Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: an alternative technique for monitoring .sup.90Sr

Developing a rapid detection method for monitoring released .sup.90Sr remains a challenge to analytical chemists, particularly considering its low concentration and significant interferences in environmental samples. We proposed a concept as an alternative to detect .sup.90Sr on the surface of fish scales using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The high affinity of fish scales to Sr is capable of preconcentrating .sup.90Sr that minimizes isobaric interferences from .sup.90Zr.sup.+ or .sup.89YH.sup.+, while tailing effect by abundant .sup.88Sr can be effectively reduced by adjusting the forward power of ICP-MS component. Adopting dried droplets of internal standards further allows a semiquantification of .sup.90Sr content on the surface of fish scales, which also arises an opportunity to monitoring the bioaccumulation of .sup.90Sr after Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Graphical