Measurement of gross β activity in urine of normal adults

Objective To measure the total β radioactive background level in the urine of normal adults,and to establish the method which can be universally used and satisfy the needs of rapid screening of samples in large batch.Methods A total of 83 urine samples from healthy adults were prepared by evaporation.And the gross β activity in urine was detected by using low background measuring instrument.Results The optimal experimental conditions were in place.The sampled volume was 200 ml,and the samples were turned to nitric acid salinization,ashed at 300℃ for 2 h,and the measured time was 1000 min.To get a more stable result,the urine residues were put aside for 24 h before measurement.The radioactivity in urine of healthy adults was between 9.40-55.92 Bq/L,and showed no correlation with age and sex.Conclusions When the radioactivity in urine is detected under the conditions mentioned above,the sample preparation process is simple and quickly,which can satisfy the needs of large batch sample screening. Key words: Urine sample;  Gross β radioactivity;  Radioactive screening