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Comparison of four 90Sr groundwater analytical methods
S Scarpitta1, J Odin-McCabe, R Gaschott
1Analytical Services Laboratory of Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA.
Health Physics
|May 20, 1999
Summary
New analytical methods for strontium-90 (90Sr) in groundwater significantly reduce analysis time. Crown-ether methods accurately quantify 90Sr levels, especially above drinking water standards, offering faster and reliable results.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Radiochemistry
Background:
- Strontium-90 (90Sr) is a significant radiological contaminant in groundwater.
- Accurate and efficient methods for 90Sr detection are crucial for environmental monitoring and public health protection.
- Existing analytical methods can be time-consuming, necessitating the development of faster alternatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the performance of three novel analytical methods for 90Sr determination in Long Island groundwater samples.
- To compare the efficiency and accuracy of these methods against established U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) protocols.
- To assess the potential of these methods to reduce sample analysis time and improve detection limits.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 45 Long Island groundwater samples for 90Sr using four distinct methods.
- Comparison included two certified laboratory methods (one EPA Method 905.0), an Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) Cerenkov technique, and two commercial crown-ether based methods (resin and membrane disk).
- Method validation involved U.S. Department of Energy/EML and U.S. EPA/National Environmental Radiation Laboratory samples, and a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable 90Sr tap-water sample.
Main Results:
- Three evaluated methods at Brookhaven National Laboratory demonstrated potential to reduce analysis time by over 50%.
- Crown-ether methods achieved minimum detectable levels (MDLs) of 37 Bq m⁻³ with high accuracy (within 5% of EPA method for samples > 300 Bq m⁻³).
- The Cerenkov method showed a higher MDL (150 Bq m⁻³) and underestimated 90Sr levels, with precision issues noted for lower concentration samples.
Conclusions:
- Commercially available crown-ether methods offer a significant improvement in analysis time and accuracy for 90Sr determination in groundwater.
- These methods are particularly effective for quantifying 90Sr levels exceeding the U.S. EPA drinking water standard.
- The evaluated crown-ether techniques provide a viable, faster alternative to traditional methods for routine 90Sr monitoring in environmental samples.