Measuring radon exposure with the lead 210/204 abundance ratio

Abstract

Thermal ionization mass spectrometry and isotope dilution mass spectrometry techniques were developed in order to determine the number of lead-210 atoms in a sample. Domestic samples were collected using Ghost Wipes and were analyzed using a lead-204 enriched spike. An ion exchange separated the lead from the sample which was deposited onto rhenium filaments with a silica gel activator. A collected sample was calculated to have 1.27×10⁷ atoms or 4.43 fg of lead-210. A solution containing lead-210 was determined to have 4.87×10⁸ atoms or 170 fg of lead-210 in 3 μL of solution. These results demonstrate that lead-210 is able to be accurately measured and analyzed on scales which rival current methods.