Comparison of transfers for natural radionuclides (238U, 234Th, 226Ra, 210Pb & 210Po) from five different soils to four different barley genotypes

Transfer Factors (Fv) of ²³⁸U, ²²⁶Ra, ²³⁴Th, ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb from five different agricultural soils in semi-arid region (Syria) to four different barley genotypes were studied in an agricultural potted experiment. The geometric mean of the Fv values were (0.08) for ²¹⁰Pb, and (0.02) for ²¹⁰Po, while it ranged from 0.18 to 0.42 ,from 0.08 to 0.15 and from 0.22 to 0.4 for ²³⁸U, ²³⁴Th and ²²⁶Ra, respectevily. The Fv values of ²³⁸U and ²²⁶Ra were within the recommended global medians, while the Fv values of ²³⁴Th, ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po were higher. There is no clear relationship between the soil properties and Fv of all studied radionuclides to barley genotypes. Moreover, the expression of glutathione (GSH) gene, which is belived to be involoved in heavy metal removal was generally low in all studied varieties grown in all soil types.

     

Transmutation of 239 Pu with spallation neutrons

Incineration studies of plutonium were carried out at the Synchrophasotron of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR), Dubna, using proton beams with energies of 0.53 GeV and 1.0 GeV. Solid lead targets (8 cm in diameter and 20 cm long) were surrounded with 6 cm thick paraffin as neutron moderator and then irradiated. The transmutation of ²³⁹ Pu and the associated production of fission products ⁹¹ Sr, ⁹² Sr, ⁹⁷ Zr, ⁹⁹ Mo, ¹⁰³ Ru, ¹⁰⁵ Ru, ¹²⁹ Sb, ¹³² Te, ¹³³ I, ¹³⁵ I and ¹⁴³ Ce were studied in the present work. The plutonium samples (each 449 mg) were placed on the outer surface of moderator. For 1.0 GeV proton beam, the fission rate of ²³⁹ Pu is 0.0032 atoms per proton in one gram plutonium samples, for 0.53 GeV proton, this value is 0.0022. The experimental uncertainty is about 15%. The experiments are compared to two theoretical model calculations with moderate success, using the Dubna Cascade Model (CEM) and the LAHET code. The practical incineration rate of ²³⁹ Pu is very high. For example: if one uses 10 mA, 1 GeV proton beams under the same (fictive) experimental conditions, the incineration rate of ²³⁹ Pu via fission is 3 mg out of the 449 mg sample per day. For 0.53 GeV protons the corresponding rate is 2 mg per day.     

Investigation of the impurity concentrations and product activities of some targets used in radioisotope production: a neutron activation analysis study

Neutron activation analysis using the k ₀ standardization method (k ₀-NAA) and fast neutron activation analysis using reactor fission neutrons, were used to determine the impurity concentrations in WO₃, MoO₃, SnO₂ and TeO₂ targets. The radioimpurities ¹²⁴Sb, ¹³⁴Cs, ⁶⁰Co, ⁸⁷Rb, ¹⁸²Ta, ²³³Pa, ⁶⁵Zn, ⁵⁹Fe, ^110mAg, ⁵¹Cr, ⁹⁵Zr, ⁷⁵Se and ^114mIn were found in the irradiated targets and their origin either neutron capture reactions, or threshold reactions or both were identified. The specific activities of ¹⁸⁷W, ¹⁸⁸Re, ^99mTc, ^113mIn, ^117mSn and ¹³¹I radioisotopes were determined. It is shown that the epithermal neutron flux significantly contributes to the isotopes characterized with high Q₀ values. It is shown that the ^117mSn isotope can be produced with a high specific activity using the fast neutron component of the reactor neutron spectrum.     

Quantitative activation analysis of the target assemblies of a medical linear accelerator

Radioactive nuclides with relatively long half-lives in the target assemblies of medical accelerators were investigated. The samples were the target assembly of a 10 MV linear accelerator, a 20 MV microtron and screws of a cyclotron. Gamma-spectroscopy was performed with a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector. Detected nuclides were ⁵¹Cr, ⁵⁴Mn, ⁵⁹Fe, ⁵⁷Co, ⁵⁸Co, ⁶⁰Co, ⁶⁵Zn, ^108mAg, and ^110mAg. As the half-lives of some generated nuclides are relatively long, it is difficult to adapt to decay-in-storage.     

Effect of fulvic acid and ionic strength on the sorption of radiostrontium on Chinese calcareous soil and its solid components

Summary The sorption and desorption of radionuclide ⁹⁰Sr²⁺were investigated on untreated calcareous soil and two treated soils to remove organic matter and calcium carbonate using batch technique. The experiments were carried out at ambient condition, pH 7.8±0.1 and in the presence of 0.001M NaCl. Effects of fulvic acid and ionic strength on the sorption of ⁹⁰Sr²⁺on calcareous soil were also studied. It was found that the sorption isotherms are linear in the strontium concentration range used herein, and the sorption of ⁹⁰Sr²⁺on the calcareous soil can be described as a reversible sorption process and the sorption mechanism is mainly ion-exchange. The sorption is dependent on ionic strength, and fulvic acid enhances the sorption of ⁹⁰Sr²⁺on calcareous soil. Organic matter present in the calcareous soil is a significant trap of ⁹⁰Sr²⁺and is responsible for the sorption.     

Concentration of 238U and 232Th among constituent minerals of two igneous plutonic rocks exhibiting elevated natural radioactivity levels

The concentrations of ²³⁸U and ²³²Th of the constituent minerals in two plutonic rock samples, from N. Greece, exhibiting elevated levels of bulk rock natural radioactivity were determined by using LA-ICP-MS. The available data of whole rock ²³⁸U and ²³²Th concentrations were also used. The minerals were separated using a combination of heavy liquids of various densities, shaking table and magnetic separation techniques. The great variation in the concentrations of ²³⁸U and ²³²Th is probably indicative of the different distribution of U and Th within the same rock, as well as to secondary post-magmatic processes that were responsible for the redistribution of U and Th. An estimation of the contribution of each mineral constituent to the natural radioactivity levels of the bulk rock is attempted. Thorite and zircon contribute the most to the whole rock ²³⁸U and ²³²Th content, while the contribution of apatite is moderate. The contribution of the rest of the minerals examined (fluorite, quartz, plagioclase, K-feldspar, amphibole, pyroxene, magnetite and biotite) is not important.     

Determination of <Superscript>3</Superscript>H, <Superscript>226</Superscript>Ra, <Superscript>222</Superscript>Rn and <Superscript>238</Superscript>U in Austrian ground- and drinking water

Screening measurements for ³H, ²²⁶Ra, ²²²Rn and ²³⁸U in ground water were performed within a ground- and drinking water project in Austria. The aim of this project is to get an overview of the distribution of natural radionuclide activity concentration levels in ground water bodies. In some cases this water is used for drinking water abstraction. In this paper methods and results of the screening measurements are presented. Regions with high activity concentrations were identified and in these regions further investigation for ²²⁸Ra, ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po will be conducted.     

Comparison of AMS,TIMS, and SIMS techniques for determining uranium isotope ratios in individual particles

The determination of isotope ratios in individual uranium particles is very important for nuclear safeguards. In this work, accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) were applied to isotope ratio analysis of individual uranium particles and compared in terms of background, measurement accuracy, and efficiency. Several individual uranium particles (1–7 μm) from certified reference materials were used as samples. The results show that the average values of blank counting rate of ²³⁵U for AMS, FT-TIMS (FT: fission track), SEM-TIMS (SEM: scanning electron microscope), and SIMS were 7.3, 7.8, 2.7 and 2.2 cps, respectively. The relative error of ²³⁴U/²³⁵U and ²³⁴U/²³⁶U isotope ratios of the particles from U200 for AMS were within 10% and 20%, whereas the results of FT-TIMS and SIMS were within 5% and 10%, respectively. The relative error and external precision of ²³⁴U/²³⁸U and ²³⁵U/²³⁸U of the particles from U850 for the method of AMS, SEM-TIMS, and SIMS were within 10% and 5%, respectively. For ²³⁶U/²³⁸U, the average values of the relative error and external precision measured by AMS were within 5%, which measured by SEM-TIMS and SIMS were all within 10%. AMS has advantages in measuring ²³⁶U/²³⁸U. The measurement time of AMS and SEM-TIMS was shorter than that of FT-TIMS and longer than that of SIMS. It is considered that AMS and SEM-TIMS have a certain development prospect, and it is necessary to research deeply.     

Preparation of calibration sources of <Superscript>88</Superscript>Kr and <Superscript>138</Superscript>Xe for HPGe detector

A method of efficiency calibration for the measurement of ⁸⁸Kr and ¹³⁸Xe by HPGe γ-spectrometer is proposed in the present paper. The question for the efficient calibration is, how to achieve homogeneous sources of ⁸⁸Kr-⁸⁸Rb and ¹³⁸Xe-¹³⁸Cs. The fission product gases were obtained by irradiating a precisely measured amount of U₃O₈ (90% ²³⁵U) filled in a quartz glass ampoule. Source cell was first filled up with stearic acid, and then the fission product gases were charged into it. Xenon and krypton are not adsorbed on stearic acid, therefore, homogeneous sources of ⁸⁸Kr-⁸⁸Rb and ¹³⁸Xe-¹³⁸Cs can be prepared. The results of the experiment demonstrate that the method is feasible and successful.     

Wavelet based spectrum processing for reduction of counting duration for quantitative estimation of ultra-trace activity in environmental matrices

A simple wavelet transformation based pre-processing method is employed to minimize the duration of counting for gamma spectrometric measurements of samples from environmental matrices. Among the various forms of analyzing wavelets, a suitable one is chosen for this purpose. Measurements with 55 different counting durations were subjected to the wavelet based processing and results were compared with long duration counting time measurements of ⁴⁰K, ¹³⁷Cs, radionuclide from ²³⁸U series (²¹⁴Bi, ²¹⁴Pb) and ²³²Th series (²²⁸Ac, ²¹²Bi, ²¹²Pb, ²⁰⁸Tl). It is observed that with a proper choice of the wavelet function a tenfold reduction in counting duration can be achieved with errors <5 %.     

Free radical abstraction of H atom from peroxides with concerted dissociation of O-O bond

Quantum chemical calculations of the dissociation energy of the C-H bond in the ??-hydroperoxide fragment of Me₂CHOOH were carried out. It was shown that abstraction of H atom is accompanied by dissociation of the O-O bond. Density functional calculations of transition states of the reactions of ^·CH₃, CH₃OO^·, and HO₂ ^· radicals with the C-H bond in the ??-hydroperoxide fragment of Me₂CHOOH were carried out. It was established that H atom abstraction is accompanied by concerted dissociation of the O-O bond. For 45 peroxides R¹R²CHOOH, R¹R²CHOOR³, and R¹R²CHOOC(O)R³ (R¹, R² = H, Me, Et, Ph, H₂C=CH), the enthalpies of H atom abstraction from the C-H bond in the a-hydroperoxide fragment with fragmentation of the peroxides at the O-O bond were calculated. The kinetic parameters for 12 classes of radical abstraction reactions with fragmentation of molecules were calculated from experimental data within the framework of the model of intersecting parabolas. The activation energies and reaction rate constants of H atom abstraction from C-H bonds of a-peroxide fragments involving peroxyl and alkyl radicals were determined for 45 peroxides of different structure.     

Behaviour of239,240Pu and241Am in the Baltic Sea; Measurements and interpretation in 1980–1984

Concentrations of^239,240Pu and²⁴¹Am in filtered seawater, particulate fraction and sediment were measured. Methods for determination of these nuclides were critically chequed and a new rapid method for²⁴¹Am in sediment was developed. Due to seasonal variation a significant decrease of plutonium and americium concentrations in surface water takes place in summer. Americium is more efficiently associated with particulate matter than plutonium. From May 1980 to September 1984 soluble plutonium in the water was reduced to about half. The residence half-time of^239,240Pu in the water of Baltic Sea is of the order of 5 years. About similar concentrations of^239,240Pu and²⁴¹Am were found in particulates in water as in the surface layer of the sediment. The average K_d-values for plutonium and americium were 10⁵ and 10⁵–10⁶ ml/g, respectively.     

Miniature Neutron Source Reactors in medical research: achievements and challenges

Miniature neutron source reactors (MNSRs) and their challenges were investigated. Then, MNSRs structure and operation were discussed, and conflicting usages of high enriched uranium fuel and its technical challenges were explored. By using low enriched uranium it is possible to produce ⁹⁹Mo isotopes with similar quality, plus using low enriched uranium does not increase the potential risks and high does level. Furthermore, it is possible to produce several medical radioisotopes such as ⁹⁹Mo/^{99 m}Tc generator, ¹³¹I, ⁶⁵Zn, and ¹⁷⁷Lu. These reactors can be employed in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy. After conversion, these reactors can be used more frequently and effectively.     

238Pu, 239+240Pu, 241Am, 90Sr and 137Cs in mountain soil samples from the Tatra National Park (Poland)

Activity concentrations and inventory for ²³⁸Pu, ^239+240Pu, ²⁴¹Am, ⁹⁰Sr, and ¹³⁷Cs in soil from Tatra Mountains of Poland are presented. Soil samples were collected using 10 cm diameter cores down to 10 cm and sliced into 3 slices. Details of the applied procedure are described with the quality assurance program. The maximum activity concentrations found for various samples were: 1782±13 Bq/kg, 17.4±0.9 Bq/kg, 3.4±0.3 Bq/kg and 84±7 Bq/kg for ¹³⁷Cs, ^239+240Pu, ²⁴¹Am and ⁹⁰Sr, respectively. The maximum cumulated deposition of ^239+240Pu is 201±8 Bq/m². The origin of radionuclides is discussed, based mostly on the observed isotopic ratio of Pu. Significant correlations were found between ^239+240Pu, ²⁴¹Am and ¹³⁷Cs. The effective vertical migration rate seems to be in the order of: ⁹⁰Sr≫Pu>Am>Cs.     

Irradiation-induced reduction and luminescence properties of Sm doped in BaBPO5

Usually, Sm²⁺ ions could be reduced by heating the materials in reducing atmospheres. Exposure to ionizing radiations is also known to cause Sm³⁺→Sm²⁺ conversion. In this work, BaBPO₅ doped with the samarium ion was prepared by high temperature solid-state reaction. Sm²⁺ ions were obtained by two different reduction methods, i.e., heating in H₂ reduced atmosphere and X-ray irradiation. The measurements of X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were investigated. It is found that the conversion of Sm³⁺→Sm²⁺ is very efficient in BaBPO₅ hosts after X-ray irradiation. Sm²⁺ ions under these two reduction methods exhibit different characteristics that were studied by measurements of luminescence and decay. The results showed that the luminescence properties of Sm²⁺ ions in BaBPO₅ were highly dependent on the sample preparation conditions.     

Precision and accuracy in the determination of plutionium-239 /uranium-233, americium-241/ uranium-233 and curium-244 /uranium-233 alpha activity ratios by alpha spectrometry

Determination of²³⁹Pu/²³³U,²⁴¹Am/²³³U and²⁴⁴Cm/²³³U alpha activity ratios is required when using²³³U as a tracer for the determination of plutonium, americium and curium by alpha spectrometry. Precision and accuracy in the determination of these alpha activity ratios was evaluated by preparing synthetic mixtures from solutions of enriched isotopes of²³⁹Pu,²⁴¹Am,²⁴⁴Cm and²³³U. Separate synthetic mixtures were prepared for each of the three alpha activity ratios. The sources from the synthetic mixtures were prepared by direct evaporation method using tetra ethylene glycol /TEG/ as a spreading agent, alpha spectra were recorded by employing solid state silicon surface barrier detectors coupled to a 4 K analyzer and the alpha spectra were evaluated by a method based on the geometric progression decrease for the far tail of the spectrum. Large area detector /i.e. 450 mm²/ was observed to reduce the effect of nonhomogeneous distribution, if any, of the two elements present in the source. Precision and accuracy of about 1% is demonstrated for the determination of²³⁹Pu/²³³U,²⁴¹Am/²³³U and²⁴⁴Cm/²³³U alpha activity ratios using large area silicon surface barrier detector.     

On‐site sampling of inorganic contamination on the metal surface and analysis with capillary electrophoresis

Pipes are the primary structural elements used for transporting fluid in various industries. The most common damage mechanism is corrosion, which occurs in pipes surface of turbine. The corrosive compounds for pipes are inorganic ion (Na⁺, Cl^?, NH₄⁺, NO₃^?, etc.) and grinding oil. For rapid and quantitative detection of inorganic ions on site, more reliable and reproducible analytical methods are demanded. A highly efficient solid–liquid sampling collection system is introduced in this work. Papering on the sample surface, inorganic cations and anions were simultaneously collected and analyzed by capillary electrophoresis with indirect ultraviolet detection. As a result, five cations (Na⁺, K⁺, NH₄⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺) and three anions (Cl^?, NO₃^?, SO₄^2?) were completely separated. The efficiency of the sampling and ability of capillary electrophoresis analysis were presented by the determination of trace‐level (mg/m²) contaminants. The recoveries of cations and anions on the paper from metal surface were between 86.6 and 107.2%, and the relative standard deviations were less than 12.85%.     

A Simple Synthesis of 3H-λ5-Phosphole Derivatives from Alkyldiphenylphosphine Imines and Dimethyl Acetylenedicarboxylate

Abstract

Whereas several procedures have been developed for synthesizing λ³-phospholes and their oxides and sulphides¹, access to 2H-λ⁵-Phospholes is limited to the reaction of phosphines² with Dimethyl Acetylen-dicarboxilate (DMAD) and only unstable 3H-λ⁵-Phospholes were detected² when diphenylvinylphosphine were used.     

Application of <Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis><Subscript>0</Subscript>-INAA for the determination of essential and toxic elements in medicinal plants from West Pokot County,Kenya

Rapid determination of gross alpha and beta emitters in urine by liquid scintillation counting is discussed. This method is based on direct addition of urine into scintillation cocktail. ²⁴¹Am, ²³⁹Pu and ⁹⁰Sr were selected as model radionuclides. The LSA Hidex 300 SL equipped with Triple-Double-Coincidence-Ratio technique was used for sample measurement. The work focused on optimizing the LSC cocktail to urine volume ratio with respect to the model radionuclides. The overall efficiencies for ²⁴¹Am, ²³⁹Pu and ⁹⁰Sr were greater than 92 %; therefore, this method would be suitable for rapid determination of gross alpha/beta activity.     

The Synthesis of New Triazole Ligands and Determination of Complex Stability Constants with Transition Metal Cations in Aqueous Media

Six new triazole compounds were synthesized. These compounds containing the substituted benzylidenamino group were obtained by reaction of 3-(pyridine-4-yl)-5-p-tolyl-4-amino-4H-l,2,4-triazole 1 with the corresponding aldehyde. The reduced forms were prepared with NaBH₄ in methanol. The structures of the compounds were determined by IR, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR spectral data, and their interaction with cations such as Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺, Cs⁺, Ba²⁺, Sr²⁺, Ca²⁺, Cu²⁺, Cr³⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺ and Ag⁺ were investigated by using UV-visible spectrophotometry. Of the tested metal cations, Cu²⁺, Cr³⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺ and Ag⁺ complexed with the ligands. The complex stability constants (log ₁₀ K) were measured in slightly acidic aqueous media at 25.0±0.1 °C. These stability constants were determined by measuring the increase in solubility of the nearly insoluble ligand molecule due to complex formation with a soluble cation, and this method is discussed. It was found that the position of chlorine atoms on the benzene ring strongly affects the complexation of Cu²⁺ ion with these ligands.