Low background Ge(Li) detector with anticoincidence Nal annulus (revised). [Determination of U, Th, /sup 40/K, and /sup 137/Cs in soils and vegetation]

Technical Report · Sun Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1976

OSTI ID:7128140

Quam, W; Houk, J; Mohr, R

A low background gamma-ray counter intended for the assessment of environmental soil and vegetation samples is described. It can accept samples up to 350 grams and 225 cm/sup 3/ volume. The primary intent of this counter is the determination of U, Th, /sup 40/K, and /sup 137/Cs in soil samples obtained routinely during ARMS surveys throughout the country. To this end, careful calibrations traceable to the ERDA New Brunswick Laboratory and to the NBS have been made. Special attention was paid to volume source techniques in addition to the usual point source methods. Detectabilities (at 3 sigma), all in a 350-gram sample, are 0.03 ppm uranium, 0.09 ppm thorium, 30 pCi of potassium-40, and 3 pCi of cesium-137.

• Research Organization: EG and G, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-08-1183
• OSTI ID: 7128140
• Report Number(s): EGG-1183-2326(Rev.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400103 -- Radiometric & Radiochemical Procedures-- (-1987)
440101* -- Radiation Instrumentation-- General Detectors or Monitors & Radiometric Instruments
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
510301 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Soil-- (-1987)
510302 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACTINIDES
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ANTICOINCIDENCE
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOMASS
CALIBRATION
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
COINCIDENCE METHODS
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DESIGN
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENT
GE SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC PHOSPHORS
IODIDES
IODINE COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPES
LI-DRIFTED DETECTORS
LI-DRIFTED GE DETECTORS
LIGHT NUCLEI
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METALS
MONITORING
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
PHOSPHORS
PLANTS
POTASSIUM 40
POTASSIUM ISOTOPES
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOMETRIC ANALYSIS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SCINTILLATION COUNTERS
SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS
SENSITIVITY
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SODIUM IODIDES
SOILS
SOLID SCINTILLATION DETECTORS
THORIUM
URANIUM
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES