scholarly journals Measurement and Analysis of Specific Activities of Natural Radionuclides (40K, 226Ra and 232Th) in Beach Sand Samples from Talo Kapo Beach of Yaring District in Pattani Province using Gamma Ray Spectrometry

2017 ◽  
Vol 901 ◽  
pp. 012146
Author(s):  
M. Daoh ◽  
R N. Masae ◽  
S. Po-oh ◽  
Boonkrongcheep ◽  
P. Kessaratikoon
Author(s):  
Jiří Zimák

The objective of this study was to assess the amount of natural radionuclides in fresh parent rocks and their effect on natural radioactivity of soils developed from them. Forty-five fresh rocks consisting mainly of granitoids, syenitoids, acid to basic metavolcanites, mica schists, gneisses, quartzites, serpentinites, sandstones, graywackes, and limestones and their corresponding overlying soils were sampled for laboratory gamma-ray spectrometric analysis. Contents of potassium, uranium and thorium were converted to mass activity of 226Ra equivalent (am) and terrestrial gamma radiation dose rate (D). Data are tabled and discussed. The highest am values occured in syenitoids (386–441 Bq·kg-1) followed by granitoids, mica schists, greywackes and gneisses, whereas the lowest am values were found in quartzose sandstones (15–36 Bq·kg-1) followed by limestones (less than 15 Bq·kg-1) and serpentinites (less than 6 Bq·kg-1). The natural radioactivity of soils is usually slightly lower than that of parent rocks due to the lower content of potassium, uranium and thorium in soils. This is typical for granitoids, syenitoids and rocks of similar mineralogical composition. In soils developed on granitoids and syenitoids were found increased concentrations of all three elements in the grain size fraction below 0.063 mm. Soils developed on rocks with low natural radioactivity (such as limestones and serpentinites) tend to have significantly higher natural radioactivity than their parent rocks. This may complicate the interpretation of data obtained by airborne gamma-ray spectrometry.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 121
Author(s):  
Filothei K. Pappa ◽  
Christos Tsabaris ◽  
Dionisis Patiris ◽  
Georgios Eleftheriou ◽  
Effrossini G. Androulakaki ◽  
...  

Radionuclides are characterized by their nuclear and chemical behavior. Additionally, the geochemical characteristics of radionuclides result in their accumulation in the sediments via sorption processes. In this work the radionuclide activity concentrations obtained by gamma-ray spectrometry (HPGe detector) were converted to metal concentrations as described in [1]. The results were compared with the measured metal concentrations obtained by atomic spectrometry (X-ray fluorescence system-XRF). The samples originate from the coastal environment of two Greek areas, characterized by elevated values of natural radionuclides (e.g. 226Ra) and metals. The preliminary study revealed a good agreement among the concentrations of potassium calculated via activity concentrations of 40K and those of XRF measurement, while a great divergence was observed for the thorium case. These differences can be attributed to the low statistics, as well as to the calibration set-up of Th XRF measurement.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (14) ◽  
pp. 6471
Author(s):  
Nasser M. Moghazy ◽  
Amira M. El-Tohamy ◽  
Mona M. Fawzy ◽  
Hamdy A. Awad ◽  
Hesham M. H. Zakaly ◽  
...  

The present study was carried out on commercial types of Aswan granite used as building and decorative materials. Nearly 29 granitic rocks samples from 11 classes (black Aswan, red Aswan, dark Rosa, light Rosa, yellow Verdi, grey Shirka, Gandolla, Forsan, red Nefertiti, Royal, and white Halayeb) were collected from three stations near Aswan city for petrographical description and assessment of natural radioactivity. The petrographical study of granites was conducted by polarized-light microscope in order to determine their mineralogical composition and investigate their texture; the activity of the natural radionuclides 238U, Ra226, 232Th, and 40K was measured by gamma-ray spectrometry with a NaI(Tl) detector. The average values of the activities, 52.2 Bq kg−1, 57.8 Bq kg−1, 31.2 Bq kg−1, and 1055.7 Bq kg−1 of U-238, Th-232, Ra-226, and K-40, respectively, were higher than that the world average values of 35 Bq kg−1, 30 Bq kg−1 and 400 Bq kg−1 for 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K, respectively, according to the recommended levels from UNSCEAR reports. The minimum and maximum values obtained were compared with the value ranges from other locations in the Eastern Desert, highlighting the fact that that the maximum values obtained in this work are higher than those in other areas. According to the radiological hazards indices results, most samples lie in the permissible level ranges, suggesting their favorability for use as building materials. In contrast to that, some samples have some environmental parameters higher than the international levels, indicating their unsuitability as building materials.


2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 247-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milan Tanic ◽  
Ljiljana Jankovic-Mandic ◽  
Bosko Gajic ◽  
Marko Dakovic ◽  
Snezana Dragovic ◽  
...  

This study evaluates the influence of the largest Serbian coal-fired power plant on radionuclide concentrations in soil profiles up to 50 cm in depth. Thirty soil profiles were sampled from the plant surroundings (up to 10 km distance) and analyzed using standard methods for soil physicochemical properties and gamma ray spectrometry for specific activities of natural radionuclides (40K, 226Ra and 232Th). Spatial and vertical distribution of radionuclides was determined and analyzed to show the relations between the specific activities in the soil and soil properties and the most influential factors of natural radionuclide variability were identified. The radiological indices for surface soil were calculated and radiological risk assessment was performed. The measured specific activities were similar to values of background levels for Serbia. The sampling depth did not show any significant influence on specific activities of natural radionuclides. The strongest predictor of specific activities of the investigated radionuclides was soil granulometry. All parameters of radiological risk assessment were below the recommended values and adopted limits. It appears that the coal-fired power plant does not have a significant impact on the spatial and vertical distribution of natural radionuclides in the area of interest, but technologically enhanced natural radioactivity as a consequence of the plant operations was identified within the first 1.5 km from the power plant.


2020 ◽  
Vol 188 (3) ◽  
pp. 276-284
Author(s):  
Kh A Allam

Abstract Patient and occupational dose rates due to psammotherapy (sand therapy) and climatotherapy treatments in high natural background areas in Egypt have been evaluated. Monte Carlo mathematical simulations using adult human phantoms were applied to consider the effect of elevated 238U, 232Th and 40K concentrations and the nonhomogeneous distribution of natural radionuclides in beach sand. Three situations: phantom covered by sand or lying on the beach and points in air at several heights above sand level, were considered. The gamma-ray doses per treatment were calculated at a reference point located on the phantom surface centrally above the genital area. The thus calculated patient-absorbed-dose ranges at this reference point were 0.006–0.018 mGy and 0.004–0.023 mGy per climatotherapy and psammotherapy treatments, respectively.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Haque ◽  
J. Ferdous

The radioactivity of environmental samples from nuclear reactor sites must be analyzed before the public is given free access to the plants grown in these soils. Plant and corresponding soil samples were collected from a sample site around the Savar research reactor near Dhaka (Bangladesh) and the activity concentrations of natural radionuclides <sup>226</sup>Ra (<sup>238</sup>U-chain), <sup>228</sup>Ra (<sup>232</sup>Th-chain) and non-chained <sup>40</sup>K were measured using gamma ray spectrometry. Soils of Savar contained more radioactive <sup>40</sup>K than <sup>226</sup>Ra and <sup>228</sup>Ra. The influence of certain soil properties on the activity concentrations and transfer factors (TF) of natural radionuclides were investigated by correlating the observed data with those of soil properties. The activity concentrations of <sup>40</sup>K were much higher than those of <sup>226</sup>Ra and <sup>228</sup>Ra in plants due to higher uptake from soils. The transfer factors for <sup>226</sup>Ra, <sup>228</sup>Ra and <sup>40</sup>K were found to range from 0.04 to 0.10, 0.12 to 0.32, and 0.24 to 0.72, respectively. The soil to plant transfer factors for <sup>40</sup>K was found to be much higher in plants, which might be due to this element being vital in plants. This study showed that activity concentrations of these radionuclides in plants and their plant transfer factors seem to depend on the activity concentrations of the same radionuclides in soil.</p><p><strong> </strong>


2019 ◽  
Vol 184 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 397-399
Author(s):  
R Kritsananuwat ◽  
C Kranrod ◽  
S Chanyotha ◽  
T Ploykrathok ◽  
P Sriploy

Abstract Thailand is predominantly an agricultural country. The Northern Region occupies the second largest cultivated land area in the country. To establish baseline data for future environmental monitoring, seventy-nine plant samples including vegetables, fruits and tobaccos and their relevant soils were collected from the major plantation zones of Northern Thailand. Activity concentrations of natural radionuclides in the samples were determined using gamma-ray spectrometry technique. The median activity concentrations of 226Ra and 228Ra in the soil samples were higher than worldwide value, while as those of 40K were comparable with worldwide value. There was a large variation and non-uniform distribution in the soil samples. The activity concentrations of 226Ra, 228Ra and 40K in the plant samples varied widely within plants and between species and were very low compared to their relevant soils. A decreasing trend of their activity concentration has been observed in the order leaf > stem > rhizome/root (as found in galangal); and leaf > stalk/stem (as found in lemongrass).


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document