Round-robins in the area of uranium and plutonium bulk analysis of environmental samples

In the framework of a collaboration between laboratories involved in bulk U and Pu analysis of environmental samples (DIF centre of the French Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique, US National Laboratories of New Brunswick, Lawrence Livermore, Pacific Northwest, Oak Ridge, and Los Alamos), two round-robins were organised, each one consisting of the complete analysis (chemical preparation and isotope measurement) of three Quality Control samples. The samples were 10 × 10 cm cotton tissues (“swipe samples”) containing low amounts of U (from ~20 to ~150 ng) and Pu (from ~0.15 to ~10 pg). Despite using different spikes, different methods of sample preparation and different analytical instrumentation, the results for U and Pu contents and isotopic compositions reported by all laboratories are globally in good agreement. All laboratories are able to measure sub-pg amounts of U and Pu isotopes with acceptable accuracy and reproducibility, even if limited discrepancies are observed affecting one or other measurement and/or laboratory. General and laboratory specific recommendations were discussed and adopted to continue to improve the accuracy and precision of the measurements.