Influence of UO crystal orientation on laser ablation performance.

Crystallographic orientation dependence deteriorates the performance of surface analysis methods such as secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and focused ion beam (FIB). This study explores the corresponding potential challenges of laser ablation (LA) as a powerful sampling tool for inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). To this end, three UO single crystals of different orientation as well as polycrystalline UO were produced and characterized.

Atmospheric deposition and trajectories of antimony in Central Europe.

Antimony (Sb) concentrations were measured in wet atmospheric deposition at 10 high-elevation sites in the Czech Republic (Central Europe) during three winter seasons (2009-2011). Soluble and insoluble Sb forms were quantified in snow (vertical deposition) and rime (horizontal deposition) on mountain summits located equidistantly near the Czech borders with Austria, Germany and Poland. The highest Sb concentrations were found in the soluble form in rime (0.

Spatially-resolved uranium isotopic analysis of contaminated scrap metal using laser ablation multi-collector ICP-MS.

Laser ablation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS) was applied to the detailed investigation of the uranium (U) isotopic composition (U, U, U, and U) of five contaminated scrap metal samples found within the European Union. Pressed pellets of the two certified U isotopic reference materials CRM U-020 and CRM U-030 were included in the measurement protocol for mass bias correction, calculation of the ion counter gains and for quality assurance. Since the investigated samples had low U content (0.

Analytical considerations in the determination of uranium isotope ratios in solid uranium materials using laser ablation multi-collector ICP-MS.

Validated analytical measurement protocols for the fast and accurate determination of the uranium (U) isotopic composition (U, U, U, U) of solid nuclear materials were developed employing ns-laser ablation (LA) coupled to multi-collector ICP-MS. The accuracy of the analytical procedure was assured by frequent ( = 65) analysis of a pressed pellet of certified isotopic reference material CRM U-030 (∼3 wt% U). The expanded uncertainty ( = 2) for the (U)/(U) ratio was as low as 0.

Trace metals in the dissolved fraction (<0.45μm) of the lower Athabasca River: Analytical challenges and environmental implications.

Water samples were collected on the Athabasca River (AR), upstream and downstream from bitumen mines and upgrading facilities, to identify changes in water quality due to industrial activities in this region of northern Alberta, Canada. Starting upstream of Fort McMurray and proceeding downstream ca. 100km, waters were collected in duplicate at 13 locations on the main stem of the river, as well as 5 tributary streams, using ultraclean sampling protocols developed for polar snow and ice.

Cu-Zn isotope constraints on the provenance of air pollution in Central Europe: Using soluble and insoluble particles in snow and rime.

Copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) isotope ratios can be used to fingerprint sources and dispersion pathways of pollutants in the environment. Little is known, however, about the potential of δCu and δZn values in liquid and solid forms of atmospheric deposition to distinguish between geogenic, industrial, local and remote sources of these potentially toxic base metals. Here we present Cu-Zn deposition fluxes at 10 mountain-top sites in the Czech Republic, a region affected by extremely high industrial emission rates 25 years ago.

Isotopic Composition of Pb in Peat and Porewaters from Three Contrasting Ombrotrophic Bogs in Finland: Evidence of Chemical Diagenesis in Response to Acidification.

The isotopic composition of Pb was determined in Finnish peat bogs and their porewaters from Harjavalta (HAR, near a Cu-Ni smelter), Outokumpu (OUT, near a Cu-Ni mine), and Hietajärvi (HIJ, a background site). At HIJ and OUT, the porewaters yielded similar concentrations (0.1-0.

High-Resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry for (234)U/(238)Pu Age Dating of Plutonium Materials and Comparison to Sector Field Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry.

Employing a commercial high-resolution inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (HR-ICP-OES) instrument, an innovative analytical procedure for the accurate determination of the production age of various Pu materials (Pu powder, cardiac pacemaker battery, (242)Cm heat source, etc.) was developed and validated. This undertaking was based on the fact that the α decay of (238)Pu present in the investigated samples produced (234)U and both mother and daughter could be identified unequivocally using HR-ICP-OES.

Isotopic evolution of atmospheric Pb from metallurgical processing in Flin Flon, Manitoba: Retrospective analysis using peat cores from bogs.

Atmospheric Pb deposition was reconstructed using peat cores from bogs in the vicinity of Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada, home to a zinc refinery and copper smelter. The Sask Lake (SL4-1) core was collected 85 km NW of Flin Flon and Kotyk Lake (KOL) 30 km NE. The distribution of Sr and U show that both profiles are predominantly minerotrophic (ie groundwater-fed), but the Pb concentration profile shows that Pb was received exclusively from the atmosphere.

Challenges in the quality assurance of elemental and isotopic analyses in the nuclear domain benefitting from high resolution ICP-OES and sector field ICP-MS.

Accurate analytical data reinforces fundamentally the meaningfulness of nuclear fuel performance assessments and nuclear waste characterization. Regularly lacking matrix-matched certified reference materials, quality assurance of elemental and isotopic analysis of nuclear materials remains a challenging endeavour. In this context, this review highlights various dedicated experimental approaches envisaged at the European Commission-Joint Research Centre-Institute for Transuranium Elements to overcome this limitation, mainly focussing on the use of high resolution-inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (HR-ICP-OES) and sector field-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (SF-ICP-MS).

Sphagnum mosses from 21 ombrotrophic bogs in the athabasca bituminous sands region show no significant atmospheric contamination of "heavy metals".

Sphagnum moss was collected from 21 ombrotrophic (rain-fed) peat bogs surrounding open pit mines and upgrading facilities of Athabasca bituminous sands in Alberta (AB). In comparison to contemporary Sphagnum moss from four bogs in rural locations of southern Germany (DE), the AB mosses yielded lower concentrations of Ag, Cd, Ni, Pb, Sb, and Tl, similar concentrations of Mo, but greater concentrations of Ba, Th, and V. Except for V, in comparison to the "cleanest", ancient peat samples ever tested from the northern hemisphere (ca.

Measurements of ²³⁶U in ancient and modern peat samples and implications for postdepositional migration of fallout radionuclides.

(236)U was analyzed in an ombrotrophic peat core representing the last 80 years of atmospheric deposition and a minerotrophic peat sample from the last interglacial period. The determination of (236)U at levels of 10(7) atoms/g was possible by using ultraclean laboratory procedures and accelerator mass spectrometry. The vertical profile of the (236)U/(238)U isotopic ratio along the ombrotrophic peat core represents the first observation of the (236)U bomb peak in a terrestrial environment.

Determination of (239)Pu, (240)Pu, (241)Pu and (242)Pu at femtogram and attogram levels - evidence for the migration of fallout plutonium in an ombrotrophic peat bog profile.

The isotopic composition of plutonium ((239)Pu, (240)Pu, (241)Pu and (242)Pu) was investigated in a ∼0.5 m long peat core from an ombrotrophic bog (Black Forest, Germany) using clean room procedures and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). This sophisticated analytical approach was ultimately needed to detect reliably the Pu concentrations present in the peat samples at femtogram (fg) and attogram (ag) levels.

Atmospheric deposition of beryllium in Central Europe: comparison of soluble and insoluble fractions in rime and snow across a pollution gradient.

Little is known about atmospheric input of beryllium (Be) into ecosystems, despite its highly toxic behavior. For three consecutive winters (2009-2011), we measured Be concentrations in horizontal deposition (rime) and vertical deposition (snow) at 10 remote mountain-top locations in the Czech Republic, Central Europe. Beryllium was determined both in filtered waters, and in HF digests of insoluble particles.

Experimental evidence for mobility/immobility of metals in peat.

The biogeochemical cycles of most toxic metals have been significantly altered by anthropogenic activities. Anaerobic, rain-fed organic soils are believed to record historical changes in atmospheric pollution. Suspected postdepositional mobility of trace elements, however, hinders the usefulness of peat bogs as pollution archives.

The desorption of antimony(V) from sediments, hydrous oxides, and clay minerals by carbonate, phosphate, sulfate, nitrate, and chloride.

The desorption of antimony, Sb(V), from two sediment samples by phosphate, carbonate, sulfate, chloride, and nitrate at pH 8 was examined. One highly contaminated sediment sample was taken from an Sb mine (Goesdorf, Luxembourg); the other sample was the certified reference material PACS-2 (marine sediment). Phosphate was found to have a strong mobilizing ability, whereas that of carbonate was in general weaker.

Atmospheric Pb and Ti accumulation rates from Sphagnum moss: dependence upon plant productivity.

The accumulation rates of atmospheric Pb and Ti were obtained using the production rates of Sphagnum mosses collected in four ombrotrophic bogs from two regions of southern Germany: Upper Bavaria (Oberbayern, OB) and the Northern Black Forest (Nordschwarzwald, NBF). Surfaces of Sphagnum carpets were marked with plastic mesh and one year later the production of plant matter was harvested. Metal concentrations were determined in acid digests using sector field ICP-MS employing well established analytical procedures.

Increasing arsenic concentrations in runoff from 12 small forested catchments (Czech Republic, Central Europe): patterns and controls.

The 40-year long period of heavy industrialization in Central Europe (1950-1990) was accompanied by burning of arsenic-rich lignite in thermal power plants, and accumulation of anthropogenic arsenic in forest soils. There are fears that retreating acidification may lead to arsenic mobilization into drinking water, caused by competitive ligand exchange. We present monthly arsenic concentrations in surface runoff from 12 headwater catchments in the Czech Republic for a period of 13 years (1996-2008).

Trace elements in recent groundwater of an artesian flow system and comparison with snow: enrichments, depletions, and chemical evolution of the water.

Snow samples collected from hand-dug pits at two sites in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada were analysed for major and trace elements using the clean lab methods established for polar ice. Potentially toxic, chalcophile elements are highly enriched in snow, relative to their natural abundance in crustal rocks, with enrichment factor (EF) values (calculated using Sc) in the range 107 to 1081 for Ag, As, Bi, Cd, Cu, Mo, Pb, Sb, Te, and Zn. Relative to M/Sc ratios in snow, water samples collected at two artesian flows in this area are significantly depleted in Ag, Al, Be, Bi, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sb, Tl, V, and Zn at both sites, and in Co, Th and Tl at one of the sites.

Determination of trace element concentrations in natural freshwaters: how low is "low", and how low do we need to go?

There is an on-going need for reliable concentration data for trace elements in natural freshwaters, including soil solutions and groundwaters, surface waters (wetlands, streams, rivers, and lakes), precipitation (fog, rain, and snow), and drinking water (including natural spring water as well as bottled water and tap water). Some of the trace elements of interest may be present in these waters at elevated concentrations due either to natural processes such as mineral weathering (e.g.

Metal release and corrosion effects of modular neck total hip arthroplasty.

Modular neck implants are an attractive treatment tool in total hip replacement. Concerns remain about the mechanical stability and metal ion release caused by the modular connection. Five different implant designs were investigated in an experimental set-up.

Trace and ultratrace metals in bottled waters: survey of sources worldwide and comparison with refillable metal bottles.

Bottled waters from diverse natural and industrial sources are becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Several potentially harmful trace metals (Ag, Be, Li, Ge, Sb, Sc, Te, Th, U) are not monitored regularly in such waters. As a consequence, there is extremely limited data on the abundance and potential health impacts of many potentially toxic trace elements.