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²⁰⁸Tl and ²⁴Na Gamma Sources for Identifying Soil Water Tagged with Deuterium¹

ABSTRACT

In situ tracing of soil water movement with the D₂O-²⁴Na method has been limited by the need to reactivate the ²⁴Na gamma source frequently (half-life of 15 hours) in a nuclear reactor. Our laboratory study showed ²⁰⁸Tl produced the same neutron count rates from vials of D₂O in dry and moist soil as did ²⁴Na. The 1.9-year effective half-life of ²⁰⁸Tl in equilibrium with its parent nuclide ²²⁸Th is a significant advantage of ²⁰⁸Tl over ²⁴Na. Recent commercial availability of ²⁰⁸Tl sources now makes in situ D₂O tracing of soil water feasible for investigators not having access to a nuclear reactor.

¹ Contribution from the Savannah River Lab., E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., Aiken, S.C. The information contained in this article was developed during the course of work under Contract AT(07-2)-1 with the US Atomic Energy Commission.

² Research Chemists and Research Physicist, respectively.

Received for publication September 8, 1970. Accepted for publication October 23, 1970.