Identification of oxidation states of ultra-trace elements by radiation detection

The determination of the oxidation state of ultra-trace elements in the environment, especially in the case of actinides, is of importance in many ways. Speciation techniques using radiation may comprise methods based on the detection of the nuclear and atomic radiations emitted in radioactive decay or methods using external sources of excitation. In the former instance, information can be obtained from the energy and intensity of radiation, but at present the partition method is still the most commonly used, although its reliability is questionable. Excitation with intense laser beams, as is currently being used for trace element analysis in photoacoustic and thermal lensing spectroscopic techniques, could conceivably be applied under suitable conditions to ultra-trace elements with a sensitivity approaching that of the radiochemical methods. (orig.)