Determination of the isotopic ratio 236U/238U in Austrian water samples

Author(s)

Michaela Srncik, Peter Steier, Gabriele Wallner

Abstract

236U with a half life of 2.3 × 107 years is naturally produced in ultra-trace amounts (236U/238U <10-10) in ores, soils and rocks, while a huge amount has been produced in nuclear power plants and possibly nuclear weapons tests by man. Thus, anthropogenic uranium may cause a significant measurement background for geological applications of natural 236U. To investigate this background, water samples from rivers, creeks and wells were collected in the alpine region of Forstau (Salzburg, Austria) and from surrounding areas. Thin sources for alpha spectrometry were prepared by anion exchange and co-precipitation with NdF3 to determine the 238U concentration. These filters were reprocessed for the analysis of the isotopic ratio 236U/238U by AMS. The special aim was the characterization of the 236U/238U ratio in natural waters and the investigation of contributions from anthropogenic sources. Our measurements of 236U in Austrian water samples from wells, rivers and creeks show the first data on the spreading of anthropogenic 236U in the general environment far from local contamination sources.

Organisation(s)

Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Isotope Physics

Journal

Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research. Section B. Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms

Volume

268

Pages

1146-1149

No. of pages

4

ISSN

0168-583X

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2009.10.120

Publication date

2010

Peer reviewed

Yes

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

104003 Inorganic chemistry, 104020 Radiochemistry

Portal url

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/d6b2b9de-1987-4a82-9d72-3890e8059946