Determination of natural and depleted uranium in urine at the ppt level: an interlaboratory analytical exercise.
An analytical exercise was initiated in order to determine those procedures with the capability to measure total uranium and uranium (238U/235U) isotopic ratios in urine samples containing >0.02 microg U kg-1 urine. A host laboratory prepared six identical sets of twelve synthetic urine samples containing total uranium in the range of 25 to 770 ng U kg-1 urine and with 238U/235U isotopic ratios ranging from 138 (100% NU) to 215 (51% DU). Sets of samples were shipped to five testing laboratories (four based in Canada and one based in Europe). Each laboratory utilized one of the following analytical techniques: sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-SF-MS), quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-Q-MS), thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS), and instrumental/delayed neutron activation analysis (I/DNAA), in their analyses.
Ough
E A
EA
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, 11 General Crerar Crescent, Kingston, ON, Canada. edough@telus.net
Lewis
B J
BJ
Andrews
W S
WS
Bennett
L G I
LG
Hancock
R G V
RG
D'Agastino
P A
PA
D002170:Canada; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008832:Microchemistry / Q000379:methods*; D008889:Military Personnel; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011850:Radioactive Waste / Q000032:analysis*; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014501:Uranium / Q000652:urine*; D016482:Urinalysis / Q000379:methods*
D011850:Radioactive Waste; D014501:Uranium