A comparative study of the gross alpha and beta sample preparation method with a liquid scintillation counterRovan Stiplošek, Leja (Avtor) Patterson, Sian (Avtor) radioecologygross alpha and betapre-concentration methodsliquid-scintillation countingrecoveryzeta-scoreGross alpha and beta (GAB) measurements provide a rapid screening tool for assessing radionuclide contamination in water. This study aimed to establish a sensitive, simple method for low-level GAB detection using a liquid scintillation counter (LSC). Different sample preparation approaches (direct, co-precipitation with Fe(OH)3, Ca3(PO4)2, MnO2, and evaporation) were tested on four water samples containing natural and anthropogenic radionuclides from the IAEA 2022 proficiency test. Results, evaluated by recoveries and Zeta-scores, showed preparation methods influence recovery and quenching. Co-precipitation with Ca3(PO4)2 and evaporation performed best, though GAB remains a complementary rather than absolute analytical method, as not all radionuclides can be detected simultaneously.Springer Nature20262026-04-07 11:50:59Neznano28782Švicasl© The Author(s) 2026