RAPID AND ACCURATE DETERMINATION OF SR-89 90 IN RADIOACTIVE SAMPLES BY CERENKOV COUNTING/

An improved and rapid method for determination of Sr-90 via its daught er nuclide, Y-90, in,aqueous samples from the low-level radioactive wa stes by Cerenkov counting was established. This technique is applicabl e to beta particles maximum energies greater than 0.263 MeV in aqueous solution. A comparison of Sr-90 determination by Cerenkov counting an d standard wet chemical separation techniques indicates a high degree of correlation and excellent agreement. For a 20 mi aqueous sample fol lowing the prescribed experimental conditions and a 60 min counting in terval, the detection limit was 0.20 dpm/ml (0.10 pCi/ml), and the rel ative deviation is less then 5%.