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International Standard Approved for Initiation:
"Radiological Monitoring - Soil - Part 8: Determination of Neptunium-237, Plutonium-239, Plutonium-240 and Plutonium-241 by ICP-MS" (ISO 18589-8)
October 20, 2026
Recently, the international standard "Radiological Monitoring - Soil - Part 8: Determination of Neptunium-237, Plutonium-239, Plutonium-240 and Plutonium-241 by ICP-MS" (ISO 18589-8), led by the China Institute for Radiation Protection (CIRP)—a subsidiary of CNNC Environmental Protection under the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC)—was officially approved for project initiation following a vote by ISO/TC 85/SC 2 (Radiation Protection Technical Committee), according to cira.net.cn.
The accurate determination of transuranic nuclides in soil serves as a crucial technical foundation for environmental radiological monitoring and the environmental safety assessment of nuclear facilities. For a long time, routine monitoring of transuranic nuclides in soil both domestically and internationally has primarily relied on the radiochemical alpha spectrometry method. This traditional approach is characterized by long analysis cycles (ranging from weeks to months), complex pretreatment procedures, and relatively high method detection limits.
The Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Application Team at CIRP has successfully overcome the technical bottleneck of simultaneous chemical pretreatment for plutonium and neptunium. They resolved the challenges associated with removing interference from complex soil matrices and uranium. Based on triple quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS) technology, the team established a standard method for determining plutonium and neptunium in soil media. This achievement enables the accurate and reliable determination of low-level ²³⁷Np, ²³⁹Pu, ²⁴⁰Pu, and ²⁴¹Pu in the environment. Consequently, it significantly shortens the analysis cycle, lowers the method detection limit, and greatly enhances the accuracy of environmental radiological monitoring and the environmental safety assessment of nuclear facilities.
This newly approved standard fills the gap in international standards regarding the ICP-MS determination of transuranic nuclides in soil matrices. It marks another significant advancement in China's international standardization efforts within the field of monitoring low-content and hard-to-measure radionuclides. Concurrently, this series of standards is being transformed into national standards. This specific part has completed its national standard project initiation as newly added content.
Sources
- cira.net.cn › web (2026-10-19) - Original link: 20 2026-10 International Standard Approved for Initiation | "Radiological Monitoring - Soil..." - https://www.cira.net.cn/news/show-8882.html