Abstract
A Cerenkov based method has been developed for the determination of226Ra via its β-emitting daughters,214Bi and214Pb. Radium isotopes are separated from interfering elements by coprecipitation on barium sulphate. The precipitate is dissolved in an alkaline solution of EDTA and the Cerenkov signal produced by the build-up of daughter β-activities is counted after 25 days using the tritium channel of a liquid scintillation counter. To correct for any contribution from the daughters of the radium isotopes224Ra and228Ra present in the sample, the barium (radium) sulphate is reprecipitated, dissolved in EDTA, and counted 2 days later. Using this procedure,228Ra and224Ra can be determined in the same sample. Cerenkov counting efficiency was found to be 77.25%. A lower limit of detection of 17.4 mBq·l−1 (based on 3σ of the background with 500-minute counting time) was achieved. Any liquid scintillation counter can be used. Chemical recoveries in the range 75%–95% were determined gravimetrically. Data from both artificial spiked samples and natural samples are presented.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
J. D. LOWRY, S. B. LOWRY, J. Am. Ass. Wat. Wor., 80 (1988) 50.
IAEA, Environmental Behaviour of Radium, Series No. 310, Vol. 1, Vienna, 1990, p. 145.
H. M. PRICHARD, T. F. GESELL, 45 (1983) 991.
K. HORIUCHI, Y. MURAKAMI, Int. J. Appl. Radiation Isotopes, 32 (1981) 291.
F. SCHONHOFOR, E. HENRICH, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 115 (1987) 317.
F. SCHONHOFER, Analyst, 114 (1989) 1345.
H. HIGNCHI, M. VESUGI, K. SATOH, N. OHASHI, Anal. Chem., 56 (1984) 761.
M. B. COOPER, M. J. WILKS, Determination of226Ra in Environmental Samples by the Use of Liquid Scintillation Counting, ARL/TR-040 Australian Radiation Laboratory, Yailambie, Victoria, Australia, 1981, p. 15.
L. CHU, A. KHALIQUE, Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc., 61 (1990) 5.
W. C. BURNETT, W. TAI, Anal. Chem., 64 (1992) 1691.
R. BLACKBURN, M. S. AL-MASRI, Analyst, 117 (1992) 1949.
L. SALONEN, Sci. Tot. Environm., 130/131 (1993) 23.
A. DYER, Liquid Scintillation Counting Practice, Heyden & Son Ltd., London, 1980, p. 77.
R. BLACKBURN, M. S. AL-MASRI, Analyst, 118 (1993) 873.
A. E. GREENBERG, L. S. CLESCERI, A. D. EATON, M. A. FRANSON, Standard Methods for Examination of Water and Waste Water, 18th ed. Public Health Association, Washington, 1992, Ch. 7.20.
L. H. KRIEGER, E. L. WHITTAKER, Prescribed Procedures for Measurement of Radioactivity in Drinking Water, EPM-600/4-80-032, 1980, U.S. Environmental Monitoring and Support Lab, Cincinnati, OH, p. 31.
J. M. GODOY, Determination of Radium-228 Using Cerenkov Counting, in: Proc. Meeting on Radiological Protection and Dosimetry, L. A. MARTINS, E. C. DA SILVA AMARAL, L. TAUHATA, D. A. C. BINNS, M. B. GLORIA (Eds). Instituto de Radioprotecao e Dosimetria, Itaipava, 1983, p. 383.
W. L. RIGOT, K. J. REGAN, J. Radioanal. Chem., 74 (1982) 107.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Al-Masri, M.S., Blackburn, R. Radiochemical determination of226Ra using Cerenkov counting. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Articles 196, 339–344 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02038053
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02038053