7 research outputs found
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Calibration of a liquid scintillation counter for alpha, beta and Cerenkov counting
Calibration data are presented for 25 radionuclides that were individually measured in a Packard Tri-Carb 2250CA liquid scintillation (LS) counter by both conventional and Cerenkov detection techniques. The relationships and regression data between the quench indicating parameters and the LS counting efficiencies were determined using microliter amounts of tracer added to low {sup 40}K borosilicate glass vials containing 15 mL of Insta-Gel XF scintillation cocktail. Using {sup 40}K, the detection efficiencies were linear over a three order of magnitude range (10 - 10,000 mBq) in beta activity for both LS and Cerenkov counting. The Cerenkov counting efficiency (CCE) increased linearly (42% per MeV) from 0.30 to 2.0 MeV, whereas the LS efficiency was >90% for betas with energy in excess of 0.30 MeV. The CCE was 20 - 50% less than the LS counting efficiency for beta particles with maximum energies in excess of 1 MeV. Based on replicate background measurements, the lower limit of detection (LLD) for a 1-h count at the 95% confidence level, using water as a solvent, was 0.024 counts sec-{sup -1} and 0.028 counts sec-1 for plastic and glass vials, respectively. The LLD for a 1-h-count ranged from 46 to 56 mBq (2.8 - 3.4 dpm) for both Cerenkov and conventional LS counting. This assumes: (1) a 100% counting efficiency, (2) a 50% yield of the nuclide of interest, (3) a 1-h measurement time using low background plastic vials, and (4) a 0-50 keV region of interest. The LLD is reduced an order of magnitude when the yield recovery exceeds 90% and a lower background region is used (i.e., 100 - 500 keV alpha region of interest). Examples and applications of both Cerenkov and LS counting techniques are given in the text and appendices
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Short- and long-lived radionuclide particle size measurements in a uranium mine
The radon-222 progeny and long-lived radionuclide measurements were done in a wet underground uranium mine in Saskatchewan, Canada, on Nov. 8-12, 1995. Radon-222 in the mine varied from 2 kBq/m{sup 3} at 90 m below surface to 12 kBq/m{sup 3} in the mining areas, 240 m below surface. Radon-222 progeny activity and potential alpha energy concentration appear affected by the airborne particle number concentration and size distribution. Particle number was up to 200x10{sup 3}/cm{sup 3}. Only an accumulation mode (30-1000 nm) and some bimodal size distributions in this accumulation size range were significant. Diesel particles and combustion particles from burning propane caused a major modal diameter shift to a smaller size range (50-85 nm) compared with previous values (100-200 nm). The high particle number reduced the unattached progeny (0.5-2 nm) to >5%. The nuclei mode (2-30 nm) in this test was nonexistent, and the coarse mode (>1000 nm), except from the drilling areas and on the stopes, was mostly not measurable. Airborne particle total mass and long- lived radionuclide alpha activity concentrations were very low (80- 100 {mu}g/m{sup 3} and 4-5 mBq/m{sup 3}) owing to high ventilation rates. Mass-weighted size distributions were trimodal, with the major mode at the accumulation size region, which accounts for 45-50% of the mass. The coarse model contains the the least mass, about 20%. The size spectra from gross alpha activities were bimodal with major mode in the coarse region (>1000 nm) and a minor accumulation mode in the 50-900 nm size range. These size spectra were different from the {sup 222}Rn progeny that showed a single accumulation mode in the 50- 85 nm size region. The accumulation mode in the long-lived radionuclide size spectrum was not found in previous studies in other uranium mines
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Intercomparison of active, passive and continuous instruments for radon and radon progeny measurements in the EML chamber and test facility
Results are presented from the Fifth Intercomparison of Active, Passive and Continuous Instruments for Radon and Radon Progeny Measurements conducted in the EML radon exposure and test facility in May 1996. In total, thirty-four government, private and academic facilities participated in the exercise with over 170 passive and electronic devices exposed in the EML test chamber. During the first week of the exercise, passive and continuous measuring devices were exposed (usually in quadruplicate) to about 1,280 Bq m{sup {minus}3} {sup 222}Rn for 1--7 days. Radon progeny measurements were made during the second week of the exercise. The results indicate that all of the tested devices that measure radon gas performed well and fulfill their intended purpose. The grand mean (GM) ratio of the participants` reported values to the EML values, for all four radon device categories, was 0.99 {plus_minus} 0.08. Eighty-five percent of all the radon measuring devices that were exposed in the EML radon test chamber were within {plus_minus}1 standard deviation (SD) of the EML reference values. For the most part, radon progeny measurements were also quite good as compared to the EML values. The GM ratio for the 10 continuous PAEC instruments was 0.90 {plus_minus} 0.12 with 75% of the devices within 1 SD of the EML reference values. Most of the continuous and integrating electronic instruments used for measuring the PAEC underestimated the EML values by about 10--15% probably because the concentration of particles onto which the radon progeny were attached was low (1,200--3,800 particles cm{sup {minus}3}). The equilibrium factor at that particle concentration level was 0.10--0.22