Determination of 99Tc in environmental samples and depleted uranium penetrators using ICP-MS

Abstract

A new method was developed for the determination of 99technetium (Tc) by ICP-MS. We report, for the first time, an activity of 99Tc for the reference material IAEA-315. For the IAEA-375, IAEA-373 and IAEA-381, our results confirmed the values already reported in the literature. The developed method was used for analysing sediments from the Yenisei river (collected downstream of a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant) and for characterizing corrosion products of depleted uranium penetrators that were fired during the Balkan conflict.