Patent ID: 7507583

Claim:
A method of analyzing soil samples for the presence of actinides comprising the steps of: a) collecting a soil sample; b) leaching said soil with an acid; c) collecting the leachate; d) fusing the collected leachate with a base at an elevated temperature; e) precipitating the fused leachate with iron hydroxide and adding cerium to enhance actinide precipitation; f) adding complexing agents to complex the carbonate followed by acid dissolution; g) re-precipitating with cerium fluoride to further separate the actinides from the soil matrix; h) oxidizing any uranium present to prevent uranium precipitation; i) adding cerium and hydrofluoric acid to precipitate the actinides; j) redissolving the cerium fluoride precipitate; k) separating the plutonium, americium, and curium using stacked cartridges; and l) assaying the plutonium, americium, and curium by alpha spectrometry.