Error-control and processes optimization of (223/224)Ra measurement using Delayed Coincidence Counter (RaDeCC)

Cheng Xiaoqing; Yi Lixin; Liu Lingling; Tang Guoqiang; Wang Zhidong

doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.07.020

Error-control and processes optimization of (223/224)Ra measurement using Delayed Coincidence Counter (RaDeCC)

J Environ Radioact. 2015 Nov:149:129-34. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.07.020. Epub 2015 Jul 30.

Authors

Cheng Xiaoqing¹, Yi Lixin², Liu Lingling³, Tang Guoqiang⁴, Wang Zhidong⁵

Affiliations

¹ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Mingminwei Building 405, 94 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, China. Electronic address: cxq_0106@163.com.
² College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Mingminwei Building 405, 94 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, China. Electronic address: yilixin@nankai.edu.cn.
³ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Mingminwei Building 405, 94 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, China. Electronic address: 1liulingling@mail.nankai.edu.cn.
⁴ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Mingminwei Building 405, 94 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, China. Electronic address: tangguoqiang0220@mail.nankai.edu.cn.
⁵ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Mingminwei Building 405, 94 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, China. Electronic address: mabo@mail.nankai.edu.cn.

PMID: 26233651
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.07.020

Abstract

RaDeCC has proved to be a precise and standard way to measure (224)Ra and (223)Ra in water samples and successfully made radium a tracer of several environmental processes. In this paper, the relative errors of (224)Ra and (223)Ra measurement in water samples via a Radium Delayed Coincidence Count system are analyzed through performing coincidence correction calculations and error propagation. The calculated relative errors range of 2.6% ∼ 10.6% for (224)Ra and 9.6% ∼ 14.2% for (223)Ra. For different radium activities, effects of decay days and counting time on final radium relative errors are evaluated and the results show that these relative errors can decrease by adjusting the two measurement factors. Finally, to minimize propagated errors in Radium activity, a set of optimized RaDeCC measurement parameters are proposed.

Keywords: (223/224)Ra measurement; Optimized RaDeCC measurement parameter; RaDeCC; Relative error.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Radiation Monitoring / instrumentation
Radiation Monitoring / methods*
Radium / analysis*
Scintillation Counting / instrumentation
Scintillation Counting / methods*
Water Pollutants, Radioactive / analysis*

Substances

Water Pollutants, Radioactive
Radium