ASTM: C26.05

C1387-98 Standard Guide for Determination of Technetium-99 in Soil

Copyright 2002 ASTM International,
West Conshohocken, PA. All rights reserved.

1. Scope

1.1 This document is intended to serve as a reference for laboratories wishing to perform Tc-99 analyses in soil. Several options are given for selection of a tracer and for the method of extracting the Tc from the soil matrix. Separation of Tc from the sample matrix is performed using an extraction chromatography resin. Options are then given for the determination of the Tc-99 activity in the original sample. It is up to the user to determine which options are appropriate for use, and to generate acceptance data to support the chosen procedure.

1.2 Due to the various extraction methods available, various tracers used, variable detection methods used, and lack of certified reference materials for Tc-99 in soil, there is insufficient data to support a single method written as standard method.

2. Referenced Documents

C998 Sampling Surface Soil for Radionuclides
C999 Soil Sample Preparation for the Determination of Radionuclides
D1193 Standard Specification for Reagent Water
E11 Specification for Wire-cloth Sieves for Testing Purposes

Index Terms 

extraction chromatography; liquid scintillation spectrometry; mass spectrometry; microwave digestion; soil; soil fusion; technetium