scholarly journals Radon, gamma-ray exposure and natural radionuclides

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 285-287
Author(s):  
P. Wanabongse ◽  
W. Thorarit ◽  
N. Yimchalam ◽  
S. Bovornkitti

Abstract Measurements were conducted to determine residential radon exposure levels in provinces with high lung cancer incidence in three different regions of Thailand. The measurements revealed that the average indoor radon levels were 20.0, 24.4, and 13.1 Bq m−3, and that the average gamma dose rates were 145, 164, and 54 nSv h−1 in Chiangmai, Songkhla and Khonkaen provinces, respectively. The spectroscopic analysis of soil samples collected from the three provinces showed that the highest contents of Ra-226, Th-232, and K-40 were present in Songkhla, with values of 93.7, 71.9, and 786.9 Bq kg−1, respectively, and the lowest contents were present in Khonkaen, with values of 15.6, 19.0, and 46.8 Bq kg−1, respectively. The results of our analysis of the activity concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides helped explain the lower levels of radon gas and gamma-ray exposure in Khonkaen.

Author(s):  
P. K. Manigandan ◽  
K K Natrajan

Assessments of naturally occurring radionuclides in soil collected from a tropical rainforest forest of western Ghats, India were conducted. These radionuclides were distributed unevenly in the forest soil. For all soil samples, the terrestrial gamma dose rate and the corresponding outdoor annual effective dose equivalents were evaluated. The activity concentration of 232Th and average outdoor gamma dose rates were found to be higher than the global average which appears to affects Western Ghats environment in general, the radiological hazard indices were found to be within the International Commission on Radiological Protection recommended limits. Hence, obtained results for natural radionuclides in the forest soils were within the range specified by UNSCEAR (2000) report for virgin soils except 232Th.


2020 ◽  
Vol 189 (4) ◽  
pp. 517-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danara Ibrayeva ◽  
Meirat Bakhtin ◽  
Yerlan Kashkinbayev ◽  
Polat Kazymbet ◽  
Kassym Zhumadilov ◽  
...  

Abstract The Republic of Kazakhstan has a long history of mining activities, viz., gold and uranium. Mining activities represent sources of potential naturally occurring radionuclides contamination of the environment and human health of population. The aim of this study was to investigate the radiation situation of industrially modified environment in Stepnogorsk areas of Kazakhstan to understand the sources of contamination. Quite high values of ambient equivalent dose rates in air ~2.87 μSv h−1 were found in the Aqsu gold-mining site. The radon equivalent equilibrium volume activity (indoor) were in the range of 313–858 Bq m−3 in the study area buildings. The high values of activity concentration of natural radionuclides found in Aqsu soil samples were 226Ra-4060, 232Th-1170 and 40K-4080 Bq kg−1, respectively. However, our comprehensive surveys implied that the increased natural radiation background caused by the radionuclide transport from the tailing area did not have an impact, while evaluation of its potential radiation risks and remediation of the territories of the former gold mining should be needed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 186 (4) ◽  
pp. 520-523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shittu Abdullahi ◽  
Aznan Fazli Ismail ◽  
Supian Samat

Abstract The activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K radionuclides from common building materials used by Malaysian people for construction purposes were studied using High-Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector. The measured activity concentrations of the aforementioned radionuclides range from 10 ± 1 Bq kg−1 (limestone) to 155 ± 61 Bq kg−1 (feldspar), 12 ± 3 Bq kg−1 (limestone) to 274 ± 8 Bq kg−1 (kaolin) and 62 ± 19 Bq kg−1 (limestone) to 1114 ± 20 Bq kg−1 (pottery stone) for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K, respectively. The measured activity concentrations of the natural radionuclides reported herein were found to be in accordance with other previous studies. In general, the activity concentration of the natural radionuclides revealed that all the determined values were below the recommended limit.


2018 ◽  
Vol 184 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasutaka Omori ◽  
Atsuyuki Sorimachi ◽  
Manlaijav Gun-Aajav ◽  
Nyamdavaa Enkhgerel ◽  
Galnemekh Oyunbolor ◽  
...  

Abstract The present study aimed at examining changes of gamma radiation level associated with road construction in Mongolia. A car-borne survey of gamma dose rate was made for a paved, ~450-km long part of the Asian Highway 3 between Ulaanbaatar and Sainshand. The gamma dose rates ranged from 48 to 173 nGy/h. Elevation of the gamma dose rates was observed only on a 86-km long segment of the survey route which was newly constructed from 2011 to 2013. The gamma dose rates over the newer paved segment were twice as high as those over the bare dirt surface alongside it. Outdoor measurements of gamma-ray pulse height distributions also indicated an abundance of natural radionuclides, especially 232Th-series elements in road materials. These findings suggest that the gamma dose rates were elevated by introduction of road materials containing large amounts of natural radionuclides.


2018 ◽  
Vol 184 (1) ◽  
pp. 116-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasutaka Omori ◽  
Takuma Ishikawa ◽  
Atsuyuki Sorimachi ◽  
Tetsuo Ishikawa

Abstract The spatial distribution of ambient gamma dose rates in a high-rise steel-reinforced concrete building in Fukushima, Japan, was examined relative to the gamma-ray emissions from building materials and radionuclides derived from the 2011 nuclear accident. The results revealed the minor role of accident-derived radionuclides in ambient gamma dose rates ~7 y after the accident. The ambient gamma dose rates were higher in the upper floors because of gamma-ray emissions from natural radionuclides in the floor slabs. The fractional contribution of natural radionuclides to the ambient gamma dose rates indicated compositional differences in concrete between the upper- and lower-floor slabs.


2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 2340-2347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Subber ◽  
Munaf Qasim Jaber ◽  
Noori H.N. Al-Hashmi

This work presents measurements of natural radionuclides (238U, 226Ra, 232Th and 40K) in the sea sediment using gamma spectroscopy. The sediment samples were collected from coastal and deep water using special equipment for this purpose. This work was performed in Khor-Abdulla, northern west of the Arabian Gulf to establish the baseline data level for naturally occurring radionuclides in the study area and will be useful for tracking and assessing any accentual pollution in the marine environment in the region. The average values of 232Th, 238U,226Ra, 40K are 5.6 Bq/kg, 7.2 Bq/kg, 44.4 Bq/kg  and 293.9 Bq/kg respectively. It is found that,the mean radium equivalent Raeq and effective dose rates are  84.5 Bq/kg and 0.046 mSv/y respectively and they are well below the recommended limit of international committees.


2018 ◽  
Vol 185 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
S N Bramha ◽  
H Krishnan ◽  
V Subramanian ◽  
R Baskaran ◽  
B Venkatraman

Abstract The activity concentration of 238U, 232Th and 40K were measured in the soil samples collected from Fast Reactor Fuel Cycle Facility (FRFCF) site, using high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. This study is aimed to establish the baseline data of naturally occurring radionuclides within the site. The average activity concentrations were found to be 416.5, 61.7 and 622.3 Bq kg−1 for 40K, 238U and 232Th, respectively. The activity concentrations and its radiological indices were evaluated and were compared with the international values reported by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). The ratio of 40K/232Th and 40K /238U were calculated, which indicates the presence of 5.79 and 2.69 times more K-bearing minerals as compared with Th and U-bearing minerals in the soil samples, respectively. The study provides baseline information on concentration of radionuclides and background radiological assessment of the FRFCF site.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 183
Author(s):  
V. Papakosta ◽  
T. J. Mertzimekis ◽  
M. Triantafyllou

A preliminary study of natural radioactivity was conducted on the thermal spas in Methana Peninsula. To carry out this research, a collection of 17 water samples were taken from thermal springs around and underwater of the volcanogenic Peninsula at depths ranging 0–5 m. The Methana peninsula belongs to the Hellenic Volcanic Arc and is characterized by hydrothermal vent activity. A NaI(Tl) scintillator (AMESOS) was used to carry out gamma–ray counting of the samples to deduce the activity concentrations of the natural radionuclides of the 238U and 232Th decay series, as well as 40K in spa waters. Results are expected to provide information on the geological setting of the Methana peninsula. The impact of naturally occurring radioisotopes to human health has also been assessed in terms of the radiation dose risk corresponding to the measured activities.


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.


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