Influence of terrestrial radionuclides on environmental gamma exposure in a uranium deposit in Paraíba, Brazil.
One of the main natural uranium deposits in Brazil is located in the municipality of Espinharas, in the State of Paraíba. This area may present high levels of natural radioactivity due to the presence of these radionuclides. Since this is a populated area, there is need for a radioecological dosimetry assessment to investigate the possible risks to the population. Based on this problem, the objective of this study was to estimate the environmental effective dose outdoors in inhabited areas influenced by the uranium deposit, using the specific activities of equivalent uranium, equivalent thorium and40K and conversion factors. The environmental assessment was carried using gamma spectroscopy in sixty-two points within the municipality, with a high-resolution gamma spectrometer with HPGe semiconductor detector and Be window. The results obtained ranged from 0.01 to 19.11 mSv y-1, with an average of 2.64 mSv y-1. These levels are, on average, 23 times higher than UNSCEAR reference levels and up to 273 times the reference value of the earth's crust for primordial radionuclides. Therefore, given the high radioactivity levels found, we conclude that there is need for further investigation to evaluate the levels of radioactivity in indoor environments, which will reflect more closely the risks of the local population.
Grupo de Radioecologia (RAE), Brazil. Electronic address: jaraujo@ufpe.br.
José
J
Araújo Dos Santos Júnior
Grupo de Radioecologia (RAE), Brazil. Electronic address: romilton@ufpe.br.
Romilton
R
Dos Santos Amaral
Grupo de Radioecologia (RAE), Brazil; Grupo de Biomassa, Departamento de Energia Nuclear (DEN), Centro de Tecnologia e Geociências (CTG), Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE). Avenida Professor Luiz Freire, 1000, Cidade Universitária, 50740-540, Recife/PE, Brazil.
Rômulo
R
Simões Cezar Menezes
Centro de Aplicaciones Tecnológicas y Desarrollo Nuclear (CEADEN), Rua 30, 502, Havana 6122, Cuba. Electronic address: jestevez@ceaden.edu.cu.
Juan
J
Reinaldo Estevez Álvarez
Grupo de Radioecologia (RAE), Brazil. Electronic address: neideden@hotmail.com.
Josineide
J
Marques do Nascimento Santos
Grupo de Radioecologia (RAE), Brazil; Centro de Aplicaciones Tecnológicas y Desarrollo Nuclear (CEADEN), Rua 30, 502, Havana 6122, Cuba. Electronic address: zahily1985@gmail.com.
Zahily
Z
Herrero Fernández
Grupo de Radioecologia (RAE), Brazil. Electronic address: jairo.dias@ufpe.br.
Jairo
J
Dias Bezerra
Grupo de Radioecologia (RAE), Brazil; Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia de Pernambuco (IFPE), Departamento de Química. Fazenda Sapé, s/n, Zona Rural, 55560-000, Barreiros/PE, Brazil. Electronic address: alberto.silva@barreiros.ifpe.edu.br.
Alberto
A
Antônio da Silva
Grupo de Radioecologia (RAE), Brazil. Electronic address: kennedy.eng.ambiental@gmail.com.
Kennedy
K
Francys Rodrigues Damascena
Grupo de Radioecologia (RAE), Brazil.
José
J
de Almeida Maciel Neto
D001417:Background Radiation; D001938:Brazil; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006801:Humans; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D011874:Radiometry; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma; D013910:Thorium / Q000032:analysis*; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis*
D011868:Radioisotopes; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014501:Uranium; D013910:Thorium
Environmental radiation; Monitoring; Outdoor dose; Radioecology; Uranium