Low-level detection and quantification of Plutonium(III, IV, V,and VI) using a liquid core waveguide (open access)

Low-level detection and quantification of Plutonium(III, IV, V,and VI) using a liquid core waveguide

Understanding the aqueous chemistry of plutonium, in particular in environmental conditions, is often complicated by plutonium's complex redox chemistry. Because plutonium possesses four oxidation states, all of which can coexist in solution, a reliable method for the identification of these oxidation states is needed. The identification of plutonium oxidation states at low levels in aqueous solution is often accomplished through an indirect determination using series of liquid-liquid extraction procedures using oxidation state specific reagents such as HDEHP and TTA. While these methods, coupled with radioactive counting techniques provide superior limits of detection they may influence the plutonium redox equilibrium, are time consuming, waste intensive and costly. Other analytical methods such as mass spectrometry and radioactive counting as stand alone methods provide excellent detection limits but lack the ability to discriminate between the oxidation states of the plutonium ions in solution.
Date: June 28, 2003
Creator: Wilson, Richard E.; Hu, Yung-Jin & Nitsche, Heino
System: The UNT Digital Library