Applicability study of using in-situ gamma-ray spectrometry technique for 137Cs and 210Pbex inventories measurement in grassland environments

In-situ measurement of fallout radionuclides Cs-137 and Pb-210(ex) has the potential to assess soil erosion and sedimentation rapidly. In this study, inventories of Cs-137 and Pb-210(ex) in the soil of Inner Mongolia grassland were measured using an In-situ Object Counting System (ISOCS). The results from the field study indicate that in-situ gamma-ray spectrometry has the following advantages over traditional laboratory measurements: no extra time is required for sample collection, no reference inventories are required, more economic, prompt availability of the results, the ability to average radionuclide inventory over a large area, and high precision. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.