A new method based on selective fluorescent polymers (PSresin) for the analysis of 90Sr in presence of 210Pb in environmental samples

I Giménez; J Rotger; E Apellániz; H Bagán; J Tent; A Rigol; A Tarancón

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2023.110879

A new method based on selective fluorescent polymers (PSresin) for the analysis of ⁹⁰Sr in presence of ²¹⁰Pb in environmental samples

Appl Radiat Isot. 2023 Sep:199:110879. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2023.110879. Epub 2023 May 26.

Authors

I Giménez¹, J Rotger¹, E Apellániz¹, H Bagán¹, J Tent¹, A Rigol², A Tarancón³

Affiliations

¹ Departament d'Enginyeria Química i Química Analítica, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franqués, 1-11, ES, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
² Departament d'Enginyeria Química i Química Analítica, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franqués, 1-11, ES, 08028, Barcelona, Spain; Institut de Recerca de l'Aigua, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.
³ Departament d'Enginyeria Química i Química Analítica, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franqués, 1-11, ES, 08028, Barcelona, Spain; Serra-Húnter Programme, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain; Institut de Recerca de l'Aigua, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: alex.tarancon@ub.edu.

PMID: 37267774
DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2023.110879

Abstract

⁹⁰Sr is of major concern in emergency and environmental control plans. It is one of the main fission products in nuclear facilities and is a high-energy beta emitter that presents chemical properties similar to those of calcium. ⁹⁰Sr is commonly detected using methods based on liquid scintillation counting (LSC) following a chemical separation to remove potential interferences. However, these methods generate mixed wastes (hazardous and radioactive). In recent years, an alternative strategy using PSresins has been developed. For ⁹⁰Sr analysis with PSresins, ²¹⁰Pb is the main interferent that should be considered, as it is also strongly retained in the PSresin. In this study, a procedure was developed involving a precipitation with iodates to separate lead from strontium before the PSresin separation. Moreover, the method developed was compared with well-established and routinely used methods based on LSC, revealing that the new method produced equivalent results in less time and with less waste generation.