Rapid analysis of 90 Sr in cattle bone and tooth samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

• Published in: Journal of analytical atomic spectrometry 2021-08, Vol.36 (8), p.1678-1682
• Main Authors: Koarai, Kazuma, Matsueda, Makoto, Aoki, Jo, Yanagisawa, Kayo, Terashima, Motoki, Fujiwara, Kenso, Kino, Yasushi, Oka, Toshitaka, Takahashi, Atsushi, Suzuki, Toshihiko, Shimizu, Yoshinaka, Chiba, Mirei, Osaka, Ken, Sasaki, Keiichi, Sekine, Tsutomu, Fukumoto, Manabu, Shinoda, Hisashi, Kitamura, Akihiro, Abe, Hironobu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0267-9477; 1364-5544
• DOI: 10.1039/D1JA00086A

Rapid analysis of 90 Sr in bone and tooth samples of cattle was achieved by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) coupled with mass-shift and solid-phase extraction techniques. The mass-shift technique with the O 2 reaction mode of ICP-MS was applied to the mass shift of isobaric element 90 Zr, effectively removing its interference. The solid-phase extraction technique using a Sr resin, which is a polymeric resin supported by 4,4′(5′)-bis- t -butylcyclohexano-18-crown-6, quantitatively separated 90 Sr from the interfering matrix elements and isobars in the bone and tooth samples. The activity concentrations determined by ICP-MS were comparable with those determined by the conventional radiometric method. However, the limit of detection in the ICP-MS measurement of 0.1 g samples was lower than that in the radioactivity measurement. The analytical time of the ICP-MS method was shortened from 20 days to 11 h, compared with the radiometric method. Therefore, the ICP-MS method can be a rapid and useful procedure for determination of 90 Sr in small bone and tooth samples taken from terrestrial animals.