Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

In situ determination of 238Pu in the presence of uranium by triple quadrupole ICP-MS (ICP-QQQ-MS)

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this work, a direct determination of 238Pu determination using reactive gases, CO2 and H2 in triple quadrupole ICP-MS without prior radiochemical separation resins has been established. Quantification of 0.25 pg/mL 238Pu sample mixture (1.18 pg of 238Pu) yielded satisfactory results (> 95% accuracy), uncertainties of less than 15% and in the presence of spiked natural U (0.5 ng/mL). Additional verification of this method was performed using certified ratio materials (IRMM-086, Belgium) and experimental 238Pu/239Pu and 240Pu/239Pu values are analogous to the certified values provided.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Vajda N, Kim C-K (2010) Determination of Pu isotopes by alpha spectrometry: a review of analytical methodology. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 283:203–223. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-009-0342-x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Becker JS (2005) Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and laser ablation ICP-MS for isotope analysis of long-lived radionuclides. Int J Mass Spectrom 242:183–195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijms.2004.11.009

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Wieser ME, Schwieters JB (2005) The development of multiple collector mass spectrometry for isotope ratio measurements. Int J Mass Spectrom 242:97–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijms.2004.11.029

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Greis C, Karlsson S, Düker A, Pettersson H, Allard B (2008) Determination of plutonium in environmental samples with quadrupole ICP-MS. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 275:55–70. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-006-7004-z

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Esaka F, Yasuda K, Suzuki D, Miyamoto Y, Magara M (2017) Analysis of plutonium isotope ratios including 238Pu/239Pu in individual U–Pu mixed oxide particles by means of a combination of alpha spectrometry and ICP-MS. Talanta 165:122–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2016.12.041

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Olufson KP, Moran G (2016) Polyatomic interference removal using a collision reaction interface for plutonium determination in the femtogram range by quadrupole ICP-MS. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 308:639–647. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4483-9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Vais V, Li C, Cornett J (2004) Separation of plutonium from uranium using reactive chemistry in a bandpass reaction cell of an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Anal Bioanal Chem 380:235–239. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-004-2673-3

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Tanner SD, Li C, Vais V, Baranov VI, Bandura DR (2004) Chemical resolution of Pu+ from U+ and Am+ using a band-pass reaction cell inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Anal Chem 76:3042–3048. https://doi.org/10.1021/ac049899j

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Krachler M, Alvarez-Sarandes R (2016) Capabilities of high resolution ICP-OES for plutonium isotopic analysis. Microchem J 125:196–202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.microc.2015.11.028

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Aggarwal SK, Alamelu D, Khodade PS, Shah PM (2007) Determination of 238Pu in plutonium bearing fuels by thermal ionization mass spectrometry. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 273:775–778. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-007-0947-x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Tiong LYD, Ho MLD, Pong BK, Webster RD (2017) A rapid method for quantifying 238Pu in the presence of natural 238U via quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and utilizing a resin-based extraction procedure. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 314:1347–1351. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-017-5507-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Xing S, Zhang W, Qiao J, Hou X (2018) Determination of ultra-low level plutonium isotopes (239Pu, 240Pu) in environmental samples with high uranium. Talanta 187:357–364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2018.05.051

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Amr MA, Helal A-FI, Al-Kinani AT, Balakrishnan P (2016) Ultra-trace determination of 90Sr, 137Cs, 238Pu, 239Pu, and 240Pu by triple quadruple collision/reaction cell-ICP-MS/MS: establishing a baseline for global fallout in qatar soil and sediments. J Environ Radioact 153:73–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.12.008

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Habibi A, Boulet B, Gleizes M, Larivière D, Cote G (2015) Rapid determination of actinides and 90Sr in river water. Anal Chim Acta 883:109–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2015.04.025

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the research funding provided by National Research Foundation, Singapore (NRF). The authors are grateful to Dr. Pong Boon Kin and Dr. Ho Mer Lin, Doris from DSO National Laboratories, Singapore for their fruitful discussions given at the beginning of this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Initiative, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Ling Ying Diane Tiong & Shimin Tan

Authors
  1. Ling Ying Diane Tiong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shimin Tan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ling Ying Diane Tiong.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tiong, L.Y.D., Tan, S. In situ determination of 238Pu in the presence of uranium by triple quadrupole ICP-MS (ICP-QQQ-MS). J Radioanal Nucl Chem 322, 399–406 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06695-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06695-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation