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Guembou Shouop CJ, Tayou Kamkumo C, Nguelem Mekongtso EJ, Beyala Ateba JF, Ndontchueng Moyo M, Simo A, Strivay D. Recovering and restitution of unknown, unidentified, and unlabeled samples in laboratories using EDXRF analysis. MethodsX 2021; 8:101435. [PMID: 34430325 PMCID: PMC8374631 DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2021.101435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This Study presents a method to recover and label unknown samples in a nuclear laboratory using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry based on spectra differentiation and analysis. This method was found to be a new powerful tool that can be used in different laboratories where a certain number of samples cannot be identified because they have never been identified, their labeling and identification cannot be assessed because of degradation, and/or any other causes. The method was found to be simple, timely appropriate, not expensive, and powerful in identifying and recover the information needed for a sample. The EDXRF spectrometry method for recovering unknown samples in laboratories was based on the following three main points:EDXRF method allows the elemental characterization of any sample without clear identification in a laboratory; The displaying of several samples’ spectra on the same graph allows direct comparison and identification when the sample's data overlap one of the stored data; and The identification of the unknown sample based on the EDXRF results: The faster method being the overlapping comparison while the elemental characterization-based identification needs high skilled expertise in X-ray fluorescence analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cebastien Joel Guembou Shouop
- UFD Mathématiques, Informatique Appliquée et Physique Fondamentale, Université de Douala, P.O. Box 24157, Douala, Cameroun
- National Radiation Protection Agency of Cameroon, Box 33732, Yaounde, Cameroon
- Corresponding author.
| | | | - Eric Jilbert Nguelem Mekongtso
- UFD Mathématiques, Informatique Appliquée et Physique Fondamentale, Université de Douala, P.O. Box 24157, Douala, Cameroun
- National Radiation Protection Agency of Cameroon, Box 33732, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | | | - Maurice Ndontchueng Moyo
- UFD Mathématiques, Informatique Appliquée et Physique Fondamentale, Université de Douala, P.O. Box 24157, Douala, Cameroun
- National Radiation Protection Agency of Cameroon, Box 33732, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Augustin Simo
- National Radiation Protection Agency of Cameroon, Box 33732, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - David Strivay
- Atomic and Nuclear Spectroscopy, Archeometry, University of Liège, Bat. B15 Sart Tilman, 4000 Liege 1, Belgium
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Lucchetti C, Briganti A, Castelluccio M, Galli G, Santilli S, Soligo M, Tuccimei P. Integrating radon and thoron flux data with gamma radiation mapping in radon-prone areas. The case of volcanic outcrops in a highly-urbanized city (Roma, Italy). JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2019; 202:41-50. [PMID: 30776702 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
An integration of laboratory radon and thoron exhalation data with gamma radiation mapping is applied to assess the geogenic radon and the exposure of people to natural radiation in a highly-urbanized city (Roma, Italy). The study area is a protected territory where ignimbrites from Colli Albani volcano and alluvial sediments largely crop out. A map of total gamma radiation, a gamma transect across Caffarella valley and 9 vertical gamma profiles have been carried out, showing that the main control of gamma levels is, of course, the lithological nature, without neglecting the simultaneous effect of other parameters such as slope morphology, erosion/weathering processes, occurrence of sinkholes or underground tunnels. The surveys allowed to distinguish the medians of ignimbrites (from 816 ± 16 cps to 936 ± 19 cps) from that of alluvial materials (611 ± 14) cps), but showed also that alluvial sediments with anomalously high radioactivity (769 ± 14 cps) can be locally recognized, providing valuable information on the interaction between sedimentation and erosion in fluvial valleys. Total gamma activity was converted into absorbed gamma dose rate ranging from 0.33 to 0.38 μSv/hr. Outdoor Annual Effective Dose Equivalents were also estimated between 0.58 and 0.67 mSv y-1. Laboratory radon and thoron exhalation rates of collected material are positively correlated with gamma radiation. Volcanic and alluvial sediments are well-discriminated. The correlation between the two variables is evident, but not robust because of the variable concentration of 40 K, which is not contributing to radon and thoron exhalation rates. Anomalous data of soil samples located at the foot of a slope can be interpreted as due to reworking and accumulation processes. Similar gamma radiation data documents analogous concentration of radon and thoron parent-nuclides, but coexisting different radon and thoron exhalation rates provides an additional information on different grain size distributions which can be considered as a proxy for soil gas permeability. The integration of gamma mapping and radon and thoron exhalation measurements is a very useful tool to assess people exposure to natural radiation, in terms of dose rates and potential indoor radon. Gamma mapping, which provides data on the radiation source (the bedrock) is fast and not expensive. It allows to obtain very detailed pictures of a study area, but it needs to be combined with laboratory determination of radon and thoron release in order to definitely and correctly interpret variations of gamma signal. Furthermore, laboratory determination of soil radon exhalation gives information on the release of radon and is a good proxy for soil gas permeability. It has the great advantage over in-situ measurements of gas flow not to be influenced by seasonal pedoclimatic parameters and is affected by lower analytical uncertainties. These data are thus reproducible and precise and can be used to estimate potential radon hazard, which is the main source of exposure and thus the most important parameter for human protection from environmental radioactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Lucchetti
- Università"La Sapienza", Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Roma, Italy
| | - Alessandra Briganti
- Università"Roma Tre", Dipartimento di Scienze, Largo San Leonardo Murialdo 1, 00146, Roma, Italy
| | - Mauro Castelluccio
- Università"La Sapienza", Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Roma, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Galli
- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Roma 1, Via di Vigna Murata 605, 00143, Roma, Italy
| | - Simone Santilli
- Università"Roma Tre", Dipartimento di Scienze, Largo San Leonardo Murialdo 1, 00146, Roma, Italy
| | - Michele Soligo
- Università"Roma Tre", Dipartimento di Scienze, Largo San Leonardo Murialdo 1, 00146, Roma, Italy
| | - Paola Tuccimei
- Università"Roma Tre", Dipartimento di Scienze, Largo San Leonardo Murialdo 1, 00146, Roma, Italy.
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Radionuclide mapping of the Molise region (Central Italy) via gamma-ray spectrometry of soil samples: relationship with geological and pedological parameters. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-012-2353-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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