Determination of Radioactive and Stable Cobalt in Marine Biological Materials

Studies were made to develop the method for rapid determination of radioactive and stable cobalt in a single specimen of marine biological materials. The sample was dried, asked, and dissolved in acid. The cobalt was extracted with 1-nitroso-2-naphthol benzene and determined by absorptiometry on the benzene phase. Then, the organic solution was evaporated to dryness, and the residue was treated with nitric-perchloric acid mixture to decompose any organic matter, and taken up with hydrochloric acid. The cobalt was extracted from the solution with TIOA-toluene, and the radioactive cobalt was determined by liquid scintillation counting on the toluene phase. Examinations were made on the chemical yield and on the decontamination factor of the fission product nuclides. Analysis were made on the marine biological samples of Urazoko Bay, Fukui prefecture. Agreement of the radioactive cobalt data between that by the present method and that by Ge (Li) gamma ray spectometry was good. Also, the stable cobalt value by the present method agreed well with that by neutron activation analysis method.