Review

  • Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology
  • Volume 3(3); 2005
  • Article

Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology 2005;3(3):193-200. Published online: Sep, 30, 2005

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Simultaneous Assay of 14C and 3H in Evaporator Bottom by Chemical Oxidation Method

  • Hong-Joo Ahn ; Heung-Nae Lee and Sun-Ho Han
Abstract

14C and 3H in the evaporator bottom (EB) discharged from the Nuclear power plant (NPP) were extracted simultaneously into a gaseous 14CO2 and liquefied HTO by using the chemical oxidation, which is the method to oxidize samples completely using potassium persulfate and sulfuric acid. The extracted 14C and 3H were counted by the liquid scintillation counter (LSC) after the quench correction. To examine the recovery of 14C using the radioactive standards, Na214CO3, 14C-alcohol, and 14C-toluene as 14C, and HTO as 3H were used. Also, the most suitable method for oxidizing 14Ctoluene, which is difficult to be oxidized, was investigated through FT-IR spectra according to the concentration of sulfuric acid. With the identical method, 14C and 3H in the EB generated in the NPP were assayed in the range of 8.35 1.38 103 Bq/g and 2.46 × 102 ~ 1.40 × 104 Bq/g, respectively.

Keywords

14C,3H,radwaste,chemical oxidation,LSC