The determination of uranium in aqueous samples by means of a pulsed-source fluorescence spectrometer

Luminescence from aqueous uranyl ions is examined by means of a fluorescence spectrometer with a pulsed xenon light source. Background fluorescence is reduced by using time-based discrimination of the uranyl emission, but interference can still occur from quenchers such as iron(III). Such interferences are reduced by extraction of the uranyl ion into hexane containing trin-n-butyl phosphate, with back-extraction into dilute phosphoric acid before measurement. A detection limit of 5 ng ml^?1 is found with a linear calibration range of 0–10 μg ml^?1.