biostudies-literatureCoha IEuropean Union’s Horizon 2020Croatian Science FoundationEuropean Union's Horizon 2020Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency3068https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12830613biostudies-literatureUnknown16(1)The paper describes a method of determination of Ra-226 in natural water using ICP-QQQ-MS, Agilent 8900, that enables an efficient direct determination of Ra-226 with high sensitivity without using any reaction gas and separation procedures for interference removal. The matrix effect, together with the instability of the sensitivity are controlled by spiking the sample with Ra-226. The method is simple and fast with a detection limit around of 0.1 fg g^-1 (3.6 mBq kg^-1), which is tenfold lower than required by the EU Directive for water consumption (40 mBq kg^-1) and five times better than results obtained from alternative direct method for routine analysis described in the literature. The method can easily be implemented for routine analysis Ra-226 which wasScientific reportsDirect method for Ra-226 analysis in water samples using ICP-QQQ-MS.PMC12830613P2 0075HRZZ-MOBODL-23-08-3540P2-0075Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 101003359Kavasi NStrok MCoha IfalseDirect method for Ra-226 analysis in water samples using ICP-QQQ-MS.The paper describes a method of determination of Ra-226 in natural water using ICP-QQQ-MS, Agilent 8900, that enables an efficient direct determination of Ra-226 with high sensitivity without using any reaction gas and separation procedures for interference removal. The matrix effect, together with the instability of the sensitivity are controlled by spiking the sample with Ra-226. The method is simple and fast with a detection limit around of 0.1 fg g^-1 (3.6 mBq kg^-1), which is tenfold lower than required by the EU Directive for water consumption (40 mBq kg^-1) and five times better than results obtained from alternative direct method for routine analysis described in the literature. The method can easily be implemented for routine analysis Ra-226 which was2026-01-01T00:00:00Z2026 Jan2026-07-16T20:25:54.081Z2026-07-10T03:10:27.601ZS-EPMC128306134157168010.1038/s41598-025-18775-4