Determination of the self-attenuation based on the sample composition in gamma-ray spectrometry of 210Pb: requirements for the scope of chemical analyses

Paweł Jodłowski; Przemysław Wachniew; Jakub Nowak

doi:10.1007/s10967-016-5054-4

Determination of the self-attenuation based on the sample composition in gamma-ray spectrometry of ²¹⁰Pb: requirements for the scope of chemical analyses

J Radioanal Nucl Chem. 2017;311(2):1511-1516. doi: 10.1007/s10967-016-5054-4. Epub 2016 Oct 3.

Authors

Paweł Jodłowski¹, Przemysław Wachniew¹, Jakub Nowak¹

Affiliation

¹ Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, AGH University of Science and Technology, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków, Poland.

Abstract

In the presented paper analysis of sensitivity of self-attenuation correction C_s to the accuracy of chemical composition analysis is presented. The analyses were done by means of Monte Carlo simulation for cylindrical samples and for four sample materials: peat, water, ash and soil. For each of these materials the major elements were selected whose determination in the analysed material is necessary. For the remaining elements threshold levels of their concentration were determined-if expected element concentration in a sample exceeds this value, its determination is indispensable, assuming the accuracy of C_s determination at 3 %.

Keywords: 210Pb; Chemical composition; Gamma-ray spectrometry; Monte Carlo simulation; Self-attenuation.