New methodological approaches to the simultaneous measurement of the 90Sr and 137Cs activity in environmental samples

Abstract

Nonradiochemical method of measurement of 90Sr and137Cs activity in environmental samples is proposed. This method is based on spectrometrical investigation of electrons accompanied the decay of the 90Sr and137Cs. Accounting for the contribution to the total activity of the samples from the zones with the density of the contamination 1 - 5 Кu/km2 the 40K electrons allowed to improve the accuracy of the measurements for the samples of small rodents up to 15 - 20 % (the ratio of A (137Cs)/A (90Sr) was from 2 to 100), for samples of soil up to 10 - 15 % (the change of activity in these samples was ten thousand times). The results of the spectrometric measurements were confirmed by the traditional radiochemical research.

Keywords

• strontium
• cesium
• spectrometrical measurements
• electrons