Abstract
A sequential separation method for Pu, Am, and Sr was applied for unusually large sample sets of air filters. The sample sets were combined weekly air filters covering sampling time from three months to five years, while in original method, the analyzed air filters had sampling time of only 1-3 days, containing significantly less organic and inorganic matrix and natural radionuclides. The separation method is based on ashing and wet-ashing, followed by column separations with extraction chromatography and anion exchange. Reference materials IAEA-447, IAEA-384, and NIST-SRM-4353A were analyzed with the modified separation method. IAEA-384 was representing best the composition and radionuclide level in the air filter samples.•Compared to the original method, sample ashing took considerably longer time (one day vs. several days).•High concentration of natural radionuclides in the large air filter sample sets interfered first the determination of 241Am and 90Sr, until an anion exchange step was adopted for removal of 210Bi and 210Po from Am and Sr fractions.•After modification, the method is suitable for separating artificial radionuclides 238,239,240Pu, 241Am, and 90Sr from large sample sets of air filters.
Highlights
Chemistry Environmental radioactivity, radioecology, atmospheric radioactivity Separation of Pu, Am and Sr from large air filter sample sets Separation of Pu, Am and Sr from air filters by extraction chromatography
The air sampling details from Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland, as well as the following gamma and total beta measurements have been described in the co-article [1] and in [2]
The air filters were cut into pieces of 2 cm x 2 cm, put into a ceramic evaporation dish covered with a watch glass and ashed in an oven at 450 ̊C for 18 hours. 1⁄4 of the yearly air filter sample set fitted to the evaporation dish at once and 4 evaporation dishes fitted to an oven at once, so it was necessary to continue ashing over 5 days for the largest sample sets containing air filters of five years
Summary
Chemistry Environmental radioactivity, radioecology, atmospheric radioactivity Separation of Pu, Am and Sr from large air filter sample sets Separation of Pu, Am and Sr from air filters by extraction chromatography. For this kind of purpose, checking the functionality of the separation method might be enough by analyzing few subsamples of a reference material containing radioactivity level and the composition as similar as possible with the air filter sample sets.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
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 callDisclaimer: 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.
