In liquid scintillation counting, sample radioactivity is analyzed by measuring photons emitted from counting vials. Quenching effect lowers photon intensity from samples, which leads to lower counting efficiency. So an appropriate quenching correction according to characteristics of samples is important. In this study, the quenching correction for H-3 analysis was conducted according to the characteristics of paper packaging material leached samples. The leached samples are made from H-3 leaching method which is in the process of development for H-3 contamination screening. There are several ways of quenching correction such as internal standard (IS) method, quench correction curve and triple-to-double coincidence ratio (TDCR) method, etc. For quench correction curve, quenched standard set, which has the same matrix as experimental samples, is needed to be prepared. Each leached sample, however, has different matrix and color depending on condition of leaching experiment, which means that it is not capable of preparing standard set having same matrix with the samples. In this study, the counting samples are used for plotting quench correction curve instead of quenched standard set. Spectral quench parameter of the external standard [SQP(E)] is used as quench indicating parameter (QIP). TDCR and counting efficiencies determined by IS method are used as counting efficiencies. The quench curve of TDCR versus SQP(E) has R2 = 0.55 and the curve of efficiency from IS method versus SQP(E) has R2 = 0.99. TDCR is known for approximate counting efficiency, however, TDCR as counting efficiency needs careful use for H-3 analysis of leached samples. The curve used efficiency from IS method is suitable for H-3 analysis of leached samples. In this study, the quench correction curve is prepared for H-3 analysis of leached samples of paper packaging material. SQP(E), TDCR and efficiency from IS method was used as parameters to plot the quench correction curve, and, the efficiency from IS method is suitable for H-3 analysis of the leached samples. The result of this study can be used for H-3 analysis of leached samples of paper packaging material.

This study presents a rapid and quantitative sequential separation method for H-3 and C-14 isotopes with distillation apparatus in environmental samples released from nuclear facilities. After adding 200 mg of granulated potassium permanganate and 500 mg of sodium hydroxide in 100 mL of sample solution, the sample solution was heated until approximately 10 mL of distillate, and the distillate fraction was removed. The sample solution was heated again until a minimum 10 mL of additional distillate was collected. 10 mL of distillate was transferred to the LSC vail and the measurement sample for H-3 was made by adding 10 mL of Ultima Gold LLT to the LSC vial. After adding 2.5 g of potassium persulfate, 2 mL of 1M silver nitrate and 15 mL of concentrated nitric acid to the remained sample solution, the sample solution was heated for 90 minutes and C-14 isotopes were adsorbed into 10 mL of Carbo-Sorb solution in glass vial. The measurement sample for C-14 was made by adding 10 mL of Permafluor to the C-14 fraction in glass vial. The purified H-3 and C-14 samples were measured by the liquid scintillation counter after quenching correction. The average recoveries of H-3 and C-14 with CRM were measured to be 96% and 85%, respectively. The sequential separation method for H-3 and C-14 investigated in this study was applied to activated charcoal filter produced from nuclear power plants after validating the reliability by result of proficiency test (KOLAS-KRISS, PT-2021-51).