Analysis of Atmospheric Radiosulfur at Natural Abundance by a New-Type Liquid Scintillation Counter Equipped with Guard Compensation Technology

Abstract

High-sensitivity measurements of radiosulfur (cosmogenic 35S; half-life: 87.4 days) at natural abundance using ultra-low-level liquid scintillation counter (LSC) methods have been developed and optimized in the last decade, providing new details in space, atmospheric, and hydrological sciences. These LSC methods heavily rely on instruments conventionally equipped with 650 kg lead blocks that passively shield cosmic and environmental background radiation, but this type of instrument is not commercially available anymore, hindering further applications of 35S. To solve this problem, we extended the methods to a new-type LSC equipped with new mathematics-based active shielding techniques (Guard Compensation Technology; GCT). The counting efficiency of the new-type LSC for low-35S activity samples (e.g., natural samples) is low and highly variable because a portion of true signals from 35S decay events was undesirably removed by GCT. We therefore developed a new data processing protocol to determine 35S activities accurately and precisely in the range between ∼1 and ∼13 disintegrations per minute, and its validity was tested by working standards with known 35S activities. As an application example, we measured concentrations of 35S in sulfate aerosols collected in Guangzhou, a megacity in subtropical South China. The obtained values are within the range of previously reported data from various mid-latitude sampling sites. Based on these results, we conclude that our protocol allows the continuing utility of 35S measurements using a new-type LSC for a deeper understanding of the atmospheric sulfur cycle and its influences on the environment, climate, and public health.