Natural radioactivity mapping of Greek surface soils (EN)

Angelopoulos, MG (EN)

Simopoulos, SE (EN)

Anagnostakis, MJ (EN)

Hinis, EP (EN)

A total of 1440 samples of soil, collected across Greece from the 1 cm surface layer, were analysed for natural radioactivity (Ra-226, Th-232, and K-40). The samples were air-dried and then hermetically sealed in 0.282 L plastic boxes covered with a film of epoxy resin to ensure that no gases escaped from them. Secular equilibrium of Ra-226 and Th-232 with their decay products was obtained before the samples were analysed using high resolution Ge gamma-ray detectors. A Unix-based in-house built complex Data Base/Geographical Information System (DBGIS) was used to analyze the data and present them in map form. The analysis of a second 1 cm thick sample, collected at several sites at a depth of 10 cm, led to the statistically justified conclusion that the natural radioactivity content of the surface and of 10 cm deep soil layers do not significantly differ. According to these results, the natural radioactivity content of Greek surface soils is rather low and is for Ra-226: 25 +/- 19 Bqkg(-1), for Ra-228: 21 +/- 16 Bqkg(-1), and for K-40: 355 +/- 220 Bqkg(-1). They entail a gamma-ray dose rate outdoors of 40 nGyh(-1). A statistical analysis showed that only 90 samples, collected at 67 locations, have Ra-226 content exceeding their mean value by more than 1.65 sigma. The Ra-226/Th-232 and Ra-226/K-40 concentration ratios were 1.10 +/- 0.48 and 0.06 +/- 0.03, respectively. Copyright 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd. (EN)

journalArticle (EN)

Complex Data (EN)

High Resolution (EN)

Epoxy Resin (EN)

Natural Radioactivity (EN)

Surface Layer (EN)

Gamma Ray (EN)

Dose Rate (EN)

Statistical Analysis (EN)

Geographic Information System (EN)

Environmental Sciences (EN)

Εθνικό Μετσόβιο Πολυτεχνείο

Ψηφιακό Αποθετήριο της Κεντρικής Βιβλιοθήκης του ΕΜΠ | Dspace@NTUA

Κεντρική Βιβλιοθήκη Ε.Μ.Π.

Ιδρυματικό Αποθετήριο

Δημοσιεύσεις μελών Δ.Ε.Π. σε περιοδικά

ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL (EN)

Αγγλική γλώσσα

1996 (EN)

http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/11955

22 (EN)

S3 (EN)

S8 (EN)

0160-4120 (EN)

ISI:A1996XK59200003 (EN)

10.1016/S0160-4120(96)00085-2 (EN)

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD (EN)