Comparative Analysis of Radionuclides in Farm Soil from Bilajig village North Gondar Ethiopia
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Date
2009-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
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
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Keywords
Radionuclides, Gamma Spectrometry, Farm Soils, GM Counter, Gross Beta, Counting Rate