CONTAINMENT ATTACHMENT FOR MIXED-WASTE ANALYSIS BY GRAPHITE-FURNACE AAS

Graphic furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) is frequently u sed to analyze samples containing toxic metals and mixed waste. The in strumentation is typically situated so as to capture any toxic or corr osive gases that are emitted when the sample aliquots are vaporized. W hen radioactive elements are present, additional concerns (such as mee ting safety guidelines adn following the ALARA concept) must be addres sed. An attachment for a GFAAS instrument has been designed, construct ed, and tested that provides additional containment of vaporized sampl e aliquots. The attachment was found to increase containment by a fact or of 80, given expected operating conditions. The use of the containm ent attachment allows a greater number of mixed-waster samples to be a nalyzed, permits higher levels of radioactive samples to be analyzed, and reduced the analyst's exposure to airborne radioactivity. The cont ainment attachment was installed on a Perkin-Elmer Zeeman 5000 spectro meter for analysis of mixed-waste samples; however, it could also be u sed on other systems and in other applications where greater containme nt of vaporized material is desired.