RESUMO
An increase of health problems has been reported in the city of Triunfo, Paraíba, NE Brazil. This pattern has been attributed to environmental radiation since there are uranium deposits in the neighboring municipalities. The present study aimed to carry a radiometric survey in Triunfo to determine effective dose from external outdoor radiation exposure. The results were obtained through 'in situ' measurements using a gamma spectrometry system. The results ranged from 0.06 to 0.38 mSv/y, mean of 0.20 mSv/y. Due to the low value of the effective dose rate, we concluded that the area is characterized by low background radiation. Therefore, natural radioactivity is probably not directly influencing the increase in cancer incidence in the region. However, there is a need for complementary studies in this area to evaluate the dose from potential exposure to ingested and inhaled natural radionuclides from natural radioactivity in soil, rocks, vegetation and water.
Assuntos
Radiação de Fundo , Exposição Ambiental/análise , Neoplasias Induzidas por Radiação/epidemiologia , Monitoramento de Radiação/métodos , Poluentes Radioativos do Ar/análise , Algoritmos , Brasil/epidemiologia , Humanos , Incidência , Fatores de Risco , Poluentes Radioativos do Solo/análise , Espectrometria gama , Urânio/análiseRESUMO
Some radionuclides are present in trace amount in the raw material of electronic devices that suffer obsolescence and are improperly disposed of. Obsolete personal computers become electronic waste and may contain potential environmental contaminants. Furthermore, there may be an additional concern: the ionizing radiation emission. This study aimed to assess qualitatively the possibility of alpha and beta particles and gamma rays reaching somehow workers involved in the handling of such wastes. Using gamma spectrometry method, we analyzed a set of 10 microprocessors randomly taken from motherboards incorrectly discarded. The analysis resulted in the occurrence of primordial radioisotopes in the microchips.
Assuntos
Resíduo Eletrônico , Radioisótopos/análiseRESUMO
Potassium-40 was determined in soil in an area with 40,000 m² situated in the western State of Pernambuco, Brazil. For radiometric measurements, the gamma spectrometry method with a high purity germanium (HPGe) detector was used. Sampling of 78 soil samples has been performed at intervals of 25 m. The specific activities of 40K were calculated based on the photopeak of 1.46 MeV. Values from 541 to 3,572 Bq kg-1 were obtained (mean of 1,827 Bq kg-1). These values allowed the determination of the elemental concentrations as well as the absorbed dose rates in air, 1 m above the ground. The values varied from 1.7 to 11.5 percent (mean of 6 percent) and from 23.4 to 154.3 nGy h-1 (mean of 79 nGy h-1), respectively.
A radioatividade do 40K foi determinada em solo em uma área de aproximadamente 40.000 m² localizada no Estado de Pernambuco, Brasil. Para as medidas radiométricas foi usado o método de espectrometria gama com detector de germânio de alta pureza (HPGe). A amostragem perfaz um total de setenta e oito amostras de solo coletadas em intervalos de 25 m. As atividades específicas do 40K foram calculadas com base no fotopico gama de 1,46 MeV. Foram obtidos valores que variaram de 541 a 3.572 Bq kg-1 (média aritmética de 1.827 Bq kg-1). Com base nestes cálculos, obteve-se concentrações elementares e doses absorvidas no ar a 1 m, derivadas da contribuição do 40K no solo, onde os valores obtidos variaram respectivamente de 1,7 a 11,5 por cento (média 6 por cento) e 23,4 a 154,3 nGy h-1 (média 79 nGy h-1).