Uranium isotopes in well water samples as drinking sources in some settlements around the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site, Kazakhstan
نویسندگان
چکیده
Radiochemical results of U isotopes (234U, 235U and 238U) and their activity ratios are reported for well waters as local sources of drinking waters collected from the ten settlements around the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (SNTS), Kazakhstan. The results show that 238U varies widely from 3.6 to 356 mBq/L (0.3-28.7 μg/L), with a factor of about 100. The 238U concentrations in some water samples from Dolon, Tailan, Sarzhal and Karaul settlements are comparable to or higher than the World Health Organization's restrictive proposed guideline of 15 μg (U)/L. The 234U/238U activity ratios in the measured water samples are higher than 1, and vary between 1.1 and 7.9, being mostly from 1.5 to 3. The measured 235U/238U activity ratios are around 0.046, indicating that U in these well waters is of natural origin. It is probable that the elevated concentration of 238U found in some settlements around the SNTS is not due to the close-in fallout from nuclear explosions at the SNTS, but rather to the intensive weathering of rocks including U there. The calculated effective doses to adults resulting from consumption of the investigated waters are in the range 1.0-18.7 μSv/y. Those doses are lower than WHO and IAEA reference value (100 μSv/y) for drinking water.
منابع مشابه
Nature of radioactive contamination in soils of the pine forest in the territory adjacent to Semipalatinsk test site
ABSTRACT Background: This work investigated radioactive contamination in soils of the pine forest in the territory adjacent to Semipalatinsk test site. Materials and Methods: Thirty samples from the soil were collected from six different a soil profile was laid out (research areas). Activity concentrations of 137Cs and 241Am were determined using a Canberra GX-2020 solid-state gamma-spectromet...
متن کاملESR dosimetry study of population in the vicinity of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site
A tooth enamel electron spin resonance (ESR) dosimetry study was carried out with the purpose of obtaining the individual absorbed radiation doses of population from settlements in the Semipalatinsk region of Kazakhstan, which was exposed to radioactive fallout traces from nuclear explosions in the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site and Lop Nor test base, China. Most of the settlements are located...
متن کاملStudies of Health Effects from Nuclear Testing near the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site, Kazakhstan
The nuclear bomb testing conducted at the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in Kazakhstan is of great importance for today's radiation protection research, particularly in the area of low dose exposures. This type of radiation is of particular interest due to the lack of research in this field and how it impacts population health. In order to understand the possible health effects of nuclear bomb...
متن کاملElement Content of Surface and Underground Water Sources around a Cement Factory Site in Calabar, Nigeria
Background: Cement production is associated with heavy metal emissions and environmental pollution by cement dust. The degree of contamination of drinking water sources by major and trace elements present in cement dust generated by united cement factory (UNICEM) is still uncertain. This study estimated the element content of ground and surface water samples (hand-dug wells, boreholes and strea...
متن کاملDetermination of uranium isotopes (234U, 238U) and natural uranium (U-nat) in water samples by alpha spectrometry
Background: Due to the potential public health effects of releases of uranium to the environment, isotopic determination and measurement of this radionuclide in environmental samples is very important. Achieving this goal, monitoring programs for this radionuclide seems necessary to be applied in many countries. Materials and Methods: The uranium was separated from the water samples using anion...
متن کامل