Determination of radioisotopes in environmental samples: $$ and sense

Fifty years of nuclear weapons production has left a legacy of radioactive contamination and radioactive waste at sites throughout the United States. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that over 1 million radiochemical analyses per annum will be required to meet applicable environmental restoration and waste management objectives at these sites. The analytical capacity necessary to meet this demand is not thought to be available within the DOE laboratory system; as such, the cost and speed of commonly requested {open_quotes}problem{close_quotes} analyses (i.e., determination of long-lived actinides, radiostrontium, and technetium in soil and water) are being examined closely with the objective of increasing capacity without increasing analysis cost. In the case of long-lived actinides, the authors are developing procedures that will facilitate rapid isolation and determination of target actinide isotopes by {alpha}-spectrometry or inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The authors are also examining novel sample handling techniques (e.g., flow injection) that would further facilitate sample preparation for actinide determinations. With regard to other analytes, an extraction chromatography procedure for radiostrontium determinations is being validated for widespread use throughout the DOE laboratory system, and novel ion exchange procedures have been developed for radiometric determinations of technetium and radium. All of these proceduresmore » would significantly decrease time, labor, and waste generation for radiochemical analyses; these advantages will be described, as will the procedures themselves.« less