USE OF SLANIC ZEOLITIC TUFF FOR PURIFICATION OF COMBUSTION WATER IN ORGANICALLY BOUND TRITIUM ANALYSIS

Irina Vagner*, Carmen Varlam, Violeta Niculescu, Ionut Faurescu, Diana Bogdan, Denisa Faurescu

National Research and Development Institute for Cryogenics and Isotopic Technologies - ICSI Rm. Valcea, Uzinei Street no. 4, P.O. Box Râureni 7, 240050, Râmnicu Vâlcea, Romania

ABSTRACT

Organically bound tritium (OBT) analysis from environmental samples using liquid scintillation counting (LSC) method implies as a first step combustion of the organic matter from environmental samples. Because the that combustion water resulted contains many impurities (anions, cations, soluble organic compounds) a zeolitic tuff can be used to purify this water in order to be suitable for LSC measurement without any inferences (chemical or color quench, etc.). Slanic Prahova – Piatra Verde tuff is a clinoptilolite-rich tuff, which can be used in water purification and in particularly in combustion water purification prior to OBT analysis using LSC. In our experiments we used Piatra Verde tuff, in different tuff: water ratio from 0.5:1 to 1:1.5 (wt.) with a granulation of 0.2 mm. The physico-chemical characteristics of the initial water and of water purified using zeolitic tuff revealed the fact that the best ratio for purification of the combustion water was 1:1.25 (wt.), higher ratios being also suitable but not necessary.

Keywords: Organically bound tritium, combustion water purification, zeolitic tuff