Abstract
To estimate the radiation hazard due to the natural terrestrial radioactivity, 598 samples of soil covering the entire Romanian territory were collected and analyzed for the distribution of natural radionuclides 40K, 228Ac, and 226Ra. The ultra-low background Slanic-Prahova underground laboratory was used to determine the gamma-ray-specific activity of these radioactive isotopes with an uncertainty between 5 and 20%. All these data permitted to establishing a set of 2D maps illustrating the distribution of specific activity of each radionuclide as well as of the resulting air dose rate, all of them illustrating an heterogeneous distribution, increased values being displaced on the western and south-western territory. Mediated over 598 points, these determinations led to a value of annual effective dose of 0.7 ± 0.15 mSv/y and an external hazard index of 0.46 ± 0.1, both attesting to a radioecologically safe environment for human activity.
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All data generated or analyzed are included in this article.
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Abbreviations
- Cs :
-
Cambisol
- Cz :
-
Chernozem
- Fl :
-
Fluvisol
- Gl :
-
Gleyisol
- Ka :
-
Kastanozem
- Lp :
-
Leptosol
- Lu :
-
Luvisol
- Ph :
-
Pheozem
- Po :
-
Podzol
- Re :
-
Regosol
- So :
-
Solonetz
- Ve :
-
Vertisol
- AcI :
-
Acid to intermediate volcanic rocks
- Cl :
-
Clayey loam
- Cn :
-
Conglomerate
- Cc :
-
Consolidated-clastic-sedimentary rocks
- Cs :
-
Cover sand, eolian sand, detrital limestone, facies bound stone
- Fc :
-
Flluvial clays, silts, and loams
- Fl :
-
Flysh
- G :
-
Granite
- Hcd :
-
Holocene coastal sand with shells
- Ld :
-
Lake deposits
- Lm :
-
Limestone
- Lss :
-
Loess
- Mr :
-
Marl
- Pl :
-
Pelite, lutite or argilite
- PQ :
-
Pre-quaternary clay and silt
- Rr :
-
Residual and redeposited loams from silicate rocks
- Tc :
-
Tertiary clay
- Ud :
-
Unconsolidated deposits (alluvium, weathering)
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Acknowledgements
We wish to thank five anonymous reviewers for detailed analysis of the manuscript and for their useful remarks and advices.
Funding
This work was supported by the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research Projects: PN 16–42-02–03 and PN 19–06-02–03, PN 19–45-01–02 and PN 23-21-02-02.
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A-MB-A and RMM have planned this project and collected the samples; A-MB-A, RMM, and M-CG have performed the experimental measurements; DP generated all maps; A-MB-A, RMM, D-D, and OGD have analyzed data and prepared the manuscript; A-MB-A, RMM, DD, DP, OGD, and M-CG have checked the final version of the manuscript.
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Blebea-Apostu, AM., Margineanu, R.M., Persa, D. et al. The distribution of natural radionuclides 40K, 228Ac, and 226Ra on Romanian Territory: a radiometric study. Environ Monit Assess 196, 186 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-024-12374-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-024-12374-y