Radiochemical determination of technetium-99.
A procedure has been developed for the determination of (99)Tc in vegetation, by use of (95m)Tc as an internal tracer. The samples are wet-ashed, without significant loss of Tc. The Tc is separated from most other radionuclides by precipitation with calcium carbonate, and is purified by anion-exchange chromatography and electro-deposition. The radiochemical yield of Tc is determined by Ge(Li) gamma-ray spectrometry of the 204-keV photon peak of the (95m)Tc internal tracer, and the (99)Tc activity is determined by counting its 0.292-MeV beta-particles with a scintillation counter. The detection limit for (99)Tc in a sample weighing about 10 g is 0.1 pCi for a 3000-min count.
Chu
N Y
NY
Environmental Measurements Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, New York, NY 10014, U.S.A.
Feldstein
J
J