An industry survey of current lower limits of detection for various radionuclides

The results of a survey to assess detection limits of various radionuclides and their associated costs is presented herein. Included among the radionuclides of interest are mixed fission products, mixed activation products, actinides and transuranics, plus tritium (3H) and 14C. The survey encompassed commercial analytical radiochemistry services and nuclear instrument suppliers in the United States. In the study, a simple soil sample was defined as the object of consideration with no requirements for any special quality control/assurance. Standard procedures and instrumentation were requested, as were standard prices/costs required for the various analyses. The minimum detectable level for most isotopes using standard procedures was on the order of 0.0037 to 0.037 Bq g-1 (0.1 to 1.0 pCi g-1). The analytical costs varied by factors of 2 to 4 over a range of 0.0037 to 0.37 Bq g-1 (0.1 to 10.0 pCi g-1). While the ability to detect below 0.0037 Bq g-1 (0.1 pCi g-1) is possible, the required detection times were considered prohibitive for a commercial laboratory.