Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The effect of incidental radiations on the determination of α or β particles by liquid scintillation counting for low quenched samples

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Low quenched samples containing 241Am, 137Cs, or 60Co have been investigated by liquid scintillation counting using two-vial configuration, with the aim to study the effect of incidental radiations on the counting efficiency of α or β particles. For β determination, the effect of incidental radiations mainly depends on whether they are in coincidence with the β particles. While for α determination, the counting efficiency of α particles can hardly be affected by the incidental radiations if a proper α/β discrimination parameter is applied. When coincidence exists, summation effect can offset the effect of incidental radiations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Horrocks DL (1974) Applications of liquid scintillation counting. Academic Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  2. Sanchez-Cabeza JA, Pujol L (1998) Simultaneous determination of radium and uranium activities in natural water samples using liquid scintillation counting. Analyst 123:399–403

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Itoh M, Watanabe K, Hatakeyama M, Tachibana M (2002) Determination of 36Cl in biological shield concrete using pyrohydrolysis and liquid scintillation counting. Analyst 127:964–966

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Feng XG, He QG (2009) Simultaneous determination of 237Np, 238−240Pu and 241Am in HNO3 solution by combining extraction, liquid scintillation counting, and α spectrometry. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res A 609:165–171

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Kossert K, GrauCarles A (2010) Improved method for the calculation of the counting efficiency of electron-capture nuclides in liquid scintillation samples. Appl Radiat Isot 68:1482–1488

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. McKlveen JW, McDowell WJ (1984) Liquid scintillation alpha spectrometry techniques. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res 223:372–376

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Yang DZ, Zhu YJ, Möbius S (1991) Rapid method for alpha counting with extractive scintillator and pulse shape analysis. J Radioanal Nucl Chem Art 147(1):177–189

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Yang DZ, Zhu YJ, Jiao RZ (1994) Determination of Np, Pu and Am in high level radioactive waste with extraction-liquid scintillation counting. J Radioanal Nucl Chem Artic 183(2):245–260

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Griffin HC, Sumithrarachchi C (2001) Measurement of absolute γ/β ratios. Trans Am Nucl Soc 85:234–235

    Google Scholar 

  10. Sumithrarachchi C, Rengana K, Griffin HC (2003) Measurement of absolute gamma emission probabilities. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res A 505:343–346

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Zhao HP, Feng XG (2011) The influences of anticoincidence shield on liquid scintillation count rates for various kinds of radionuclides. J Nucl Radiochem 33(6):353–357 (in Chinese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Knoll GF (1999) Radiation detection and measurement, 3rd edn. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  13. Feng XG, He QG, Wang JC, Chen J (2014) A method for optimum PSA setting in the absence of a pure α or β emitter and its application in the determination of 237Np/233Pa. Appl Radiat Isot 93:114–119

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Feng XG, He QG, Wang JC, Chen J (2012) The long-term stability on basic performances of a diisopropylnaphthalene-based liquid scintillation cocktail. Appl Radiat Isot 70:1536–1540

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. PerkinElmer life science (2002) Wallac 1220 Quantulus instrument manual (1220-931-06)

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21271113) and Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University (IRT13026). The authors acknowledge the valuable suggestions and discussions with Dr. Xiaolin Hou from Technical University of Denmark.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology, Beijing Key Lab of Radioactive Waste Treatment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, People’s Republic of China

    Xiao-gui Feng, Qian-ge He, Jian-chen Wang & Jing Chen

Authors
  1. Xiao-gui Feng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Qian-ge He
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jian-chen Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jing Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiao-gui Feng.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Feng, Xg., He, Qg., Wang, Jc. et al. The effect of incidental radiations on the determination of α or β particles by liquid scintillation counting for low quenched samples. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 308, 67–79 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4361-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4361-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation