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Gamma Radiation Measurements in Tunisian Marbles
Research Unit of Nuclear and High Energy Physics, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Tunis El-Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia
Research Unit of Nuclear and High Energy Physics, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Tunis El-Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia
National Center for Nuclear Sciences and Technologies, Sidi-Thabet, Tunisia
Physics Department, College of Science, King Faisal University, Hofuf, KSA
- 1 Research Unit of Nuclear and High Energy Physics, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Tunis El-Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia
- 2 Research Unit of Nuclear and High Energy Physics, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Tunis El-Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia
- 3 National Center for Nuclear Sciences and Technologies, Sidi-Thabet, Tunisia
- 4 Physics Department, College of Science, King Faisal University, Hofuf, KSA
World Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology·Volume 02 (2012)·Pages 80–84·Published 4 July 2012·DOI10.4236/wjnst.2012.23013
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Abstract
The radioactivity of 15 kinds of different granites collected in Tunisia was determined by gamma-ray spectrometry using hyper-pure germanium (HPGe) detector. The average activity concentrations for primordial radionuclides 238 U, 232 Th and 40 K were respectively 33.24, 8.01 and 116.98 Bq/kg. The activity concentrations ranged from 3.59 to 87.37 Bq/kg for 238 U, from 0.45 to 25.34 Bq/kg for 232Th and from 24.06 to 380.23 Bq/kg for 40 K. The measured activity concentrations were used to assess of the radium equivalent activity ranged from 22.2 to 995.8 Bq/kg, the absorbed dose rate in air from 7 to 1209 nGy/h and the internal (0.1 to 2.8) and external (0.1 to 2.7) hazard indices. The data obtained in this study may be useful for natural radioactivity mapping.
KeywordsRadioactivityMarbleRadium EquivalentExternal and Internal Hazard Indices
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