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Development and optimization of an underwater in-situ cerium bromide spectrometer for radioactivity measurements in the aquatic environment.
- Source :
-
Journal of environmental radioactivity [J Environ Radioact] 2019 Aug; Vol. 204, pp. 12-20. Date of Electronic Publication: 2019 Apr 02. - Publication Year :
- 2019
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Abstract
- A new medium resolution gamma-ray spectrometer consisting of a cerium bromide (CeBr <subscript>3</subscript> ) crystal (2˝ x 2˝), is developed and optimized for radioactivity measurements in aquatic environments. This apparatus named GeoMAREA (Gamma-ray spectrometer for in-situ Marine Environmental Applications) is designed to control and prevent radio-contaminants in aquatic environments as well as to estimate the variation of natural radionuclides in marine systems for studying oceanographic processes. The system offers activity concentrations in Bq/m <superscript>3</superscript> for detected gamma-ray emitters in the energy range from 150 to 2600 keV, and can provide sequential continuous monitoring data in a stand-alone mode or it can be integrated in stationary/mobile platforms for (near) real-time applications. The photopeak efficiency values were estimated via the MCNPΧ code. Two experimental points were used to validate the theoretical estimations by deploying the system in a water tank with diluted reference sources such us Caesium-137 ( <superscript>137</superscript> Cs) and Potassium-40 ( <superscript>40</superscript> K). The system was subsequently deployed in the field along with a conductivity-temperature (CT) sensor, to measure <superscript>40</superscript> K and radon daughters in a region where submarine groundwater discharges (Anavalos, Kiveri, Greece) are present. The experimental calibration data was utilized to provide a first estimation for the background contribution around the photopeak of <superscript>40</superscript> K, attributed to the Cerium Bromide (CeBr <subscript>3</subscript> ) intrinsic activity.<br /> (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1879-1700
- Volume :
- 204
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Journal of environmental radioactivity
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 30952051
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.03.021