Browsing by Author "Aklie, Teshager"

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    Comparative Analysis of Radionuclides in Farm Soil from Bilajig village North Gondar Ethiopia
    (Addis Ababa University, 2009-07) Aklie, Teshager; Tesfaye, Tilahun (PhD)
    Soil samples were collected, in February 2009, from a farm land in Bilajig village near Gondar town North West Ethiopia. The soil samples were taken from a farm land that uses chemical fertilizers for nearly three decades and from farm plot that has never used chemical fertilizers. Samples were also taken from border segments on which grass only is grown. The soil samples were placed for two months to settle into equilibrium. Gross beta counting using GM counter and gamma spectrometry were proposed methods to detect radioactivity in the soil samples. Attempts to obtain detectable activity using gross beta counting method did not bear result as the activity in the samples was below the critical level which implies that the farm soils radioactivity was below the detection limit of our GM system. Using high resolution HPGe detection system, however, the presences of radionuclides originating from 238U (such as 226Ra; 214Pb and 214Bi) and Thorium series members (such as 228AC and 212Pb) were detected. Further 40K and 137Cs were also detected. Quantitative analysis of the samples were done using the concentration in the farm soil that has never used chemical fertilizers as unit. Thus the relative concentrations of 40K and 137CS is nearly the same for all farm soil samples. When it come to the relative concentration of the natural series members significant presence of 214Pb is observed, ranging from 14 to 20 times, on farm plots using chemical fertilizer Key words: radionuclides, gamma spectrometry, farm soils, GM counter, gross beta, counting rate