A rapid method for quantifying ²³⁸Pu in the presence of natural ²³⁸U via quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and utilizing a resin-based extraction procedure

A method was developed for removing the interference of ²³⁸U from samples containing ²³⁸Pu so that the Pu isotopes could be rapidly determined by ICP-MS. The acidified sample was first passed through a commercial TEVA® resin that retained all of the plutonium and some uranium. Second, the sample was further passed through a UTEVA® resin that retained all of the remaining uranium but was free of plutonium. Elution of both of the fractions retained by the two resins and analysis by ICP-MS, allowed a simple correction factor to be determined that enabled subtraction of the interference caused by ²³⁸U. (author)