Investigation of the Effect of Hydrothermal Waters on Radionuclide Activity Concentrations in Natural Marble with Multivariate Statistical Analysis

The study aims to investigate the effects of Burdur (Turkey) marble on human health by interpreting their radioactivity concentration (226Ra, 232Th, and 40K), radiological hazard parameters, chemical concentration, physical properties, and all data related to these features by using multivariate statistical methods. Chemical and radionuclide analyses were performed on marble samples. The data were interpreted by statistical analysis. According to the regression model, an increase in the concentration of vanadium carried to the environment by hydrothermal waters causes a 4.452-fold higher concentration of 226Ra. The R2 value of the model was 0.64 and it was statistically significant. The maximum concentration of 226Ra in Isparta Davraz Beige sample (M7) exceeded the values of some countries’ standards. Except for M7, the analyzed sorts of marble can be used safely in dwellings and public buildings.

Estimation of Natural Radionuclides’ Concentration of the Plutonic Rocks in the Sakarya Zone, Turkey Using Multivariate Statistical Methods

The study aimed to determine the natural radioactivity levels of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K by the Gamma-Ray spectrometry method, and radiological hazard parameters of the plutonic rocks in the Western and Central Sakarya Zone and to analyze the data using multivariate statistical methods. The average radiological values of samples were determined as 40K (1295.3 Bq kg−1) > 232Th (132.1 Bq kg−1) > 226Ra (119.7 Bq kg−1). According to the skewness values of the distributions of the examined radionuclides, 226Ra (2.1) and 232Th (0.7) seemed to be positively right-skewed while 40K (−0.2) had a negatively right-skewed histogram. On the other hand, the following kurtosis values were calculated for the distributions: 226Ra (5.8 > 3), 232Th (−0.7), and 40K (−0.8). Kolmogorov–Smirnov and Shapiro–Wilk tests were applied to the data to test their normality. Therefore, Spearman’s correlation coefficient method was performed. The radionuclides of 226Ra and 232Th were found to have a positive correlation with radiological hazard parameters of the samples. 2 (two)-related factors identified, and the cumulative value was calculated to be 98.7% on the basis of the Scree Plot. According to the hierarchical cluster analysis, the samples that are grouped with those from Camlik region are prominent. The average radioactivity values of Camlik, Sogukpinar, Karacabey, and Sogut (except for 232Th) regions were detected to be higher than the world averages while the value of 40K was also found to be higher than the average values of various countries in the world.