Determination of (210)Po in drinking water and urine samples using copper sulfide microprecipitation

Polonium-210 ((210)Po) can be rapidly determined in drinking water and urine samples by alpha spectrometry using copper sulfide (CuS) microprecipitation. For drinking water, Po in 10 mL samples was directly coprecipitated onto the filter for alpha counting without any purification. For urine, 10 mL...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Analytical chemistry (Washington) 2014-06, Vol.86 (12), p.6026-6031
Main Authors: Guérin, Nicolas, Dai, Xiongxin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Copper - chemistry
Drinking Water - chemistry
Humans
Polonium - analysis
Polonium - urine
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Summary:Polonium-210 ((210)Po) can be rapidly determined in drinking water and urine samples by alpha spectrometry using copper sulfide (CuS) microprecipitation. For drinking water, Po in 10 mL samples was directly coprecipitated onto the filter for alpha counting without any purification. For urine, 10 mL of sample was heated, oxidized with KBrO3 for a short time (∼5 min), and subsequently centrifuged to remove the suspended organic matter. The CuS microprecipitation was then applied to the supernatant. Large batches of samples can be prepared using this technique with high recoveries (∼85%). The figures of merit of the methods were determined, and the developed methods fulfill the requirements for emergency and routine radioassays. The efficiency and reliability of the procedures were confirmed using spiked samples.
ISSN:1520-6882
DOI:10.1021/ac501164f