J technical FACT SHEET

BUILDING A SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATION FOR SOUND ENVIRONMENTAL DECISIONS
Rapid Radiochemical Method
Phosphorus-32 (32P) in Water
Samples
EPA's rapid radiochemical methods expedite analytical
turnaround time for selected radionuclides while providing
quantitative results that meet measurement quality objectives.
Methods are applicable to samples where contamination is from
either known or unknown origins. This fact sheet is intended for
radioanalytical laboratory personnel, decision makers within the
incident command structure, additional reoccupancy decision
makers (e.g., state and local public health), and other field
environmental response personnel.
Method Summary: The method uses rapid radiochemical separation techniques for determining 32P in water
samples following a radiological or nuclear incident, A100 mL water sample is filtered and phosphate carrier is added, The
solution is passed through a cation exchange resin and then a high performance, gel-type cation resin to remove interferences
from cation radionuclides. The eluent is treated with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and concentrated nitric acid, reduced in
volume, by heating, and quantitatively transferred to a liquid scintillation vial for counting. The Cerenkov photons from the 32P
beta (1710 keV, Emax) decay are detected using a calibrated liquid scintillation counter, Following counting of the sample, an
aliquant of the final solution is used for yield determination by the inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry
(ICP-AES) method,
Time to Process: 8 hr
Includes radiochemical processing and counting
The rapid method takes approximately half the time as
other P-32 methods.
Method Application
The method is specific for 32P in drinking water and other
aqueous samples, Application of this method should be
validated by the laboratory using the protocols provided
in Method Validation Guide for Qualifvino Methods Used
bv Radiolociical Laboratories Particioatinciin Incident
Response Activities, or the protocols published bv a
recognized standards organization for method validation,
Measurement Quality Objectives
Required method uncertainty: 150 pCi/L
Analytical action level (AAL): 12,000 pCi/L
Required relative uncertainty: 13% above AAL
Minimum detectable concentration (MDC): 3 pCi/L
Sample quantity: 100 mL; 500 mL (MDC)
Count time: Less than 30 minutes; 100 minutes (MDC)
Equipment and Supplies
Balances: Analytical —0.001 g readability or better;
toploader —0,1 g readability | Hot plate or other suitable
device for reducing sample volume | Laboratory supplies:
glass beakers — 250, 400 mL; glass stirring rods;
graduated cylinders —25, 50,100, 250,1,000 mL; pipettes
— volumetric/automatic — assorted volumes down to the
microliter range; scintillation vials — 22 mL glass;
volumetric flasks —25,100, 200, 500,1,000 mL | Liquid
scintillation counter: detector capable of measuring
Cerenkov radiation | Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic
Emission Spectrometer (ICP-AES)
Sample Preservation
Analysis within 3 days of sampling: No preservation
required
Holding time >3 days: Adjust pH to <2 with concentrated
nitric acid
Waste Generated per Sample
2 mL of gel-type cation resin
10 mL of cation exchange resins
~ 2 mL extraction chromatographic resin
~ 20 mL of acidic waste
Isotopes of uranium, neptunium, and thorium, if present
in the sample originally will be contained in extraction
chromatographic resin
Contacts
Proaram: Kathv Hall Technical: John Griaas
513-379-5260 334-270-3450
hall.kathy@epa.gov griggs.john@epa.gov
Method Access:
https://www.epa.aov/sites/production/files/2015-
06/documents/p-32 epa-600-r-11-1811 11-10-11.pdf
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development, Homeland Security Research Program
EPA/600/S-17/057
March 2017

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