Ultratrace determination of uranium and plutonium by nano-volume flow injection double-focusing sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (nFI–ICP-SFMS)
Abstract
A sensitive analytical procedure based on nano-volume flow injection (FI) and inductively coupled plasma double-focusing 000 238U atoms) and 1.5 × 10−17 g (6 × 10−20 mol, ∼38
000 242Pu atoms) for uranium and plutonium, respectively. The method was validated for the determination of the uranium isotope ratios by the analysis of a certified isotope reference material (NIST U350). The analysis of a contaminated urine sample showed the enriched uranium to be the origin of contamination. Another application concerned the determination of plutonium at the subfemtomolar level in