Determination of plutonium concentration and its isotopic ratio in environmental materials by ICP-MS after separation using ion-exchange and extraction chromatography

• Published in: Journal of analytical atomic spectrometry 1999, Vol.14 (5), p.859-865
• Main Authors: MURAMATSU, Y, UCHIDA, S, TAGAMI, K, YOSHIDA, S, FUJIKAWA, T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analytical chemistry; Applied sciences; Chemistry; Exact sciences and technology; Global environmental pollution; Pollution; Spectrometric and optical methods
• ISSN: 0267-9477; 1364-5544
• DOI: 10.1039/a900071b

The analytical procedures involved in the determination of plutonium-239 and plutonium-240 in environmental samples were studied. The separation of plutonium using ion-exchange chromatography on Dowex 1X8 resin and extraction chromatography on TEVA resin was compared. Both resins provided sufficient decontamination factors for many matrix elements including uranium. The detection limit for plutonium by ICP-MS was 0.02 pg per ml, corresponding to 0.1 pg in the sample. ICP-MS permitted the measurement of the plutonium-240/239 ratio. The method was validated by the analysis of 4 certified reference materials: IAEA-135 (Irish sea sediment); IAEA-SOIL-6 (Austrian soil); IAEA-368 (Ocean sediment); and IAEA-134 (fish flesh). The results for plutonium-239 and -240 were in good agreement with certified values. The plutonium-240/239 ratios for the 4 reference materials, for which there are few data in the literature, were 0.211, 0.191, 0.043 and 0.200, respectively. The chemical yields using Dowex 1X8 ranged from 54-99 per cent, and those using TEVA from 46-80 per cent. The decontamination factor for uranium was also better with Dowex 1X8 than with TEVA. The ICP-MS technique has several advantages over alpha-spectrometry, including simplicity and the ability to determine the plutonium-240/239 ratio. There are 34 references.