Mr. Cuney,

There is only one method for highly accurate, precise, selective, and sensitive quantitative analysis of analytes, despite of their type (organics, inorganics, organometallics, metal-organics, et cetera, classifications.)

It is mass spectrometry (MS).

Because of:

(A) It operates at fmot to attomol concentration levels;

(B) it operates, despite the phases of the analytes; and

(C) it provides absolute (or exact in chemometric terms) analytical information.

Among the methods of mass spectrometry, however, not hard-ionization methods, but the soft ionization ones are more suitable for quantification of uranium. Why?

Because of, the hard-ionization methods, for instance the well-known ICP-MS, produce only one characteristic peak of the analyte. Thus, the results are not representative statistically or chemometrically. Of course, this problem is overcomed using a set of statistically representative analyses of a set of methods, but this strategy increases the risk for the operators and the environment, because of, all these another methods operate at higher concentration LODs of the analytes, comparing with the LODs and LOQs values of the MS based protocols.

Therefore, the development of highly precise and accurate analytical protocol for quantification of uranium by means of only one method even within the framework of a single measurement is highly recommendable.

In this context, please focus your attention on our more recently developed mass spectrometric approach to quantify mass spectrometrically by soft ionization methods (Consider reference [1] and the cited references, therein.)

Our model formulas have been tested at pg.(mL)-1 and ng.(L)-1 concentrations of organic analytes as well as some organometalics and metal-organics of Ag(I)-ion (Consider, reference [2].) The chemometrics between our theory and authored formulas as well as the experiment shows coefficients of correlation up to /r/ = 1. The method is validated using independent chromatographic analysis, as well.

[1] Steroids, 164 (2020) 108750

Stochastic dynamic mass spectrometric quantification of steroids in mixture — Part II; Bojidarka Ivanova, Michael Spiteller

[2] Article Stochastic dynamic electrospray ionization mass spectrometri...

Our innovative method has a set of advantages, amongst others, which make it in particular useful to quantify radionuclides, in general; and uranium (species), in particular. These are:

(i) It is currently the most accurate, precise even absolute method for quantification by mass spectrometry. (The superior instrumental characteristics of the mass spectrometry are well-known;)

(ii) it is based on soft ionization-MS methods; thus, allowing to use the CID approach to quantify more than one characteristic MS fragment peak of the analyte (in this case metal-organics of uranium.) Therefore, the mass spectrometric protocol appears statistically representative;

(iii) by contrast to all another available MS quantitative protocols, our stochastic dynamic approach treates the mass spectrometric outcome 'intensity' per span of scan time, instead of over the whole time of the measurements. Thus, it accounts exactly for the fluctuacions of the both MS variable 'intensity' and the 'm/z' values, using very short spans of the scan time.

Since, the method shown in references [1,2] is our own authored and more recently published one; if you have any questions regarding its direct application to quantify uranium, do not hesitate to ask us, herein, and we shall provide to you most comprehensive guideline step-by-step.

In addition, we have as well as another more recently accepted for publication work, again, on organics; however, therein, we compare our stochastic dynamic approach with available another stochastic approaches based on only classical concepts for ideal systems, which would be useful to you, as well. Therein, we underline namely the advantages of our method comparing with the classical theoretical concepts of ideal systems. So that, when the full bibliographic detail on reference [3] appear online available, you could focus your attention on this work, as well.

[3] B. Ivanova, M. Spiteller, Stochastic dynamic mass spectrometric approach to quantify reserpine in solution, (2020) in press.

Dear Ivanova,

I agree with you concerning mass spectrometry , however the UA3 uranium analyser was devoted to rapid measurement of uranium in water during uranium exploration !

It is such an instrument I am looking for.

Merry Christmas an happy New Year !

Michel

Mr. Cuney,

You should bear in mind that there are a lot of effort in the instrumental development and optimization of portable mass spectrometers, because of this method is irreplaceable for collecting of physical evidences for the purposes of the Forensic Science and the case analyses. Consider, for instance work [1], herein; and relating references devoted to this topic.

[1] Analytical Validation of a Portable Mass Spectrometer Featuring Interchangeable, Ambient Ionization Sources for High Throughput Forensic Evidence Screening

Z. Lawton, A. Traub, W. Fatigante, et al. J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 28 (2017) 1048-1059.

It is important to mention, however, that the current portable MS analytical instrumentation does not provide so superior method performances like the not portable instruments, but definitely the mass spectrometry is the method of choice for your purposes, as well.

Happy Holidays to you, as well!

As far i know it is Mass spectrometry (MS) or ICP-MS