Interference-free determination for long-lived radionuclides based on solid-phase extraction combined with ICP-MS/MS

Do, V. K.  ; Ota, Yuki; Banjarnahor, I. M. ; Aita, Rena; Murakami, Erina; Homma, Shunta; Iwahashi, Hiroyuki; Furuse, Takahiro

The Okuma Analysis and Research Center has been established to analyze the decommissioning wastes collected from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (1F). Radioactive material analysis and research facility 1 (Laboratory-1) where analyses of the low and intermediate-level wastes are preliminarily tested has started the operation from October 2022. Among the selected radionuclides to be analyzed, long-lived radionuclides can be measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, which offers more rapid measurement and higher sensitivity compared to radiometry. The modern configuration of tandem triple quadrupoles (called ICP-QQQ-MS or ICP-MS/MS) enables the effective control of interferences that can simplify the chemical separation process and thus reduces the total time of analysis. The presentation summarizes our recent advances in research and development of analytical methods for the selected long-lived radionuclides such as Zr, Mo, Pd, Sn, and Se by ICP-MS/MS, aiming at applications to the measurement of samples collected in the vicinity of 1F. The analytical method development and recently obtained results are discussed in detail.