Determination of actinides and strontium in fish samples by extraction chromatography

Abstract

A method is presented for the determination of Pu, Am, U and Sr in environmental samples with organic matrix, such as fish samples. Samples were microwave digested and then radionuclides were separated by extraction chromatography using three commercially available specific resins known as U/TEVA-Spec, TRU-Spec and Sr-Spec. The proposed separation scheme was validated with a cockle flesh reference material (IAEA-134) and then was applied to fish samples collected in the Mediterranean coast, near a nuclear power plant. Also, the procedure was tested by the participation of our laboratory in an intercomparison exercise, organised by the international atomic energy agency (IAEA), for the determination of low activity concentration of radionuclides in Irish and North sea fish sample. All the actinides were measured by alpha spectrometry and 90 Sr activity was measured using liquid scintillation counting. For IAEA-134 reference material, the recoveries of Am and Sr were satisfactory with values of 80 and 75%, respectively. Recovery of Pu and U was lower with values about 40% for both radionuclides. For IAEA-414 interlaboratory exercise sample, PU and U recoveries were similar to that sample IAEA-134, while Am recoveries were lower.