Comparison of AMS and LSC Analysis for Environmental Samples

Carbon-14 is one of the radio-nuclides which are produced by nuclear power plants. The main part of the carbon-14 released during normal operation is produced through neutron induced reactions in the cooling water and is released as airborne effluents such as carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon through the ventilation system of the plant to the surrounding environment. Because this nuclide has long half-life and biological importance, it is of interest to measure the releases and their incorporation into living material in the environment of the power plants. The collected samples were measured by using the liquid scintillation counter (LSC) for the environment effects assessment depending on carbon-14 release. The environmental samples around the nuclear power plant were analyzed using the accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and compared with LSC analytical results