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Simplified evaluation of214Bi/238U activity ratios in fossil bones using non-destructive activation analysis

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Abstract

A simple and reliable method has been developed for the evaluation of radioactive disequilibrium state in fossil bones. The fossil bone samples were irradiated with an extremely low neutron fluence, together with a standard pitchblende prevailing the secular equilibrium among the uranium series. The239Np activity induced from238U in both samples were adjusted to be gamma-ray spectrometrically nearly equivalent to the naturally occurring radioactivities by controlling the neutron flux and cooling time. Using single gamma-ray spectrometry of the irradiated samples, the determination of214Bi/238U in a fossil bone was carried out by comparing the photopeak ratios of214Bi /609 keV/ and239Np /278 keV/ instead of238U with the same ratios from the pitchblende standard sample.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Niigata University, 950-21, Niigata, Japan

    T. Hashimoto, H. Saitoh & T. Sotobayashi

  2. Environmental Pollution Control Laboratory, Niigata Prefecture, 950-21, Sowa, Niigata, Japan

    H. Suzuki & S. tonouchi

Authors
  1. T. Hashimoto
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  2. H. Saitoh
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  3. H. Suzuki
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  4. S. tonouchi
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  5. T. Sotobayashi
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Hashimoto, T., Saitoh, H., Suzuki, H. et al. Simplified evaluation of214Bi/238U activity ratios in fossil bones using non-destructive activation analysis. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Letters 94, 373–380 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02165698

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02165698

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