Precision measurement of radioactivity in gamma-rays spectrometry using two HPGe detectors (BEGe-6530 and GC0818-7600SL models) comparison techniques: Application to the soil measurement

To obtain high quality of results in gamma spectrometry, it is necessary to select the best HPGe detector for particular measurements, to calibrate energy and efficiency of gamma detector as accurate as possible. To achieve this aim, the convenient detector model and gamma source can be very useful. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the soil specific activity using two HPGe model (BEGe-6530 and GC0818-7600SL) by comparing the results of the two detectors and the technics used according to the detector type. The relative uncertainty activity concentration was calculated for (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K. For broad energy germanium detector, BEGe-6530, the relative uncertainty concentration ranged from 2.85 to 3.09% with a mean of 2.99% for (226)Ra, from 2.29 to 2.49% with a means of 2.36% for (232)Th and from 3.47 to 22.37% with a mean of 12.52% for (40)K. For GC0818-7600SL detector, it was ranged from 10.45 to 25.55% with a mean of 17.10% for (226)Ra, from 2.54 to 3.56% with a means of 3.10% for (232)Th and from 3.42 to 7.65% with a mean of 5.58% for (40)K. The average report between GC0818-7600SL model and BEGe-6530 model was calculated and showed the mean value of 3.36. The main study was based on the following points: • Determination of The relative uncertainty activity concentration of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K; • Determination of the relative uncertainty related to the radium equivalent activity to compare the performance of the two detection systems; • Proved that the activity concentration determination in gamma spectrometry depended on the energy range emitted by a radionuclide. This study showed that the standard deviation measurement was less important to the result realized with BEGe-6530 HPGe model. Our findings were demonstrated that the results of the Broad Energy Germanium detector were more reliable.