title: Spectrophotometric determination of plutonium in highly radioactive liquid waste using an internal standardization technique with neodymium(III).
abstract: A simple and rapid spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of Pu in highly radioactive liquid waste. This method uses Nd(III) as an internal standard, which enables us to determine the concentration of Pu and to authenticate the whole analytical scheme as well. A Nd(III) standard mixed with a sample solution and Pu was quantitatively oxidized to Pu(VI) with Ce(IV) in a nitric acid medium, having the maximum absorbance at 830 nm. A spectrophotometric measurement of Pu(VI) was subsequently performed to determine the concentration compared with the maximum absorbance of Nd(III) at 795 nm. It was estimated that the relative expanded uncertainty for a real sample is less than 10%. The limit of detection was calculated to be 1.8 mg/L (3 sigma). The proposed method was also validated through comparison experiments with isotope dilution mass spectrometry, and was successfully applied to analysis for nuclear waste management at spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plants.
authors.affiliation: Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Muramatsu, Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki, Japan. surugaya.naoki@jaea.go.jp
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Surugaya
authors.forename: Shigeo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: Soichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watahiki
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hiyama
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D002563:Cerium / Q000737:chemistry; D009354:Neodymium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000592:standards; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011005:Plutonium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D011850:Radioactive Waste / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013053:Spectrophotometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D011850:Radioactive Waste; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive; D009354:Neodymium; D002563:Cerium; D011005:Plutonium; C004653:ceric ammonium nitrate