1. Rapid Emergency Methods for Actinides and Sr-89/90
Sherrod L. Maxwell, III
Westinghouse Savannah River Company

2. Background Radiological Preparedness Exercise (NRIP’04)
Kenneth Inn, NIST
spoke at RRMC-2004 of “need to improve efficiency and effectiveness of radioanalytical capabilities”
Need for faster actinide and Sr-89/90 analyses for Homeland Security reasons
Current water/air filter methods may take 1-2 days
Need for fast, reliable methods (< 8 hours)

3. Developments at SRS Water/Air Filters Method
Streamline calcium phosphate precipitation (water)
Dissolve air filters
Collect and prepare Sr-89/90 with actinides
No ashing of Am/Cm or Th fractions
Eichrom prefilter cartridges/Resolve filters

4. Developments at SRS Streamline calcium phosphate precipitation
Eliminate heat step for volumes less than 200 mL/add Ba to complex carbonate
Use 200 mL (or less) sample volumes in centrifuge tubes
Prep time: ~1-1.5 hours-12 samples
Stack TEVA (Pu, Np, Th) + TRU (Am,Cm, U) + Sr Resin (Sr-89/90)
Collect Sr-89/90 at same time
Prep time: <4 hours-12 samples
Count time
actinides-1 hour (or as needed)
Sr-89/90-10 minutes (or as needed)

5. Rapid TEVA-TRU-Sr Separations (Pu, Np, Am, Cm, U, Sr)

6. Remove Sr on Sr Resin, Pu from TEVA and Am-Cm/U from TRU

7. Am Strip with Prefilters Below TRU

8. Performance 20 groundwater samples 200 mL volume/ 6 hour counts *
Sr carrier recoveries: 98.1% (3.9% rsd)
Pu-242 recoveries: 104% (4.9% rsd)
Am-243 recoveries: 92.6% (6% rsd)
U-232 recoveries: % (5.4% rsd)
*count less time in emergency when high levels expected

9. Other Efficiency Improvements
Eliminate ashing steps used for extractant bleed-off that affects alpha resolution
Prefilter cartridge(~$5) with Resolve filters
Saves time, labor, better FWHM
faster TAT
improved alpha resolution
less rework

10. Resolution with Filters from “Bad” Lot

14. Summary Need to share radioanalytical methods-Ken Inn
Faster actinide and Sr-89/90 methods developed
Quality and Speed
Streamlined precipitation for water samples
Collect Pu, Am, Cm, U, Sr in a single stacked column
High recoveries, good resolution, no interferences
Applicable to radiological emergency analyses
Improved efficiency and effectiveness
Short count as needed
Analysis time < 8 hours