Automated chromatographic separation coupled on-line to ICP-MS measurements for the quantification of actinides and radiostrontium in soil samples A. Habibi 1 • N. Cariou 2 • B. Boulet 2 • C. Cossonnet 2 • R. Gurriaran 2 • M. Gleizes 3 • G. Cote 4 • D. Larivie `re 5 Received: 13 April 2017 Ó Akade ´miai Kiado ´, Budapest, Hungary 2017 Abstract A new protocol for the rapid quantification of actinides (U, Th, Pu, Am and Np) and 90 Sr in soil samples has been developed. This protocol includes three steps: (1) an alkaline fusion digestion, (2) an automated separation and (3) an on-line ICP-MS measurement. Eluted fraction containing strontium can be collected to quantify radiostrontium using off-line radiometric techniques. After an optimization of the separation protocol using a design of experiments, excellent figures of merit are achieved. These figures include high chemical recoveries ( [ 80%) for all radionuclides investigated, low quantification limits for actinides and concordance between measured activities and reference values. This protocol allows the automated treatment (sample dissolution included) of up to 10 sam- ples in 24 h. Keywords Alkaline fusion Á Automated separation Á On-line measurement Á ICP-MS Introduction In case of a nuclear incident or accident, the rapid quan- tification of released actinides and radiostrontium in the environment is essential. In fact, due to their significant contribution to the internal dose, alpha and beta emitters (such as actinides and radiostrontium) can induce health issues if inhaled or ingested. To ascertain the level of exposure of populations, a number of methods for the rapid determination of alpha and beta emitters describing strategies to enhance sample throughput and minimize counting time have been published during the last decades, especially following the Chernobyl accident [1, 2]. The majorities of these methods employ nuclear detectors e.g., alpha spectrometry, liquid scintillation and gas propor- tional counting. However, over the last decade, the use of extraction chromatography (EXC) and mass spectrometry techniques such as thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS), accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and induc- tively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to further speed up the quantification process have emerged as tools to fulfill our need for rapid radioanalytical methods for long lived radionuclides. EXC is indeed faster than any other separation techniques and provide smaller waste volumes due to the larger surface interactions between the organic supported phase and the dissolved sample. From a detection point-of-view, ICP-MS measurement is still more convenient than AMS and TIMS to quantify actinides due to its rapidity, sensitivity and the low capital costs. 90 Sr quantification by ICP-MS is more challenging because of its short half-life (t 1/2 = 30 years) and isobaric and poly- atomic interferences (e.g., 90 Zr and 1 H 89 Y). Publications concerning the reduction of these interferences by elec- trothermal vaporization (ETV) [3], cold plasma [4] or dynamic reaction cell (DRC) [5] [6] [7] have been & A. Habibi azza.habibi@irsn.fr 1 IRSN/PRP-ENV/STEME/LTE, 31 rue de l’e ´cluse, 78116 Le Ve ´sinet, France 2 IRSN/PRP-ENV/STEME/LMRE, Rue du belve ´de `re, Ba ˆtiment 501, Bois des rames, 91400 Orsay, France 3 IRSN/PRP-ENV/STEME, 31 rue de l’e ´cluse, 78116 Le Ve ´sinet, France 4 PSL Research University, Chimie ParisTech - CNRS, Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris, 75005 Paris, France 5 Laboratoire de radioe ´cologie, De ´partement de chimie, Universite ´ Laval, 1045 Avenue de la me ´decine, G1V 0A6 Que ´bec, Canada 123 J Radioanal Nucl Chem DOI 10.1007/s10967-017-5360-5