Radioactive pollutant determinations using gamma-ray spectroscopy.

Abstract

Qualitative and quantitative determination of radionuclide contamination in environmental samples is often complicated by the presence of uranium- and thorium-series radioelements as well as 40K. High resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy with lithium-drifted germanium detectors provides a method for the determination of man-made radio-nuclide contaminants in many matrices with a minimum of chemical separation. Methods have been studied for increasing the efficiency of such determinations by using large samples in reentrant beakers ("Merinelli beakers") and small samples inside the well of a recently developed Ge(Li) well detector. Specific examples for the determination of 129I(16 m.y. half-life) in the well detector and recent fall-out in grass samples are presented.