Determination of 7Be and 22Na activity in air and rainwater samples by gamma-ray spectrometry

Natural radionuclides, such as short lived radon daughters and 7Be, have been analyzed in aerosols at the Nuclear Engineering Department of the National Technical University of Athens (NED-NTUA) since many years, with high accuracy and precision. During this research, an effort to detect 22Na and determine 7Be/22Na ratio in aerosols is presented. In order to study the role of precipitation in surface air 7Be and 22Na activity concentration, a procedure for collecting and analyzing rainwater was developed. With this technique 22Na was detected in air samples, although with relatively high uncertainties.