Investigation of Cerenkov counting of environmental strontium-90
A typical liquid scintillation counter was evaluated for detection of low levels of /sup 90/Sr-Y. A blank of about 5 cpm and /sup 90/Y efficiency of 42% were obtained for 20-ml samples. The corresponding minimum detectable concentration for a 100-minute count is 0.03 pCi/ml, so that measurement of water samples can readily be made at the maximum permissible concentration for /sup 90/Sr, 0.3 pCi/ml. The efficiency for /sup 90/Sr is less than 0.4%, 1.4% for /sup 137/Cs, and less than 0.04% for gamma-emitting /sup 85/Sr, a useful tracer. Some data for /sup 90/Y efficiencies and blanks are given for other liquid scintillation counters. Chemical treatments are necessary in some cases to concentrate /sup 90/Sr-Y, to remove colored substances which cause quenching, or to eliminate interfering radionuclides. However, the manipulations need not be as elaborate as in conventional radiochemical analysis methods for /sup 90/Sr. Ferric ion (yellow) quenches at the 5 ppM level, but the interference can be eliminated by adding a reducing agent. The Rn daughter /sup 214/Bi, an interfering radionuclide, disappears by decay in 2-3 hours after removal of Rn by sweeping with air or gas. Concentration-separation methods studied have included precipitation and ion exchange.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-26
- OSTI ID:
- 5918765
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-790859-1; TRN: 79-020029
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: International conference on liquid scintillation counting--recent applications and development, San Francisco, CA, USA, 21 Aug 1979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
STRONTIUM 90
CHERENKOV COUNTING
BISMUTH 214
INTERFERING ELEMENTS
IRON
LIQUID SCINTILLATION DETECTORS
YTTRIUM 90
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BISMUTH ISOTOPES
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ELEMENTS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIOISOTOPES
SCINTILLATION COUNTERS
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
YTTRIUM ISOTOPES
400103* - Radiometric & Radiochemical Procedures- (-1987)