Development of a method for rapid analysis of Ra-226 in groundwater and discharge water samples by ICP-QQQ-MS

A novel and rapid method has been developed for pre-concentration and measurement of 226Ra in groundwater and discharge water samples using the latest generation triple quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-QQQ-MS). Cation exchange and extraction chromatography are capable of pre-concentration factors of ~200 based on 1L samples. The sensitivity and interference removal capability of ICP-QQQ-MS was assessed from spiked groundwaters, with the introduction of He collision gas required to minimise instrument background in high-matrix samples. The technique developed is potentially capable of detecting 226Ra activities as low as 5mBqL−1 when combined with pre-concentration prior to measurement. •Development of a novel method for the analysis of 226Ra by ICP-QQQ-MS.•Method is capable of 226Ra analysis in 1day.•ICP-QQQ-MS reduces the count time from ~5 days, to 5min per sample.•Potential detection of 5mBqL−1 from a 1L sample.