Ultra-low-level determination of 236U in IAEA marine reference materials by ICPMS and AMS

• Published in: Applied radiation and isotopes Vol. 66; no. 6; pp. 823 - 828
• Main Authors: Lee, S.H., Povinec, P.P., Wyse, E., Hotchkis, M.A.C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-06-2008
• Subjects: Accelerator mass spectrometry; Atom ratio of 236U/ 238U; High-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry; IAEA reference material; Atom ratio of 236U/ 238U; High-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry; Accelerator mass spectrometry; IAEA reference material
• ISSN: 0969-8043; 1872-9800
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2008.02.020

The development of analytical procedures for the measurement of ultra-low levels of
236U in marine samples using high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HR-ICPMS) and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) techniques are discussed and results are presented for IAEA reference materials—marine sediments (IAEA-135, 306, 384 and 385), marine biota (IAEA-134 and 414) and seawater (IAEA-381), collected in areas affected by nuclear reprocessing plants and nuclear weapons tests. The obtained minimum detection limit of the
236U/
238U atom ratio was 1×10
−8 for AMS and 1×10
−6 for HR-ICPMS.