Natural Radioactivity in Soil and Water from Likuyu Village in the Neighborhood of Mkuju Uranium Deposit

The discovery of high concentration uranium deposit at Mkuju, southern part of Tanzania, has brought concern about the levels of natural radioactivity at villages in the neighborhood of the deposit. This study determined the radioactivity levels of 30 soil samples and 20 water samples from Likuyu vi...

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Main Authors: Najat K. Mohammed, Mohamed S. Mazunga
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2013-01-01
Series:International Journal of Analytical Chemistry
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/501856
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author Najat K. Mohammed
Mohamed S. Mazunga
author_facet Najat K. Mohammed
Mohamed S. Mazunga
author_sort Najat K. Mohammed
collection DOAJ
description The discovery of high concentration uranium deposit at Mkuju, southern part of Tanzania, has brought concern about the levels of natural radioactivity at villages in the neighborhood of the deposit. This study determined the radioactivity levels of 30 soil samples and 20 water samples from Likuyu village which is 54 km east of the uranium deposit. The concentrations of the natural radionuclides 238U, 232Th, and 40K were determined using low level gamma spectrometry of the Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission (TAEC) Laboratory in Arusha. The average radioactivity concentrations obtained in soil samples for 238U (51.7 Bq/kg), 232Th (36.4 Bq/kg), and 40K (564.3 Bq/kg) were higher than the worldwide average concentrations value of these radionuclides reported by UNSCEAR, 2000. The average activity concentration value of 238U (2.35 Bq/L) and 232Th (1.85 Bq/L) in water samples was similar and comparable to their mean concentrations in the control sample collected from Nduluma River in Arusha.
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spelling doaj-art-14b3313400a1421dbbcdadc0abca02c52025-08-20T03:54:29ZengWileyInternational Journal of Analytical Chemistry1687-87601687-87792013-01-01201310.1155/2013/501856501856Natural Radioactivity in Soil and Water from Likuyu Village in the Neighborhood of Mkuju Uranium DepositNajat K. Mohammed0Mohamed S. Mazunga1Department of Physics, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 35063, Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaDepartment of Physics, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 35063, Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaThe discovery of high concentration uranium deposit at Mkuju, southern part of Tanzania, has brought concern about the levels of natural radioactivity at villages in the neighborhood of the deposit. This study determined the radioactivity levels of 30 soil samples and 20 water samples from Likuyu village which is 54 km east of the uranium deposit. The concentrations of the natural radionuclides 238U, 232Th, and 40K were determined using low level gamma spectrometry of the Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission (TAEC) Laboratory in Arusha. The average radioactivity concentrations obtained in soil samples for 238U (51.7 Bq/kg), 232Th (36.4 Bq/kg), and 40K (564.3 Bq/kg) were higher than the worldwide average concentrations value of these radionuclides reported by UNSCEAR, 2000. The average activity concentration value of 238U (2.35 Bq/L) and 232Th (1.85 Bq/L) in water samples was similar and comparable to their mean concentrations in the control sample collected from Nduluma River in Arusha.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/501856
spellingShingle Najat K. Mohammed
Mohamed S. Mazunga
Natural Radioactivity in Soil and Water from Likuyu Village in the Neighborhood of Mkuju Uranium Deposit
International Journal of Analytical Chemistry
title Natural Radioactivity in Soil and Water from Likuyu Village in the Neighborhood of Mkuju Uranium Deposit
title_full Natural Radioactivity in Soil and Water from Likuyu Village in the Neighborhood of Mkuju Uranium Deposit
title_fullStr Natural Radioactivity in Soil and Water from Likuyu Village in the Neighborhood of Mkuju Uranium Deposit
title_full_unstemmed Natural Radioactivity in Soil and Water from Likuyu Village in the Neighborhood of Mkuju Uranium Deposit
title_short Natural Radioactivity in Soil and Water from Likuyu Village in the Neighborhood of Mkuju Uranium Deposit
title_sort natural radioactivity in soil and water from likuyu village in the neighborhood of mkuju uranium deposit
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/501856
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