title: Determination of236U in environmental samples by single extraction chromatography coupled to triple-quadrupole inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.
abstract: In order to measure trace236U and236U/238U in environmental samples with a high matrix effect, a novel and simple method was developed that makes the digestion and purification procedures compatible with advanced triple-quadrupole inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. A total dissolution of sample with HF + HNO3+ HClO4was followed by chromatographic separation with a single resin column containing normal type DGA resin (N,N,N',N'-tetra-n-octyldiglycolamide) as the extractant system. The analytical accuracy and precision of236U/238U ratios, measured as236U16O+/238U16O+, were examined by using the reference materials IAEA-135, IAEA-385, IAEA-447, and JSAC 0471. The low method detection limit (3.50 × 10-6Bq kg-1) makes it possible to perform routine monitoring of environmental236U due to global fallout combined with the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident fallout (>10-5Bq kg-1). Finally, the developed method was successfully applied to measure236U/238U ratios and236U activities in soil samples contaminated by the accident. The low236U/238U atom ratios ((1.50-13.5) × 10-8) and236U activities ((2.25-14.1) × 10-2mBq kg-1) indicate236U contamination was mainly derived from global fallout in the examined samples.
authors: Department of Radiation Chemistry, Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Hon-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori, 036-8564, Japan; Division of Nuclear Technology and Applications, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China; Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors: Guosheng
authors: G
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Radiation Chemistry, Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Hon-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori, 036-8564, Japan.
authors: Hirofumi
authors: H
authors: Tazoe
authors: Department of Radiation Chemistry, Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Hon-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori, 036-8564, Japan. Electronic address: myamada@hirosaki-u.ac.jp.
authors: Masatoshi
authors: M
authors: Yamada
keywords: (236)U activity; (236)U/(238)U; Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident; Soil; Triple-quadrupole inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry