Natural radioactivity measurement and radiological hazard evaluation in surface soils in a gold mining area and surround
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Natural radioactivity measurement and radiological hazard evaluation in surface soils in a gold mining area and surrounding regions in Bolikhamxay province, Laos Somsavath Leuangtakoun1,2 · Giang T. T. Phan3,4 · Thang Duc Duong5 · Ngoc‑Thiem Le5 · Nam Khang Khong6 · Sounthone Singsoupho2 · Hoai‑Nam Tran3,4 · Van Loat Bui1 Received: 18 April 2020 / Accepted: 19 September 2020 © Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary 2020
Abstract Measurement of natural radioactivity in surface soils in a gold mining area and surrounding regions in Bolikhamxay province, Laos has been conducted using an HPGe detector. Soil samples were collected at 65 locations distributed widely in Bolikhamxay province, including 25 samples in the gold mining area in Khamkheut district. The average activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232 Th and 40 K are obtained as 44.4 ± 3.2 , 63.3 ± 5.2 and 523 ± 18 Bq kg−1 , respectively. The calculated average radium equivalent activity is 175 ± 20 Bq kg−1 . Radiological hazard indices in the gold mining area are higher than the average values in the province by 15–20%. Keywords Soil sample · Activity concentration · Radiological hazard · Gold mining
Introduction Primordial radionuclides incorporated in surface soils contribute mostly to the natural terrestrial gamma exposure [1]. Soils are considered as the main sources to distribute radioactive nuclides to other environments such as water, air, sediments and biological systems. The radioactivity in food grains is also dependent on that in surface soils. Hence, * Hoai‑Nam Tran [email protected] * Van Loat Bui [email protected] 1
Faculty of Physics, VNU University of Science, 334 Nguyen Trai, Hanoi 100000, Viet Nam
2
National University of Laos, P.O. Box 7322, Dongdok, Vientiane, Laos
3
Institute of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, Duy Tan University, Ho Chi Minh city 700000, Viet Nam
4
Faculty of Natural Sciences, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Viet Nam
5
Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology, Vinatom, 179 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi 100000, Viet Nam
6
Military Institute of Medical Radiology and Oncology, 18 Dinh Cong Thuong, Hanoi 100000, Viet Nam
surface soils are considered as essential sources to assess the radiological exposure, and to evaluate the environmental radiological contamination. For environmental protection purpose, measurement of radioactivity in surface soils is considerably important to assess the change of natural radioactivity and to evaluate the effect on environment in case of radioactive release [2]. The decay series of 238 U, 232 T h and 40 K contribute mostly to natural radioactivity in soils. 238 U decay series is also referred to as 226 Ra series because the contribution of 226 Ra subseries in the external gamma dose is about 98.5% [3]. Radioactivity at mining areas is usually higher than surrounding regions because mining activities expose natural occurring radioactive materials (NORMs) to the earth’s surface, and therefore increasing the background gamma radiation levels [1]. Mining is a major
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