A comparison of a track shape analysis-based automated slide scanner system with traditional methods

High level of natural ionizing radiation at a thermal bath in Dehloran, Iran

It has been proven that more than half of the exposure to natural background radiation originates from radon isotopes and their decay products. The inhalation of radon and its decay products causes the irradiation of respiratory tracts, thus increasing the risk of lung cancer. In this study, the concentrations of radon and thoron in thermal baths at a spa in Dehloran (Iran) were investigated. The concentrations of dissolved ²²⁶Ra in samples of water from thermal baths were also measured. Additionally, the activity concentrations of abundant naturally occurring radionuclides in farmland soils irrigated with water from hot springs was measured and compared with other soil samples irrigated with water from other sources to estimate possible radioecological effects of natural radiation staff, patients and tourists at the spa are exposed to. In addition, the search for a link between the concentration of naturally occurring radionuclides in soil and the use of water from hot springs for irrigation was one of the main goals of the study. The activity concentrations of three major naturally occurring radionuclides in soil samples were measured; the ranges for ⁴⁰K, ²²⁶Ra and ²²⁸Ra were 101 ± 8 to 240 ± 12, 276 ± 7 to 322 ± 12 and 20 ± 7 to 80 ± 10 Bq.kg⁻¹, respectively. Higher activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra and ²²⁸Ra were recorded in soil samples irrigated with hot spring water. The water from the same spring was used in all thermal baths so concentrations of dissolved ²²⁶Ra in water samples from different thermal baths were approximated to also be 0.42 ± 0.20 Bq.l⁻¹. The indoor radon concentrations in the private thermal baths over a period of 45 days (including both occupied and vacant time) were measured to be between 1880 ± 410 and 2450 ± 530 Bq.m⁻³ and the radon concentrations in the spa galleries were measured to be between 790 ± 135 and 1050 ± 120 Bq.m⁻³, however, thoron concentrations were below the detection limit. The ventilation and centralized heating systems at the spa under investigation are inefficient so the radon concentrations in the therapy rooms and baths are high.

The maximum radiation doses originating from the inhalation of radon for tourists and the staff were estimated to be 0.13 and 5.5 mSv.yr⁻¹, respectively, which is slightly over the national limit in Iran (5 mSv.yr⁻¹). The exposure duration was estimated 15 and 1468 h per year for visitors and workers, respectively.

Tobacco plant as possible biomonitoring tool of red mud dust fallout and increased natural radioactivity

Exposure to toxic heavy metal content in soil and inherent naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) needs to be monitored, especially after industrial accidents and remediation efforts. Just such an accident happened near Ajka city in Hungary; a large quantity of red mud flooded out from a reservoir. The afflicted area was remediated, and the red mud deposition technology was changed from a wet to a dry procedure. Concerns have been raised about potential hazards from airborne NORM dust in this area. The objectives of this study were to assess the use of explanted tobacco plants as an active biomonitoring system for airborne NORM dust and to reveal weather-related correlations of Po-210 in airborne dust. In 2011, 2012 and 2014, measurements were taken of the following at six monitoring sites in the polluted area and at eight sites in unpolluted areas: soil and tobacco plant Po-210 isotope levels, airborne Rn-222, Ra-226 in soil, Th-232 and K-40 radioactivity concentrations. The transfer factors (TFs) of tobacco were calculated yearly for these isotopes. Association of data with local weather features was determined. In 2012 (the windiest and driest year), the mean Po-210 activity concentrations of tobacco samples in polluted areas were significantly higher than in 2011 and in 2014 (p = 0.044 and p = 0.024, respectively). The mean TF of samples in 2012 was also significantly higher in tobacco plants grown in the polluted area compared to ones grown in unpolluted areas (p = 0.020). These results presumably originate from red mud dust-particle adsorption on tobacco plant leaves. Tobacco plants are promising active bioindicators of airborne particulate pollution by Po-210 or other atmospheric NORM content.

Radon-thoron discriminative measurements in the high natural radiation areas of southwestern Cameroon

Although indoor radon was initially measured in the uranium regions of Poli and Lolodorf using Electret Ionization Chambers, discriminative RADUET detectors were deployed in 70 houses of the high natural radiation areas of Bikoue and Ngombas in the uranium region of Lolodorf in Southwestern Cameroon. Radon and thoron concentrations were determined using Image-J and Microscope Methods for track evaluation. Radon and thoron concentrations follow lognormal distributions and ranged respectively from 27 ± 26 to 937 ± 5 Bq m(-3) and from 48 ± 40 to 700 ± 128 Bq m(-3). The arithmetic means of radon and thoron concentrations were found to be 92 ± 3 Bq m(-3) and 260 ± 13 Bq m(-3.) Less than 2% of houses have indoor radon above the reference level of 300 Bq m(-3) and 30% of houses have thoron concentrations above 300 Bq m(-3.) Inhalation doses due to radon and thoron range respectively between 0.6-17.7 mSv yr(-1) and 0.2-3 mSv yr(-1) with the mean values of 1.4 mSv yr(-1) and 1 mSv yr(-1). The contribution of indoor thoron to the total inhalation dose ranges between 15%- 78.5% with the mean value of 47%. Thus thoron cannot be neglected when assessing radiation dose.