Determination of 241Am in sediments by direct counting of low-energy photons

✍ Scribed by Sewak R. Joshi

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1989
• Weight: 893 KB
• Volume: 40
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0883-2889
• DOI: 10.1016/0883-2889(89)90080-4

✦ Synopsis

A method is described for the non-destructive measurement of 24'Am in sediments. The procedure involves direct counting of the 59.6-keV y-ray emission of 241Am The dependence of self-absorption of this low-energy y-ray on sample density is accounted for by a simple technique utilizing direct y-ray transmission measurements on the sample and efficiency calibration standard. Measurements on five sediment and soil reference materials show that the technique provides a detection limit of about 1 mBq/g for a 2.5 x lo5 s count. The utility of the technique in environmental studies is illustrated through results of r4'Am measurements on a Z'"Pb-dated Lake Ontario sediment core.