Abstract
A sensitive and efficient flow-injection (FI) preconcentration and matrix-separation technique coupled to sector field ICP–mass spectrometry (SF-ICP–MS) has been developed and validated for simultaneous determination of ultra-low levels of uranium (U) and thorium (Th) in human urine. The method is based on selective retention of U and Th from a urine matrix, after microwave digestion, on an extraction chromatographic TRU resin, as an alternative to U/TEVA resin, and their subsequent elution with ammonium oxalate. Using a 10 mL sample, the limits of detection achieved for 238U and 232Th were 0.02 and 0.03 ng L−1, respectively. The accuracy of the method was checked by spike-recovery measurements. Levels of U and Th in human urine were found to be in the ranges 1.86–5.50 and 0.176–2.35 ng L−1, respectively, well in agreement with levels considered normal for non-occupationally exposed persons. The precision obtained for five replicate measurements of a urine sample was 2 and 3% for U and Th, respectively. The method also enables on-line measurements of the 235U/238U isotope ratios in urine. Precision of 0.82–1.04% (RSD) was obtained for 235U/238U at low ng L−1 levels, using the FI transient signal approach.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Pappas RS, Ting BG, Jarett JM, Paschal DC, Caudill SP, Miller DT (2002) J Anal At Spectrom 17:131–134
Gwiazda RH, Squibb K, McDiarmid M, Smith D (2004) Health Phys 86:12–18
Kerl W, Becker JS, Dietz H-J, Dannecker W (1997) Fresenius J Anal Chem 359:407–409
Krystek P, Ritsema R (2002) J Anal Bioanal Chem 374:226–229
Bandura DR, Baranov VI, Tanner SDJ (2000) Anal At Spectrom 15:921–928
Vanhaecke F, Moens L (2004) Anal Bioanal Chem 378:232–240
Stürup S (2004) Anal Bioanal Chem 378:237–282
Walczyk T (2004) Anal Bioanal Chem 378:229–231
Lober A, Karpas Z, Halicz L (1996) Anal Chim Acta 334:295–301
Vanhaecke F, Stevens G, De Wannemacker G, Moens L (2003) Can J Anal Sci Spectrosc 48:251–257
Haldiman M, Baduraux M, Eastgate A, Froidevaux P, O’Donovan S, Von Gunten D, Zoller O (2001) J Anal At Spectrom 16:1364–1369
Becker JS, Burow M, Boulyga SF, Pickhardt C, Hille R, Ostapczuk P (2002) At Spectrosc 23:177–182
Al-Jundi J, Werner E, Roth P, Hollriegl V, Wendler I, Schramel P (2004) J Environ Radioact 71:61–70
TrešeI, De Wannemacker G, Quétel CR, Petrov I, Vanhaecke F, Moens L, Taylor PDP (2004) Environ Sci Technol 38:581–586
Tolmachyov SYu, Kuwabara J, Noguchi H (2004) J Radioanal Nuclear Chem 261: 125–131
Egorov OB, O’Hara MJ, Farmer III OT, Grate JW (2001) Analyst 126:1594–1601
Nelms SM, Quétel CR, Prohaska T, Vogl J, Taylor PDP (2001) J Anal At Spectrom 16:333–338
Quétel CR, Prohaska T, Hamester M, Kerl W, Taylor PDP (2000) J Anal At Spectrom 15:353–358
Ingle CP, Sharp BL, Horstwood MSA, Parrish RR, Lewis DJ (2003) J Anal At Spectrom 18:219–229
Heumann KG, Gallus SM, Rädlinger G, Vogl J (1998) J Anal At Spectrom 13: 001–1008
Horwitz EP, Chiarizia R, Dietz ML, Diamond H (1993) Anal Chim Acta 281:361–372
Horwitz EP, Dietz ML, Chiarizia R, Diamond H, Essling AM, Graczyk D (1992) Anal Chim Acta 266:25–37
Magara M, Sakakibara T, Kurosawa S, Takahashi M, Sakurai S, Hanzawa Y, Esaka F, Watanabe K, Usuda S (2002) J Anal At Spectrom 17:1157–1160
Günter-Leopold I, Wernli B, Kopajtic Z, Günter D (2004) Anal Bioanal Chem 378:241–249
Carrión MC, Andrés JR, Rubí JAM, Emteborg H (2003) J Anal At Spectrom 18:437–443
Acknowledgement
The authors acknowledge CBRN Research and Technology Initiative (CRTI) and the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) for the financial support. We also would like to thank D. Brownell for the technical assistance and all the volunteers for their kind cooperation.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Benkhedda, K., Epov, V.N. & Evans, R.D. Flow-injection technique for determination of uranium and thorium isotopes in urine by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Anal Bioanal Chem 381, 1596–1603 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-005-3147-y
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-005-3147-y