TY - JOUR
T1 - Radionuclide enrichment near coal processing in Southern Brazil.
AU - Campaner, V. P.
AU - Luiz-Silva, W.
AU - Smoak, Joseph M.
AU - Sanders, C. J.
N1 - Campaner, V.P., Luiz-Silva, W., Smoak, J.M. Sanders, C.J. (2018). Radionuclide enrichment near coal processing in Southern Brazil. Radiochemistry, 60, 215-220. doi: 0.1134/S1066362218020133
PY - 2018/1/1
Y1 - 2018/1/1
N2 - This work highlights environmental radionuclide enrichment as a result of coal mining activity, including disbursement related to the coal processing in southern Brazil. Soil cores collected near the coal mining area showed 238 U, 226 Ra and 210 Pb activities approximately 2 times greater than the background values. The highest activities were found at the surface and decrease downcore, indicating recent enrichment. Furthermore, atmospheric analyses of particulate matter indicated radionuclide enrichment up to 352 and 463 μBq m –3 of 226 Ra and 210 Pb, respectively, at the sites nearest to the coal-fired power plant. The atmospheric particulate material showed 210 Pb/ 226 Ra ratios similar to the fly ash near the coal-fired power plant, suggesting an enhanced source of 222 Rn to the atmosphere likely associated with the power plant. However, no risk to the population near the coal processing was found, as noted by the total air absorbed γ-ray dose rate in the topsoil samples, 74 ± 19 nGy h –1 , statistically similar to the background radioactivity (60 nGy h –1 ).
AB - This work highlights environmental radionuclide enrichment as a result of coal mining activity, including disbursement related to the coal processing in southern Brazil. Soil cores collected near the coal mining area showed 238 U, 226 Ra and 210 Pb activities approximately 2 times greater than the background values. The highest activities were found at the surface and decrease downcore, indicating recent enrichment. Furthermore, atmospheric analyses of particulate matter indicated radionuclide enrichment up to 352 and 463 μBq m –3 of 226 Ra and 210 Pb, respectively, at the sites nearest to the coal-fired power plant. The atmospheric particulate material showed 210 Pb/ 226 Ra ratios similar to the fly ash near the coal-fired power plant, suggesting an enhanced source of 222 Rn to the atmosphere likely associated with the power plant. However, no risk to the population near the coal processing was found, as noted by the total air absorbed γ-ray dose rate in the topsoil samples, 74 ± 19 nGy h –1 , statistically similar to the background radioactivity (60 nGy h –1 ).
KW - Coal, Coal-fired power plant, Uranium-238, Radium-226, Lead-210
UR - https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/fac_publications/3215
UR - https://login.ezproxy.lib.usf.edu/login?url=https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1134%2FS1066362218020133.pdf
M3 - Article
JO - Default journal
JF - Default journal
ER -