Chapter 6
Determination of Trace Amounts of Tc
by Electrochemical Methods
Today, technetium is continuously released into the natural environment as a result
of human activity in the fields of the nuclear industry and the nuclear medicine. It is
estimated the uranium isotopes enrichment processes carried out in 1980s led to the
release of the technetium in the amount which is an equivalent to 8 GBq of
99 Tc per
1000 MWe of power produced in a nuclear reactor using such enriched fuel (Desmet
and Myttenaere 1986). Additional about 20 GBq of Tc has been released into the
environment as a result of diagnostic examinations conducted with application of
99m Tc labeled radiopharmaceuticals (Shi et al. 2012). Results of determination of
the
99 Tc concentration in water, soil and living organisms clearly indicate that this
element is present in measurable quantities in the contemporary environment. As an
example, the technetium content in seawater and soil in Japan was determined at a
level of 1/10 μBq dm
−3 and 4/88 mBq kg
−1 , respectively (Takahashi 2017). For this
reason, there is a growing interest in development of fast and low-cost methods of
determination of this element in environmental samples. Very popular are methods
based on application of mass spectroscopy (MS) as has been presented in a review
article by Shi et al. (2012).
Alongside frequently used MS-based approaches, e.g., ICP–MS (Inductively
coupled plasma mass spectrometry) also radiometric techniques, such as LSC (Liquid
scintillation counting) or NAA (Neutron activation analysis), are widely applied to
the Tc quantification. In general, these techniques exhibit a low detection limit of Tc,
usually at a level of 10
−12 /10
−15 g. Advanced mass spectrometry (RIMS: Resonance
ionization mass spectrometry) is able to determine Tc at a level of 10
7 atoms in a
sample (Rimke et al. 1990). Application of RIMS, however, may be expensive and
this is the main disadvantage of the method. It is worth to mention that methods
based on a gravimetric analysis of practically insoluble high molecular mass salts
of technetium, such as tetraphenylarsonium pertechnetate, which determine Tc at
a level of mg (Jasim et al. 1960) are no longer developed and seem to be of only
historical interest today.
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
M. Chotkowski and A. Czerwi´ nski, Electrochemistry of Technetium,
Monographs in Electrochemistry, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62863-5_6
143
Determination of Trace Amounts of Tc
by Electrochemical Methods
Today, technetium is continuously released into the natural environment as a result
of human activity in the fields of the nuclear industry and the nuclear medicine. It is
estimated the uranium isotopes enrichment processes carried out in 1980s led to the
release of the technetium in the amount which is an equivalent to 8 GBq of
99 Tc per
1000 MWe of power produced in a nuclear reactor using such enriched fuel (Desmet
and Myttenaere 1986). Additional about 20 GBq of Tc has been released into the
environment as a result of diagnostic examinations conducted with application of
99m Tc labeled radiopharmaceuticals (Shi et al. 2012). Results of determination of
the
99 Tc concentration in water, soil and living organisms clearly indicate that this
element is present in measurable quantities in the contemporary environment. As an
example, the technetium content in seawater and soil in Japan was determined at a
level of 1/10 μBq dm
−3 and 4/88 mBq kg
−1 , respectively (Takahashi 2017). For this
reason, there is a growing interest in development of fast and low-cost methods of
determination of this element in environmental samples. Very popular are methods
based on application of mass spectroscopy (MS) as has been presented in a review
article by Shi et al. (2012).
Alongside frequently used MS-based approaches, e.g., ICP–MS (Inductively
coupled plasma mass spectrometry) also radiometric techniques, such as LSC (Liquid
scintillation counting) or NAA (Neutron activation analysis), are widely applied to
the Tc quantification. In general, these techniques exhibit a low detection limit of Tc,
usually at a level of 10
−12 /10
−15 g. Advanced mass spectrometry (RIMS: Resonance
ionization mass spectrometry) is able to determine Tc at a level of 10
7 atoms in a
sample (Rimke et al. 1990). Application of RIMS, however, may be expensive and
this is the main disadvantage of the method. It is worth to mention that methods
based on a gravimetric analysis of practically insoluble high molecular mass salts
of technetium, such as tetraphenylarsonium pertechnetate, which determine Tc at
a level of mg (Jasim et al. 1960) are no longer developed and seem to be of only
historical interest today.
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
M. Chotkowski and A. Czerwi´ nski, Electrochemistry of Technetium,
Monographs in Electrochemistry, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62863-5_6
143