UNCLASSIFIED

ANALYTICAL PROCEDURE FOR THE SEPARATION AND DETERMINATION
OF RADI(M IN 100 GRAMS OF SOIL
1.

Except for the addition of 20 mg of Sr** carrier, Steps 1 thru

18 of the grb? 9° procedure are carried out exactly the same
Way.
_

@e

When the carbonate precipitate is dry, remove from the filter
paper and transfer to a pyrex glass tray.

3.

Place in a 100°C oven and dry overnight.

4.

Now break up the aggregated material with a spatula and crush

S.

Return the material to a 100°C oven and dry again.

6.

Finally place the dried precipitate in a copper radon collecting tube. Plug up both ends with pyrex wool, flush out the

as well as possible with a pestle.

tube with hydrogen and then seal.

7.

Record the time.

For full equilibrium, allow a 30 day build, but shorter
buildup times are useable. Measure the radon in an ionization
chamber radon counting apparatus.

This method of radon collection is relatively wtried, but a spiked
sample gave the following result,

g Ra per g Soil
Sample

Added

Found

Soil No. 114

0

5.2 x 10729

won

8.4 x 1074?

4 x 10739

Spiked soil No. 11h 4.0 x 107%?

dwt CG
UNCLASSIFIED

j

rence

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