Amchitka Island Environmental Analysis at Idaho National Laboratory Page: 4 of 353

                                
Sample size needed for each analysis to meet the customer detection limit with accuracy
and precision in the analysis were tested in Phase 1. A trade off between detection limit,
accuracy and precision was needed in terms of availability of the samples from the
customer for some analysis. Gamma and 129I systems were calibrated with 100 g samples
of each type with specific geometry. Test results in the method development phase,
phase 1, were verified to choose the appropriate amounts of samples for radiochemistry
(actinides- Pu, U, Am, and 90Sr) and 9 Tc. As a result, 100 g tissue samples for 90Sr, 15 g
tissue and kelp samples for 99Tc, 12 g kelp samples for actinides and 90Sr, and 2 g bone
samples for actinides and 90Sr analyses were identified. Gamma spectroscopy was used
to measure 137Cs, '52Eu, and 60ro or any additional isotopes detected. Low Energy
Photon Spectrometer (LEPS) was used for I129 analysis. Samples underwent sample
pretreatment, digestions and separations for actinides (Plutonium (Pu), Uranium (I), and
Americium isotopes), Strontium-90 (90Sr), and Technetium-99 (99Tc), and alpha
spectrometry, gas flow proportional counter, and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass
Spectrometry (ICP-MS) measured the respective activities of the separated analytes. The
Radiological and Environmental Sciences Laboratory (RESL) prepared simulated
samples for the project. The developed and tested methods were applied to blind quality
control samples from RESL for external quality control or performance audits purposes.
In Phase 2, the screening tests, six batches of samples were shipped from Rutgers
University. INL analyzed samples shipped from Rutgers collected for the Amchitka
project and QC samples were included in the sample batches. These samples comprised
tissues and bones of different species of fish; tissues of other types of marine biota,
tissues and bones of a few species of birds, and different species of kelps, analogous to
the species identified in the Amchitka Science Plan'. INL used the validated methods
modified and developed for this project in Phase I B, and analyzed the samples for the
requested analyses and reported the results to the customer. INL also provided the
completed quality assurance plan2, PLN-1719, Quality Assurance Project Plan for the
Analysis of Amchitka Island Samples, a supplement to PLN-1533, Quality Assurance
Project Plan for Analytical Laboratories Department Radioanalytical Activities.
In Phase 3, the customer sent three batches of samples including kelp and bone for
actinide analyses using alpha spectrometry.
The details of sample results, QC results, and other related quality assurance documents
are included in appropriate sections.

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