A radiochemistry laboratory exercise: determination of uranium in tap water by solvent extraction and liquid scintillation counting

Abstract

Environmental radiochemistry is a key pillar of the education of nuclear engineering students and young professionals. Teaching the fundamentals of this multidisciplinary field is best performed also through well-designed hands-on experiments. A simple and fast radiochemical procedure has been developed to determine uranium in tap water by liquid scintillation counting. The proposed method provides reliable and repeatable results, with accuracy and precision within 5%. It can be proficiently executed by undergraduate students, who have appreciated the engagement and got acquainted with standard analysis protocols, from sample collection and manipulation to radiometric measure and data analysis.