Abstract
A solvent extraction method for the quantitative determination of caesium-137 in environmental samples is described. Caesium carrier is added to the ashed sample, which is dissolved with hydrochloric acid. The solution is filtered to remove any carbon and the pH is adjusted to 2.0. Sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate is added and the extraction is done with phenol-nitrobenzene mixture. The organic phase is washed with EDTA solution and the caesium is stripped from the washed solvent with 6 M hydrochloric acid. The caesium is precipitated as caesium chlorostannate to ensure absolute decontamination from potassium-40. Recovery from standard solution is about 85% and from vegetation, rainwater and effluent samples about 80%. The method is applicable in the presence of large quantities of interfering ions, and decontamination factors for many nuclides are greater than 10 3.
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