Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 16, 2025

Capturing Actively Produced Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds from Human-Associated Samples with Vacuum-Assisted Sorbent Extraction
Published on: June 1, 2022
Analysis of semivolatile organics in liquid radioactive residue using sorptive stir bar and solvent back-extraction
Andrew J Boggess1, Thomas L White1
1Analytical Characterization and Sample Management, Savannah River National Laboratory, SRNL, Aiken, SC 29808, USA.
Abstract:
Current methods for semivolatiles analysis in radioactive samples can produce large volumes of radioactive solvent residue. A method utilizing stir-bar sorptive extraction has been explored in this work for its applicability to radioactive waste samples. This low solvent analytical method may accelerate remediation, minimize hazardous solvent waste, and reduce exposure risk to workers. Organic compounds (polyaromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated aromatics, and phenolic compounds) were chosen as surrogates for common Liquid Waste System (LWS) contaminants at Savannah River Site (Aiken, SC). Stir-bar extraction parameters (extraction time, matrix modification, and effective pH range) and solvent back extraction parameters (solvent type, volume, and extraction time) were optimized experimentally for the chosen compounds. Affinity of the stir-bar extraction polymer to radionuclides Cs-137 and Am-241 was observed to determine radionuclide concentration effects. The stir-bar method achieved mean recovery of 100 ± 0.7 % (1σ), relative to 114 ± 7 % using solvent extraction, while reducing weekly method hands-on time by 93.4 % and solvent volume consumption by 99.3 %. Sensitivity was improved by 378 % in simulated tank waste and 278 % in real-world LWS matrix, relative to solvent extraction. This work has produced a safe and optimized method for the low solvent analysis of organics in legacy radioactive tank waste by stir-bar sorptive extraction.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Sample Preparation for Analysis: Advanced Techniques
Acid digestion with strong acids is commonly used to dissolve inorganic materials that are insoluble (do not dissolve) in water. This method can be useful for...
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy: Lab
Solutions containing organic solvents, such as low-molecular-mass alcohols, esters, or ketones, enhance absorbances by increasing...
Sample Preparation for Analysis: Overview
Bulk or large solid samples are typically reduced in size using grinding, crushing, or milling techniques to increase the...
Volatilization
Sampling Methods: Sample Types
Solid samples include a variety of substances, such as sediments from water bodies, soil, metals, and biological tissues. Two standard methods for extracting sediments from water bodies are grab sampling and piston coring. Grab sampling involves using a device to collect a discrete sediment sample from the bottom of a water body with minimal disturbance. Grab samples do not always represent the entire area due to...
Extraction: Advanced Methods

