Radium-226, measurement Scintillation counters

Proportional counters and scintillation counters are used as detectors. The proportional counters should preferably be designed without windows and take the form of methane flow counters, ce-rays generally feature extremely high energy levels of several MeV, but only a very limited range. Water can thus not be measured directly, and instead it is necessary to achieve a concentration of Oi -emitting nuclides, with particular attention being paid to radium 226, but also to uranium and thorium. 

Gross alpha and gross beta activity can be determined by various radioactive counters, such as internal proportional, alpha scintillation, and Geiger counters. Radium in water can be measured by co-precipitating with barium sulfate followed by counting alpha particles. Radium-226 can be measured from alpha counting of radon-222. Various methods are well documented (APHA, AWWA, and WEF 1998. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 20 ed. Washington DC American Public Health Association). 

Whole-body counters were originally developed for investigation of poisoning by radioactive substances such as radium. They are now used diagnostically and consist of a large scintillation, or semiconductor, detector with the whole system, including the patient, placed in a heavily shielded room. The sensitivity is sufficient to measure natural radioactivity in the human body from such nuclides as... 

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