Improved Radio-Cesium Detection Using Quantitative Real-Time Autoradiography
Journal
ACS Omega
Journal Volume
8
Journal Issue
25
Start Page
22523
End Page
22535
ISSN
2470-1343
2470-1343
Date Issued
2023-06-13
Author(s)
Ang, Joyce W. L.
Bongrand, Arthur
Duval, Samuel
Donnard, Jérôme
Parkkonen, Joni
Koivula, Risto
Siitari-Kauppi, Marja
Law, Gareth T. W.
Abstract
Cesium-134 and -137 are prevalent, long-lived, radio-toxic contaminants released into the environment during nuclear accidents. Large quantities of insoluble, respirable Cs-bearing microparticles (CsMPs) were released into the environment during the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. Monitoring for CsMPs in environmental samples is essential to understand the impact of nuclear accidents. The current detection method used to screen for CsMPs (phosphor screen autoradiography) is slow and inefficient. We propose an improved method: real-time autoradiography that uses parallel ionization multiplier gaseous detectors. This technique permits spatially resolved measurement of radioactivity while providing spectrometric data from spatially heterogeneous samples─a potential step-change technique for use after nuclear accidents for forensic analysis. With our detector configuration, the minimum detectable activities are sufficiently low for detecting CsMPs. Further, for environmental samples, sample thickness does not detrimentally affect detector signal quality. The detector can measure and resolve individual radioactive particles ≥465 μm apart. Real-time autoradiography is a promising tool for radioactive particle detection.
Publisher
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Type
journal article