Determination of radioisotopes of Ce, Eu, Pu, Am and Cm in low-level wastes from power reactors using low-level measuring techniques

Long-lived isotopes of lanthanides and actinides are important components in low-level radioactive wastes. Their determination requires radiochemical separation from the predominant highly active nuclides. Control of waste vessels containing fission products and transuranic elements is achieved by direct non-destructive γ-spectrometry of the key nuclide 137Cs. The activity ratios of the long-lived nuclides to the key nuclides, called scaling factors, have to be determined radiochemically in the laboratory in representative samples of each waste type. The scaling factors are in the order of magnnitude of 10−6. By using low-level measurement techniques in an underground laboratory, the chemical separations can be performed with small sample quantities.