$ .~j RECENT ADVANCES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXTRACTION CHROMATOGRAPHIC MATERIALS FOR THE ISOLATION OF RADIONUCLIDES FROM BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES

ABSTRACT The determination of low levels of radionuclides in environmental and biological samples is often hampered by the complex and variable nature of the samples. One approach to circumventing this problem is to incorporate into the analytical scheme a separation and preconcentration step by which the species of interest can be isolated from the major constituents of the sample. Extraction chromatography (EXC), a form of liquid chromatography in which the stationary phase comprises an extractant or a solution of an extractant in an appropriate diluent coated onto an inert support, provides a simple and efficient means of performing a wide varie~of metal ion separations. Recent advances in extractant design, in particular the development of extractants capable of metal ion recognition or of strong complex formation even in acidic media, have substantially improved the utility of the method. For the preconcentration of actinides, for example, an EXC resin consisting of a liquid diphosphonic acid supported on a polymeric substrate has been shown to exhibit extraordinarily strong retention of these elements from acidic chloride media. This resin, together with other related materials, can provide the basis of a number of efficient and flexible schemes for the separation and preconcentration of radionuclides forma variety of samples for subsequent determination. Keywords: radionuclide, separation, preconcentration, extraction chromatography The submitted manuscript has been created by the University of Chicago as Operator of Argonne National Laboratory ("Argonne") under Contract No. W-31-109-ENG-38 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The U.S. Government retains for itself, and others acting on its behalf, a paid-up, nonexclusive, irrevocable worldwide license in said article to reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute copies to the public, and perform publicly and display publicly, by or on behalf of the Government. DISCLAIMER Portions of this document may be illegible in electronic image products. Images are . produced from the best available original document. International Solvent A&action Conference RECENT ADVANCES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXTRACTION CHROMATOGRAPHIC MATERIALS FOR THE ISOLATION OF RADIONUCLIDES FROM BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES M.L. Dietz, E. P. Horwi~and R Chiarizia Chemistry Divisio~Argonne National Laborato~, Argonne, IL 60439, USA ABSTRACT The determination of low levels of radionuclides in environmental and biological samples is often hampered by the complex and variable nature of the samples. One approach to circumventing this problem is to incorporate into the analytical scheme a separation and preconcentration step by which the species of interest can be isolated from the major constituents of the sample. Extraction chromatography (EXC), a form of liquid chromatography in which the stationary phase comprises an extractant or a solution of an extractant in an appropriate diluent coated onto an inert support, provides a simple and efficient means of pefiorming a wide variety of metal ion separations. Recent advances in extractant desi~in particular the development of extractants capable of metal ion recognition or of strong complex formation even in acidic reed@ have substantially improved the utility of the method. For the preconcentration of actinides, for example, an EXC resin consisting of a liquid diphosphonic acid supported on a polymeric substrate has been shown to exhibit extraordinarily strong retention of these elements from acidic chloride media. This res~together with other related materials, can provide the basis of a number of efficient and flexible schemes for the separation and preconcentration of radionuclides forma variety of samples for subsequent determination