title: Innovative procedure for the determination of gross-alpha/gross-beta activities in drinking water.
abstract: An alternative sample preparation method for the determination of gross-alpha/beta activity concentrations in drinking water is introduced in this paper. After the freeze-drying of tap water samples, determination by liquid scintillation counting can be applied utilizing alpha/beta separation. It has been shown that there is no adsorption or loss of solid radionuclides during the freeze-drying procedure. However, the samples have to be measured quickly after the preparation since the ingrowth of daughter isotopes negatively effects the measurement. The limits of detection for gross-alpha and gross-beta activity are in the range 25-210 mBq/l, respectively, for a measurement time of only 8-9 h.
authors.affiliation: Rhine-Main Water Research Ltd., Kurfürstenstr. 6, D-65203 Wiesbaden, Germany. sascha.wisser@hessenwasser.de
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wisser
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Frenzel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dittmer
mesh_terms: D000512:Alpha Particles; D001610:Beta Particles; D005612:Freeze Drying / Q000379:methods*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012588:Scintillation Counting / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011868:Radioisotopes; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive