Development and optimization of an on-site sequential extraction system for radiobioassay in radiation emergency

An on-site sample preparation system (OS) was developed and tested for fast measurement of alpha- and beta-emitting radionuclides in radiation emergencies. Sequential analysis of ^238,239Pu, ²⁴¹Am and ⁹⁰Sr was performed using OS for in vitro bioassay. The chemical recovery yields at different flow rates were determined to establish the optimal preparation condition. Multiple separations of target radionuclides in synthetic urine samples were performed and the results were reviewed. The overall chemical recoveries were reasonably consistent. The turnaround time from sample preparation to counting was reduced compared to traditional methods by up to 61 %.