Rapid Radiochemical Methods for Analysis of Environmental Samples Contaminated with Curium-244 (244Cm) for Use during Environmental Remediation and Recovery
Citation:
Hall, K. AND J. Griggs. Rapid Radiochemical Methods for Analysis of Environmental Samples Contaminated with Curium-244 (244Cm) for Use during Environmental Remediation and Recovery. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/S-17/307, 2017.
Impact/Purpose:
There is a need for increased laboratory capacity for analysis of environmental samples in response to a radiological/nuclear contamination incident. The radioanalytical sample demand for a single contamination incident has been projected to be over 350,000 samples in a 12-month period. Improvement in sample processing and analysis will lead to increased laboratory capacity to handle the analysis of a large influx of samples. This laboratory ready method will enable multiple laboratories to analyze water samples contaminated with Curium-244 after a radiological contamination incident in support of EPA’s clean-up activities. The method has been designed for use by federal, state, local, and commercial radioanalytical laboratories in support of the Environmental Response Laboratory Network and reduces the analysis turn-around time to approximately 8 hours for a batch of samples. Quicker analysis by radioanalytical laboratories allows response officials to characterize contaminated areas and to assess the effectiveness of remediation efforts more rapidly and accurately resulting in more efficiency in clean-up activities.
Description:
Technical Brief