Natural Radionuclides in Water Using Inductively Coupled Plasma - Sector Field Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Simultaneous analysis of radionuclides in water had not been performed by mass spectrometry of the magnetic sector. Some international organizations indicate that it is necessary to know the contamination of drinking-water, including radioactive aspects. The novelty of this study was to determine simultaneously radioisotope radium, thorium, uranium and lead stable. Experiments were performed in an accredited laboratory (International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission-7025:2005). The radionuclides of thorium, uranium and some of their descendants were obtained. The reported values are in the range of 7E-7-24.28 µg L-1. Their presence decreases in the order thorium>uranium>radium in drinking water and uranium>thorium>radium in seawater. These results do not represent any risk to the population because very low concentrations were determined.

Atomic spectrometry update – a review of advances in environmental analysis

“…The Re VII and Re IV species have similar physicochemical properties and electrophoretic behaviour to 99 Tc and so were determined 73 by CE-ICP-MS/MS in simulated contaminated groundwater samples as stable analogues of 99 Tc. The CE-ICP-MS interface added a sheath liquid to the CE ow to increase the ow rate for ICP-MS analysis.…”

“…The LODs were 0.01 (Re VII ) and 0.02 (total Re) mg L −1 . The authors considered this method to be a promising candidate method for monitoring 99 Tc species in contaminated groundwater.…”

“…In the ICP-MS/MS determination of radioisotopes using a commercial high-efficiency desolvating nebuliser, the 97 Mo isobaric interference on 97 Tc was eliminated 92 by adding O 2 as a reaction gas to form MoO + and MoO 2 + . Using 97 Tc as a yield tracer for 99 Tc, the absolute LOD was 0.9 fg (0.6 mBq). In a similar procedure, the 129 Xe + isobaric interference on 129 I + decreased 93 substantially when I was reacted with O 2 and measured as 129 I 16 O + at m/z 145.…”