Vol. 9, 2024

Radiochemistry

NEW DEVELOPMENT OF RADIUM-226 ANALYSIS IN WATER SAMPLES USING MnO2 RESIN AND ALPHA SPECTROMETRY

Aishah Alboloushi

Pages: 10-12

DOI: 10.37392/RapProc.2024.03

A time-saving and optimum procedure for determining Radium in water has been implemented in Kuwait. This new development has been reached including radiochemical separation using manganese dioxide (MnO2) resin and α spectrometry measurements. Radium is separated and retained by the MnO2 resin, then it is extracted by 5 M HCL/15%H2O2 solution. Barium sulfate is precipitated onto the resolve filter followed by α measurement of Radium-226 (226Ra), in addition to γ measurement of Barium-133 (133Ba) to calculate chemical recovery%. IAEA proficiency test sample 2 was analyzed similarly, and the generated value of Radium-226 (226Ra) was in agreement with the reference value as well as the γ result analyzed in the same laboratory. The newly developed radium analysis procedure is more efficient for water samples than other radio-analytical techniques due to the low detection limit of α spectrometry compared to γ spectrometry.
  1. Radium, ScienceDirect, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
    Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/radium
    Retrieved on: Jun. 19, 2023
  2. Analytical methodology for the determination of radium isotopes in environmental samples, IAEA/AQ/19, IAEA, Vienna, Austria, 2010.
    Retrieved from: https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/IAEA-AQ-19_web.pdf
    Retrieved on: Jun. 19, 2023
  3. A procedure for the rapid determination of 226Ra and 228Ra in drinking water by liquid scintillation counting, IAEA/AQ/39, IAEA, Vienna, Austria, 2014.
    Retrieved from: https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/IAEA-AQ-39_web.pdf
    Retrieved on: Jun. 19, 2023
  4. J. C. Lozano, F. Fernandez, J. M. G. Gomez, “Determination of radium isotopes by BaSO 4 coprecipitation for the preparation of alpha-spectrometric sources,” J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., vol. 223, no. 1 – 2, pp. 133 – 137, Sep. 1997.
    DOI: 10.1007/BF02223373
  5. Radium-226/228 in water, Analytical Procedure, Eichrom, Lisle (IL), USA, 2014.
    Retrieved from: https://www.eichrom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/raw04-11_ra-water.pdf
    Retrieved on: May 1, 2023
  6. D. S. Moon, W. C. Burnett, S. Nour, P. Horwitz, A. Bond, “Preconcentration of radium isotopes from natural waters using MnO2 resin,” Appl. Radiat. Isot., vol. 59, no. 4, pp. 255 – 262, Oct. 2003.
    DOI: 10.1016/s0969-8043(03)00193-3
    PMid: 14522233