A compact tritium enrichment unit for large sample volumes with automated re-filling and higher enrichment factor.
Tritium (3H) in natural waters is a powerful tracer of hydrological processes, but its low concentrations require electrolytic enrichment before precise measurements can be made with a liquid scintillation counter. Here, we describe a newly developed, compact tritium enrichment unit which can be used to enrich up to 2L of a water sample. This allows a high enrichment factor (>100) for measuring low3H contents of <0.05TU. The TEU uses a small cell (250mL) with automated re-filling and a CO2bubbling technique to neutralize the high alkalinity of enriched samples. The enriched residual sample is retrieved from the cell under vacuum by cryogenic distillation at -20°C and the tritium enrichment factor for each sample is accurately determined by measuring pre- and post- enrichment2H concentrations with laser spectrometry.
Isotope Hydrology Section, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria. Electronic address: B.Kumar@iaea.org.
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Kumar
Isotope Hydrology Section, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria.
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Han
Isotope Hydrology Section, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria.
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Wassenaar
Isotope Hydrology Section, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria.
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Klaus
Isotope Hydrology Section, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria.
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Kainz
Isotope Hydrology Section, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria.
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Hillegonds
Isotope Hydrology Section, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria.
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Brummer
Isotope Hydrology Section, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria.
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Ahmad
Isotope Hydrology Section, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria.
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Belachew
Isotope Hydrology Section, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria.
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Araguás
Isotope Hydrology Section, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria.
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Aggarwal
Deuterium enrichment; Electrolytic enrichment; Environmental tritium; Tritium enrichment; Tritium enrichment unit/system