the chromatogram at the time the collection of the fraction was begun,
Analysis of the decay data for the first four fractions of
Sample 4-3 (Shot 4, third eluticn run) of the chromatogram is shown in
Figs. B.2 through B.5.
Since Sample 4-3 did not contain sufficient Na
activity to increase the count at the Na breakthrough (Fraction 4-34),
the analysis of the decay of Fraction 4-24 from Sample 4-2 which did show
Na activity is given in Table B.1 and is plotted in Fig, B.é.
4-2 was run about 24 hr prior to Sanple 4-3.
Sample
When the elution of Frac-~
tion 4 did not give an activity peek, the fraction was not further
analyzed for Na<4, The spectra of the five fraction» at various times
are summarized in Table B.1; only the major photon peaks are listed,
The probable radioactive constituents of the first five fractions are
given in Table B,2,. The first. or anion fraction, contained the iodine
activities and also activities from the insoluble (acidic) elements Ru,
Rh, Te, Tc, and possibly some Kio, The relative amounts depended, of
course, on time after burst when the elution was made and on the pre-
treatment of the sample.
The elution of fallout sarples from the island
shot which were dissolved with strong HCl and diluted to pH 5 generally
gave smaller peaks for the water wash which, in turn, contained relatively
smaller amounts of the insoluble (acidic) elements, However, small
anounts of these materials tailed along into the HCl elution until the
alkali Fraction 4 where Ko?? peaked along with the alkalis. The Te
(Fraction 3) usually gave a higher peak than that shown by the chrom-
togram = especially at earlier times, The Np (Fraction 1 and 2) usually
contained less Te impurity than that shown in Table B.1., At +3 to +5
days, when the Np activity reaches a maximum percentage of the total
activity, it was often difficult to detect the Te (or other) impurity
in those fractions. When the fallout sample was treated with a reducing
agent prior to adsorbing it on the colum, the Np peak did not appear.
The alkali elements (Fraction 4) then came off first in the acid elution,
Hence, the Np in Fractions 1 and 2 must be in the +5 (or +6) oxidation
state, The general double peaking of Te, and perhaps. of Ru and Mo,
first in the water wash and again later at different places in the HCl
elution, seems to indicate a distribution of oxidation states for these
elements, First, they did not tail off in the usual manner, and secondly,
radionuclides of each element appeared to have fractionated to some
extent. Since the stability of the chlcride complexes and the acidic
properties of Ru, Rh, Te, and Mo depend upon the oxidation state of the
element, the latter would therefore determine the ion exchange behavior,
Further exploitation of ion exchange methods in the analysis of fallout
materials in future field tests such as this would be extremely useful
in the detailed characterization of the contaminant the important radioactive constituents.
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