Alpha-radiometry of seawater by liquid scintillation counting

Liquid scintillation counting of the alpha-radionuclides after pre-concentration by cation-exchange represents a simple and robust method for the determination of total alpha-radioactivity in seawater. The total efficiency and the minimum detectable activity were calculated to be 95% and 30 mBq, respectively, for a liter sample and 1000-minute measuring time. The method has been applied successfully for the determination of alpha-radioactivity in seawater from five different coastal areas in Cyprus. The average alpha-radioactivity and uranium concentration were found to be 124 +/- 8 mBql(-1) and 3.2 +/- 0.2 mgl(-1), respectively.