title: Natural radioactivity measurements of beach sands in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands (Spain).
abstract: Concentrations of natural radionuclides (226)Ra, (232)Th, (40)K and man-made (137)Cs in most important tourist Gran Canaria beaches have been determined using a high-purity Germanium detector to analyse their radiological hazard. Average values of the activity concentrations of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K were 17.6±1.4, 21.3±1.8 and 480±22 Bq kg(-1), respectively. Observed activity concentration values of (137)Cs were practically negligible from a radiological protection point of view. The results of this paper were compared with others published in the bibliography for beaches and coastal sediments of different countries. The mean external air absorbed dose rate was 43.9±2.8 nGyh(-1), which resulted in an outdoor annual effective dose below the world average. Also, the radium equivalent and the external hazard index were calculated. Results from Gran Canaria beaches showed the low levels of radioactivity, indicating no significant radiological risk related to human activities in the area.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Apartado 35017, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gran Canaria, Spain. atejera@dfis.ulpgc.es
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Arnedo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tejera
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Rubiano
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martel
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001417:Background Radiation; D001493:Bathing Beaches; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D005843:Geography; D005857:Germanium / Q000737:chemistry*; D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D011883:Radium / Q000032:analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis*; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D013030:Spain; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma / Q000379:methods; D013910:Thorium / Q000032:analysis; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes; D011868:Radioisotopes; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014131:Trace Elements; D005857:Germanium; D013910:Thorium; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D011883:Radium