New Way to Check for Cobalt-60 in Carbon-14 Urea Pills

Scientists have discovered an innovative approach to identify trace amounts of cobalt-60 in carbon-14 urea pills, which are essential for medical testing. The new technique employs liquid scintillation counting, a method that measures the energy emitted by radioactive substances.

Key Features of the Method

• Targeted Detection: The method focuses on the unique signals emitted by cobalt-60, allowing scientists to detect it even in the presence of high levels of carbon-14.
• Energy Spectrum Analysis: By examining a specific part of the energy spectrum, researchers can accurately identify cobalt-60.
• Sample Variability Adjustment: The method accounts for any changes in the sample that might influence the results.

Validation of the Method

To ensure accuracy, scientists introduced known quantities of cobalt-60 into the pills. The results aligned with their expectations, confirming the method's reliability. The technique can detect cobalt-60 levels as low as 0.0064%, far below the permitted impurity limit of 0.1% for these pills.

Significance

This breakthrough simplifies the process of verifying the purity of carbon-14 urea pills, ensuring they are safe and effective for medical use. The method can be routinely applied to maintain quality standards in medical testing.