Rapid determination of trace uranium in liquid wastes from spent nuclear-fuel reprocessing plants using on-line solid-phase extraction / electrochemical detection

Taguchi, Shigeo ; Surugaya, Naoki ; Kurosawa, Akira; Hiyama, Toshiaki; Tanaka, Tatsuhiko*

An on-line analysis system using a solid-phase extraction column coupled to electrochemical detection has been developed for rapid determination of small amounts of uranium in liquid wastes of spent nuclear-fuel reprocessing plants. A sample solution with a concentration of 3 M HNO was loaded onto the column: packed with U/TEVA resin. The interference elements were rinsed by passing 3 M HNO through the column. The adsorbed uranium was eluted with 0.1 M HNO. The eluate was directly introduced into a flow-electrolysis cell. The result of five repeated analyses for a standard solution containing 2.5 g (0.1 mL at 25 g mL) of uranium was found to be 2.5 0.025 g (mean 1 ). The detection limit calculated from 3 times the standard deviation of background current was 56 ng. The analysis time required for one sample was within 5 min. The recoveries of uranium in actual nuclear waste reprocessing solutions were 92% 112%.