Rapid Bioassay Methods for Actinides in Urine

Rapid bioassay methods for the determination of actinides in urine samples at ultra-trace levels are needed for both emergency and routine radiation exposure monitoring. Several rapid actinide urinalysis methods have been recently developed at the AECL Chalk River Laboratories. These methods employ hydrous titanium oxide co-precipitation followed with actinide separation using chromatographic columns; the actinide isotopes are analyzed by alpha spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The chemical recoveries, procedural blanks, and achieved detection limits for these bioassay methods are also presented.