Using lead isotope ratios to distinguish between samples of different uranium mines

In this work, a total of twenty samples selected for investigation originate from South Africa and Namibia uranium mines. The aim of this study was to determine whether the lead ratios measured in particular samples could be used to attribute the uranium sample to the production or reprocessing plant. Measurements were carried out using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer PerkinElmer NexION 2000. The precision obtained for the ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb ratio, the ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb ratio and the ²⁰⁴Pb/²⁰⁶Pb ratio values was considerably lower than 0.02% demonstrating the applicability of the technique for Pb isotope ratio studies. (author)