Determination of the concentration and isotopic composition of uranium in environmental air filters
For many years, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has collected monthly air-particulate filter samples from a variety of environmental monitoring stations on and off site. Historically the concentration and isotopic composition of uranium collected on these filters was determined by isotope dilution using a {sup 233}U spike and thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS). For samples containing as little as 10 nanograms of uranium, ICP-MS is now used to make these measurements to the required level of precision, about 5% in the measured 235/238 and 233/238. Unless particular care is taken to control bias in the mass filter, variable mass bias limits accuracy to a few percent. Measurements of the minor isotopes 236 (if present) and 234 are also possible and provide useful information for identifying the source of the uranium. The advantage of ICP-MS is in rapid analysis, {approximately}12 minutes of instrument time per sample.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 10185825
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-JC-117582; CONF-9410207-1; ON: DE95000669; TRN: 94:008940
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Symposium on applications of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to radionuclide determinations,Gatlinburg, TN (United States),11-13 Oct 1994; Other Information: PBD: 26 Aug 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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