Abstract
This work presents a low-level background gamma spectrometry system capable of achieving rapid determination of90Sr without chemical separation, in a soil sample when the90Sr to γ-ray emitting nuclide concentration ratio exceeds 10. The system consists of a highly efficient HPGe central detector operated in coincidence or anticoincidence with a NaI(Tl) guard detector and a NaI(Tl) backscatter detector. Experimental results indicate that the bremstrahlung radiation from a pure β-emitter can be distinguished with respect to the differences in normal and coincidence spectra. The90Sr activity can be directly detemined in the sample in less than 1 hour with a minimum detectable concentration (MDC) estimated at 0.002 Bq·g−1 for a sample containing no appreciable γ-ray nuclides or other high energy, β-emitting nuclides. In actual measurement, a 0.06 Bq·g−1 MDC for contaminated soils is achieved.
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Wang, C.F., Yuan, M.C. & Lee, J.H. Rapid determination of90Sr by Compton suppression gamma-ray spectrometry. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 223, 157–162 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02223377
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02223377