A plastic scintillation counter prototype

• A new device of plastic scintillation counter was developed to measure beta emitters.
• High sensitivity with low detection limit was performed for a tritium compound.
• A detection limit of tritium was 0.01 Bq mL−1 for a 10 h measurement.
• A plastic scintillation counter generated no radioactive organic waste fluid.
• A plastic scintillation counter could analyze qualitatively and quantitatively.

A new prototype device for beta-ray measurement, a plastic scintillation counter, was assembled as an alternative device to liquid scintillation counters. This device uses plastic scintillation sheets (PS sheets) as a sample applicator without the use of a liquid scintillator. The performance was evaluated using tritium labeled compounds, and good linearity was observed between the activity and net count rate. The calculated detection limit of the device was 0.01 Bq mL−1 after 10 h measurement for 2 mL sample.