APPLICATION OF THE MICROWAVE-OVEN TO THE PRETREATMENT OF MACROSAMPLES IN ENVIRONMENTAL-RADIOACTIVITY MONITORING

In order to reduce the sample pretreatment in the measurements of gamma- and beta-emitter radionuclides in environmental analysis, we present the application of the microwave oven to dry different environmental macrosamples such as vegetables, milk, meat, fish, soil and sediment. We have also studied this technique to evaporate water (rain water and seawater) and to optimize acid digestion of sediments. The results show that the microwave oven gives good results for drying environmental macrosamples, forevaporating water samples when applied in acid atack. With the porposed procedures, time of analysis shortened dramatically.