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- Author or Editor: D. Kottmann x
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Summary
We have developed cleanroom compatible techniques for processing bone samples for characterization of their uranium and plutonium content. The bone samples are dried and ashed in quartz crucibles placed inside cleanroom compatible thermal ashing furnaces. The bone ash is dissolved in ultra-pure acids prepared by sub-boiling distillation. The uranium and plutonium in the samples are isolated and purified by ion-exchange chromatography and measured by thermal ionization mass spectrometry. The technique is capable of detecting 74 picograms of 238U and 8 femtograms of 239Pu in 100 mg bone ash samples. If the ash contains larger amounts of uranium and plutonium, the technique can be used to isotopically fingerprint the material to identify potential origins.
Abstract
Utilization of thermal ionization mass spectrometry as a routine analytical service provided to the Los Alamos National Laboratory Bioassay Program has evolved significantly since its implementation just over three years ago. Converting this unique research tool designed to support nuclear weapons testing to a quasi-production mode for the routine analysis of ~300 urine samples/year for ultra-low levels of plutonium has required resolution of numerous practical issues. These issues include clean-room sample preparation, adequate tracer recovery, customer specified turn-around times, throughput, water and urine blank values, statistical data reduction, and quality control and performance evaluation sample requirements.
