Evaluation of gamma activities of naturally occurring radioactive materials in uncontaminated surface soils of Jamaica

Miller, Maurice; Voutchkov, Mitko

doi:10.1007/s10967-014-3000-x

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…The fractionation process in potassium-40 is also problematic. Miller and Voutchkov and other researchers have noted that Cs-137 and K-40 are negatively correlated in the soil environment [18]. This is demonstrated in this study, where Cs-137 with an activity of 328.92 ± 20.18 Bq/kg was detected in the red mud, but not in its alumina product.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 70%

“…The data suggest that significant accumulation of K-40 occurs in alumina by the production process, resulting in very low levels of the radionuclide in the red mud waste product. The specific activity of K-40 in alumina (1234 Bq/kg) is higher by a factor of six (6) than the mean soil value (M = 200.76 ± 21.50, SD = 177.33) reported by Miller and Voutchkov [18]. The spectrometric comparison of Tl-208 (at 510 keV) is unexpected since its other photopeaks at 583 keV (Figure 3), 934 keV, and 968 keV ( Figure 4) are markedly different.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 63%

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The Technological Enhancement of Normally Occurring Radioactive Materials in Red Mud due to the Production of Alumina

Miller

2016

International Journal of Spectroscopy

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This study investigates the level of technological enhancement of normally occurring radioactive materials (TENORM) in the red mud waste due to the production of alumina in Jamaica. Technological enhancements factors (TEF) were determined for the uranium, thorium, actinium series, their progenies, and the nonseries potassium-40 using gamma spectrometry. The study concluded that bauxite production technologically enhances the uranium progenies Th-234, Pb-214, Bi-214, and Pa-234 and the thorium-232 progenies Ac-228, Pb-212, and Bi-212 in red mud. The actinium series was technologically enhanced, but K-40 and the thorium daughter, Tl-208, were reduced. The spectrometric comparison of Tl-208 (at 510 keV) was unexpected since its other photopeaks at 583 keV, 934 keV, and 968 keV were markedly different. An explanation for this anomaly is discussed. An explanation regarding the process of accumulation and fractionation of organically derived phosphate deposits and potassium-feldspar is offered to explain the spectrometric differences between the alumina product and its waste material, red mud.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 70%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 63%

The Technological Enhancement of Normally Occurring Radioactive Materials in Red Mud due to the Production of Alumina

Miller

2016

International Journal of Spectroscopy

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“…2, although the distribution of the ELCR index did not exhibit any special geographic distribution pattern, it was noticeably higher over the areas bordering the parishes of St. Elizabeth and Manchester. Previous studies have shown that this area is characterized by elevated levels (with respect to international means) of uranium U-238 and thorium Th-232 in the soils and covered by bauxitic soils (Miller and Voutchkov 2014). The results of the ELCR analysis support the hypothesis of elevated risk levels based on the bauxitic nature of the soil environment in Jamaica.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

“…The best health results (low value of AGDE) occurred where potassium K-40 concentration tended to be higher. This occurs however because thorium and uranium concentrations are very low in these areas (Miller and Voutchkov 2014). The geographical distribution of the AGDE index showed a stronger link with the bauxitic environment than the excess lifetime cancer risk index.…”

Section: The Annual Gonadal Dose Equivalent Indexmentioning

confidence: 90%

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Risk analysis from naturally occurring radioactive materials in the Jamaican terrestrial environment

Miller

Voutchkov

2015

Air Qual Atmos Health

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In this work, statistics and geospatial analysis are used to investigate the hypothesis that either bauxitic soils or underlying geology increases the carcinogenic health risks to the population due to exposure from naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in the soil environment over which they reside. The rationale for this study is the large distribution of bauxitic soils in Jamaica and a review of the last published 5-year cancer survey study of Jamaica. A negative health environment was defined as one where the excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) value exceeded the world mean value of 2.9×10 −4 and the annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE) was a multiple of the acceptable level of 300 μSv/ year. The excess lifetime cancer risk index in Jamaica ranges from 0.16×10 −5 to 7.92×10 −4 with a mean value of 1.63×10 −4. The mean value of the ELCR index in Jamaica was statistically significantly lower than the world mean value. The main areas of concern were the sections of the parishes of Manchester and St. Elizabeth which exhibited value of up to five (5) times the acceptable level of the ELCR index. The AGDE index showed a moderate correlation of 0.511 with a reclassified geology group (limestone and non-limestone) introduced in this study. The soils overlaying limestone formations in Jamaica were characterized by a statistically significantly higher dose rate exposure to the gonads of the population. Geological explanations for the levels of the primordial radionuclides are also discussed in this paper. The results suggested that limestone geology in Jamaica had a significantly higher mean value for both indices (ELCR and AGDE) when compared to other geologies. Since bauxitic soils predominantly overlay these rocks in Jamaica, the research hypothesis regarding the impact bauxitic soils is supported by the results of this study. The impact of geology was not significant, and probable causes are discussed.

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Measurement of naturally occurring radioactive material, 238U and 232Th: part 2—optimization of counting time

Naskar

Lahiri

Chaudhuri

et al. 2017

J Radioanal Nucl Chem

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Evaluation of gamma activities of naturally occurring radioactive materials in uncontaminated surface soils of Jamaica

Cited by 11 publications

References 23 publications

The Technological Enhancement of Normally Occurring Radioactive Materials in Red Mud due to the Production of Alumina

The Technological Enhancement of Normally Occurring Radioactive Materials in Red Mud due to the Production of Alumina

Risk analysis from naturally occurring radioactive materials in the Jamaican terrestrial environment

Measurement of naturally occurring radioactive material, 238U and 232Th: part 2—optimization of counting time

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