A new analytical approach for 226Ra and 228Ra in environmental waters

The concentration of Ra isotopes in environmental water can be determined from the amount of Ra isotopes recovered in two successive batch operations a using cation exchange resin. The present analytical method is applicable to 10 liter of sample water having a Ra concentration larger than 10 mBq/l and is also applicable to the ordinary underground water of less than 1 mBq/l by use of 50 liter of sample water. In case where Ra concentration is extremely low, Mn-impregnated acrylic fiber can be used with a larger volume of water sample as an absorbent by soaking it in the water.     

A simple method for the determination of natural uranium and226Ra in waters and soils

A procedure for the determination of natural uranium and²²⁶Ra in waters and soils has been carried out and applied to the analysis of samples for environmental radiological monitoring.²²⁶Ra determination consists of co-precipitation with BaSO₄,²²²Rn emanation in toluene and finally liquid scintillation counting. Natural uranium is then determined by a fluorometric technique. This paper describes the method and the conditions that were tested to optimize it. The technique was found to be suitable for the analysis of surface and ground waters, samples from rivers, streams and lakes and soil samples, because of its few steps, short processing time, high recovery percentages and suitable detection limits.     

Scintillation emanometric determination of radium-226 in waters using a new method of radium preconcentration

A modified method of scintillation emanometry for radium determination is described which uses a simple and effective preconcentration of dissolved radium by coprecipitation with a ternary complex of calcium phosphomolybdate and polyethylene glycol. After dissolution of the voluminous precipitate in an alkaline solution of ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid and deemanation of radon by a simplified procedure, the activity of radon is measured in a scintillation cell. The accuracy and precision of the method are very good as shown by determination of radium-226 in standard solutions and in natural water samples distributed by IAEA in the frame of interlaboratory comparison program. Easy construction of a simple scintillation cell is described, yielding cells with reproducible parameters and sufficient sensitivity for radium analysis in natural waters.     

226Ra and 222Rn concentrations of spring waters in Balaton Upland of Hungary and the assessment of resulting doses

²²²Rn and ²²⁶Ra concentration of 18 frequently visited and regularly used, consumed spring waters on the Balaton Uplands have been measured by radon emanation method and alpha-spectrometry. ²²²Rn concentration varied between 1.5-55 Bq/l while ²²⁶Ra concentration between -601 mBq/l. The expected dose, between 14.1-119 mSv/y, has been assessed from the value of concentration supposing a daily consumption of 1 liter.     

Contribution to the simultaneous determination of228Ra and226Ra by using 3M's EMPORETM radium rad disks

New method for simultaneous determination of²²⁸Ra and²²⁶Ra by using 3M's EMPORE^TM Radium Rad Disks in water has been developed. Both radionuclides²²⁶Ra and²²⁸Ra were counted through their daughter products,²²⁶Ra by conventional radon emanation techniques and²²⁸Ra through its daughter²²⁸Ac by using a proportional counter. Different molarity of diammonium hydrogen citrate were used for elution of²²⁸Ac and²²⁶Ra from EMPORE^TM Radium Rad Disks. 79% of²²⁸Ac was eluted in 10 ml of 0.0003M diammonium hydrogen citrate. The recovery of²²⁶Ra was 99% by using 40 ml of 0.2M diammonium hydrogen citrate adjusted by ammonium to pH 7.8.     

Marine radioactivity concentration in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Peninsular Malaysia: 226Ra, 228Ra and 228Ra/226Ra

The present occurrence of ²²⁶Ra and ²²⁸Ra in marine sediment core and fish from the Exclusive Economic Zone in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia were studied. Sediment core and biota in respectively was collected using multicorer device and purchased from local fishermen at identified stations during the cruise expedition conducted in 2008. The purpose of this study was to determine and to make available an inventory of activity concentration levels and activity ratio for these radionuclides in this region. The activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra and ²²⁸Ra in sediment core and edible part of fish were ranged between 15.9–46.5 and 27.7–87.1 Bq/kg dry wt and; 0.80–2.13 and <0.95–3.57 Bq/kg fresh wt, respectively. Meanwhile, the activity ratios of ²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra in sediment core and fish were varied with the range between 1.63–2.09 and 0.45–2.38, respectively. Refer to those ranges the activity concentrations of radium isotopes were comparable with other region. Thus, it can be concluded that the occurrence of radium isotopes mainly supplied from terrestrial sources and the factors of assimilation efficiency and transfer coefficient of radium may probably effect to the variation activity concentration of ²²⁶Ra and ²²⁸Ra and its activity ratio in edible part of pelagic and demersal fish obtained in this study.     

A rapid separation method for radioscandium from proton-irradiated transition metals

The selectivity of trioctylphosphineoxide /TOPO/ with respect to rare earths and sc was used to develop a single step separation method for^43–48Sc from transition metals irradiated with high energy protons /660 MeV/. The target material serves as a salting-out agent in the described extraction-separation technique. Rapid and quantitative recovery of scandium is achieved using extraction chromatography. Radiochemically pure carrier-free Sc was separated from the following irradiated metals: Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu and Zn.     

A rapid and precise method for sampling and determining the oxygen isotope ratio of atmospheric water vapor

A quantitative method for cryogenically sampling atmospheric water vapor on the temporal scale of 10 to 15 min in the field or laboratory is described. The sample apparatus is lightweight, affordable, and easy to assemble. The method allows for H2O:CO2 equilibration within the same sampling tubes and hence increases turnaround time for delta18O analysis. Quantitative analysis in the laboratory showed recovery of a vaporized, known, 18O water standard to 0.2 per thousand precision.     

A rapid method for determining the casein content of milk

A method is presented for the rapid determination of the casein content of milk by Direct Injection Enthalpimetry (DIE).A significant heat pulse of precipitation of casein is produced by adjusting the pH of the solution to the pH of the isoelectric point of casein. The method is calibrated against a real sample whose casein content has been determined by a standard method incorporating the time consuming Kjeldahl method, but once calibrated the proposed method can be operated routinely by non-skilled personnel. The method is sensitive and gives results as acceptable as those obtained by standard methods. The method can be applied to most liquid samples without the need for prior preparation. the main advantages of the method are those of time and costs of analysis and the potential of the enthalpimetric method for automation.

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Zusammenfassung Es wird ein Verfahren zur Schnellbestimmung des Kaseingehaltes von Milch mittels Direct Injection Enthalpimetry (DIE) beschrieben.Durch das Einstellen des pH-Wertes der Lösung auf den pH-Wert des isoelektrischen Punktes von Kasein kann infolge des Ausfällens von Kasein ein eindeutiger Wärmeimpuls erzeugt werden. Das Verfahren wurde anhand einer wirklichen Probe geeicht, deren Kaseingehalt mittels dem zeitaufwändigen Kjeldahl-Verfahren bestimmt wurde. Einmal kalibriert kann das neue Verfahren routinehaft auch von Laien durchgeführt werden. Die Empfindlichkeit der Methode ist gut, die erhaltenen Ergebnisse können genauso akzeptiert werden, wie die in Standardverfahren erhaltenen Ergebnisse. Dieses Verfahren kann bei den meisten flüssigen Proben ohne jede vorherige Vorbereitung angewendet werden. Der Hauptvorteil besteht in der Ersparnis von Zeit und Analysenkosten und in der Anwendbarkeit des enthalpiemetrischen Verfahrens zur Automatisierung.

     

Development of a method for the determination of 226Ra by liquid scintillation counting

Liquid scintillation counting has not been widely applied to a-particle detection because of its poor energy resolution and variable background. In the present work, a time saving and reasonably accurate method for determination of ²²⁶Ra in water has been developed, using liquid scintillation spectrometry and pulse-shape analysis. The effect of three levels of chemical quench on the spillover of alpha interactions into the beta window and vice versa was assessed. The advantages of liquid scintillation in comparison with other methods (radon emanation) for determination of ²²⁶Ra are the high counting efficiency (~100%) and the easier sample preparation, with no need for sample preconcentration.     

A rapid method for determining sulfur in organic compounds

Conclusions A new, rapid method is given for determining sulfur. It is based on high-temperature pyrolysis of the compound.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1646–1648, July, 1968.     

Determination of226Ra and uranium in fish samples from waters of the Grand Canyon by alpha spectroscopy without electrodeposition

A previous paper reported the application of a method for determining²²⁶Ra by -spectroscopy. This paper presents important improvements which permit the determination of²²⁶Ra in the presence of large amounts of Ca. The method was applied to the analysis of²²⁶Ra and U isotopes in fish samples from the waters of the Grand Canyon.²²⁶Ra ranged from 0.05 Bq kg^–1 /1.4 pCi kg^–1/ to 0.17 Bq k^–1 /4.7 pCi kg^–1/.²³⁸U values ranged from 0.13 Bq kg^–1 /3.5 pCi kg^–1/ to 0.52 Bq kg^–1 /14 pCi kg^–1/ and²³⁴U values were between 0.23 Bq kg^–1 /6.2 pCi kg^–1/ and 12 Bq kg^–1/ /326. pCi kg^–1/.     

An accurate method for the determination of <Superscript>226</Superscript>Ra activity concentrations in soil

A quantitative method to determine the activity concentration of ²²⁶Ra in soil samples was established using high performance environmental gamma-ray spectrometry. In this method, a semi-empirical calibration procedure was developed for full energy peak efficiency calculation utilizing the elemental composition of the soil sample. Aatami software was used to deconvolute the ²³⁵U and ²²⁶Ra doublet at 185.7 keV and 186.2 keV, respectively, and to fit the baseline of the soil gamma-spectrum for the determination of ²²⁶Ra activity. The results indicated that the Aatami doublet deconvolution procedure provides a rapid and accurate analysis of a complicated spectrum in comparison with other cumbersome spectral interference correction methods. The study also compared the results with those obtained by radon progeny (²¹⁴Pb, or ²¹⁴Bi) measurements and found that the deconvolution method provided a more accurate ²²⁶Ra activity as it is independent of the error caused by radon diffusion. This error can be quite large since the amount of escaped radon gas through the sample container walls and sealing cannot be accurately quantified.     

A rapid carrier-free separation method for divalent rare earths

A separation of carrier-free divalent rare earths by electrolytic reduction and amalgamation is described. The separation is carried out in a water-jacketed cell, 1 cm diameter by 10 cm long, fitted with a stopcock at the bottom. The cell utilizes a Pt anode and Hg cathode. The electrolyte used is potassium citrate-rare earth acetate at a concentration of 10 mg rare earth oxide per ml. The decontamination factor observed for Lu in a typical separation for Yb is ≥10⁴. Sm, Eu, and Yb are all amalgamated if present in the sample. For the present study, the parameters have been evaluated primarily for the case of Yb. A current of 100 mA is applied to 0.5 ml of electrolyte containing 1–1000 μg of Yb(III) for 5 min. The amalgam is decomposed and the Yb recovered by shaking for 1 min with 6M HCl. The overall time required is about 10 min and the yield is reproducible at 84–85%. Under these conditions, the electrolyte may contain up to 3.5 mg of Yb although at 2 mg the yield begins to decrease. The effects of current time, density and electrolyte concentration are discussed. This method has the advantage of being rapid and carrier-free, and the separated rare earth is in a form suitable for further chemical separation if required. Based on work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.