[en] The interferences from Cd, Cu, Hf, Pb, Sr, Zn, Zr and Y on the inductively coupled plasma quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) determination of Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru and Ir in geological (Pt-ore SARM-7, abundance range for platinum metals 0.07-3.74 μg/g) and environmental samples (sediment JSd-2 abundance range for Pt and Pd 0.0167-0.021 μg/g; road dust and plant sample) are evaluated using model solutions, real samples and comparison to inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) results. Pt, Rh, Ru and Ir can be determined usually after introduction of corrections for the interference in all investigated materials though in sediments the direct determination of Pt might be a problem depending on the actual Hf concentrations. The direct determination of Pd (after microwave-assisted acid digestion) is possible in ores using all investigated isotopes (¹⁰⁵Pd, ¹⁰⁶Pd, ¹⁰⁸Pd), in plants using ¹⁰⁸Pd and correction for the interferences of Zr, Mo and Cd, and not possible in sediments and road dust. Therefore, we developed a procedure for isolation of Pd using its diethyl-dithio-carabamate (DDTC) complex. The detection limits for Pt, Pd and Ir are 0.015 ng/g, and for Ru and Rh 0.03 ng/g

[en] Highlights: • Fractionation of ⁶⁰Co and ¹³⁷Cs in soils depends on climate conditions. • Freezing or soil drought increase the water-solubility of ⁶⁰Co in fluvisol soil. • Temperature decrease and soil drought cause an increase of the exchangeable ¹³⁷Cs. • The impact of climate on ⁶⁰Co and ¹³⁷Cs mobility is higher on fluvisol soil. - Abstract: Consideration of the impact of substantial changes in soil temperature or moisture regime on the geochemical forms of radionuclides is important for more accurate assessment of the environmental risk posed by radionuclide migration and potential biological availability, especially in the first months after their release into the environment. This paper presents the results from a study of the influence of cooling, freezing and soil drought on the migration and potential bioavailability of ⁶⁰Co and ¹³⁷Cs in two soils (a fluvisol and a cambisol, according to the World Reference Base for Soil Resources/FAO) from Bulgaria. The changes in the geochemical fractionation of ⁶⁰Co, the exchangeable ¹³⁷Cs and water-soluble forms of both radionuclides were examined under different storage conditions up to 5 months after their introduction into the soils in solution form. Freezing or soil drought resulted in a significant increase of the water-soluble forms of ⁶⁰Co in the fluvisol soil, defining higher mobility and potential bioavailability. No influence of the storing conditions on the water-solubility of ⁶⁰Co in the cambisol soil was established. The cooling, freezing and soil drought caused an increase of the exchangeable ¹³⁷Cs in both soils

[en] Neutron tomography has recently found new applications in many different fields like for example in Biology, Medicine, Geology, Archaeology and Cultural Heritage. One of the reasons is the fast development in digital image recording and processing, which enables the computation of tomographic reconstructions from high-resolution images at a reasonable timescale. The development of new detectors with better signal-to-noise characteristics and faster read-out electronics has allowed the overcoming of some of the spatial and time resolution limitations of conventional neutron radiography and tomography. Nevertheless the quantification of neutron tomographic data is a challenging task in many cases. The diverse experimental conditions at different facilities (beam spectrum, collimation, background, etc.) hinder the distinct relation between attenuation coefficient and single material. In this case complementary methods should be used for determination of the chemical composition in multicomponent samples which can be related later to the obtained matrix of attenuation coefficients from the neutron tomographic measurement

[en] A rapid, sensitive and reliable LA–ICP–MS method for simultaneous determination of micro and macro elements in soils and sediments was developed and optimized. Certified reference materials available in powder form (IAEA–SOIL–5, IAEA–SOIL–7, IAEA–SL–1, IAEA–SL–3 and STSD–3) were used for the optimization and validation of the sample preparation step and LA–ICP–MS analysis. Three types of soil pellets were prepared from each CRM: (i) original soil; (ii) soil, mixed with boric acid in ratio 1:5; and (iii) pellets, prepared by mixing the soil successively in hexane and dichloromethane and subjected to LA–ICP–MS measurement. The signal of the matrix elements was reduced by introducing the rejection parameter (RPa) to enable the high–mass cut off. Best accuracy and precision were obtained with the pellets, prepared in organic solvents. This approach can be recommended for sample preparation of soils and sediments for LA–ICP–MS analysis. Key words: LA–ICP–MS, pellet preparation, calibration, soil analysis

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No abstract available

[en] A method for the separation of tetrachloroplatinate PtCl₄^2-, and hexachloroplatinate PtCl₆^2-, by solid-phase extraction, using a Dowex 1 x 10 anion exchange resin is proposed. The sequential elution and separation of PtCl₄^2-, and PtCl₆^2- is achieved using selective complexing agents. The eluates, containing Pt(II) and Pt(IV) were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). Recoveries of 102% for PtCl₄^2- and 94% for PtCl₆^2- and detection limit of 15 ng g^-1 were achieved. Using this method determination of Pt(II) and Pt(IV) in soil samples, spiked with different platinum species was performed. The comparison with GFAAS determination showed a very good agreement

[en] Highlights: • Simple method for recycling of irradiated ¹⁸O-enriched water with optimized procedure for reducing the radiation burden by eliminating all radioactive contaminants as a first step in the process. • Organic compounds, radioisotopes and trace metals are eliminated by high-yield processes included in this method such as co-precipitation, co-crystallization and distillation. • The method demonstrates effective purification ability in a wide range of concentrations of organic solvent impurities from ppm to percentage. • A new method for purification of previously irradiated enriched water for volumes less than 100 ml> is developed. • The method ensures elimination of radioisotopes (99.7% ± 0.1%), organic compounds (99.5% ± 0.1%) and trace metals (99.8% ± 0.1%) with special attention on radiation safety and generated radioactive waste. - Abstract: A simple, effective, easy-handling and reliable method for recycling of [¹⁸O]H₂O from fluorine-18 production, was developed based on co-precipitation, co-crystallization and distillation. Preliminary experiments with normal H₂O were used to determine the optimal purification conditions, which were tested for purification of used [¹⁸O]H₂O from a scientific and commercial ¹⁸F-production facility. The obtained recycled [¹⁸O]H₂O had comparable quality to commercially available ¹⁸O enriched water. The loss of weight for enriched water was about only 7% and losses of ¹⁸O enrichment about 1.3% ± 0.2%. The method ensures elimination of radioisotopes (99.7% ± 0.1%), organic compounds (99.5% ± 0.1%) and trace metals (99.8% ± 0.1%) with special attention on radiation safety with dosimetry control checks and in total 1000 times mass reduction of the initial radioactive waste.