Accurate assessment of the inventory of long-lived radionuclides represents a major challenge for nuclear sites. Selenium 79 is one of the seven main long-lived fission products, but very few actual measurements of 79Se in real samples are reported in the literature. Its measurement is difficult due to its low concentration in spent fuel.
The main goal of this post-doctoral project is to develop an analytical protocol for lowering the detection limit (below ng/L) for 79Se in nuclear waste, and more specifically in the zircaloy cladding of spent fuel.
The candidate will be responsible for sample preparation, establishing protocols for the separation of selenium by ion exchange chromatography, development of an ICP-MS/MS measurement method to eliminate interferences and achieve the best possible sensitivity, interpretation of the results as well as their presentation at scientific conferences and publication in peer-reviewed journals.
The post-doctorate is initially financed for one year, but may be extended for a further year to develop the measurement of 107Pd and 126Sn.