Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 24, 2026

Quantification of Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate-based Micro- and Nano-plastics from Soil Using Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Published on: June 6, 2025
Measuring (210) Pb by accelerator mass spectrometry: a study of isobaric interferences of (204,205,208) Pb and (210)
A Sookdeo1, R J Cornett1, X-L Zhao2
1A. E. Lalonde AMS Laboratory and Department of Earth Science, University of Ottawa, 25 Templeton Ave, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada.
Rationale:
The measurement of (210) Pb provides an assessment of the risk an individual faces of developing lung cancer as a result of their exposure to radon and radon decay products. Existing radiometric techniques are not sensitive enough to detect (210) Pb in many exposures. This report describes the further development of a method of measuring (210) Pb using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS).
Methods:
(204,205,208,) (210) Pb measurements were performed by AMS. Samples were prepared from stock solutions of (204) Pb, (205) Pb, (208) Pb and (210) Pb and measured by making PbF3 (-) ions at the IsoTrace AMS facility using a SIMS-type Cs(+) sputter source. Potential interferences in Pb(3) (+) isotope measurement and the overall efficiency of Pb beam production were determined experimentally.
Results:
(204) Pb and (205) Pb suffer from molecular and atomic isobaric interferences that cannot be removed without sacrificing the efficiency of (210) Pb measurements whereas (208) Pb suffers from no interferences. The abundance sensitivity of (210) Pb/(208) Pb was 1.3 × 10(-12) . Keeping the (210) Pb/(208) Pb spike below this level resulted in a detection limit of 4.4 mBq of (210) Pb using the IsoTrace AMS facility.
Conclusions:
This study identified key interferences in the measurement of PbF3 (-) → Pb(3) (+) ions and demonstrated a new AMS method to measure (210) Pb. This new AMS technique is about five times more sensitive than gamma and beta spectroscopy measurements of (210) Pb and the measurement time is much shorter. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Related Concept Videos
Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry (ICP–MS): Overview
Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Lab
Mass Analyzers: Common Types
Mass Analyzers: Overview
Atomic Mass
Mass Spectrometers

