, has been constructed.     

Recovery of137Cs from acidic fission products solutions

A procedure for the isolation of¹³⁷Cs from acidic fission products solutions, based on the use of silica gel and zirconium phosphate ion exchangers, is presented. The¹³⁷Cs recovered by the ion-exchange process is converted to powder by coprecipitation of cesium with ammonium molybdophosphate.¹³⁷Cs pellets have been prepared by compression of¹³⁷Cs ammonium molybdophosphate powder using a hydraulic press. An important aspect of this procedure is that it does not require neutralization of the Purex waste.     

Determination of90Sr and137Cs in mushrooms following the Chernobyl fallout

After the Chernobyl accident high concentrations of radionuclides were found in Sweden in mushrooms and the contents of⁹⁰Sr and¹³⁷Cs were measured. The level of⁹⁰Sr was generally low and, in proportion to¹³⁷Cs, 2–3 orders of magnitude lower than in the fallut. The contents of¹³⁷Cs varied among species and extreme local variations occurred. The ratio¹³⁴Cs/¹³⁷Cs diverged from other biological samples leading to the conclusion that old fallout was involved in the uptake.     

Depth distribution of239,240Pu and137Cs in soils of South Korea

Depth distribution of^239,240Pu and¹³⁷Cs in the soils of South Korea have been studied. The average accumulated depositions were estimated roughly to be 54.8±32.1 Bq·m^–2 for^239,240Pu, 1.6±1.0 Bq· ·m^–2 for²³⁸Pu and 1982.8±929.1 Bq·m^–2 for¹³⁷Cs. The activity ratios of^239,240Pu/¹³⁷Cs in soils were found to be in the narrow range of 0.0153 to 0.0364 with a mean value of 0.0230±0.006. The concentrations of^239,240Pu and¹³⁷Cs in soils decrease exponentially with increasing the soil depth. A significant correlation was found between the concentration of^239,240Pu and that of¹³⁷Cs. The activity ratios of^239,240Pu/¹³⁷Cs tend to increase slightly with increasing soil depth.     

Isolation of137Cs from excreta by dicarbolide of cobalt

Extraction by polyhedral complex compound of the formula H⁺ [(π-(3)-1,2-B₉C₂H₁₁)₂Co⁻] further on referred to as dicarbolide-H⁺ and its chloro-derivate H⁺[B₁₈C₄H₁₅Cl₇Co⁻] further on referred to as Cl-dicarbolide-H⁺ in nitrobenzene was used for the analysis of¹³⁷Cs in urine and faeces after internal contamination. The dependence of distribution ratio on the acidity of analysed solutions was determined. The effect of urine dilution was assessed as well as the effect of various concentrations of the extraction agents on the distribution ratio of¹³⁷Cs. The effect of phase ratio at the different concentrations of isotopic carrier was assessed, as well as the effect of potassium ions on the decrease of the distribution ratio at the extraction of¹³⁷Cs by dicarbolide-H⁺ or its chloro-derivate. The possibility of isolation of¹³⁷Cs by extraction and the isolation of¹³⁷Cs by ion-exchange absorbents and by ammonium molybdophosphate was compared. The values of distribution coefficient were determined at various concentrations of nitric acid and the isotopic carrier. The dependence of coextraction of some activated radionuclides and fission products by dicarbolide-H⁺ on the nitric acid concentration in the solute was determined. The effect of mass of contaminated faeces on the value of the distribution ratio of¹³⁷Cs by the extraction was evaluated. As a result, a suggestion was given for the rutine isolation procedure of¹³⁷Cs extraction with dicarbolide-H⁺ from the excreta contaminated by a mixture of radionuclides.     

Transfer of137Cs from soil to plants in a wet montane forest in subtropical Taiwan

The distribution of¹³⁷Cs in an undisturbed, multistoried, subtropical wet montane forest ecosystem surrounding Yuanyang Lake (lake surface level ca. 1670m, in northeastern Taiwan), was investigated. The mossy forest here represents a currently-rare perhumid temperate environment in subtropical region. The radioactivity concentration of¹³⁷Cs was determined by γ-spectroscopy with a Ge(Li) detector. Although the soil is extremely acidic (pH 3.3 to 3.6) and the rainfall is high,¹³⁷Cs is evidently retained in the organic layer. The radioactivity concentration of¹³⁷Cs in surface soil ranges from 28 to 71 Bq·kg⁻¹. The concentrations of¹³⁷Cs in the ground moss layer and litter were much lower than that in the soil organic layer, this suggests that¹³⁷Cs detected is not from the newly deposited radioactive fallout. The radioactivity concentration and transfer factor (TF) of¹³⁷Cs varied with plant species. Shrubs and ferns have higher values than a coniferous tree (Taiwan cedar). The TF in this ecosystem is as high as 0.21 to 1.88. The high values of TF is attributed to the abundance of the organic matter in the forest soils. The rapid recycling of¹³⁷Cs through the soil-plant system of this undisturbed multistoried ecosystem suggests the existence of an internal cycling that help the accumulation of¹³⁷Cs in this ecosystem.     

Čerenkov spectroscopic assay of fission isotopes

A erenkov counting technique is presented for the radioassay of¹⁰⁶Ru in aqueous solutions containing nitrate, nitric acid, chloride as well as inactive ruthenium nitrosyl complex carrier. The counting efficiency was found to be a function of colour quenching by these substances in the UV and visible range. Measurements made on a three-channel automatic liquid scintillation spectrometer indicated that the counting efficiency can be calculated by use of the experimentally determined channel ratio of a quenched sample, without prior knowledge of the quencher concentration. The technique can be useful during studies on the removal of¹⁰⁶Ru from nuclear waste solutions. Special settings of discriminator windows enable radioassays in presence of weak -emitters such as¹³⁷Cs. The possibility of determining¹⁰⁶Ru in presence of⁹⁰(Sr/Y) was also investigated.     

Influence of major cations of sea water on the desorption of137Cs from marine sediments

Desorption studies of¹³⁷Cs from marine sediments by artificial sea water and artificial sea water devoid of individual major cations such as Na, K, Ca, Mg and Sr indicated that only Na and K were effective in the desorption of¹³⁷Cs. Studies with various ionic strengths ranginf from 0.01 to 1.6M KCl and NaCl solutions showed that KCl desorbs constantly about 45%¹³⁷Cs at and above an ionic strength of 0.1. In case of NaCl, the percent desorption increases linearly with ionic strength. The difference in desorption by K and Na is attributed to the contraction of the clay mineral layers by K ion and expansion of the layers by Na ion.     

Extraction of137Cs by cobalt dicarbolide

The possibility of the use of chlorinated cobalt dicarbolide, H⁺C₄B₁₈H₁₅Cl₇Co⁻, it nitrobenzene for the selective extraction of¹³⁷Cs from mixtures of⁹⁵Zr−⁹⁵Nb,¹⁰⁶Ru-¹⁰⁶Rh and¹⁴⁴Ce was studied. The effect of aqueous phase acidity on the distribution ratio of Cs, Ru and Zr as well as the effect of the amount of isotopic and non-isotopic carriers of alkali metals on the distribution ratio were determined. Separation factors for cesium from ruthenium, zirconium and cerium were calculated, all being extracted from nitric acid solutions. The efficiency of cesium separation was verified by gamma-spectrometry.     

An intercomparison of sampling techniques for measurements of radiocaesium in upland pasture and soil

An intercomparison of sampling procedures used by five laboratories for the determination of radiocaesium in vegetation and peaty soil was carried out at two locations in Cumbria. The multiple sampling has given information on the homogeneity of the parameters studied at each location. The parameters comprise soil bulk densities, total deposition of¹³⁷Cs, deposition of¹³⁷Cs in three soil layers, biomass densities, concentrations of¹³⁷Cs in pasture, and activity ratios (¹³⁴Cs/¹³⁷Cs) in soil and vegetation. The determination of total deposition of¹³⁷Cs gave no indication of differences between the laboratories. The results from the soil profiles do indicate significant differences between laboratories. One laboratory using a coring technique observed difficulties during sampling due to compression of the soil. The coring technique should thus be avoided or applied with extreme care for the sampling of depth profiles in peaty soil. The results from the sampling of pasture show no indication of differences between the laboratories. For the parameters studied the observed variabilities across soil depths and locations range from 10% to 81% in terms of relative standard deviations. A comparison across all results at the two locations indicate a 50% higher field variability at one of the sites relative to the other.     

Removal of226Ra(II) from uranium mining and processing effluents

The activity of¹³⁷Cs was determined in mosses and their surrounding soils in three Venezuelan cloud forests. The concentration of¹³⁷Cs in both the mosses and their respective soils were correlated with elevation (m.a.s.l.). This relationship was the result of the cloud forest effect, no direct deposition by condensation below the base of the clouds and increasing deposition of¹³⁷Cs with the density of the clouds. The ratio of the activity of¹³⁷Cs in the mosses to their surrounding soils was in general the same for sites near the top of the mountains, but the ratio at the Altos de pipe location was 3.5 times higher than that of the La Sierra mountain. This was explained by the difference in the water content of the surface and the top soil layer. It was concluded that the¹³⁷Cs measured in the mosses was from the soil effect rather than new deposition of¹³⁷Cs in the last three years.     

Ion-exchange behaviour of copper ferricyanide

A new inorganic ion exchanger, copper ferricyanide prepared by adding copper nitrate to a potassium ferricyanide solution at 80°C has been found to be stable in acids and salt solutions. It has been characterized by chemical analysis, thermogravimetry. X-ray and infrared spectroscopy. Distribution coefficients determined for various metal ions show that the exchanger has a high affinity for heavy univalent cations. The variation of K_d for a number of metal ions as a function of nitric acid concentration and ammonium nitrate has been investigated to elucidate the probable exchange mechanism and to work out conditions for elution. Binary separations of Cs from a number of other metal ions were achieved on the column of exchanger. The exchanger is useful for the separation of¹³⁷Cs.     

Development of a novel composite by coating polyacrylic fibres with hexacyanoferrates for the removal of Cs from radioactive liquid waste

Hexacyanoferrates (HCFs) are known to be efficient sorbents for the removal of Cs from aqueous solutions. But the powdery precipitate of HCF is unsuitable for use in columns. To make it amenable to column application, it has been coated on polyacrylic fibres by in situ precipitation. In batch and column experiments, the fibres coated with Cupric ferric hexacyanoferrate provided good removal of¹³⁷Cs from radioactive effluents. Leaching of Cs from the fibres was found to be only 14% in demineralised water medium. The Cs-loaded fibres could easily be incinerated to a smaller volume for further conditioning.     

Determination of137Cs,90Sr and fallout Pu in the volcanic soil of Korea

The cumulative depositions of¹³⁷Cs,⁹⁰Sr and fallout Pu in the volcanic ash soil of Korea were determined. The average accumulated depositions of¹³⁷Cs,⁹⁰Sr and fallout Pu in the volcanic soil were much higher than those in other forest sites of Korea. From depth profiles, it was found that¹³⁷Cs,⁹⁰Sr and^239,240Pu in the volcanic soil are more mobile than those in other forest sites of Korea, and that the downward movement of⁹⁰Sr is faster than¹³⁷Cs and^239,240Pu. A significant correlation was found between the concentration of¹³⁷Cs and those of⁹⁰Sr and^239,240Pu. The activity ratios of²³⁸Pu/^239,240Pu and²⁴¹Pu/^239,240Pu in soils are close to those observed in the cumulative deposit from the global fallout of nuclear weapon testings.     

Radioactivity on the Montenegrin Coast, Yugoslavia

Environmental radioactivity has been investigated on the Montenegrin Coast (Yugoslavia). Radioactivity was measured on 14 beaches and 5 hinterland localities by a method of in situ gamma-spectrometry. At each measuring site two photon countings were performed — in ground and above it. Specific activities of⁴⁰K,²³²Th,²³⁸U,¹³⁷Cs and corresponding exposure rates were then obtained from gamma-spectra and appropriate radiation field models. The results show a washing out effect of the sea-water: radioactivity level on the beach is significantly lower than on its hinterland. In situ spectrometry was also performed inside 16 hotels on the Coast. Radioactivity of building materials is found to be 8 to 20 times lower than the limit permitted by regulations. In 12 of these hotels, indoor radon concentrations were measured with track etch detectors. Winter radon concentrations were in a range (22–90) Bq/m³, i.e., much below the most stringent reference level.     

Artificial radioactive contamination of sediment samples along the Romanian sector of the Danube river and the Black Sea coast

The concentrations of¹³⁷Cs were determined by in 11 sediment samples, collected along the Romanian sector of the Danube river and the Black Sea coast during 1994 γ-ray spectrometry. The concentrations of⁹⁰Sr in the same sediment samples were determined by β-counting of the⁹⁰Y oxalate, precipitated after strontium separation using a strontium extraction chromatography column. The concentration distributions of¹³⁷Cs and⁹⁰Sr are compared with the²³⁸Pu and^239,240Pu concentration distributions in the same samples, reported in a previous paper. The accumulation potential of¹³⁷Cs,⁹⁰Sr and plutonium isotopes in the river and sea sediments analysed is discussed.     

Solvent extraction of alkali metal ion-pairs into nitrobenzene from aqueous-organic solutions

Solvent extraction of¹³⁷Cs,⁸⁶Rb and⁴²K by dipicrylaminate and tetraphenyl borate into nitrobenzene was studied from solutions containing various solvents miscible with water. In all cases the distribution ratios of alkali metals were lower in mixed solutions than in water. In discussing the results, water structure, ion-association, solubility of Cs(I) ionpairs, ionic strength, and organic phase effects were taken into account. Part III in the series Solvent Extraction of Ion-pairs. Part II. Ref.⁸