STABLE-ISOTOPE APPROACH TO FISSION-PRODUCT ELEMENT STUDIES OF SOIL-TO-PLANT TRANSFER AND IN-VITRO MODELING OF RUMINANT DIGESTION USING INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED PLASMA-MASS SPECTROMETRY

A stable isotope approach has been used to investigate two aspects of the behaviour of fission product elements in the environment and food chain using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Lim its of detection (dry mass LODs) of 0.053 mg kg(-1) for Sr, 0.011 mg k g(-1) for Cs and 0.084 mg kg(-1) for Ce were low enough to allow the d etermination of soil-to-plant transfer factors for soft fruit and the application of the approach to an in vitro model of ruminant digestion . The multi-element measurement capability of ICP-MS also permitted th e analysis of selected nutrients,including zinc, in in vitro experimen ts.