Separation of Sr-90 and Ca2+ in Environmental Samples

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将利用混合金属氧化物的可控离子交换特性，有效地将放射性锶与钙（和其他碱土金属）分离。水合金属氧化物的离子交换性能可以通过系统地改变合成变量来定制，以获得期望的选择性。建议开发一种“定制合成”阳离子交换剂，其设计用于在酸性至中性条件下选择性地分离90 Sr和Ca，以改进用于地下水以及生物和环境样品中放射性污染物Sr的常规监测和检测的分离方法。能源部不断需要处理被放射性同位素污染的地下水，以防止进一步的污染，这表明了这种需要 饮用水和最终人类食物链的破坏，以及涉及放射性物质释放的可能恐怖袭击的威胁增加。使用高选择性无机离子交换材料处理地下水或测定酸化生物和环境样品中的90 Sr，将导致分析时间的显著减少和分离效率（系统寿命）的提高。一个优点还将是减少需要安全处置的废交换器和固体放射性废物的量。地下水中~（90）Sr的含量可有效地降低到 该材料将适用于任何需要在其他碱土金属存在下提取锶的流出物流。这不仅限于处理地下水和监测饮用水和天然样品，而且还可以适用于许多核废料溶液的处理。

This small business innovation research Phase I project will utilize the controllable ion exchange properties of mixed metal oxides to efficiently separate radiostrontium from calcium (and other alkaline earth metals). The ion exchange properties of hydrous metal oxides can be tailored by systematically changing the synthetic variables to obtain a desired selectivity. It is proposed to develop a 'custom synthesized' cation exchanger designed to selectively separate 90Sr and Ca in acidic to neutral conditions in order to improve the separation methodology used in routine monitoring and detection of the radiocontaminant Sr in groundwaters as well as in biological and environmental samples. This need has been revealed by the constant need faced by DOE to treat groundwater contaminated by radioisotopes in efforts to prevent further contamination of ddnking water and eventually the food chain to humans, and the increased threat of possible terrorist attacks involving radioactive releases. The use of a highly selective inorganic ion exchange material to treat groundwater or in determination of 90Sr in acidified biological and environmental samples will result in considerable reductions in the analysis time and improvements in separation efficiency (lifetime of the system). An advantage will also be a decrease in the amount of spent exchanger and solid radioactive waste which will require safe disposal. The content of 90Sr in groundwater can effectively be reduced to below the EPA ddnking water limit and the material will be applicable to any effluent stream where there is a need to extract strontium in the presence of other alkaline earth metals. This is not limited to treating groundwater and monitoring drinking water, and natural samples, but can also be adapted to treatment of many nuclear waste solutions.