Abstract
A sensitive and reliable metbod for the sequential separation and determination of plutonium,241Am and90Sr in soil samples was developed. Plutonium was separated by a Microthene-TNOA column. Then90Y (for90Sr determination) was separated from americium by a HDEHP column after elimination of large amounts of interfering stable or radioactive nuclides (iron,210Bi and210Po etc.) by an oxalate precipitation and a Microthene-TNOA column. Finally americium was purified by another HDEHP column and a PMBP-TOPO extraction. A special attention was paid to the decontamination of Pu and Am from210Po and of90Y from210Bi; the relevant decontamination factors resulted greater than 105, 106 and 104 respectively. The detection limits were 1.2 mBq/kg for Pu and 1.7 mBq/kg for241Am and 0.32 Bq/kg for90Sr. The procedure was checked by analyzing three certified samples supplied by IAEA. Some Italian soil samples were also analyzed giving average yields of 84.9±7.2% for Pu, 57.8±3.2%for Am and 96.7±1.6% for Y; the239+240Pu,238Pu,241Am and90Sr contents (Bq/kg) ranged from 0.347 to 1.53, from 0.013 to 0.048, from 0.126 to 0.556 and from 2.89 to 11.6 respectively and the average ratios were 0.037±0.017 for238Pu/239+240Pu, 0.357±0.040 for241Am/239+240Pu and 7.0±1.2 for90Sr/239+240Pu.
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