Measurement of liquid scintillation sources of (210)Pb obtained from (222)Rn decay.
Liquid scintillation samples were filled with (222)Rn and the activity was measured with good precision after reaching the secular equilibrium with the progeny (218)Po, (214)Pb, (214)Bi and (214)Po. After decay of most of (222)Rn activity, the samples contain (210)Pb and progeny. The activities of (210)Pb and progeny can be calculated as a function of time using the initial (222)Rn activity. The samples were measured in a TDCR counter and the experimentally determined counting efficiencies are in accordance with previously published results.
Standardisation of 210Pb
The standardisation of 210Pb is complicated by the presence of the daughters, 210Bi and 210Po. In addition, the low energies of the beta emissions from 210Pb make it difficult to obtain high detection efficiencies in an atmospheric proportional counter and hence produce the need for large extrapolations with consequential large uncertainties when extrapolating to unit efficiency with the conventional 4pi(PC)-gamma-coincidence technique. In order to produce a reliable standardisation, it is necessary to remove the daughter products. A solution of 210Pb was therefore chemically separated from its daughters and then standardised using the conventional 4pi(LS)-gamma-coincidence technique. The low energy (46 keV) and low emission probability (4%) of the associated photon emissions effectively rules out the possibility of using ionisation chambers as secondary standard transfer instruments for this nuclide. A germanium spectrometer therefore was calibrated for this purpose using 241Am as a normalising agent. The results of this work are presented together with an analysis of the standardisation uncertainties that can be achieved in practice.
KEY COMPARISON: Update of the BIPM.RI(II)-K1.Rn-222 comparison of activity measurements for the radionuclide 222Rn to include the PTB
In 2005, the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Germany submitted a sample of known activity of 222Rn to the International Reference System (SIR). The value of the activity submitted was about 1.1 MBq. This key comparison result joins that of Switzerland in the key comparison database that now contains two results, identifier BIPM.RI(II)-K1.Rn-222. Consequently, the KCRV and the degrees of equivalence have been evaluated. Main text. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by Section II of the Consultative Committee for Ionizing Radiation (CCRI(II)), according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA).