Analytical Methods for the Determination of 90 Sr and 239,240 Pu in Environmental Samples.
Ningjie ZhongLili LiXiao-Fan YangYonggang ZhaoPublished in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (2022)
Artificial long-lived radionuclides such as 90 Sr and 239,240 Pu have been long released into the environment by human nuclear activities, which have a profound impact on the ecological environment. It is of great significance to monitor the concentration of these radionuclides for environmental safety. This paper summarizes and critically discusses the separation and measurement methods for ultra-trace determination of 90 Sr, 239 Pu, and 240 Pu in the environment. After selecting the measurement method, it is necessary to consider the decontamination of the interference from matrix elements and the key elements, and this involves the choice of the separation method. Measurement methods include both radiometric methods and non-radiometric methods. Radiometric methods, including alpha spectroscopy, liquid scintillation spectrometry, etc., are commonly used methods for measuring 239+240 Pu and 90 Sr. Mass spectrometry, as the representative of non-radiometric measurement methods, has been regarded as the most promising analytical method due to its high absolute sensitivity, low detection limit, and relatively short sample-analysis time. Through the comparison of various measurement methods, the future development trend of radionuclide measurement is prospected in this review. The fully automatic and rapid analysis method is a highlight. The new mass spectrometer with ultra-high sensitivity shows strong analytical capabilities for extremely low concentrations of 90 Sr, 239 Pu, and 240 Pu, and it is expected to develop determination methods with higher sensitivity and lower detection limit.