Transition of Iodine Analysis to Accelerator Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Funding was received from NA-22 to investigate transitioning iodine isotopic analyses to an accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) system. The present method uses gas-phase chemistry followed by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS). It was anticipated that the AMS approach could provide comparable data, with improved background levels and superior sample throughput. An aqueous extraction method was developed for removal of iodine species from high-volume air filters. Ethanol and sodium hydroxide, plus heating and ultrasonic treatment, were used to successfully extract iodine from loaded high-volume air filters. Portions of the same filters were also processed in the traditional method and analyzed by TIMS for comparison. Aliquot parts of the aqueous extracts were analyzed by AMS at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) personnel visited several AMS laboratories in the US, Spain, and Switzerland. Experience with AMS systems from several manufacturers was gained, and relationships were developed with key personnel at the laboratories. Three batches of samples were analyzed in Switzerland, and one in Spain. Results show that the INL extraction method successfully extracted enough iodine from high-volume air filters to allow AMS analysis. Comparison of the AMS and TIMS data is very encouraging; while the TIMS showed about forty percent more atoms of 129I, the 129/127 ratios tracked each other very well between the two methods. The time required for analysis is greatly reduced for the aqueous extraction/AMS approach. For a hypothetical batch of thirty samples, the AMS methodology is about five times faster than the traditional gas-phase chemistry and TIMS analysis. As an additional benefit, background levels for the AMS method are about 1000 times lower than for TIMS. This results from the fundamental mechanisms of ionization in the AMS system and cleanup of molecular interferences. We showed that an aqueous extraction of high-volume air filters, followed by isotopic analysis by AMS, can be used successfully to make iodine measurements with results comparable to those obtained by filter combustion and TIMS analysis.