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Upadhyay DR, Phuyal A, Tajudin SM, Khanal R. Assessment of natural radioactivity levels and hazard indicators in Tarakeshwor Municipality, Nepal through in-situ technique and multivariate analysis. Heliyon 2024; 10:e30822. [PMID: 38803985 PMCID: PMC11128470 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The evaluation of primordial radionuclide concentrations in rapidly urbanized and concrete-laden areas through the importation of construction materials from various regions of Nepal is both important and essential. This study utilized a portable gamma-ray spectrometer (PGIS 2) to analyze the distribution of three natural radionuclides: uranium (238U), thorium (232Th), and potassium (40K) in Tarakeshwor Municipality, Kathmandu, Nepal. The measured dose rates ranged from 70.22 nSv hr-1 to 163.66 nSv hr-1, with an average of 124.65±20.29 nSv hr-1, surpassing the global average of 59 nSv hr-1. The activity concentrations of 40K, 238U, and 232Th exceeded global averages, indicating relatively higher natural radioactivity concentrations in the region. Specifically, the average values for 40K, 238U, and 232Th were 935.26±172.30 Bq kg-1, 80.47±15.53 Bq kg-1, and 80.44±18.58 Bq kg-1, respectively. The calculated radium equivalent (Ra eq ) ranged from 132.26 to 351.22 Bq kg-1, and the annual gonadal equivalent dose (A G E D ) varied from 372.61 to 1028.81 μSv yr-1. The annual effective dose rates for indoor and outdoor environments were 0.54±0.09 mSv yr-1 and 0.15±0.03 mSv yr-1, respectively, both exceeding the global average. The representative level index (RLI) within the study area averaged 1.96±0.32, indicating an elevated radiation risk. The excess lifetime cancer risk (E L C R ) values for outdoor and indoor environments were 0.52× 10 - 3 ±0.09 × 10 - 3 and 1.87 × 10 - 3 ±0.31× 10 - 3 , respectively, surpassing the world average. Additionally, external hazard indices (H ex ) ranged from 0.36 to 0.59, while internal hazard indices (H in ) ranged from 0.38 to 1.20, both indicating values higher than UNSCEAR recommendations. These findings underscore the necessity for further experimental analysis employing ex-situ equipment. The data generated in this study can provide a valuable baseline for future assessments and interventions in radiation risk management guidelines within the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devendra Raj Upadhyay
- Central Department of Physics, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Department of Physics, Amrit Campus, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Anish Phuyal
- Department of Physics, Amrit Campus, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | | | - Raju Khanal
- Central Department of Physics, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
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2
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Hemming SD, Purkis JM, Warwick PE, Cundy AB. Current and emerging technologies for the remediation of difficult-to-measure radionuclides at nuclear sites. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2023; 25:1909-1925. [PMID: 37909868 DOI: 10.1039/d3em00190c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Difficult-to-measure radionuclides (DTMRs), defined by an absence of high energy gamma emissions during decay, are problematic in groundwaters at nuclear sites. DTMRs are common contaminants at many nuclear facilities, with (often) long half-lives and high radiotoxicities within the human body. Effective remediation is, therefore, essential if nuclear site end-state targets are to be met. However, due to a lack of techniques for in situ DTMR detection, technologies designed to remediate these nuclides are underdeveloped and tend to be environmentally invasive. With a growing agenda for sustainable remediation and reduction in nuclear decommissioning costs, there is renewed international focus on the development of less invasive technologies for DTMR clean-up. Here, we review recent developments for remediation of selected problem DTMRs (129I, 99Tc, 90Sr and 3H), with a focus on industrial and site-scale applications. We find that pump and treat (P&T) is the most used technique despite efficacy issues for 129I and 3H. Permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) are a less invasive alternative but have only been demonstrated for removal of 99Tc and 90Sr at scale. Phytoremediation shows promise for site-scale removal of 3H but is unsuitable for 129I and 99Tc due to biotoxicity and bioavailability hazards, respectively. No single technique can remediate all DTMRs of focus. Likewise, there has been no successful site-applied technology with high removal efficiencies for iodine species typically present in groundwaters (iodide/I-, iodate/IO3- and organoiodine). Further work is needed to adapt and improve current techniques to field scales, as well as further research into targeted application of emerging technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaun D Hemming
- GAU-Radioanalytical, School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre (Southampton), European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK.
| | - Jamie M Purkis
- GAU-Radioanalytical, School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre (Southampton), European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK.
| | - Phillip E Warwick
- GAU-Radioanalytical, School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre (Southampton), European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK.
| | - Andrew B Cundy
- GAU-Radioanalytical, School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre (Southampton), European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK.
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3
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Mishra MK, Jha SK, Patra AC, Mishra DG, Sahoo SK, Sahu SK, Verma GP, Saindane SS, Mitra P, Garg S, Pulhani V, Saradhi IV, Choudhury P, Kumar AV, Sapra BK, Kulkarni MS, Aswal DK. Generation of map on natural environmental background absorbed dose rate in India. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2023; 262:107146. [PMID: 36898251 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2023.107146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
A systematic mapping of natural absorbed dose rate was carried out to assess the existing exposure situation in India. The mammoth nationwide survey covered the entire terrestrial region of the country comprising of 45127 sampling grids (grid size 36 km2) with more than 100,000 data points. The data was processed using Geographic Information System. This study is based on established national and international approaches to provide linkage with conventional geochemical mapping of soil. Majority (93%) of the absorbed dose rate data was collected using handheld radiation survey meters and remaining were measured using environmental Thermo Luminescent Dosimeters. The mean absorbed dose rate of the entire country including several mineralized regions, was found to be 96 ± 21 nGy/h. The median, Geometric Mean and Geometric Standard Deviation values of absorbed dose rate were 94, 94 and 1.2 nGy/h, respectively. Among the High Background Radiation Areas of the country, absorbed dose rate varied from 700 to 9562 nGy/h in Karunagappally area of Kollam district, Kerala. The absorbed dose rate in the present nationwide study is comparable with the global database.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish K Mishra
- Health, Safety and Environment Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - S K Jha
- Health, Safety and Environment Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India.
| | - Aditi C Patra
- Health, Safety and Environment Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - D G Mishra
- Health, Safety and Environment Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - S K Sahoo
- Health, Safety and Environment Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - S K Sahu
- Health, Safety and Environment Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - Gopal P Verma
- Health, Safety and Environment Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - Shashank S Saindane
- Health, Safety and Environment Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - Pratip Mitra
- Health, Safety and Environment Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - S Garg
- Health, Safety and Environment Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - Vandana Pulhani
- Health, Safety and Environment Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - I V Saradhi
- Health, Safety and Environment Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - Probal Choudhury
- Health, Safety and Environment Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - A Vinod Kumar
- Health, Safety and Environment Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - B K Sapra
- Health, Safety and Environment Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - M S Kulkarni
- Health, Safety and Environment Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - D K Aswal
- Health, Safety and Environment Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India
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4
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Lee J, Yi SC. Assessment of radiological impact on the surrounding environment and biota for phosphogypsum waste stockyard in Korean facility. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:767. [PMID: 37249702 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11387-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
In this study, the effects of deposited gypsum residues on the surrounding environment and radiation exposure in plants and animals were evaluated under various exposure situations. A waste stockyard in a Korean facility (surrounded by mountains and sea) was used to store phosphogypsum, a byproduct of phosphoric acid processes, in a slurry form in a large gypsum storage facility (provided separately on the facility site). The ERICA tool was used to evaluate the impact of radiation on nonhuman environments for mineral processing and waste storage for risk estimation. The impact of radiation on the environment due to the phosphogypsum stockyard was negligible with a screening dose of less than 10 μGy h-1. However, to conservatively evaluate the environmental impact of rain and wind in the phosphogypsum stockyard, the soil at the interface of the stockyard, where plants could not grow, was considered as an input value, and the estimated dose rate of shrubs was found to be 45 μGy h-1. The effects of the phosphogypsum stockyard on the surrounding environment accounted for 95-100% of the total dose for internal exposure in biota. In general, radium was found to be the highest contributor to biota, and the next lead and polonium were contributors to the dose. The findings contribute to an understanding of the radiological impact of waste stored and disposed of at the facility on the environment and biota (all routes of exposure) and to developing sustainable operations and pollution monitoring policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- JuHyun Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-Ro, Seongdong-Gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea
- Department of NORM Analysis, Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Chul Yi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-Ro, Seongdong-Gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea.
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5
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Tchorz-Trzeciakiewicz DE, Kozłowska B, Walencik-Łata A. Seasonal variations of terrestrial gamma dose, natural radionuclides and human health. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 310:136908. [PMID: 36270528 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the research was to study seasonal variations in gamma radiation and the statistical significance of these variations. Moreover, we compared in-situ and laboratory analyses of uranium, thorium, radium and potassium K-40 contents. Exposure to a low level of radiation is a minor (but still is) contributor to overall cancer risk therefore we compared doses generated by gamma radiation with overall cancer risk. The research was performed in SW Poland in two granitoid massifs -Strzelin and Karkonosze. The in-situ measurements were performed seasonally using gamma-ray spectrometer Exploranium with BGO detector and Radiometer RK-100. The laboratory measurements were performed using spectrometer with HPGe detector Canberra-Packard and alpha spectrometry technique. The general trend of seasonal variations of natural radionuclides, terrestrial ambient gamma dose (TGDR) and ambient gamma dose rate (AGDR) was difficult to identify. We noticed slightly increased values of all analysed parameters in warmer seasons, and lower in colder, although there were some exceptions. These exceptions were induced by precipitation and varied soil water content, but variations were mostly not statistically significant. The statistically important deviation from the trend was registered only in equivalent uranium data when the survey was carried out during or just after intensive precipitation. We observed a good positive correlation between in-situ and laboratory results (TGDR in situ/Lab r = 0.696), therefore, we recommend using in-situ measurements in a dense measuring grid before collecting selected soil samples to better evaluate the level of natural radiation in the environment. The average ambient gamma dose in the Karkonosze Massif was 0.52 mSv y-1 whereas in the Strzelin Massif was 0.39 mSv y-1. The overall cancer risk in Karkonoski county is higher than in Strzelin county. A connection between increased gamma radiation and higher overall cancer risk is possible but should be examined during more elaborated research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - B Kozłowska
- University of Silesia in Katowice, August Chełkowski Institute of Physics, 75 Pułku Piechoty 1, 41-500, Chorzów, Poland
| | - A Walencik-Łata
- University of Silesia in Katowice, August Chełkowski Institute of Physics, 75 Pułku Piechoty 1, 41-500, Chorzów, Poland
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Lee HY, Maeng S, Park SJ, Lee SH. COMPARISON OF GAMMA ABSORBED DOSE RATES IN THE AIR MEASURED WITH A PORTABLE SURVEY METER AND THE SOIL RADIOACTIVITY MEASUREMENTS. RADIATION PROTECTION DOSIMETRY 2022; 198:1529-1539. [PMID: 36208181 DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncac195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
To compare the measurement results of a portable survey meter with a soil-based dose rate assessment method, the gamma absorbed dose rates in the air were measured at 27 sites. The soil-based gamma absorbed dose rates in the air were calculated using established conversion factors and the activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K of the soil at the sites. The gamma absorbed dose rate averages of the portable survey meter, and computing from the activity concentrations in the soil were 65.8 ± 4.26 and 64.8 ± 3.68 nGy⋅h-1, respectively. A significant positive correlation was found in the comparison between the evaluated gamma absorbed dose rates from soil radioactivity and in the air. Conversion factors based on the local soils converting to the absorbed dose rate were computed from the portable survey meter data and the soil activity concentrations, and it was compared with others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hae Young Lee
- School of Architectural, Civil, Environmental, and Energy Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daehak-ro 80, Bukgu, Daegu 41566, the Republic of Korea
- Radiation Science Research Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daehak ro 80, Bukgu, Daegu 41566, the Republic of Korea
| | - Seongjin Maeng
- School of Architectural, Civil, Environmental, and Energy Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daehak-ro 80, Bukgu, Daegu 41566, the Republic of Korea
- Center for High Energy Physics, Kyungpook National University, Daehak-ro 80, Bukgu, Daegu 41566, the Republic of Korea
| | - Seong Jin Park
- School of Architectural, Civil, Environmental, and Energy Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daehak-ro 80, Bukgu, Daegu 41566, the Republic of Korea
- Korea Foundation of Nuclear Safety, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do 13493, South Korea
| | - Sang Hoon Lee
- School of Architectural, Civil, Environmental, and Energy Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daehak-ro 80, Bukgu, Daegu 41566, the Republic of Korea
- Radiation Science Research Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daehak ro 80, Bukgu, Daegu 41566, the Republic of Korea
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7
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In-situ measurement of surface radioactivity in nuclear emergency response. Radiat Phys Chem Oxf Engl 1993 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radphyschem.2022.110146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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8
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In situ gamma spectrometry of terrestrial naturally occurring radioactive materials and radiation hazard assessment of Kebbi State, Nigeria. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-022-08256-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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9
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M Hassan N, Kim YJ. A FEASIBILITY TEST FOR QUICK RADON RISK ASSESSMENT BY MEASURING AN IN SITU RADIATION DOSE RATE. RADIATION PROTECTION DOSIMETRY 2020; 192:482-490. [PMID: 33598703 DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncab004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Radon concentration was estimated using an accumulation chamber equipped with AlphaGUARD radon monitor. It varies from 12.6 ± 1.20 to 363 ± 19.3 Bq m-3 with a mean value of 180 ± 11.2 Bq m-3. A good correlation between radium content and radon concentrations was obtained of R = 0.754, which suggests that radium is the main reason of releasing radon to the atmosphere. Radon emanation coefficient and exhalation rate were also calculated. Furthermore, the radiation dose rate was measured with a high-pressure ionization chamber detector. The radiation dose rate was strongly correlated with the radon concentration and exhalation rate of R = 0.85 and 0.63. The obtained results support our idea that the radiation dose rate can be a good indicator to the radon level in the atmosphere. In addition, the dependence of radon concentration on the water content was discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nabil M Hassan
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Zagazig, PO Box 44519, Zagazig, Egypt
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Bahrain, PO Box 32038, Zallaq, Kingdom of Bahrain
| | - Y J Kim
- NORM Safety Center, Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Yuseong, Daejeon 34142, Republic of Korea
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10
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Sanada Y, Yoshimura K, Urabe Y, Iwai T, Katengeza EW. Distribution map of natural gamma-ray dose rates for studies of the additional exposure dose after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station accident. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2020; 223-224:106397. [PMID: 32911273 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The information on the absorbed dose rate which is derived from natural radionuclides is needed to evaluate additional exposure dose. However, there is inadequate positional resolution and precision for such data around Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS). In this study, we created a map of the absorbed dose rate that is derived from natural radionuclides based on several airborne radiation monitoring data. The reliability and accuracy of the created map was verified by comparison with the many in-situ measurements on the ground. To evaluate the effectiveness of this study, the effective half-lives of the ambient dose rate at residential areas of Fukushima Prefecture were assessed by discriminating these absorbed dose rate of the natural background from the results of a periodic dose rate survey by local government. The results of the distribution of natural background absorbed dose rates are expected to contribute to the evaluation of the additional exposure dose after the FDNPS accident.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukihisa Sanada
- Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 45-169, Kaihama-Sukakeba, Minamisoma, Fukushima, 975-0036, Japan.
| | - Kazuya Yoshimura
- Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 45-169, Kaihama-Sukakeba, Minamisoma, Fukushima, 975-0036, Japan
| | - Yoshimi Urabe
- NESI Inc, 38 Shinko-cho, Hitachinaka, Ibaraki, 312-0005, Japan
| | - Takeyuki Iwai
- NESI Inc, 38 Shinko-cho, Hitachinaka, Ibaraki, 312-0005, Japan
| | - Estiner W Katengeza
- Department of Environment Systems, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8654, Japan
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11
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Pandit P, Mangala P, Saini A, Bangotra P, Kumar V, Mehra R, Ghosh D. Radiological and pollution risk assessments of terrestrial radionuclides and heavy metals in a mineralized zone of the siwalik region (India). CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 254:126857. [PMID: 32353810 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The present study reveals the distribution of terrestrial radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th and 40K) and heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, Co) from soil samples of Una, Hamirpur and Kangra districts of Himachal Pradesh (India). The 226Ra, 232Th, 40K activity concentration in the studied region has been varied from 8 to 3593 Bq kg-1; 21-370 Bq kg-116; 62-7130 Bq kg-1 respectively. High disequilibrium factor (238U/226Ra) depicts that uranium constantly migrates from clay oxidizing zone and getting precipitated with enrichment towards south. An attempt has been made to correlate the distribution of these radionuclides and heavy metals with geology and rock type formation of Siwalik region. The concentration of Pb, Zn and Co was found higher than Indian average background value. Multiple radiological and pollution indices have been estimated for proper risk analysis in the studied region. The annual effective dose in studied region is lower than the recommended limit of 1.0 mSv a-1. The obtained geo-accumulation index and enrichment factor indicated that the sites located in the Hamirpur and Kangra regions were moderately contaminated with Pb and Co. The Nemerow pollution index and contamination security index suggested that almost 45% sites were slightly to moderately polluted. The non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks for both children and adults were within acceptable limits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragya Pandit
- Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research, New Delhi, 110066, India.
| | - Preeti Mangala
- Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research, New Delhi, 110066, India
| | - Atul Saini
- Department of Geography, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Pargin Bangotra
- Material Research Laboratory, Deptt of Physics, SBSR, Sharda University, Greater Noida, 201310, India
| | - Vinod Kumar
- Department of Botany, Government Degree College, Ramban, 182144, India
| | - Rohit Mehra
- B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, 144011, India
| | - Dibakar Ghosh
- Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research, New Delhi, 110066, India
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12
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Kang TW, Park WP, Han YU, Bong KM, Kim K. Natural and artificial radioactivity in volcanic ash soils of Jeju Island, Republic of Korea, and assessment of the radiation hazards: importance of soil properties. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-020-07024-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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13
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Park NW, Kim Y, Chang BU, Kwak GH. County-level indoor radon concentration mapping and uncertainty assessment in South Korea using geostatistical simulation and environmental factors. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2019; 208-209:106044. [PMID: 31521882 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.106044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents a geostatistical simulation approach to not only map the county-level indoor radon concentration (IRC) distributions in South Korea, but also quantify the uncertainty that can be used as decision-supporting information. For county-level IRC mapping in South Korea, environmental factors including geology, radium concentration in surface soil, gravel content in subsoil, and fault line density, which are known to be associated with the source and migration of radon gas, were incorporated into IRC measurements using multi-Gaussian kriging with local means. These four environmental factors could account for about 36% of the variability of noise-filtered IRCs, implying that regional variations of IRCs were affected by these factors. Sequential Gaussian simulation was then applied to generate alternative realizations of county-level IRC distributions. By summarizing the multiple simulation results, we identified some counties that lay on the great limestone series showed elevated IRCs. In addition, there were some counties in which the proportion of grids exceeding the recommended level was high but the uncertainty was also large according to the analysis of several uncertainty measures, which indicates that additional sampling is required for these counties. From the local cluster analysis in conjunction with simulation results, we found that the counties with higher levels of IRC belonged to the statistically significant clusters of high values, and these counties should be the prime targets for radon management and in-depth survey. The geographical distributions of IRC and uncertainty measures presented in this study provide guidance for effective radon management if they are consistently combined with both future IRC measurements and a geogenic radon potential map.
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Affiliation(s)
- No-Wook Park
- Dept. of Geoinformatic Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, 22212, South Korea.
| | - Yongjae Kim
- Dept. of Natural Radiation Safety, Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon, 34142, South Korea.
| | - Byung-Uck Chang
- Wolsong On-site Inspector Team, Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Gyeongju, 38119, South Korea.
| | - Geun-Ho Kwak
- Dept. of Geoinformatic Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, 22212, South Korea.
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