Application of MnO2 coated scintillating and extractive scintillating resins to screening for radioactivity in groundwater

Manganese dioxide coated polyvinyltoluene (PVT) scintillating and extractive scintillating (ES) resins, which can be used to simultaneously separate and quantity radioactivity in aqueous solutions, were applied toward environmental screening applications. Off-line screening, utilizing a commercially available liquid scintillation counter (LSC) and on-line screening using a modified hand-held survey meter was evaluated in the laboratory for quantification of 99TcO4− and uranium in groundwater. The detection efficiencies for uranium with the MnO2 coated PVT resin were determined to be 17–37% and 7–27% for the LSC and survey instrument, respectively. The loading efficiency of the uranium out of groundwater ranged from 16% to 26%. In contrast, the detection efficiencies for 99Tc with the ES resin were determined to be 2–14% and 2–3% for LSC and hand-held survey meter, respectively, while the loading efficiency of the 99TcO4− in groundwater acidified to pH 2 was nearly 100%.