Current Methods for Laboratory Analysis of Environmental Levels of Radioactivity

This paper reviews the current methods for laboratory analysis of environmental levels of radioactivity and discusses the background, Compton scatter, and efficiency parameters that are associated with the various spectrometer systems. The methods which are discussed are: 1) total absorption gamma-ray spectrometry, 2) multidimensional gamma-ray spectrometry, and 3) multidimensional gamma-ray spectrometry with dual beta coincidence (all systems use NaI(Tl) detectors). Dual Ge(Li) anticoincidence shielded systems as well as NaI(Tl) and Ge(Li) coincidence gamma-ray spectrometers are discussed. The analysis of X-ray and alpha emitters is pursued for both laboratory and field detector systems. The special adaptation of some gamma-ray, X-ray and alpha spectroscopy systems to field utilization including underwater analysis is presented.