ACTIVITY CONCENTRATION OF RADIONUCLIDES PRESENT IN SOME TROPICAL WOOD SAMPLES
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Date
2014-03-13
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic Ijebu Igbo
Abstract
The Radionuclide concentration levels have been determined using gamma
ray spectrometer consisting of a lead-shielded 76mm x 76mm Nal(TI) of the
detector crystal coupled to Canberra series I O plus multichannel analyzer
method was used in tropical wood samples widely used for furniture, building
and soon. Each of the samples was counted for a present conunting time of 7
hours (25200s).
The photo-peaks observed with reliable regularity belong to the naturally
occurring series decay radionuclide headed by 238U and 232Th, as well as
non-series decay Mpe, 4°K. Caesium 139 as essential elemental indicator of'
radioactive contamination was not detected in any of the wood samples in
view of the possible ecosystematic transfer through the soil to plant's stem
which v.?11 be inert cut down to form woods.
The mean activity concentration of 4°K, 238U, 232Th for the woods samples
obtained were 3119.61 ± 6.198 Bqkg·', 81.122 ± 2.468 Bqkg"1, 159.888 ±
]2.076 Bqkg·1 respectively. Potassium 40 recorded the highest activity
concentration in all the wood samples analysed than Thorium and Uranium.
The result which attributed to the fact that potassium was released in the soil
during the application of fertilizers to crops especially when applied at rates
well above crop requirement. And also, minerals occurring in rocks such as
mica and feldspar as they slowly release potassium into the soil slowly through weathering.