Determination of 226Ra in urine and water samples and sequential separation of 228Ra and 90Sr in drinking water

AbstractAmong natural radionuclides,226Ra and228Ra intake can contribute considerably to radiological dose. Liquid scintillation counting offers a reliable and sensitive method for measurement in environmental (water) and biological (urine) matrices. While the determination of226Ra in water is quite simple, its determination in urine requires a suitable radiochemical procedure. In both cases an indirect measurement of daughter222Rn (with218Po and214Po) in secular equilibrium allows to determine226Ra activity. Moreover, in presence of anthropogenic radionuclides, a sequential separation of228Ra and90Sr in water has been developed, isolating daughters228Ac and90Y in secular equilibrium in the same vial.
Source: Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - Category: Nuclear Medicine Source Type: research