Separation of double-label liquid scintillation samples by half-life

A method is presented for separation of double- or triple-labeled liquid scintillation samples based on the partial decay of one of the nuclides. Validity of the procedure has been demonstrated with the following combinations of nuclides commonly encountered in laboratory situations; ¹³¹I-¹⁴C, ³²P-¹⁴C, and ²⁰³Hg-¹⁴C, Separation of all nuclide pairs agrees favorably with predieted values except when the activity ratios exceed 10³. The determinations are independent of quenching and nuclide spectra and greatly augment the number of β-β and β-γ combinations resolved by liquid scintillation spectrometry. The utility of this method for separation of triple-labeled samples is discussed.