title: Radioactivity levels of recent sediments in the Butrint Lagoon and the adjacent coast of Albania.
abstract: Sediment samples have been collected in the Butrint area, located in the south-west Albania to determine the radioactivity levels of (40)K, (137)Cs, (212)Bi, (212)Pb, (214)Bi, (214)Pb, (226)Ra and (228)Ac on the bed of the lagoon and adjacent sea, using direct counting gamma spectroscopy. The concentration of (137)Cs and (40)K varied from 2.8 to 37.5 Bq/kg and from 266 to 675 Bq/kg dry weight (dw), respectively (central values). The average concentrations of (238)U and (232)Th daughter products varied from 8 to 27 Bq/kg and from 13 to 40 Bq/kg dw, respectively. The measured (235)U activity ranged from 0.7 to 2.5 Bq/kg dw. Samples of different sedimentary properties, studied for the radioactivity concentration, revealed an inversely proportional relation between grain size and a linear combination of measured specific activities of (226)Ra, (232)Th ((228)Ac, (212)Bi and (212)Pb), (40)K and (137)Cs.
authors.affiliation: Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Box 712, GR-19013 Anavyssos, Greece. tsabaria@ath.hcmr.gr <tsabaria@ath.hcmr.gr>
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tsabaris
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eleftheriou
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kapsimalis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Anagnostou
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vlastou
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Durmishi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kedhi
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Kalfas
mesh_terms: D000415:Albania; D001417:Background Radiation; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D010316:Particle Size; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma; D014878:Water Pollution, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011868:Radioisotopes