Issue 8, 2013

Determination of ultratrace 129I in soil samples by Triple Quadrupole ICP-MS and its application to Fukushima soil samples

Abstract

A method was developed for the determination of 129I in soil samples using a Triple Quadrupole ICP-MS, with the objective of investigating radioiodine released by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident. The determination of 129I by ICP-MS is capable of providing a high sample throughput compared to other methods. Nonetheless, the high background caused by 129Xe impurities in argon plasma gas and polyatomic ions such as 127IH2+ and 127ID+ has made it difficult to carry out determinations of this isotope by conventional ICP-MS instruments. In this study, oxygen was used as a reaction gas for reducing the background intensity of m/z 129, principally by 129Xe. The contribution of polyatomic ions such as 127IH2+ and 127ID+ could be effectively corrected for by assuming a production ratio of 5 × 10−9. The detection limit for 129I in solution was successfully improved. The measured 129I/127I ratios in NIST SRM 3231 Level II standard solution are consistent with the certified value of 0.981 × 10−8 within the analytical error, suggesting the reliability of the method to the measurement of 129I/127I. In order to confirm the applicability of this method to the measurement of 129I/127I ratios of Fukushima soils, samples were collected for analysis from 5–60 km away from the FDNPP. Prior to the ICP-MS measurement iodine fractions were separated from soil by pyrohydrolysis and were purified by solvent extraction. The 129I/127I ratios in the samples are consistent with values determined by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) within the analytical error. This method provides a powerful tool for the investigation of radioiodine contamination in Fukushima and elsewhere.

Graphical abstract: Determination of ultratrace 129I in soil samples by Triple Quadrupole ICP-MS and its application to Fukushima soil samples

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
02 Apr 2013
Accepted
19 Jun 2013
First published
04 Jul 2013

J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2013,28, 1283-1287

Determination of ultratrace 129I in soil samples by Triple Quadrupole ICP-MS and its application to Fukushima soil samples

T. Ohno, Y. Muramatsu, Y. Shikamori, C. Toyama, N. Okabe and H. Matsuzaki, J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2013, 28, 1283 DOI: 10.1039/C3JA50121C

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