The importance of separation chemistry for the determination of radionuclides in environmental samples

Separation chemistry plays an important role when alpha-and beta-emitting natural and artificial radionuclides at low levels must be determined in complex environmental matrices. This paper describes some separation techniques used in radioecology, with special emphasis on extraction chromatography. The very high necessary decontamination factors are pointed out together with the suggested techniques. The following examples are given: (a) determination of90Sr in soils in the presence of high concentration of210Bi; (b) determination of cosmogenic32P in sea water and its decontamination from234Th; (c) determination of63Ni and59Ni in liquid effluents; (d) separation techniques used for the speciation of plutonium in sea sediments and (e) plutonium and241Am concentration and vertical distribution in mosses.