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Jegede OA, Olaoye MA, Olagbaju PO, Makinde V, Badawy WM. Radiation risk assessment of quarry pit soil as construction material in Abeokuta, Nigeria: implications for environmental and public health. ISOTOPES IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH STUDIES 2024; 60:90-102. [PMID: 37997342 DOI: 10.1080/10256016.2023.2285002] [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: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACTEnvironmental and health risks posed by radionuclides in quarry pit soils are of great concern in environmental health monitoring. The current investigation was aimed at determining the natural radionuclide activity concentration (in Bq kg-1) of the understudied quarry pit granules used as construction materials. The collection and preparation of pit soil samples from Abeokuta quarry sites were done using standard methods, analysis of radiological parameters was carried out using hyperpure germanium (HPGe) spectrometer. Specific activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K were measured. The values obtained were greater than the world weighted average of 35, 30, and 400 Bq kg-1 for 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K, respectively. The absorbed dose, the annual effective dose, and the radium equivalent were calculated and demonstrated significant values. The radionuclide content of the samples is relatively high and the use of pit soils as a building material, therefore, raises radiological concerns for dwellers in this area and requires periodic monitoring and undergoing a radiation protection program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwaseyi A Jegede
- Center of Applied Radiation Science and Technology, North West University, Mahikeng Campus, South Africa
- Department of Physics, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria
| | - Morohunfoluwa A Olaoye
- Department of Physics, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Lagos State University, Ojo, Nigeria
| | - Peter O Olagbaju
- Department of Physics, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria
- Department of Physics, North West University, Mahikeng Campus, South Africa
| | - Victor Makinde
- Department of Physics, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria
| | - Wael M Badawy
- Radiation Protection and Civil Defense Department, Nuclear Research Center, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt
- Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna, Russian Federation
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Ratnayake S, Lützenkirchen J, Finck N, Schild D, Heberling F, Gil-Díaz T, Dardenne K, Rothe J, Geckeis H. Combined X-ray absorption and SEM-EDX spectroscopic analysis for the speciation of thorium in soil. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5877. [PMID: 37041164 PMCID: PMC10090180 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32718-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Mobility and bioavailability of radionuclides in the environment strongly depend on their aqueous speciation, adsorption behavior and the solubility of relevant solid phases. In the present context, we focus on naturally occurring Th-232 at a location in central Sri Lanka presenting high background radiation levels. Four different soil samples were characterized using X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) at the Th L3-edge (16.3 keV), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) spectra are applied as a fingerprint indication for Th existing in different chemical environments. Linear combination fitting (LCF) of the Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) data involving reference Th-monazite (phosphate) and thorianite (oxide) compounds suggested that Th is mostly present as Th-phosphate (76 ± 2%) and Th-oxide (24 ± 2%), even though minor amounts of thorite (silicate) were also detected by SEM-EDX. Further studies on selected individual particles using micro-focus X-ray Fluorescence (μ-XRF) and micro-X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (μ-XAS) along with SEM-EDX elemental mapping provided information about the nature of Th-bearing mineral particles regarding mixed phases. This is the first study providing quantitative and XAS based speciation information on Th-mineral phases in soil samples from Sri Lanka.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanduni Ratnayake
- Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz Platz 1, 76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany.
| | - Johannes Lützenkirchen
- Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz Platz 1, 76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Nicolas Finck
- Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz Platz 1, 76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Dieter Schild
- Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz Platz 1, 76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Frank Heberling
- Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz Platz 1, 76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Teba Gil-Díaz
- Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz Platz 1, 76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
- Institute of Applied Geosciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Adenauerring 20b, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Kathy Dardenne
- Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz Platz 1, 76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Jörg Rothe
- Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz Platz 1, 76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Horst Geckeis
- Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz Platz 1, 76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
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A review of major and trace elements in Nile River and Western Red Sea sediments: An approach of geochemistry, pollution, and associated hazards. Appl Radiat Isot 2021; 170:109595. [PMID: 33556692 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The present review was conducted to highlight the major and trace elemental composition in surface sediments from the Nile River and Egyptian Red Sea coastal areas in terms of provenance, concentrations, pollution indices, and health hazards. Health hazard due to the exposure to selected elements via inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact was calculated. The samples were subjected to neutron activation analysis. Bivariate and multivariate statistical analysis was employed. Significant amounts of V, Cr, and Zr are observed in Nile sediments. Whereas, considerable concentrations of Br and Ca were found in marine sediments. The concentrations of the other elements are in line with the corresponding values in upper continental crust. The outcomes of the pollution indices show some localized polluted sites (Helwan, Cairo, and Delta) in Nile sediments. Likewise, in Abu Ghusun area in marine ones. Overall, the hazard index of the investigated elements in the Nile and marine sediments for both studied age criteria is higher than the tolerable values (1 × 10-6 - 1 × 10-4).
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