Determination of the Concentration and Isotope Ratio of Uranium in Soil and Water by Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) was used to determine the concentration and isotope ratio of uraniumcontained in samples of soil and groundwater collected from Korea. Quantification of uranium in ground water samples was performedby isotope dilution mass spectrometry. A series of chemical treatment processes, including chemical separation usingextraction chromatography, was applied to the soil samples to extract the uranium. No treatments other than filtration wereapplied to the groundwater samples. Isotopic analyses by TIMS showed that the isotope ratios of uranium in both the soil andwater samples were indistinguishable from those of naturally abundant uranium. The concentration of uranium in the groundwatersamples was within the U.S. acceptable standards for drinking water. These results demonstrate the utility of TIMS for monitoringuranium in environmental samples with high analytical reliability.