Determination of ultra-low 236U/238U isotope ratios by tandem quadrupole ICP-MS/MS

Isotope ratios of U-236/U-238 were measured at levels below 10(-7) by single collector ICPMS with a tandem quadrupole mass separation mechanism. Peak tailing of the prominent U-238(+) ion beam on the U-236(+) peak was reduced to the level of similar to 10(-10) by use of two quadrupole mass filters. The (UH+)-U-235 interference on U-236(+) was efficiently reduced to a UH+/U+ ratio of 1 x 10(-8) by an ion-molecule reaction between UH+ and O-2 in a collision/reaction cell placed between the two quadrupoles. The resultant detection limit for U-236/U-238 measurement was better than those reported by any other ICPMS study. The U-236/U-238 ratios, measured as (UO+)-U-236-O-16/(UO+)-U-238-O-16, were determined in the range 10(-9) to 10(-7) without correction for spectral interference. Accurate measurements of U-236/U-238 to as low as 1 x 10(-10) are projected.