Error-control and processes optimization of 223/224Ra measurement using Delayed Coincidence Counter (RaDeCC)

•We explored the relative errors of 224Ra and 223Ra measurement in water samples via a RaDeCC system.•We showed the effects of decay days and counting time on final radium relative errors.•We proposed a set of optimized RaDeCC measurement parameters.

RaDeCC has proved to be a precise and standard way to measure 224Ra and 223Ra in water samples and successfully made radium a tracer of several environmental processes. In this paper, the relative errors of 224Ra and 223Ra measurement in water samples via a Radium Delayed Coincidence Count system are analyzed through performing coincidence correction calculations and error propagation. The calculated relative errors range of 2.6%∼10.6% for 224Ra and 9.6%∼14.2% for 223Ra. For different radium activities, effects of decay days and counting time on final radium relative errors are evaluated and the results show that these relative errors can decrease by adjusting the two measurement factors. Finally, to minimize propagated errors in Radium activity, a set of optimized RaDeCC measurement parameters are proposed.