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Improved methods for the measurement of 21Po. 21Pb, and 226Ra
Author(s) -
Benoit Gaboury,
Hemond Harold F.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.1988.33.6part2.1618
Subject(s) - polonium , leaching (pedology) , plating (geology) , chemistry , aqueous solution , analytical chemistry (journal) , isotope , mass spectrometry , radiochemistry , chromatography , environmental science , physics , geophysics , soil science , soil water , quantum mechanics , geology
210 Pb and 210 Po have been measured by alpha spectrometry following room‐temperature plating in ordinary widemouthed sample jars. Use of two different isotopes of polonium ( 208 Po and 209 Po) as yield monitors facilitates measurement of 210 Pb and 210 Po when both must be determined on the same samples. Hot HCl leaching and plating improves the resolution of alpha spectra for samples high in interfering iron. 226 Ra can be quantitatively electrodeposited from aqueous solution onto steel disks in disposable plating cells with an inexpensive 9‐V “battery eliminator” as a power supply. The resulting source can be measured directly by alpha spectrometry, eliminating the need for a separate detector system when determining supported 210 Pb activity.