Tests of HPGe- and scintillation-based backpack γ-radiation survey systems

• A comparison between three backpack gamma radiation survey systems was done.
• The survey systems were based on HPGe, LaBr3:Ce and NaI(Tl) detectors.
• It was found that the HPGe detector outperformed the other detectors.
• Creating maps of the survey measurements proved to be the best analysis method.

The performance of three different backpack-mounted γ-radiation survey systems has been investigated. The systems are based on a LaBr3:Ce detector and a NaI(Tl) detector both with active volume dimensions of 76.2 mm in diameter and 76.2 mm length and a 123% relative efficiency HPGe detector. The detection limits of the systems were tested in a controlled outdoor environment in Sweden, followed by field tests of the HPGe- and LaBr3:Ce-based systems at the site of a radioactive waste repository in Georgia (in the Caucasus region of Eurasia). The results showed that the high efficiency HPGe detector performed significantly better than similar sized LaBr3:Ce and NaI(Tl) detectors, however, the HPGe detector was significantly heavier than the other systems. The use of different analysis methods revealed that creating maps of the survey area was the best method for offline analysis of survey data collected from a large area. Using off-site personnel for analysis of the data proved to be beneficial.