Separation of strontium from calcium by the use of sodium hydroxide and its application for the determination of long-term background activity concentrations of 90Sr in 100 km area around Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (Bulgaria)

• Published in: Journal of radioanalytical and nuclear chemistry Vol. 279; no. 1; pp. 49 - 64
• Main Authors: Popov, L., Mihailova, G., Hristova, I., Dimitrova, P., Tzibranski, R., Avramov, V., Naidenov, I., Stoenelova, B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 2009
• Subjects: Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Diagnostic Radiology; Hadrons; Heavy Ions; Inorganic Chemistry; Nuclear Chemistry; Nuclear Physics; Physical Chemistry; Strontium; Wheat Straw; Calcium Hydroxide; Sodium Hydroxide; Bottom Sediment
• ISSN: 0236-5731; 1588-2780
• DOI: 10.1007/s10967-007-7235-7

The method for the determination of 90 Sr which employs sodium hydroxide for the separation of strontium from calcium was further improved introducing the use of elevated temperatures. The results from 11-year study of background activity concentrations of 90 Sr in different environmental objects in 100 km zone around Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (Bulgaria) are presented as an application of the analytical method. The measured mean values are as follows: air precipitation − 0.0015±0.0009 Bq(m 2. d), tap water − 0.0017±0.0012 Bq/L, soil − 1.90±1.26 Bq/kg, grass − 1.54±0.80 Bq/kg, milk − 0.023±0.012 Bq/L and for the Danube river: water − 0.0046±0.0026 Bq/L, bottom sediments − 0.64±0.60 Bq/kg, algae − 1.99±1.56 Bq/kg. The calculated transfer coefficients (soil-grass) are in the range of 0.33–0.84. Between 2 and 5 times reduction in actual background activities of 90 Sr is observed compared to 1972–1974.