The application of full spectrum analysis to NaI(Tl) gamma spectrometry for the determination of burial dose rates

In this study, we explored the potential of a NaI(Tl) scintillator-based gamma spectrometer for the accurate determination of burial dose rates in natural geological samples using a full spectrum analysis (FSA) approach. In this method, an iterative reweighted least-square regression is used to fit calibration standard spectra (⁴⁰K, and ²³⁸U and ²³²Th series in equilibrium) to the sample spectrum, after subtraction of an appropriate background. The resulting minimum detection limits for ⁴⁰K, ²³⁸U, and ²³²Th are 4.8, 0.4 and 0.3 Bq·kg^-1, respectively (for a 0.23 kg sample); this is one order of magnitude lower than those obtained with the three-window approach previously reported by us, and well below the concentrations found in most natural sediments. These improved values are also comparable to those from high-resolution HPGe gamma spectrometry. Almost all activity concentrations of ⁴⁰K, ²³⁸U, and ²³²Th from 20 measured natural samples differ by ≤5% from the high resolution spectrometry values; the average ratio of dose rates derived from our NaI(Tl) spectrometer to those from HPGe spectrometry is 0.993 ± 0.004 (n=20). We conclude that our scintillation spectrometry system employing FSA is a useful alternative laboratory method for accurate and precise determination of burial dose rates at a significantly lower cost than high resolution gamma spectrometry.