Simultaneous determination of actinide isotopes by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry incorporating cascade separation step

Matsueda, Makoto   ; Kawakami, Tomohiko*; Teruyama, Yuko*; Terashima, Motoki  ; Iijima, Kazuki  ; Furukawa, Makoto*; Takagai, Yoshitaka*

Determination of actinides (e.g., Th, U, Np, Pu, Am, Cm) in contaminated water and nuclear waste is important for decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. However, traditional radiochemical analysis needs a time-consuming process and large effort. ICP-MS has the potential of rapid determination by simultaneous detection of actinides, while many isobaric interferences prevent the quantification. In this study, we developed an automatic analysis method using ICP-MS incorporating cascade separation steps (solid phase separation and gas phase reaction in the dynamic reaction cell) to simultaneously determine actinides.