Characterization of high level nuclear waste solutions from different origin

A simple, simultaneously multi-elemental, ICP-AES based method was optimized to characterize nuclear high level waste solutions from different origin: research reactors, pressurized heavy water reactor, thoria containing waste and ¹³⁷Cs rich solutions. It involves identification of interference free analytical lines with the evaluation of their analytical performance including sensitivity, detection limit etc. To compare the results of ICP-AES system, ED-XRF technique has been employed and the results compared well indicating the efficacy of the optimized procedure. For analytes like Fe, Cr, Na, Mn and Ca the detection limits are in the range of 0.001–0.009 mg/L while for other analytes (except U and Th) the detection limits are almost on the order of magnitude poorer. For all the analytes the linear dynamic range exists from the detection limit up to 500 mg/L.