A methodological approach to a radioactive sample analysis with low-level γ-ray spectrometry

Abstract

In the present study a methodological approach to the analysis of a radioactive sample with low-level γ-ray spectrometry is reported. The sample provided by the IAEA for the 2002 proficiency test was choosen, because it represents a case study, due to its radionuclides content and thus to the different activity corrections necessary to obtain values in agreement with the reference ones. Efficiency curves were obtained for the counting geometry (a 100 ml pillbox on a 96.3% HPGe detector) and subsequently used to quantify radionuclide activities for the unknown sample with software package Gamma Vision 8.0. Both the calibration source and the unknown sample contained radionuclides giving rise to cascade summing effects, whose correction factors as obtained with EFFTRAN (Efficiency transfer and coincidence summing corrections for environmental gamma-ray spectrometry) code were employed. Obtained radioisotopes activities were compared with those certified and results reported.