Feasibility study of an analytical method for detecting 90Sr in soil using DGA resin and Sr resin

This study investigated an analytical method for detecting 90 Sr in soil samples for the routine monitoring of environmental radioactivity. Mineral acid leaching and fusion methods were first used to digest the soil sample, and the analytical results were compared. DGA resin was employed to separate 90 Y, being a daughter of 90 Sr. Then, 90 Y was analyzed by liquid scintillation counter (LSC). These analytical results were compared with those obtained using Sr resin, which is a well-known, simple and reliable separation method. With the DGA resin approach a minimum detectable activity of ~0.28 Bq kg −1 was detected in a 50 g sample, with 180 min of counting time, 70% recovery and ~97% counting efficiency using a LSC.