Determination of radioactivity concentrations in phosphate ore and fertilizer to assess their radiological impacts using gamma spectrometry technique in Saudi Arabia
摘要
This study measures the radioactivity concentration in phosphate ore and final product samples, as well as the radiological risk from the mining area that has an impact on the environment in the Al-Jalamid mining region of Saudi Arabia. The contents of 226Ra (238U), 232Th, 40 K, and 238U/226Ra ratio were measured using gamma-ray spectrometry. The results show that the concentrations of 226Ra (238U), 232Th, and 40 K in the ore ranged from 62.3 to 333.5 with an average value of 253.6, 0.53 to 2.37 with an average value of 1.54, 3.2 to 8.1 with an average value of 4.58 Bq kg−1, respectively. The results for the fertilizer samples show that the activity concentrations for 226Ra (238U), 232Th, and 40 K range from 2.32 to 2.62 with an average value of 2.48, 0.54 to 0.73 with an average value of 0.66, 9.41 to 10.98 with an average value of 10.36 Bq kg−1, respectively. A good correlation was found between 238U and 226Ra. The value of the radium equivalent ranged from 63.40 to 337.48 with an average value of 255.73 Bq kg−1. The gamma radiation hazard indices of the radium equivalent activity, external and internal indices, and annual effective dose due to the presence of these radionuclides in the studied samples were assessed. The results were compared with those from the world average value.