Analytical Sciences

Rapid Method for the Analysis of Plutonium Isotopes in a Soil Sample within 60 min

Yoshihito OHTSUKA,* Yuichi TAKAKU,* Koichi NISHIMURA,** Jyoji KIMURA,** Shun'ichi HISAMATSU,* and Jiro INABA*

*Department of Radioecology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, Rokkasho, Aomori 039-3212, Japan
**Tohoku Nuclear Co., Ltd., Misawa, Aomori 033-0024, Japan

A rapid method for the determination of Pu isotopes in a soil sample within 60 min of starting sample pretreatment was developed. The large reduction in the analysis time was attained by the rapid and perfect digestion of the sample using an alkaline fusion method with an induction heating machine. Pu concentrations were then determined by flow injection/ICP-MS using a solid extraction resin after preconcentration by batch extraction with a chelate resin. The limits of detection for ²³⁹Pu and ²⁴⁰Pu were 9.2 fg and 4.3 fg, corresponding to 0.03 and 0.05 Bq kg^-1, respectively, under our analytical conditions, which satisfy the lower detection limits (0.5 Bq kg^-1 of ²³⁹Pu, and 2 Bq kg^-1 of ²⁴⁰Pu) required for rapid analysis techniques by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan. This method provides a powerful and practical technique for emergency monitoring in and around nuclear facilities that handle large amounts of plutonium.

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