Method development and validation for the quantification of Ra-226, Pb-210, Po-210, Ra-228 and Th-228 in foods and drinking water

This work describes a proband study that investigates the potential radiological hazard for workers at geothermal energy plants during cleaning and maintenance work (NORM/TENORM workplace). To quantify the ingested activity of Ra-226, Ra-228, Th-228, Pb-210 and Po-210 via foodstuffs and drinking water by the workers and reference group, methods for the determination of the specific activity of these radionuclides via alpha and gamma spectrometry in foods and drinking water were developed and applied. The methods provide low detection limits and good results for method validation and method comparison.