Recent progresses in analytical method development for ²¹⁰Pb in environmental and biological samples

As a decay product of uranium series, ²¹⁰Pb spreads widely in the nature and imposes strong radiological and chemical toxicity. It is vital to establish reliable and efficient radioanalytical methods for ²¹⁰Pb determination to support environment and food radioactivity monitoring programs. This article critically reviews analytical methods developed for determining ²¹⁰Pb in environmental and biological samples, especially new development in recent years. Techniques applied throughout different analytical steps including sample pretreatment, separation, purification, and detection are summarized and their pros and cons are discussed to provide a holistic overview for ²¹⁰Pb environmental and biological assay.