Assessment of radioactive materials and heavy metals in the surface soil around uranium mining area of Tongliao, China.
Natural and artificial radionuclides and heavy metals in the surface soil of the uranium mining area of Tongliao, China, were measured using gamma spectrometry, flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry, graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry and microwave dissolution atomic fluorescence spectrometry respectively. The estimated average activity concentrations of (238)U, (232)Th, (226)Ra, (40)K and (137)Cs are 27.53±16.01, 15.89±5.20, 12.64±4.27, 746.84±38.24 and 4.23±4.76Bq/kg respectively. The estimated average absorbed dose rate in the air and annual effective dose rate are 46.58±5.26nGy/h and 57.13±6.45μSv, respectively. The radium equivalent activity, external and internal hazard indices were also calculated and their mean values are within the acceptable limits. The heavy metal concentrations of Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Hg and As from the surface soil were measured and their health risks were then determined. Although the content of Cd is much higher than the average background in China, its non-cancer and cancer risk indices are all within the acceptable ranges. These calculated hazard indices to estimate the potential radiological health risk in soil and the dose rate are well below their permissible limit. In addition the correlations between the radioactivity concentrations of the radionuclides and the heavy metals in soil were determined by the Pearson linear coefficient.
School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; Inner Mongolia Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hohhot 010031, China.
Haribala
School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
Bitao
B
Hu
Inner Mongolia Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hohhot 010031, China.
Chengguo
C
Wang
Inner Mongolia Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hohhot 010031, China.
Gerilemandahu
Inner Mongolia Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hohhot 010031, China.
Xiao
X
Xu
Inner Mongolia Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hohhot 010031, China.
Shuai
S
Zhang
College of Geographical Science, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot 010022, China.
Shanhu
S
Bao
School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China. Electronic address: liyuhong@lzu.edu.cn.
Yuhong
Y
Li
D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D002681:China; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis; D008906:Mining; D011188:Potassium / Q000032:analysis; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011851:Radioactivity; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D011883:Radium / Q000032:analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D013910:Thorium / Q000032:analysis; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis*; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis
D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D011868:Radioisotopes; D012987:Soil; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D014501:Uranium; D013910:Thorium; D003300:Copper; D008628:Mercury; D015032:Zinc; D001151:Arsenic; D011188:Potassium; D011883:Radium
China; Heavy metal; Radionuclide; Soil; Uranium mining area