Determination of 210Pb in environmental samples

Measurement of Pb-210 has gained a highly scientific attention due to its wide range of environmental applications. The most commonly used analytical techniques: gamma-spectrometry, beta-counting and alpha-spectrometry were used to measure environmental samples (geological, soil, sediment). Our paper is aiming at comparing the capabilities and limits of application of these three different analytical techniques for Pb-210 measurement in various environmental samples. In addition, analytical data of Pb-210 measurements with the three different techniques (gamma-spectrometry, beta-counting and alpha-spectrometry) are discussed to highlight the degree of comparability and the most probable sources of discrepancies and errors. Based on the demanded investigation, one analytical technique will be chosen for routine analysis, while the other techniques, if they are available, could be used for analytical quality assurance measures. It was essential to compare the analytical efficacy of each technique, which differ concerning the detection limit (MDA), sensitivity, analytical effort, the duration of analysis and waiting time before analysis.