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Updated: Sep 16, 2025
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Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films
Published on: November 9, 2015
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Imprinted polyethylene terephthalate: novel plutonium-selective substrates for ultra-trace detection
Amol Mhatre1, Chhavi Agarwal1,2, Arunasis Bhattacharyya1,2
1Radiochemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai-400085, Maharashtra, India. cagarwal@barc.gov.in.
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics : PCCP
|July 10, 2025
Summary
This study introduces a novel phosphate-based extractive substrate for highly selective plutonium detection, achieving ultra-low detection limits crucial for environmental monitoring of alpha-emitting radionuclides.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Radiochemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Detecting low-activity alpha-emitting radionuclides like Plutonium (Pu) in the environment is challenging due to interference from other radionuclides such as Uranium (U) and Americium (Am).
- Existing extractive substrates coupled with scintillation monitoring show promise but struggle to meet the stringent detection limits required for accurate Pu quantification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a highly selective extractive substrate for the sensitive detection of very low Plutonium activities.
- To enhance Plutonium extraction efficiency and selectivity through surface modification and imprinting techniques.
- To create a robust and adaptable detection system for real-time, in-field environmental monitoring.
Main Methods:
- Surface grafting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) with a phosphate-based monomer, bis[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] phosphate (BMEP).
- Enhancement of Pu(IV) extraction via ozone exposure and cerium(IV) imprinting, supported by Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations.
- Integration of the developed Poly(BMEP)-PET substrate with a polystyrene scintillation film for radiometry.
Main Results:
- The developed substrate demonstrated high selectivity for Pu(IV) over Am and U in 2 mol L-1 HNO3.
- Achieved ultra-low Plutonium detection limits of approximately 0.8 mBq mL-1 (∼0.3 ppt 239Pu).
- The Poly(BMEP)-PET substrate coupled with scintillation film provides an easily replenishable and sensitive detector.
Conclusions:
- The novel phosphate-based extractive substrate offers a significant advancement in the low-level detection of Plutonium in environmental samples.
- The system's selectivity and sensitivity enable accurate quantification of Plutonium even in the presence of interfering alpha emitters.
- The developed detector is suitable for environmental applications, including remote monitoring and automated real-time field analysis.
