One uranium deposit exists in Hungary, with continuous radiological monitoring of
the site. Nuclear spectroscopical methods are well established in order to study the
problem concerning radionuclides. However, very limited information is available on
the distribution and chemical form of uranium in the tailings sludge. In order to
solve this complex analytical problem, a combination of different analytical methods
is necessary. One of the most applied methods for studying the major elemental composition
of particulate samples is electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). However, uranium and
its daughter elements are often present only at trace amounts in the particles, below
detection limit of EPMA. For most actinides that are long-lived radionuclides, micro
beam X-ray fluorescence (µ-XRF) has superior sensitivity to determine elements in
micro-particles. Detection limits and applicability of EPMA and laboratory µ-XRF are
discussed for localization of uranium-rich particles in the inhomogeneous tailings
material. Laboratory µ-XRF provided an efficient way to identify these particles that
can be easily relocated for further non-destructive microchemical investigations.
Finally, for water analysis a simple and reliable method for U analysis is presented
using total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF) that can be applied
for on-site analysis in situations of accidental uranium contamination.
