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Preparation and application of tea to a tritium performance testing programme.

Joseph N Daka¹, Gerry Moodie, Anthony Dinardo

¹National Calibration and Reference Centre, Radiation Protection Bureau, Health Canada, 775 Brookfield Road, PL# 6302D, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 1C1. joseph.n.daka@hc-sc.gc.ca

Radiation Protection Dosimetry

|March 2, 2011

Summary

Researchers developed a novel method using black tea to create a urine simulant for bioassay performance testing. This safer alternative successfully simulated urine in tritium testing programs, meeting regulatory standards.

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Area of Science:

Radiological Sciences
Analytical Chemistry
Laboratory Medicine

Background:

Bioassay programs require reliable urine simulants for performance testing.
Traditional urine use poses risks of contamination and disease transmission.
Developing safe and effective urine substitutes is crucial for laboratory quality assurance.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a novel, safe, and effective urine simulant for bioassay performance testing.
To validate the suitability of the developed urine simulant for tritium testing.
To assess the safety benefits of using a tea-based simulant over human urine.

Main Methods:

Utilizing UV-VIS spectroscopy (200-800 nm) to select diluted black tea steeps matching urine's spectral properties.

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Preparing 1% and 10% tea solutions spiked with tritium.

Conducting performance testing (PT) of the tea simulant in a manner consistent with regular bioassay programs.

Main Results:

The developed tea solutions were visually and spectroscopically similar to urine.
All tritium-spiked tea samples successfully met the pass/fail criteria of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's S-106 standard.
The tea simulant proved effective for tritium performance testing programs.

Conclusions:

Adjusted black tea steeps serve as a successful urine simulant for tritium performance testing.
The tea-based simulant offers a safer alternative to human urine, mitigating risks of disease transmission.
This novel technique provides a readily preparable and safe option for bioassay laboratories.