Evaluation of recovery yields of 60Co and 137Cs in extraction procedures

Abstract

Nuclear technology has been implemented in several sectors of society, among them, it is possible to highlight medicine, industry, research, among others. The high demand of these nuclear applications has caused problems with regard to the generation of radioactive waste. The laser ablation method has been pointed out in the last years for the decontamination of surfaces and the contamination removed is completely retained in paper filters. This requires a safe and inexpensive method to perform the characterization of the radioisotopic inventory present in the laser filter samples. In this study, the extraction and quantification of the radionuclides present in the filter was evaluated using 60Co and 137Cs radionuclides. Two forms of extraction were tested: with Soxhlet equipment and by digesting the filter samples in a beaker, both using 3M HNO3 as extractant. The chemical yield was calculated using gamma ray countings obtained before and after extraction. It was observed that the extraction method by digesting the filter directly in a beaker presented the highest yield recovery results.