| Abstract: | The anion exchange behavior of Pu(IV) and Pu(VI) were studied in solutions of both nitric acid and of ethanol-nitric acid mixture, and a method of determining plutonium content in blood was developed. About 10 ml of blood were wet-incinerated with concentrated nitric acid and evaporated to dryness. The residue was dissolved in 8 ml of 8 N nitric acid, and 12 ml of ethanol was added. The solution was passed through a resin column of Dowex 2, X8 (9 mm diam., 3.0cm long). After washing the column with ethanol-nitric acid mixed solution, plutonium was eluted with 10 ml of 1N nitric acid containing sulfur dioxide. The eluate was transferred to a cell for electrodeposition, which was carried out with 500 mA/cm2 for 3 hr using a stainless steel disk as cathode. The plutonium yield from the ion exchange was 85~91%, and the electrodeposition quantitative. The blank activity from the reagents, resin and disk was 10?14Ci. With this method a 10-hr count with silicone semiconductor spectrometer, will permit determination of 5 × 10?14 10?13Ci of plutonium in 10 ml of blood. |
