Improved method for the determination of strontium-90 in oyster flesh.

Abstract

The method for the determination of strontium-90 in environmental materials used in this laboratory has been found to be subject to interference from the large concentration of zinc in oyster flesh. This report deals with the development of a suitable solvent extraction procedure that will remove zinc without itself interfering in the determination. The method selected was the extraction of the thiocyanate complex of zinc from a hydrochloric acid solution into diethyl ether. This procedure removed greater than 95 per cent of zinc and produced no undesirable complications. Normal recovery of strontium was raised to better than 90 per cent.