| Use: | Analysis of radionuclides. |
Description:
Gamma ray spectrometry provides an analysis of the energy spectrum of the gamma-quanta emitted after the beta or alpha decay of radionuclides. The crucial component of any gamma-measuring device is the detector, which is a component producing electrical signals as a result of the interactions of the gamma-quanta. Sharp peaks characterize the energy spectrum of the gamma-quanta. The number of these peaks and their energies vary between radionuclides. This is used for nuclide identification (qualitative analysis). The intensity of these peaks is proportional to activity of the source radionuclide. Under identical conditions of measurement, a comparison of the peak intensities of a known and unknown radioactive source determines the activity of the radionuclides (quantitative analysis).
Analytes:
8. Radionuclides
Media:
| Soil/Sediment | Water | Gas/Air |
| BETTER | BETTER | BETTER |
| Selectivity: | Technique measures the contaminant directly. |
| Susceptibility to Interference: | Low. |
| Detection Limits : | 10-100 ppm (soil); 0.5-10 ppm (water). |
| Turnaround Time per Sample: | Minutes. |
| Applicable To: | |||
| Screen/Identify | Characterize Concentration/Extent | Cleanup Performance | Long-Term Monitoring |
| BETTER | BETTER | BETTER | BETTER |
| Quantitative Data Capability: | Data become quantitative with additional effort. |
| Technology Status: | Commercially available and routinely used field technology. |
| Certification/Verification: | Technology has not participated in CalEPA certification and/or CSCT verification program. |
| Relative Cost per Analysis: | Most expensive. |
Limitations:
ASTM Standards/EPA Methods:
No applicable ASTM standards or EPA methods are cited for this technology.
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