This paper presents a rapid, HCl-free analytical method for determining 107Pd in concrete rubble using inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry (ICP‑MS/MS). Accordingly, the chemical separation of Pd in concrete rubble using Ni resin® was simplified and improved to achieve stable and high chemical recovery (92.3% ± 1.7%; n = 6). The determination of 107Pd is conducted by ICP‑MS/MS employing ammonia as an alternative reaction gas, which effectively suppress the isobaric interference from 107Ag. The method detection limit (MLOD) achieved for 107Pd is 0.05 Bq g⁻1, which is about four orders of magnitude below the regulatory activity limit for 107Pd in solid waste allowed for near‑surface landfill. Although accurate quantification has not been validated due to the lack of a certified 107Pd standard, the high selectivity and low detection limit indicate that the method is reliable and well‑suited for assessing the presence of 107Pd at low levels, which is applicable to rapid assessment of the contamination of the radionuclide in concrete rubble collected from the decommissioning of Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.
Ohta et al. (Thu,) studied this question.