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Updated: Mar 8, 2026

Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films
Published on: November 9, 2015
Isotopic analysis of plutonium in foods by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry
Kathryn Emanuele1, Zhichao Lin1, Stephanie Healey1
1Winchester Engineering and Analytical Center, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 109 Holton Street, Winchester, MA 01890, United States.
Abstract:
Pu isotopes in various foods were detected using a quadrupole ICPMS and Aridus II desolvation nebulizer. The method has ability to detect 239Pu and 240Pu at concentrations of ~52pg/kg (0.12Bq/kg) and ~9.5pg/kg (0.08Bq/kg) as well as 240Pu/239Pu ratio in <8h after receiving the samples. Foods were wet-ashed followed by DGA extraction for eliminating matrix, isobaric, and polyatomic interferences. A UH+ formation rate <10-5 and a 5-fold enhanced sensitivity for Pu was achieved after system optimization.
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