Premium
A rapid field extraction method for determination of radon‐222 in natural waters by liquid scintillation counting
Author(s) -
Leaney Fred W.,
Herczeg Andrew L.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography: methods
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.898
H-Index - 72
ISSN - 1541-5856
DOI - 10.4319/lom.2006.4.254
Subject(s) - radon , liquid scintillation counting , detection limit , extraction (chemistry) , natural mineral , environmental science , groundwater , scintillation counter , chromatography , mineralogy , chemistry , geology , detector , physics , optics , geotechnical engineering , quantum mechanics
A simple and robust method for determination of 222 Rn in natural waters is described. A 1.3‐L water sample is collected in a plastic (PET) water bottle and shaken with 20 mL mineral oil scintillant for 4 minutes. Radon preferentially migrates to the mineral oil, and the 222 Rn activity is determined by counting 222 Rn and the short‐lived daughter products 214 Po and 218 Po using an ultra‐low‐level LS counter via α/β separation technique. The PET method achieves a detection limit of ~3 mBq L −1 , making it an ideal method for analysis of surface water and groundwater samples.