APPENDIX B PARTIAL FRACTIONATION OF FALLOUT COMPONENTS BY CATION EXCHANGE Bel EXCHANGE COLUMN PROCEDURE An ion exchange procedure was utilized to separate the Na<4 activity Crom the fallout samples. The procedure was developed at the site after Shot 1 when it became evident that the fallout samples were smaller than anticipated. It was designed for utilizing small samples of fallout combining the Na and I analyses. The ion exchanze column consisted of 50 to 65 mesh Dowex 50 in a 80-mm i.d. class tube 15 em long. Washing and eluting solutions were fed into the column from a constant-head nolyethylene bottle through polyethylene tubing; after passing through the column, the solution was carried below a GM tube by 1.5 mm i.d. thin-walled polyethylene tubing and into a collecting beaker. The tubing was threaded through two small holes drilled into a@ lead shiel¢c which held the Ghi tube, The radioactivity passing beneath the counting tube was recorded on an Esterline-anrus recorder through a General Radio Co, Model 1500-3 rate meter. After acidifying the samples with a minimum amount of HCl (usually to a pH of 5), the samples were adsorbed on the top of the column to- gether with a measured amount of Ne carrier, The column was then washed by eluting with de-ionized water, The water elution carried out anions and some colloidal materials, When the eluted wash water activity coun- ted background, the column was eluted with 0.5N-HC1, was detected by means of a Pt ire flame test. The Na breakthrough Cecasionally, after no Na was detected, other eluting 1vacents were used for further elutions. Sampling beakers were changed at the desired points, the volume of sarplo measured, and an aliquot was taken for counting. Gamma decay and spectral measurements were taken on the various fractions. Be2 RESULTS One elution is given by the chromatogram in Fig. B.1. The circled letters or numbers are the eluted fractions which were noted on 139