Exploring the ability of triple quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the determination of Pu isotopes in environmental samples

JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL ATOMIC SPECTROMETRY(2021)

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Abstract
The monitoring of Pu isotopes in environmental samples was essential for radioactive assessment and tracing the geochemical processes. Triple quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS) has shown strong ability for long-half lived radionuclide analysis with respect to interference removal capability. In this study, we explored the ability of ICP-MS/MS for the ultra-trace determination of Pu isotopes in environmental samples. The Pu sensitivity was improved more than 10 times by using an APEX-Omega high efficiency sample introduction system. The absolute detection limits for Pu-239 and Pu-240 were about 0.13 fg (0.0003 mBq) and 0.08 fg (0.0007 mBq), respectively. After the introduction of NH3 and He into the reaction cell with appropriate gas flow rates, the U hydride removal capability (UH+/U+: 1.2 x 10(-6)) was improved, while the Pu sensitivity (7400 cps ppt(-1)) was still remarkable. A simple one stage chromatographic separation method with a suitable Pu eluent was established for the separation of Pu from soil and sediment samples. The sample matrix effect and the UH+ interference were eliminated with the coupling of the separation procedure and the ICP-MS/MS detection method. Several reference materials were analyzed for the validation of the method. The results revealed that our method was suitable for the determination of Pu isotopes in environmental samples.
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Key words
pu isotopes,plasma mass spectrometry,mass spectrometry,triple quadrupole
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