Radiochemistry Capability/Capacity Development - Alpha Spectroscopic Analyses in Food and Feed

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1 Abstract: 2 The Washington State Public Health Laboratories (WAPHL) Environmental and Radiation 3 Chemistry Group has a long-established and well-regarded radiation testing program with a 4 robust set of instrumentation, including gamma and alpha spectroscopy capabilities. Under 5 previous projects, this laboratory developed and validated effective methods for measuring 6 alpha-emitting isotopes of man-made transuranic elements in air and soil matrices using solid 7 phase extraction and high-resolution alpha spectrometry. 8 Background 9 Agencies of the Federal government including the FDA through FERN have devoted 10 considerable resources to developing radiological screening capabilities for environmental 11 samples including food over the past two decades. The majority of this work has reasonably 12 centered on non-destructive assay using gamma spectroscopy. 13 Problem 14 There are a number of important radioactive materials of dose concern that cannot be detected 15 at levels meaningful for food using gamma spectroscopy, including alpha emitters such as 16 isotopes of uranium, plutonium and americium. 17 Solutions 18 Through the work proposed in this project we will leverage the investments made by the Food 19 and Drug Administration (FDA) in assets and expertise, to improve our rapid chemical 20 separation and measurement methods for alpha emitting radionuclides to address food 21 matrices, to purchase additional alpha spectrometers and to train additional radiochemists to 22 perform this work.