The first experimental test of the MEFFTRAN software on HPGe detector calibration for environmental samples

Jelena Krneta Nikolic; Milica Rajacic; Dragana Todorovic; Tim Vidmar

doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.10.002

The first experimental test of the MEFFTRAN software on HPGe detector calibration for environmental samples

J Environ Radioact. 2016 Dec:165:191-196. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.10.002. Epub 2016 Oct 11.

Authors

Jelena Krneta Nikolic¹, Milica Rajacic², Dragana Todorovic², Tim Vidmar³

Affiliations

¹ University of Belgrade Institute for Nuclear Sciences Vinča, Mike Petrovica Alasa 12-16, 11001 Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: jnikolic@vinca.rs.
² University of Belgrade Institute for Nuclear Sciences Vinča, Mike Petrovica Alasa 12-16, 11001 Belgrade, Serbia.
³ SCK. CEN, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Boeretang 200, BE-2400 Mol, Belgium.

PMID: 27736653
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.10.002

Abstract

The gamma spectrometry of environmental samples poses a series of specific problems for the practitioner. The determination of full energy peak efficiencies is, in the case of environmental samples, one of the greatest challenges. In this paper, the calibration of two HPGe detectors for environmental samples in Marinelli beakers was performed using the newly developed MEFFTRAN software. The results obtained with MEFFTRAN were compared to the experimental efficiencies measured using the calibration sample produced at the Laboratory for Radiation and Environment Protection, Institute for Nuclear Sciences Vinca, Belgrade, in order to confirm the validity of the calculation. It is shown that calculated and experimental efficiencies are in good agreement with the discrepancies from -3.9% to +1.5%. The results were also validated by measuring secondary reference materials provided by the IAEA within several interlaboratory proficiency tests. The activity concentration of the radionuclides in the secondary reference materials was determined using the efficiency obtained by MEFFTRAN and compared with the target value given by the IAEA. All the results in materials provided by the IAEA were acceptable except one, proving that MEFFTRAN produces satisfactory results.

Keywords: Calibration; Environmental samples; HPGe detector; MEFFTRAN.

MeSH terms

Algorithms
Computer Simulation
Radiation Monitoring / instrumentation
Radiation Monitoring / methods*
Radioactive Pollutants / analysis*
Software*
Spectrometry, Gamma / instrumentation*
Spectrometry, Gamma / methods

Substances

Radioactive Pollutants