Prior to analysis, the soil samples were cleaned and dried and
weighed subsequent to the removal of stone, organic matter and
other non-soil material. The soil samples were then oven dried at
1001C and homogenized by manual crushing. A measured aliquot
of each sample was sealed in 500 ml Marinelli beakers. The ash
samples, being already in homogenized form, were directly packed
into the Marinelli beaker, the net mass being recorded. The masses
analyzed varied from 352 to 585 g in the case of soils and from 352
to 388 g for ash/slag. To allow secular equilibrium to be established
between
226
Ra,
228
Ra and their progenies, all of the samples were
measured approximately three weeks after being sealed in Marinelli beakers (Amin and Bradley, 2001)