Determination of 226Ra at ultratrace level in mineral water samples by sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.
An analytical procedure has been proposed for the determination of (226)Ra at the low femtogram per ml concentration level in mineral water samples using double focusing sector field ICP-MS (ICP-SFMS). For the pre-concentration and separation of radium from the matrix elements in water a tandem of a laboratory-prepared filter, based on MnO(2), and Eichrom "Sr-specific" resin was used. The recovery of the method was determined to be 70.5%. The limit of detection for (226)Ra determination was 0.02 fg ml(-1), including a pre-concentration factor of 10. In addition, uranium concentration and uranium isotope ratios were measured by ICP-SFMS. In several mineral water samples with a relatively high uranium content, (226)Ra concentrations were found between 0.7-15 fg ml(-1). The effective dose of the contribution was calculated using the radionuclide concentration and dose conversion factors from the World Health Organization, WHO (1993). Assuming a mineral water consumption of 2 l d(-1), a slightly higher calculated dose than the suggested limit for drinking water (0.1 mSv y(-1)) was found in some samples.
Zoriy
Miroslav V
MV
Central Division of Analytical Chemistry, Research Centre Juelich, D-52425, Juelich, Germany.
Varga
Zoltan
Z
Pickhardt
Carola
C
Ostapczuk
Peter
P
Hille
Ralf
R
Halicz
Ludwik
L
Segal
Irina
I
Becker
J Sabine
JS
D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis*; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D014881:Water Supply
D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive; D014501:Uranium; D011886:Radon