• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.419-423
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• 2007

Environmental low level tritium analysis was studied using liquid scintillation counter(LSC) and electrolytic enrichment method. To obtain low level blank count, various counting vials were investigated. Among them, teflon coated PE vial had a lower blank count rate (1.86 cpm) and we obtained 2.01 Bq/L detection and tritium separation factor was above 20. LSC counting efficiency obtained $28.70{\pm}0.27%$ using the NIST tritium standard water sample.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.65-72
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• 2016

This study presented an analytical method for detecting radium in soils using a liquid scintillation counter (LSC). The isotope ²²⁶Ra was extracted from soil using the fusion method and then separated from interfering radionuclides using the precipitation method. Radium was coprecipitated as sulfate salts with barium (Ba) and then converted into Ba(Ra)CO₃, which is soluble in an acidic solution. The isotope ²²²Rn, the decay progeny of ²²⁶Ra, was trapped in a water immiscible cocktail and analyzed by LSC. The pulse shape analysis (PSA) level was estimated using ⁹⁰Sr and ²²⁶Ra standard solutions. The figure of merit was the highest at PSA 80, while the alpha spillover was the lowest at PSA 80. The counting efficiency was 243 ± 2% in a glass vial. This analytical method was verified with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reference materials, including IAEA-312, IAEA-314, and IAEA-315. The recovery ranged from 60–82%, while the relative bias between the measured value and the recommended value was less than 10%. The minimum detectable activity was 2.1 Bq kg⁻¹ with dry mass 1 g, the background count rate of 0.02 cpm, the recovery rate of 70% and counting time of 30 min.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.53-59
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• 2007

Optimal quenching curves have been studied for the accurate analysis of $^{14}C$ in groundwater polluted by reducing efficiency of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in liquid scintillation counter (LSC). The quenching parameters (SQP(E)) were measured for ten VOCs such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-(m-,p-)xylene, trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene(PCE), carbon tetrachloride and chloroform. The quenching curves were plotted using $^{14}C$ standard solution and chloroform as a quenching agent. Optimal plotting conditions were determined for standard solution, LSC measuring time and the concentration of chloroform. The quenching effects of chlorinated organic compounds such as TCE, PCE, carbon tetrachloride and chloroform were greater than those of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene). Optimum measuring time was 100 minutes far 7,000 dpm/mL standard solution. A few mL of chloroform should be added for good quenching curves. These quenching curves have good correlation coefficients (> 0.99) and the curves could be applied to accurate analysis of $^{14}C$ in groundwater and tap water.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.913-917
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• 2008

Since the difficulty of analysis at low concentration and the uncertainty of the removal mechanism for Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) have been reported, this study has detected extremely low concentration $^{14}$C-NDMA using the LSC(Liquid Scintillation Counter) and tested NDMA removal by Powdered Activated Carbon(PAC). The results showed the highest correlation over 99% when samples were measured with the mixture ratio of sample to scintillation liquid of 10 : 10 and at the detection time of 10 min. For $^{14}$C-NDMA removal by the PACs(S-A(Sigma-Aldrich co.) and Dj(Daejung co.)) raging from 50$\sim$10,000 mg/L, $^{14}$C-NDMA was removed over 90% by adsorption treatment. In addition, S-A showed twice greater adsorption capacity than that of Dj. However, the required PAC amount for $^{14}$C-NDMA removal was higher than that of other amine compounds.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.59-66
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• 2006

Optimal method of radon analysis in groundwater was studied using ultra low-level liquid scintillation counter (ULLLSC) which is well known as an analytical instrument for analyzing the alpha and beta radionuclides in environmental materials. Optimization of pulse shape analyzer (PSA) in operating the LSC was performed with $^{241}Am\;and\;^{90}Sr/^{90}Y$ as well as $^{226}Ra$ Also, the chemical quenching of scintillation generation and the color quenching of the generated photon to photomultiplier tubes (PMT) were determined their effects not only to decrease the analytical efficiency but also to change the optimal PSA level and background due to high ion contents of groundwaters. The optimal PSA level was shown in the range of 90 to 110 with less than 5% error. The effects of high ion contents in groundwater for the analytical efficiency show within 10% error from the different ion contents. The chloroform as a quenching agent was used to determine the analytical efficiency with the different amount, showing that the efficiency decreases 20% using the 2% of chloroform.

• 한국방재학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.02a
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• pp.413-416
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• 2008

Recently, the results of vital tissue test showed that nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) as a disinfection by-product (DBP), could be regarded as a carcinogen because a tumor was observed in organs. U.S.EPA indicated 0.7 ng/L as exposure concentration of NDMA based on a risk assessment target with a lifetime cancer risk of $10^{-6}$. Several recent studies have shown that UV oxidation could remove NDMA. However, UV oxidation is uneconomical and can reform NDMA after treating. In addition, the treatment mechanism of adsorption has not been founddue to the uncertainty of NDMA pathway. In addtion, NDMA has a radioisotope $^{14}C$-labeled which can be analyzed at low concentration of NDMA by Liquid Scintillation Counter (LSC). This study has investigated NDMA determination using LSC at an extremely low range from 1 to 100 ng/L and NDMA removal by powdered activated carbon (PAC) adsorption. For $^{14}C$-NDMA by LSC, the highest correlation over 99% between count number and NDMA concentrationwas obtained with possibility of $^{14}C$-NDMA concentration up to 1 ng/L. In the presence of PAC ranging from 50 to 10,000 mg/L, $^{14}C$-NDMA was removed from 18% to 97% for Sigma-Aldrich corporation (S-A co.) and from 9% to 93% by PAC for Daejung corporation (Dj co.). Hence it was found that the removal efficiency by PAC adsorption could vary depending on PAC types from different companies. For PAC adsorption capacity of $^{14}C$-NDMA using the Freundlich isotherm, $K_f$ and 1/n of PAC from S-A co. were $2.67\times10^{-3}$ ng/mg and 1.009, while those of PAC from Dj co. were $1.30\times10^{-3}$ ng/mg and 0.994, respectively. Thus, PAC from S-A co. showed twice higher adsorption capacity than Dj co.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.11
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• pp.3798-3807
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• 2021

Tritium extraction from radioactively contaminated cement mortar samples was performed using heating and liquid scintillation counting methods. Tritiated water molecules (HTO) can be present in contaminated water along with water molecules (H₂O). Water is one of the primary constituents of cement mortar dough. Therefore, if tritium is present in cement mortar, the buildings and structures using this cement mortar would be contaminated by tritium. The radioactivity level of the materials in the environment exposed to tritium contamination should be determined for their disposal in accordance with the criteria of low-level radioactive waste disposal facility. For our experiments, the cement mortar samples were heated at different temperature conditions using a high-temperature combustion furnace, and the extracted tritium was collected into a 0.1 M nitric acid solution, which was then mixed with a liquid scintillator to be analyzed in a liquid scintillation counter (LSC). The tritium extraction rate from the cement mortar sample was calculated to be 90.91% and 98.54% corresponding to 9 h of heating at temperatures of 200 ℃ and 400 ℃, respectively. The tritium extraction rate was close to 100% at 400 ℃, although the bulk of cement mortar sample was contaminated by tritium.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.228-235
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• 2015

The efficiency and applicability of the solid phase extraction disk method in a ²²⁶Ra analysis were examined by the gamma ray spectrometer (GRS) method using a Marinelli beaker and the liquid scintillation counter (LSC) method for groundwater. The recovered ²²⁶Ra, which was filtered by the solid phase extraction disk, was analyzed using gamma ray spectrometer The disks, which were pretreated for caulking the daughter nuclide, were sealed with polyethylene film. Distilled water was used for the blank value of the ²²⁶Ra activity. The recovery values of ²¹⁴Bi and ²¹⁴Pb in the solid phase extraction disk, which used ²²⁶Ra standard material, were 80% (295.21 Kev) and 104% (351.92 Kev), respectively, which were higher than 75% determined by the LSC. The injection of nitrogen gas into the measuring chamber reduced the interference values by about 10%. The detection limits of the ²²⁶Ra activity in a blank sample of 5 L were 0.17~0.40 pCi/L after 80,000 seconds of measuring time. The relationship of the ²²⁶Ra activity in the solid phase extraction disk method and in the LSC method in seven groundwater samples showed a correlation coefficient value 0.987, which implies the applicability of the solid phase extraction disk method. The results showed that ²²⁶Ra activity in groundwater using the solid phase extraction disk method has the following benefits: simple pretreatment, time saving, high recovery values, a low detection limit, and so on. Compared with the LSC method and the GRS method using the Marinelli beaker for the ²²⁶Ra analysis, the solid phase extraction disk method could be useful in groundwater samples with low levels of activities of radionuclides because the method is not restricted by the volume of the sample.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.381-387
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• 1992

Optimum counting condition of a low level liquid scintillation counter for radiocarbon dating has been determined to minimize the contribution of tritium activity and get the highest FOM by the variation of scintillation solutions, scintillation solution to benzene ratio, and ${\beta}$-ray spectrum counting ranges. Under the condition, background count rate has been reduced to $2.26{\pm}0.03cpm$, and the maximum measurable age reached to about 40,000 years. And the practicality of counting system has been verified by the analysis of shell and peat samples.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.395-401
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• 2016

Background: Liquid scintillation counters (LSCs) are commonly used as an analytical method for detecting $^{222}Rn$ in groundwater because they involve a simple sample pretreatment and allow high throughout with an autosampler. The Quantulus 1220 is the best-selling LSC in Korea, but its production was stopped. Recently, a new type of LSC, the 300SL, was introduced. In this study, the 300SL was compared with the Quantulus 1220 in order to evaluate the ability of each apparatus to detect $^{222}Rn$ in groundwater. Materials and Methods: The Quantulus 1220 and 300SL were used to detect the presence of $^{222}Rn$. Radon gas was extracted from a groundwater sample using a water-immiscible cocktail in a LSC vial. The optimal analytical conditions for each LSC were determined using a $^{222}Rn$ calibration source prepared with a $^{226}Ra$ source. Results and Discussion: The optimal pulse shape analysis level for alpha and beta separation was 80 for the Quantulus 1220, and the corresponding pulse length index was 12 in the 300SL. The counting efficiency of the Quantulus 1220 for alpha emissions was similar to that of the 300SL, but the background count rate of the Quantulus 1220 was 10 times lower than that of the 300SL. The minimum detectable activity of the Quantulus 1220 was $0.08Bq{\cdot}L^{-1}$, while that of the 300SL was $0.20Bq{\cdot}L^{-1}$. The analytical results regarding $^{222}Rn$ in groundwater were less than 10% different between these LSCs. Conclusion: The 300SL is an LSC that is comparable to the Quantulus 1220 for detecting $^{222}Rn$ in groundwater. Both LSCs can be applied to determine the levels of $^{222}Rn$ in groundwater under the management of the Ministry of Environment.