Method for organically bound tritium analysis from sediment using a combustion bomb

The method consisted in combustion, using a Parr bomb type 1121, of a sediment - tritium free promoter mixture. The proper ratio sediment to promoter in our experiments was between 1:3 and 1:2, higher ratio resulting in unreliable results, due to incomplete combustion of the sample. The described method was used to measure the estuarine sediment sample from the 2nd International OBT Intercomparison Exercise, the average reported value being 163±12 Bq kg−1 dry matter (k=2).