ASTM_C_999_-_17.pdf

Designation:C99917Standard Practice forSoil Sample Preparation for the Determination ofRadionuclides1This standard is issued under the fixed designation C999;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 This practice covers the preparation of surface soilsamples collected for analysis of radionuclide constituents,particularly uranium and plutonium.This practice describesone acceptable approach to the preparation of soil samples forradiochemical analysis.1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded asstandard.The values given in parentheses are for informationonly.1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.A specific hazardstatement is given in 7.3.1.4 This international standard was developed in accor-dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-ization established in the Decision on Principles for theDevelopment of International Standards,Guides and Recom-mendations issued by the World Trade Organization TechnicalBarriers to Trade(TBT)Committee.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2C859 Terminology Relating to Nuclear MaterialsC998 Practice for Sampling Surface Soil for RadionuclidesC1402 Guide for High-Resolution Gamma-Ray Spectrom-etry of Soil SamplesE11 Specification for Woven Wire Test Sieve Cloth and TestSieves3.Terminology3.1 Except as otherwise defined herein,definitions of termsare as given in Terminology C859.4.Summary of Practice4.1 Guidance is provided for the preparation of a homoge-neous soil sample from ten composited core samples(aggre-gate weight of 4 to 5 kg)collected as to be representative of thearea.5.Significance and Use5.1 Soil samples prepared for radionuclide analyses by thispractice can be used to characterize radionuclide constituents.This practice is intended to produce a homogeneous samplefrom which smaller aliquots may be drawn for radionuclidecharacterization.5.2 Many soil characterization plans for radionuclide con-stituents utilize gamma-ray spectrometry measurements of soilto quantify a number of possible gamma emitting analytes.Awidely used practice for these measurements is to fill acalibrated sample container,such as a Marinelli beaker(;600-mL volume),with a homogenized soil sample forcounting such as what may be done using Guide C1402.Bypreparing the entire soil core collection,sufficient homoge-neous sample is available for such gamma-ray spectrometryand other radiochemical measurements.6.Apparatus6.1 Scale,capacity of 10 kg.6.2 Drying Oven,able to maintain 62C.6.3 Pans,disposable aluminum.6.4 Jar Mill,capacity for 7.57-L(2-gal)cans.6.5 Steel Cans and Lids,7.57-L(2-gal).6.6 Ceramic Rods,21 by 21-mm(1316by1316-in.)or steelgrinding balls,25.4-mm(1-in.)diameter.6.7 Sieve,U.S.Series No.35(500-m or 32 mesh).6.8 Plastic Bottles,7.57-L(2-gal).1This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee C26 on NuclearFuel Cycleand is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee C26.05 on Methods ofTest.Current edition approved June 1,2017.Published July 2017.Originally approvedin 1983.Last previous edition approved in 2010 as C999 05(2010)1.DOI:10.1520/C0999-17.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United StatesThis international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for theDevelopment of International Standards,Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade(TBT)Committee.1 7.Procedure7.1 Label a cleaned 7.57-L(2gal)steel can and lid with aunique laboratory code number.7.2 Weigh the labeled steel can and lid.Record the weight.7.3 Transfer the ten soil cores(including vegetation)fromthe field collection containers,such as may have been collectedusing Practice C998,into the labeled,preweighed steel can.Donot pack the can full.Place the steel lid loosely on the can.(WarningWear gloves throughout the preparation procedureto minimize the possibility of fungus infection.)7.4 Weigh the sample cores,steel can,and lid to 650 g.Record the weight.7.5 Remove the lid and place the sample in a 110C dryingoven for 24 h or longer,depending on the depth of soil in thecan,until the sample has reached constant weight.7.6 Remove the sample from the oven