Los Alamos National Laboratory thermal ionization mass spectrometry results from intercomparison study of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, thermal ionization mass spectrometry, and fission track analysis of mu Bq quantities of Pu-239 in synthetic urine (LA-UR-001698)

In 1997, the Department of Energy, Office of International Health Programs (EH-63) contracted the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST ) to perform an intercomparison to evaluate state-of-the-art analysis techn iques for Pu-239 in synthetic urine in mu Bq quantities. Sample preparation was performed by Yankee Atomic Environmental Laboratory. Five replicate sa mples at spike amounts of 3.7, 9.26, 29.6, and 55.6 mu Bq and a blank amoun t were distributed to the participating laboratories in 200 g of synthetic urine. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) participated in the intercompa rison using thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS). LANL results, syst em improvements, and future intercomparisons are discussed.