Rapid Sampling Using 3M Membrane Technology

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AR #261

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Tech ID:1514

Project Overview
The objective of this project is to develop, optimize, test, and demonstrate innovative rapid field water sampling systems that are user-friendly and applicable to a wide range of contaminants. This technology is based on 3M's Empore^TM membrane technology for solid phase extraction. Phase I of the program developed the field sampling system and membrane disk holders. Membrane materials were developed to selectively sample for lead and technetium. The system has been field-tested and demonstrated at various sites around U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Phase II has extended the sampling technology to strontium, cesium, and radium. Phase III will add sampling technology for uranium, as well as direct-read (self-indicating) techniques such as self-scintillating and colorimetric disk materials and direct radiometric counting for radioactive contaminants such as cesium. Also, the membrane packaging design will also be optimized, in addition to integrating the sampler with real-time, state-of-the-art instrumentation and determining the arrangement of disk holders in a series when multiple contaminants are being sampled at once.

Recently disks have been introduced to capture and analyze radionuclides as well, including cesium-137, strontium-90, radium-226, and technetium-99. These Rad Disks utilize various classes of adsorbing particles loaded into a membrane, greatly simplifying and economizing radiometric sampling and analysis. Traditional sample preparation steps--such as lengthy precipitations, column extractions/elutions, and related pre-concentration processes--are eliminated, as is the need to transport bulky liquid samples. Furthermore, once the Rad Disks are loaded, they are placed directly onto planchets or into liquid-scintillation vials for radiometric counting.