Simplified determination of uranium in contaminated sea sand samples by alpha-spectroscopy after acidic desorption and liquid–liquid extraction

Abstract

For the determination of uranium in contaminated sea sand samples by alpha-spectroscopy, we have investigated the applicability of different pre-analytical procedures. The direct electrodeposition after acidic dissolution of uranium from sea sand particles can be successfully applied only to relatively pure silica sands. Analysis of uranium in sand samples containing increased amounts of limestone and iron minerals requires the additional liquid–liquid extraction step to separate uranium from iron and calcium. The overall efficiency of the proposed method is above 70 % and the detection limit of alpha-spectroscopy is 70 Bq kg−1. © 2014, Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary.