Abstract
A series of laboratory-scale studies was conducted by preconcentrating Ra-226 from spiked water test samples using Purolite ion-exchange resin to evaluate the adsorption efficiency of the resin under varying conditions. After removing the resin from the columns, it was sealed in gas-tight containers and measured via gamma spectrometry. The Purolite resin showed high radium uptake and retention from natural waters in the presence of high iron and total dissolved solids (TDS). This procedure allowed us to process a large number of high TDS samples at a typical rate of 15 samples/day using three germanium detectors. Quality assurance and method validation have been achieved by analyzing selected groundwater samples, with different Ra-226 activities and high TDS values, and comparing the results to those using alpha spectrometry with a Ba-133 yield tracer. There was very good agreement between the obtained Ra-226 activities by both methods. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.