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Updated: Mar 29, 2026

Separation of Uranium and Thorium for 230Th-U Dating of Submarine Hydrothermal Sulfides
Published on: May 20, 2019
Comparison of acid leaching and fusion techniques to determine uranium in soil samples by alpha spectrometry
Abdullah Dirican1, Mihriban Şahin1
1Turkish Atomic Energy Authority, Sarayköy Nuclear Research and Training Center, Saray Mahallesi, Atom Caddesi No: 27, Kazan, 06983 Ankara, Turkey.
Abstract:
Dissolution of radionuclides of interest is an indispensable first step in the alpha spectrometric analysis of soil samples. In this study a uranium recovery method for the analysis of uranium isotopes in soil samples is presented. Two different soil sample dissolution techniques were used: digestion in open beaker and fusion. The results of these techniques were compared. Two proficiency test samples and one reference material prepared by the IAEA were analyzed. Better results were obtained by fusion dissolution technique but impurities were higher than with acid leaching. Results of two techniques were more or less similar within the uncertainty limits. The detection limit (a(#)) was evaluated as part of the quality control.
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