Measurement of (233)U/(234)U ratios in contaminated groundwater using alpha spectrometry
| Autor: | Mathew P. Johansen, Michael Hotchkis, Jennifer J. Harrison, Kerry L. Wilsher, Timothy E. Payne, Sangeeth Thiruvoth, D.P. Child |
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| Rok vydání: | 2015 |
| Předmět: |
Range (particle radiation)
Water Pollutants Radioactive Isotopes of uranium Alpha spectrometry Chemistry Health Toxicology and Mutagenesis Spectrum Analysis Analytical chemistry Radioactive waste General Medicine 010501 environmental sciences 010403 inorganic & nuclear chemistry 01 natural sciences Pollution Spectral line 0104 chemical sciences Radiation Monitoring Uranium-233 Environmental Chemistry Uranium Waste Management and Disposal Contaminated groundwater Groundwater 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Accelerator mass spectrometry |
| Zdroj: | Journal of environmental radioactivity. |
| ISSN: | 1879-1700 |
| Popis: | The uranium isotope 233 U is not usually observed in alpha spectra from environmental samples due to its low natural and fallout abundance. It may be present in samples from sites in the vicinity of nuclear operations such as reactors or fuel reprocessing facilities, radioactive waste disposal sites or sites affected by clandestine nuclear operations. On an alpha spectrum, the two most abundant alpha emissions of 233 U (4.784 MeV, 13.2%; and 4.824 MeV, 84.3%) will overlap with the 234 U doublet peak (4.722 MeV, 28.4%; and 4.775 MeV, 71.4%), if present, resulting in a combined 233+234 U multiplet. A technique for quantifying both 233 U and 234 U from alpha spectra was investigated. A series of groundwater samples were measured both by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) to determine 233 U/ 234 U atom and activity ratios and by alpha spectrometry in order to establish a reliable 233 U estimation technique using alpha spectra. The Genie™ 2000 Alpha Analysis and Interactive Peak Fitting (IPF) software packages were used and it was found that IPF with identification of three peaks ( 234 U minor, combined 234 U major and 233 U minor, and 233 U major) followed by interference correction on the combined peak and a weighted average activity calculation gave satisfactory agreement with the AMS data across the 233 U/ 234 U activity ratio range (0.1–20) and 233 U activity range (2–300 mBq) investigated. Correlation between the AMS 233 U and alpha spectrometry 233 U was r 2 = 0.996 (n = 10). |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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