Development of analytical techniques for ultra trace amounts of nuclear materials in environmental samples using ICP-MS for safeguards

The authors have begun to develop analytical techniques for ultra trace amo unts of nuclear materials and to prepare a clean chemistry laboratory for e nvironmental sample analyses. The analytical techniques include bulk and pa rticle analyses. For the bulk analysis, concentrations and isotopic ratios of U and/or Pu are determined by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectromet ry (ICP-MS) and thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS). In the particl e analysis, isotopic ratios of U and/or Pu in each particle will be measure d by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). This paper reports on the outl ine for the development of analytical techniques and the current situation of the development of the bulk analysis using ICP-MS is described. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.