Silica gel as a support for inorganic ion- exchangers for the determination of caesium-137 in natural waters.

The preparation and characteristics of ammonium molybdophosphate and potassium or ammonium hexacyanocobalt ferrate supported in silica gel, and their application to the determination of (137)Cs in natural waters are described. Use of columns of these materials gives better recovery of (137)Cs from natural waters (in comparison with co-precipitation with ammonium molybdophosphate), requires less exchanger, so raising the gamma-counting efficiency of (137)Cs, and permits elimination of other radionuclides by washing with hydrofluoric acid.