Some observations on the determination of radionuclides by inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry

Five years of determining radionuclides by inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) at the Savannah River Site has led to the development of some procedures that facilitate the interpretation of high level waste radionuclides. ICP-MS has been shown to be superior to counting techniques in a number of applications, particularly in cases where trace determinations are required in the presence of highly radioactive matrices. We have routinely measured actinide isotopics at levels below 1 ng/mL in solutions containing μCi/mL levels of 137Cs With no analytical separations. Information on graphical and statistical treatment of ICP-MS data will be presented as well as some approaches to studying sample open-quotes wash-outclose quotes times by single-ion monitoring