Abstract

An improved method was developed to rapidly determine strontium-90 (90Sr) in cow's milk samples in the event of a nuclear emergency. To perform this method, no heating or ashing steps were needed and all of the material used was disposable. Stable Sr tracer was added to each 40 mL milk sample. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) and trichloroacetic acid (TCA) were added to the sample to flocculate the suspended fat and proteins in the milk. The sample was centrifuged and the strontium in the supernatant was precipitated with carbonate. The resulting precipitate was dissolved in 8 M HNO3 and the solution was passed through a Sr resin to remove potential interferents. Strontium was eluted from the resin using a small volume of water. Strontium-90 was measured by liquid-scintillation counting (LSC) and the tracer by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The figures of merit of the method were determined and the method was validated using spiked samples.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.