title: Ground gamma-ray survey of the Solforata gas discharge area, Alban Hills-Italy: a comparison between field and laboratory measurements.
abstract: Measurements of environmental radioactivity by HPGe gamma-spectrometry were carried out with the aim of investigating the distribution of natural radionuclides in a volcanic area and to compare two different methodologies - an in situ gamma-survey of the area and high accuracy laboratory measurements of soil samples. Results demonstrate good performance of the in situ technique, also confirmed by a correlation analysis between the results obtained by the two methodologies. A volcanic gas discharge area was chosen as the test site for the presence of natural long-lived radionuclides such as (40)K and (238)U, (235)U and (232)Th, and their decay chain members. Clear evidence of (222)Rn degassing in the area was confirmed by (226)Ra values measured by the in situ technique. Higher (40)K values measured by the in situ technique may be attributed to the presence of vegetation in the study area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Roma Tre, Via della Vasca Navale 84, I-00146 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Paolo
authors.forename: Wolfango
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Plastino
authors.forename: Pavel P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Povinec
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bella
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Budano
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Vincenzi
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laubenstein
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ruggieri
mesh_terms: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D005720:Gamma Rays; D005740:Gases / Q000032:analysis; D007558:Italy; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D005740:Gases; D011868:Radioisotopes