A very simple and time saving liquid scintillation counting method that avoids the need for any chemical separation has been developed for the determination of both 222Rn and 226Ra i n water. This method takes advantage of the very low background level of the liquid scintillation counter "Quantulus" and of spectral control. The method is very sensitive and specific for the above radionuclides. The lower limit of detection is well below maximum contaminant levels set even by the most strict regulations. In a pilot project for a first surveillance of the drinking water i n Austria it was shown that the proposed method was suitable for large scale surveillance and routine analysis. Its application to mineral waters sold in Austria showed elevated levels of 226Ra in some brands and one exceeded the maximum permissible level by a factor of 20. Considerable concentrations of 222Rn were found in drinking waters from certain areas, but no 226Ra concentrations higher than the lower limit of detection (1.3 pCi 1-1) (48.1 mBq 1-1) were found. Future workto improve the method further and to apply it to large scale surveillance is discussed.
A simple and quick method for the determination of 14C in ethanol has been developed, using an ultra low-level liquid scintillation counter. I have studied factors influencing the lower limit of detection and have shown that liquor can be measured directly without pretreatment. Results of measurements on Austrian wines are presented and compared with results obtained from tritium measurements. The applicability and limitations of the results to age determination are discussed.
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