6533b853fe1ef96bd12ac106

RESEARCH PRODUCT

A radiometric and petrographic interpretation of discrepancies on uranium content in samples collected at Alte Madonie Mounts region (Sicily, Italy)

Elio Angelo TomarchioGiovanni LanzoSalvatore Rizzo

subject

Geological PhenomenaSettore ING-IND/20 - Misure E Strumentazione NucleariHealth Toxicology and MutagenesisAnalytical chemistryMineralogyX-ray fluorescencechemistry.chemical_elementPetrographyRadiation MonitoringSoil Pollutants RadioactiveEnvironmental ChemistryRadiometryWaste Management and DisposalGamma ray spectrometryRadioisotopesSettore GEO/07 - Petrologia E PetrografiaGeneral MedicineUraniumPollutionSpectrometry GammaItalychemistryEnvironmental radioactivity Radiation monitoring Gamma-ray spectrometry X-rayfluorescence X-ray diffractometryEnergy dispersive spectrometrySoil waterUraniumEnvironmental radioactivityEnvironmental scienceRadiometric datingBismuth

description

Abstract The main goal of this work is to evaluate a correlation between anomalous Uranium (U) content and petrographic features of some soil and rock samples collected at Alte Madonie Mounts region (North-central Sicily, Italy). A total of 41 samples of selected soils and rocks were collected, powdered, dried and sealed in “Marinelli” beakers for 20 days before the measurement to ensure that radioactive equilibrium between 226 Ra and 214 Bi was reached. Gamma-ray spectrometric analysis was used to quantify radioactivity concentrations. Mineralogical and chemical features of the samples were determined by X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), X-ray Diffractometry (XRD), Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscope – Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (SEM-EDS) analyses. The average values of concentrations of 226 Ra, 228 Ac and 40 K were respectively 30, 17 and 227 Bq kg −1 while the greatest values were 134, 59 and 748 Bq kg −1 . Linear relationships were observed between 226 Ra, 228 Ac and 40 K concentrations: the activities of 226 Ra and 228 Ac were comparable, while those of 40 K were about 10 times greater. An exception was highlighted for a group of samples where 226 Ra activities were much higher than expectations. Chemical compositions and mineralogical features of the samples have made it possible to justify these anomalies.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2013-02-04Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2013.12.008