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On the limits of low level measurements of137Cs as a natural radiotracer

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Abstract

Study of137Cs in rivers implies knowledge of its adsorption behaviour towards particulate matter and sediments and the possibility of low-level counting of water and solids. As the adsorption isotherms and kinetics will be discussed separately, this text focuses on the low level counting of137Cs. The use of flat-ended Ge(Li) detectors is compared to that of an anticoincidence array after preconcentration of the cesium ions into a ≤0.5 ml solid aliquot. The lower limits of determination at a relative standard deviation of 10% are ≈ 10 Bq · kg−1 for as received aliquots on a flat Ge(Li) detector and ≈ 10 mBq in case of preconcentration from water and counting in the anticoincidence facility. The eventual improvement of the accuracy by applying “moving average” and “smoothing” procedures are considered.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geochemistry, Institute of Earth Sciences, State University at Utrecht, P.O. Box 80.021, 3508 TA, Utrecht, (Netherlands)

    H. A. Das & R. N. J. Comans

  2. ECN, Netherlands Energy Research Foundation, P.O. Box 1, 1755 ZG, Petten, (Netherlands)

    H. A. Das

Authors
  1. H. A. Das
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  2. R. N. J. Comans
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Das, H.A., Comans, R.N.J. On the limits of low level measurements of137Cs as a natural radiotracer. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Articles 139, 287–295 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02061814

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02061814

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