Solid scintillators for receptor assays: an environmentally safe alternative to liquid scintillation cocktails

Scintillation counting of tritiated ligands is widespread in receptor assays and has necessitated the use of scintillation cocktails containing environmentally damaging solvents that pose health hazards to their users. A safer mode of dry scintillation counting, based on the solid scintillator Xtalscint, was evaluated in whole-cell and membrane receptor assays. The results compared favorably with those obtained with glass-fiber filters and conventional liquid counting methods. It is concluded that solid scintillators may be used as an environmentally safer alternative to liquid scintillation in these assays.