Protactinium: Radionuclides

Abstract

Protactinium (Pa) is one of the rarest elements that can be found or extracted from the natural source. Protactinium can be found in soil, rocks, water, plants, and animals, but in a very low concentration. There are no uses outside of basic and experimental scientific research and no commercial applications for protactinium. 231 Pa is the most important natural isotope, while 223 Pa is the only artificial isotope. 231 Pa has become important to the scientists because 231 Pa/ 230 Th in the ocean can perform as an ocean circulation proxy. Because of its low concentrations, measurement of protactinium using thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) has become the finest and most promising technique.