title: Determination of uranium isotopes in food and environmental samples by different techniques: a comparison.
abstract: The uranium concentration in 59 samples of bottled and tap water, mainly from northern Italy, was measured by different techniques. Results obtained by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), semiconductor alpha spectrometry and low level liquid scintillation counting with alpha/beta discrimination (LSC) have been compared. High resolution gamma spectrometry and semiconductor alpha spectrometry have been used to analyse uranium in a variety of organic and inorganic samples. Isotopic secular equilibrium in the 238U series may be lacking or hidden by auto-absorption phenomena, so caution should be used in evaluating gamma spectrometry data. Alpha spectrometry has also been used to ascertain the possible pollution from depleted uranium in the environment.
authors.affiliation: ARPA Lombardia, Division of Radiological Protection Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Forte
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rusconi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Margini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Abbate
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maltese
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Badalamenti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bellinzona
mesh_terms: D005507:Food Contamination, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007554:Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D007558:Italy; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012588:Scintillation Counting; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D007554:Isotopes; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014501:Uranium