Applying a method of chemical separation and mass spectrometry for the determination of radium-226 in surface water

Radium-226 (226 Ra) is a naturally occurring radionuclide, alpha emitter with half-life of 1 622 years originating from uranium-238 (238 U). Its presence in drinking water is a major radiological hazards, which requires constant monitoring. The analytical techniques used in the determination of 226 Ra generally require the establishment of secular equilibrium and/or tedious separation of other elements. The main objective of this paper is to demonstrate the efficiency and speed of a method of preconcentration and separation of 226 Ra in natural water samples using coprecipitation with MnO2 radius and purification by cation exchange resin Dowex 50WX8. Measurement technique was Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry and associated induced plasma ICP-Q-MS. The 226 Ra values obtained are in the range of 0,010-0,219 pg/L in natural waters analyzed