Abstract
More than 15 years ago the presence of 210Pb activity in lead was found to create significant background in a low-background radiation detection spectrometer. Shortly thereafter, 210Po alpha particles emitted from the surface of a solder joint were directly observed with this spectrometer. Antiquity lead was used to eliminate these sources of radioactivity. The experiments leading up to these “discoveries” are described. The magnitude of the effect of 210Pb in lead on the experiment is discussed. The sensitivities of various techniques for measuring 210Pb in lead are compared, and a practical limit for alpha activity in lead is proposed.
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Brodzinski, R. The “Discovery” of alpha activity in lead and solder. J. Electron. Mater. 29, 1294–1298 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-000-0028-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-000-0028-1