ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Determination of technetium-99 in soils and radioactive wastes using ICP-MS

A. Bartošová, P. Rajec, and A. Klimeková

Department of Nuclear Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, SK-842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia

E-mail: bartosova@fns.uniba.sk

Received: 8 January 2005  Revised: 12 September 2005  Accepted: 20 September 2005

Abstract: Three methods have been used for the determination of ⁹⁹Tc in soils and solid radioactive wastes using ^99mTc as a yield monitor. In the method one and three the samples were leached in low concentrated nitric and sulphuric acid. Many contaminants were then co-precipitated with Fe(OH)₃ in alkali media and Tc in the supernatant was separated using anion-exchange extraction chromatography. There were made also some studies how to improve the chemical recovery of ^99mTc in the process of chromatography. In the method two the sample was ashed and then leached in 8 mol dm⁻³ HNO₃ and after iron precipitation, technetium was separated on chromatographic column. The chemical recovery of ^99mTc was optimized in the process of chromatography and leaching. Typical recoveries of technetium determined with ^99mTc tracer for all these methods were in the range 39 %–87 %.
The ⁹⁹Tc activity was measured using proportional low-background beta detector after one week of staying to allow decay of ^99mTc activity. ⁹⁹Tc was also determined by the non-radiometric method using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer.

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-006-0023-y

Chemical Papers 60 (2) 125–131 (2006)