Assessment of measurement result uncertainty in determination of (210)Pb with the focus on matrix composition effect in gamma-ray spectrometry

A R Iurian; A Pitois; G Kis-Benedek; A Migliori; R Padilla-Alvarez; A Ceccatelli

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2015.11.067

Assessment of measurement result uncertainty in determination of (210)Pb with the focus on matrix composition effect in gamma-ray spectrometry

Appl Radiat Isot. 2016 Mar:109:61-69. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2015.11.067. Epub 2015 Dec 1.

Authors

A R Iurian¹, A Pitois², G Kis-Benedek², A Migliori³, R Padilla-Alvarez³, A Ceccatelli²

Affiliations

¹ Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, IAEA Environment Laboratories, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna International Centre, PO Box 100, 1400 Vienna, Austria. Electronic address: iurian.andra@ubbcluj.ro.
² Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, IAEA Environment Laboratories, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna International Centre, PO Box 100, 1400 Vienna, Austria.
³ Nuclear Science and Instrumentation Laboratory, Division of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna International Centre, PO Box 100, 1400 Vienna, Austria.

PMID: 26653212
DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2015.11.067

Abstract

Reference materials were used to assess measurement result uncertainty in determination of (210)Pb by gamma-ray spectrometry, liquid scintillation counting, or indirectly by alpha-particle spectrometry, using its daughter (210)Po in radioactive equilibrium. Combined standard uncertainties of (210)Pb massic activities obtained by liquid scintillation counting are in the range 2-12%, depending on matrices and massic activity values. They are in the range 1-3% for the measurement of its daughter (210)Po using alpha-particle spectrometry. Three approaches (direct computation of counting efficiency and efficiency transfer approaches based on the computation and, respectively, experimental determination of the efficiency transfer factors) were applied for the evaluation of (210)Pb using gamma-ray spectrometry. Combined standard uncertainties of gamma-ray spectrometry results were found in the range 2-17%. The effect of matrix composition on self-attenuation was investigated and a detailed assessment of uncertainty components was performed.

Keywords: (210)Pb; Gamma-ray spectrometry; Reference materials; Sample matrix composition; Uncertainty estimation.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Evaluation Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Algorithms
Lead Radioisotopes / analysis*
Lead Radioisotopes / standards*
Reference Values
Reproducibility of Results
Scintillation Counting / methods*
Scintillation Counting / standards*
Sensitivity and Specificity
Spectrometry, Gamma / methods*
Spectrometry, Gamma / standards*

Substances

Lead Radioisotopes