Re: Uranium and Thorium counting

[fbronson@canberra.com]

There is no fundamental problem doing quantitative gamma spectroscopy for 
Radium, Thorium, and other radionuclides in soil with our hardware and 
software, when the equipment is working properly, and when the software is 
correctly setup.  This is a very common application that hundreds of our 
laboratory and InSitu users are doing.  If there are many soil samples, you may 
find that InSitu gamma spectroscopy is more economic and more accurate than 
sampling + laboratory analysis.

Please let us know how to contact you to identify what the problem is.  
Communications over e-mail to solve problems like this aren't the most 
efficient method.  Please call our customer service and let them help you, or 
contact me directly.

Thank you.

Frazier Bronson  CHP
Canberra
1-800-243-4422

   
To: -:radsafe @ romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu@INTERNET
cc:  (bcc: Frazier Bronson)
Person From/To: 
From: PC:RMS4941 @ aol.com@INTERNET
Date: 06/24/98 01:54:20 PM
Subject: Uranium and Thorium counting

Radsafe,

I am looking for information and references on using Gamma Spec to do soil
sample analysis for Thorium and Uranium (and daughters).  Specifically, I am
trying to quantify the Thorium by counting Ac-228 and Tl-208 (multiplied by
2.8), and the Uranium by counting Th-234 and Pa-234m.  I am using a Canberra
Inspector MCA with a HPGe detector, and Genie PC software, the system was
calibrated with a Eu-152 standard.  We are having trouble getting the proper
peak ID and quantifing the amounts.  Any tips would be appreciated as I am
obviously not an expert in this area.  You may respond to me at
RMS4941@AOL.com.

Thanks in advance

Raeann Shane
Radiological Engineer