An Automated SeaFAST ICP-DRC-MS Method for the Determination of 90Sr in Spent Nuclear Fuel Leachates

To reduce uncertainties in determining the source term and evolving condition of spent
nuclear fuel is fundamental to the safety assessment. ß-emitting nuclides pose a challenging task for
reliable, quantitative determination because both radiometric and mass spectrometric methodologies
require prior chemical purification for the removal of interfering activity and isobars, respectively.
A method for the determination of 90Sr at trace levels in nuclear spent fuel leachate samples without
sophisticated and time-consuming procedures has been established. The analytical approach uses a
commercially available automated pre-concentration device (SeaFAST) coupled to an ICP-DRC-MS.
The method shows good performances with regard to reproducibility, precision, and LOD reducing
the total time of analysis for each sample to 12.5 min. The comparison between the developed
method and the classical radiochemical method shows a good agreement when taking into account
the associated uncertainties