ICP-MS determination of background I-129 in seaweed samples around Fukushima Daiichi NPS

Abstract

TEPCO planned the release of Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS)-treated water, which is decontaminated stagnated water by ALPS, to the Pacific Ocean in 2023 after diluting it more than a hundred times in accordance with the policy of the Japan government. Since the low level of I-129 can remain in ALPS-treated water, the background I-129 concentration in seaweed samples around 1F NPS before the release of ALPS-treated water was recorded in this study. The iodine in seaweed samples was extracted via TMAH alkali-dissolution, and the I-129 concentration was measured by 8900 Triple Quadrupole ICP-MS. The resulting I-129 concentration was <5.4 × 10-2 Bq/kg-wet (sargassum) and <2.7 × 10-2 Bq/kg-wet (laminaria), respectively.