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shielding contaminants

I have a rather unusual shielding problem to solve.  I have to shield some 
scintillation detectors from ambient background radiation, and want to do it in 
the most cost effective manner.  The radiation level has to be reduced by a 
factor of 1000.  I have determined the thickness required of lead, steel, and 
concrete (in order of decreasing cost) to provide this level of shielding for a 
1 MeV photon (the average background gamma energy I used for the shielding 
calculations).  However, I am concerned that I will be adding as many background 
gammas from the shielding material that I am removing if the shielding material 
has low-level radiation in it.  Does anyone know which of the three alternatives 
will provide the least background?  What are the level of contaminants in the 
proposed shielding materials relative to "normal" soil?

Thank you in advance,

Daniel Low, Ph.D.


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|     _/_/_/    _/     Daniel A. Low, Ph.D.     |
|    _/    _/  _/      Assistant Professor      |
|   _/    _/  _/       Mallinckrodt Institute   |
|  _/_/_/    _/_/_/_/     of Radiology          |
|                     Division of Radiation     |
|                         Oncology              |
|                   510 South Kingshighway Blvd.|
|                 St. Louis, MO 63110  USA      |
|               (314) 454-5021 (Office)         |
|             (314) 454-5276 FAX                |
|           low@castor.wustl.edu                |
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