Fast analysis method of strontium-90 after separation using crown ether resin

Objective: To explore the separation condition for 90Sr using crown ether resin, in order to establish a fast method for analysis of 90Sr in food and environmental samples. Methods: Stable strontium isotope (88Sr) was used to simulate the radioactive 90Sr, and the concentration of 88Sr in elution solution was detected using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP–MS). The separation conditions were investigated through batch experiment. Results: Under the optimized experimental conditions, the maximum adsorption capacity of crown ether resin was 22.28 ​mg/g. 4.0–8.0 ​mol/L nitric acid made it easier for the Sr2+ to load on the resin, and 20 ​mL ultrapure water was used to rinse the chromatographic column to achieve a good separation effect, by which the recoveries of Sr2+ were nearly close to 100%. The average recovery rates of 4 samples were 60.25%, 69.26%, 75.09% and 66.33%, respectively. Conclusions: Crown ether resin has very good selectivity and adsorption for 90Sr. The optimized conditions were high-efficiency and easy to operate. The separation method has great potential for the fast analysis of 90Sr in food and environmental samples.