Abstract
The existence of Pb which formed polyatomic ions such as PbCl+, PbAr+ would interfere the determination of ultra-trace Am by ICP-MS. An extraction chromatography method for the removal of Pb interference was provided in this work to improve the determination accuracy of ultra-trace Am by ICP-MS. In this study, Sr resin was applied to separate Am and Pb because of the great difference between Am and Pb on adsorption ability. The variable parameters including nitric acid concentration, loading volume, column height and loading amount were investigated to optimize the separation conditions for high recovery of Am (R(Am)) as well as high decontamination factor of Pb (DF(Pb)). The optimal separation method was recommended in the study with the recovery of Am over 99% and the decontamination factor of Pb over 2 × 105. Moreover, the method was successfully applied to the analysis of 241Am in the simulated samples.
-
Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
-
Research funding: None declared.
-
Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding this article.
References
1. Boulyga, S. F., Zoriy, M., Ketterer, M. E., Becker, J. S. Depth profiling of Pu, 241Am and 137Cs in soils from sourthern Belarus measured by ICP-MS and spectrometry. J. Environ. Monit. 2003, 5, 661. https://doi.org/10.1039/b303621a.Search in Google Scholar
2. Hou, X. L., Roos, P. Critical comparison of radio metric and massspectrometric methods for the determination of radionuclides in environmental, biological and nuclear waste samples. Anal. Chim. Acta 2008, 608, 105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2007.12.012.Search in Google Scholar
3. Maxwell, S. L., Culligan, B. K., Noyes, G. W. Rapid separation method for actinides in emergency soil samples. Radiochim. Acta 2010, 98, 793. https://doi.org/10.1524/ract.2010.1785.Search in Google Scholar
4. Horwitz, E. P., Dietz, M. L., Chiarizia, R., Diamond, H., Maxwell, S. L., Nelson, M. R. Separation and preconcentration of actinides by extraction chromatography using a supported liquid anion exchanger: application to the characterization of high-level nuclear waste solutions. Anal. Chim. Acta 1995, 310, 63. https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-2670(95)00144-o.Search in Google Scholar
5. Vajda, N., Törvényi, A., Kis-Benedek, G., Kim, C. K., Bene, B., Mácsik, Z. Rapid method for the determination of actinides in soil and sediment samples by alpha spectrometry. Radiochim. Acta 2009, 97, 395. https://doi.org/10.1524/ract.2009.1638.Search in Google Scholar
6. Lee, M. H., Ahn, H. J., Park, K. S. Rapid sequential determination of Pu, 90Sr and 241Am nuclides in environmental samples using an anion exchange and Sr-Spec resins. Appl. Radiat. Isot. 2011, 69, 295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2010.09.018.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
7. Jakopič, R., Takopič, P., Benedik, L. Sequential determination of Pu and Am radioisotopes in environmental samples; a comparison of two separation procedures. Appl. Radiat. Isot. 2007, 65, 504; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2006.12.005.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
8. Amoli, H. S., Baker, J. New approaches for the separation and determination of americium in soil samples using short column chromatography and alpha spectroscopy. J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 2012, 293, 731. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-012-1846-3.Search in Google Scholar
9. Macsik, Z., Groska, J., Vajda, N., Vogt, S., Kis-Benedek, G., Kim, C. S., Maddison, A., Donohue, D. Improved radioanalytical method for the simultaneous determination of Th, U, Np, Pu and Am(Cm) on a single TRU column by alpha spectrometry and ICP-MS. Radiochim. Acta 2013, 101, 241. https://doi.org/10.1524/ract.2013.2025.Search in Google Scholar
10. Maxwell, S. L., Jones, V. D. Rapid determination of actinides in urine by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and alpha spectrometry: a hybrid approach. Talanta 2009, 80, 143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2009.06.041.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
11. Vajda, N. A., Kim, C. K. Determination of 241Am isotope: a review of analytical methodology. J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 2010, 284, 341. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-010-0475-y.Search in Google Scholar
12. Byrne, A. R., Komosa, A. Possibilities for determination of 241Am in environmental samples by gamma counting, with and without radiochemistry. Sci. Total Environ. 1993, 130/131, 197. https://doi.org/10.1016/0048-9697(93)90074-g.Search in Google Scholar
13. Warwick, P. E., Croudance, I. W., Oh, J. S. Radiochemical determination of 241Am and Pu(α) in environmental materials. Anal. Chem. 2001, 73, 3410. https://doi.org/10.1021/ac001510e.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
14. Talvitie, N. A. Electrodeposition of actinides for alpha spectrometric determination. Anal. Chem. 1972, 2, 280. https://doi.org/10.1021/ac60310a013.Search in Google Scholar
15. Marly, N. A., Gaffney, J. S., Orlandini, K. A., Drayton, Cunningham P. J. An improved method for the separation of 210Bi and 210Po from 210Pb by solid-phase extraction disk mem-branes: environmental applications. Radiochim. Acta 1999, 85, 71; https://doi.org/10.1524/ract.1999.85.12.71.Search in Google Scholar
16. Bomben, A. M., Equillor, H. E., Oliveira, A. A. Simultaneous biphasic liquid scintillation determination of americium and plutonium. J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 1994, 1, 27. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02132408.Search in Google Scholar
17. Larivière, D., Benkhedda, K., Stephen, K., Johnson, S., Cornett, J. Rapid and automated sequential determination of ultra-trace long-lived actinides in air filters by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Anal. Methods 2010, 2, 259; https://doi.org/10.1039/B9AY00197B.Search in Google Scholar
18. Chartier, F., Aubert, M., Pilier, M. Determination of Am and Cm in spent nuclear fuels by isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry after separation by high-performance liquid chromatography. Fresenius’ J. Anal. Chem. 1999, 364, 320. https://doi.org/10.1007/s002160051343.Search in Google Scholar
19. Xiao, G., Saunders, D., Jones, R. L., Caldwell, K. L. Determination of 241Am in urine using sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SF-ICP-MS). J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 2014, 301, 285. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-014-3103-4.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central
20. Zheng, J., Yamada, M. Isotope dilution sector-field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry combined with extraction chromatography for rapid determination of 241Am in marine sediment samples: a case study in sagami bay, Japan. J. Oceanogr. 2008, 64, 541. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-008-0045-x.Search in Google Scholar
21. Aggarwal, S. K. A review on the mass spectrometric studies of americium: present status and future perspective. Mass Spectrom. Rev. 2016, 37, 43. https://doi.org/10.1002/mas.21506.Search in Google Scholar
22. Zhang, W. C., Lin, J. F., Zhang, H. T., Fang, S.Jr., Li, C., Yi, X. W., Dang, H. J., Xu, Y. H., Wang, W., Xu, J. Determination of ultra-trace level 241Am in soil by triple-quadrupole inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry with mass-shift mode combined with chemical separation. J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 2022, 37, 1044; https://doi.org/10.1039/d1ja00403d.Search in Google Scholar
23. Zhang, W. C., Zhang, H. T., Fang, S., Hou, X. L., Zhang, L. Y., Dang, H. J., Yi, X. W., Zhai, S. J., Wang, W., Xu, J. Determination of ultra-low level 241Am in soil and sediment using chemicalseparation and triple quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry measurement with He-NH3 as collision-reaction gas. Spectrochim. Acta B 2021, 178, 106113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2021.106113.Search in Google Scholar
24. Lin, J., Liu, Y. S., Yang, Y. Y., Hu, Z. C. Calibration and correction of LA-ICP-MS and LA-MC-ICP-MS analyses forelement contents and isotopic ratios. Solid Earth Sci. 2016, 1, 5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sesci.2016.04.002.Search in Google Scholar
25. Xing, S., Zhang, W. C., Qiao, J. X., Hou, X. L. Determination of ultra-low level plutoniumisotopes (239Pu, 240Pu) in environmental samples with high uranium. Talanta 2018, 187, 357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2018.05.051.Search in Google Scholar
26. Hou, X. L., Zhang, W. C., Wang, Y. Y. Determination of femtogram-level plutonium isotopes in environmental and forensic samples with high-level uranium using chemical separation and ICP-MS/MS measurement. Anal. Chem. 2019, 91, 11553. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.9b01347.Search in Google Scholar
27. Wang, Z. T., Zheng, J., Tagami, K., Uchida, S. Extraction behaviors of interfering elements on TRU and DGA resins for 241Am determination by mass spectrometry. J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 2017, 312, 151. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-017-5196-z.Search in Google Scholar
28. Wang, Z. T., Zheng, J., Cao, L. G., Tagami, K., Uchida, S. Method for ultra-trace level 241Am determination in large soil samples by sector field-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: with emphasis on the removal of spectral interferences and matrix effect. Anal. Chem. 2016, 88, 7387. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.6b01934.Search in Google Scholar
29. Varga, Z. Application of inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry for low-level environmental americium-241 analysis. Anal. Chim. Acta 2007, 587, 165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2007.01.051.Search in Google Scholar
30. Liu, X. H., Gao, Y. T., Sardar, K., Duan, G., Chen, A. K., Ling, L., Zhao, L., Liu, Z. H., Wu, X. C. Accumulation of Pb,Cu,and Zn in native plants growing on contaminated sites and their potential accumulation capacity in Heqing, Yunnan. J. Environ. Sci. 2008, 20, 1469. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1001-0742(08)62551-6.Search in Google Scholar
31. Sinharoy, P., Khan, P. J., Nair, D., Jagasia, P., Anitha, M., Dhami, P. S., Sharma, J. N., Kaushik, C. P., Banerjee, K. Separation of americium (III) and strontium (II) using TEHDGA and 18-crown-6. Radiochim. Acta 2017, 105, 1. https://doi.org/10.1515/ract-2016-2646.Search in Google Scholar
32. Massaux, J., Desreux, J. F. An electrochemical investigation of the effect of macrocycle ring size on the binding of di- and trivalent lanthanide cations by 12-crown-4, 15-crown-5, 4-tert-butylbenzo-15-crown-5, and dibenzo-30-crown-10 in propylene carbonate. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1982, 104, 2967. https://doi.org/10.1021/ja00375a004.Search in Google Scholar
33. Mohapatra, P. K., Manchanda, V. K. Complexation of americium(III) with crown ethers in aqueous phase. Radiochim. Acta 1991, 55, 193. https://doi.org/10.1524/ract.1991.55.4.193.Search in Google Scholar
34. Fan, F. Y., Liu, H. R., Liang, J. C., Sun, H. W., Zhang, J., Pan, D. Q. Rapid separation of Po-210 from Pb-210 based on the usage of a commercial Sr-Specific chromatographic resin. J. Environ. Radioact. 2020, 211, 106083. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.106083.Search in Google Scholar
35. Filosofov, D. V., Lebedev, N. A., Radchenko, V., Rakhimov, A. V., Happel, S., Roesch, F. Behavior of actinium, alkaline, and rare earth elements in Sr-Resin/Mineral acid systems. Solvent Extr. Ion Exch. 2015, 5, 496. https://doi.org/10.1080/07366299.2015.1046293.Search in Google Scholar
36. Horwitz, E. P., Chiarizia, R., Dietz, M. L. A novel strontium-selective extraction chromatographic resin. Solvent Extr. Ion Exch. 1992, 2, 313. https://doi.org/10.1080/07366299208918107.Search in Google Scholar
37. Honvitz, E. P., Dietz, M. L., Rhoads, S., Felinto, C., Gale, N. H., Houghton, J. A lead-selective extraction chromatographic resin and its application to the isolation of lead from geological samples. Anal. Chim. Acta 1994, 292, 263; https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-2670(94)00068-9.Search in Google Scholar
38. Fan, J. L., Zhang, S. D., Lu, J. C., Liu, J., Zhang, X. L., Ding, Y. Q., Chang, Y. F. Separation of hafnium from tungsten by extraction chromatography with TOA in HCl–H2O2 mixture. J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 2010, 284, 93. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-010-0481-0.Search in Google Scholar
© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
