A continuous scintillation counter using a paraffin scintillator and a solid support

A new scintillation counting system which allows radioactive effluent to be monitored continuously has been proposed. The effluent is immediately solidified on a glass-fiber support tape by continuously dropping small amounts of molten paraffin scintillator onto it. Since the prepared sample holds the sequence of the elution, it can be measured repeatedly and stored. The technique provides high counting efficiency, good reproducibility in measurement and no memory effect without using a counting vial. A counting efficiency of about 15% is obtainable for 3H, 85% for 14C and 95% for 32P with a specialized scintillation counter which has been constructed so as to move the solid support sample with a constant speed between two slits on which each photomultiplier tube is closely mounted.