Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
8083312 | Journal of Environmental Radioactivity | 2013 | 8 Pages |
Abstract
This research aims to characterize the content of natural occurring radionuclides in phosphogypsum stacks at Imbituba, Santa Catarina state, Brazil. 226Ra, 228Ra, 40K, 238U and 232Th were determined in PG, soils and sediment samples by gamma spectrometry using the hyper pure germanium detector and neutron activation. The migration of radionuclides in the phosphogypsum profile did not show the same behavior for all sampling sites. The mean activity concentration of 226Ra was 95 Bq kgâ1, which is far below the limit recommended by the U.S. Environmental Agency (USEPA) for its application in agriculture (370 Bq kgâ1) and the Brazilian Commission of Nuclear Energy Resolution 113 that established a reference level of 1000 Bq kgâ1 of 226Ra or 228Ra for the use of PG in agriculture as well as building materials.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Energy
Nuclear Energy and Engineering
Authors
Renata Coura Borges, Fernando Carlos Araujo Ribeiro, Dejanira da Costa Lauria, Alfredo Victor Bellido Bernedo,