title: Standardisation of (210)Pb by Čerenkov counting.
abstract: A standard of (210)Pb in solution was produced at the National Physical Laboratory by a novel technique combining Čerenkov counting with the established liquid scintillation efficiency tracing technique known as the CIEMAT/NIST method. Coincidence counting was applied in order to validate the measurements and the activity concentrations of the solution determined with each technique are shown to be in agreement. Radiochemical separation of the (210)Pb from its daughters was also necessary and the scheme for the separation is described. After performing this two-stage standardisation, the uncertainty was successfully lowered to 0.66% (k=1). This uncertainty is approximately a factor of four lower than previously achieved at NPL by the classical method of standardisation of radionuclides, i.e. coincidence counting.
authors.affiliation: National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington, United Kingdom. arzu.arinc@npl.co.uk
authors.forename: Arzu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arinc
authors.forename: Lena C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: Chris R D
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Gilligan
authors.forename: Andy K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Pearce
mesh_terms: D007856:Lead Radioisotopes / Q000592:standards*; D012015:Reference Standards; D012588:Scintillation Counting / Q000379:methods*; D012996:Solutions
chemical_list: D007856:Lead Radioisotopes; D012996:Solutions