Application of Mass Spectrometry for Analysis of Cesium and Strontium in Environmental Samples Obtained in Fukushima Prefecture

Abstract

For the assessment of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, the applicability of the thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS), which is a type of mass spectrometry, was studied. For the study of the recovery/analysis method of cesium and strontium, at first, the radioactive cesium and strontium were generated by the irradiation of natural uranium at KUR. After this study, the applicability of this method to the environmental samples obtained in Fukushima prefecture was verified.

Analysis of cesium isotope compositions in environmental samples by thermal ionization mass spectrometry-3

“…They analyzed the isotopic composition of Cs in rainwater, plant samples, and soil samples: rainwater and soil samples were analyzed by ICP-MS [1,5,6], and plant samples were analyzed by TIMS [2][3][4]. These results showed that the 135 Cs/ 137 Cs isotopic ratio in the environmental samples obtained in/around Fukushima prefecture was different from that of GF and the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (CNPP).…”

“…These results showed that the 135 Cs/ 137 Cs isotopic ratio in the environmental samples obtained in/around Fukushima prefecture was different from that of GF and the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (CNPP). In addition, Shibahara et al determined the 134 Cs/ 137 Cs activity ratio in plant samples using TIMS, suggesting that 2D analysis of radioactive Cs was useful for source analysis [2][3][4].…”

“…The application of mass spectrometry to the analysis of radioactive Cs released from the accident at FDNPP has been intensively studied by Shibahara et al [2][3][4] and others [1,5,6]. They analyzed the isotopic composition of Cs in rainwater, plant samples, and soil samples: rainwater and soil samples were analyzed by ICP-MS [1,5,6], and plant samples were analyzed by TIMS [2][3][4].…”

“…The underexploited applicability of mass spectrometry to analysis of the radioactive Cs released from the accident site of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) has been emphasized [1][2][3][4][5][6][7], although almost all existing studies have utilized γ -spectrometry. The main advantage of mass spectrometry is that 135 Cs having a half-life (T 1/2 ) of 2.3 × 10 6 y is detectable in addition to 134 Cs (T 1/2 = 2.06 y) and 137 Cs (T 1/2 = 30.2 y).…”

“…The main advantage of mass spectrometry is that 135 Cs having a half-life (T 1/2 ) of 2.3 × 10 6 y is detectable in addition to 134 Cs (T 1/2 = 2.06 y) and 137 Cs (T 1/2 = 30.2 y). Mass spectrometry has been used for: (1) twodimensional (2D) analysis of radioactive Cs by monitoring the 134 Cs/ 137 Cs and 135 Cs/ 137 Cs ratios until the signal of 134 Cs became lower than the detection limit [2][3][4], and (2) source analysis of radioactive Cs from nuclear weapons test [7][8][9] and from nuclear facilities [10][11][12][13].…”