LAUSR.org creates dashboard-style pages of related content for over 1.5 million academic articles. Sign Up to like articles & get recommendations!

Interference-free determination of sub ng kg−1 levels of long-lived 93Zr in the presence of high concentrations (μg kg−1) of 93Mo and 93Nb using ICP-MS/MS

Photo from wikipedia

AbstractLong-lived high abundance radionuclides are of increasing interest with regard to decommissioning of nuclear sites and longer term nuclear waste storage and disposal. In many cases, no routine technique is… Click to show full abstract

AbstractLong-lived high abundance radionuclides are of increasing interest with regard to decommissioning of nuclear sites and longer term nuclear waste storage and disposal. In many cases, no routine technique is available for their measurement in nuclear waste and low-level (ng kg−1) environmental samples. Recent advances in ICP-MS technology offer attractive features for the selective and sensitive determination of a wide range of long-lived radionuclides. In this work, inductively coupled plasma-tandem mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS)-based methodology, suitable for accurate routine determinations of 93Zr at very low (ng kg−1) levels in the presence of high levels (μg kg−1) of the isobaric interferents 93Nb and 93Mo (often present in nuclear waste samples), is reported for the first time. Additionally, a novel and systematic strategy for method development based on the use of non-radioactive isotopes is proposed. It relies on gas-phase chemical reactions for different molecular ion formation to achieve isobaric interference removal. Using cell gas mixtures of NH3/He/H2 or H2/O2, and suitable mass shifts, the signal from the 93Nb and 93Mo isobaric interferences on 93Zr were suppressed by up to 5 orders of magnitude. The achieved limit of detection for 93Zr was 1.3 × 10−5 Bq g−1 (equivalent to 0.14 ng kg−1). The sample analysis time is 2 min, which represents a significant improvement in terms of sample throughput, compared to liquid scintillation counting methods. The method described here can be used for routine measurements of 93Zr at environmentally relevant levels. It can also be combined with radiometric techniques for use towards the standardisation of 93Zr measurements. Graphical abstractInterference-free determination of 93Zr in the presence of high concentrations of isobaric 93Mo and 93Nb by ICP-MS/MS.

Keywords: free determination; presence high; determination; 93zr presence; long lived

Journal Title: Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
Year Published: 2017

Link to full text (if available)


Share on Social Media:                               Sign Up to like & get
recommendations!

Related content

More Information              News              Social Media              Video              Recommended



                Click one of the above tabs to view related content.