Assessment of health hazard due to natural radioactivity in Kluang District,Johor, Malaysia

The radiation survey of the ambient environment was conducted using two gamma detectors, and the measurement results were used in the computation of the mean external radiation dose rate, mean-weighted dose rate and annual effective dose, which are 144 nGy h^?1, 0.891 mSv y^?1 and 178 μSv, respectively. A high-purity germanium detector was used to determine the activity concentrations of ²³²Th, ²²⁶Ra and ⁴⁰K in soil samples. The results of the gamma spectrometry of the soil samples show radioactivity concentration ranges from 19±1 to 405±13 Bq kg^?1 with a mean value of 137±5 Bq kg^?1 for ²³²Th, from 21±2 to 268±9 Bq kg^?1with a mean value of 78±3 Bq kg^?1 for ²²⁶Ra and from 23±9 to 1268±58 Bq kg^?1 with a mean value of 207±13 Bq kg^?1 for ⁴⁰K. Radium equivalent activity (Ra_eq) and external hazard index (H_ex) were 290 Bq kg^?1 and 0.784, respectively, which were safe for the population. The mean lifetime dose and lifetime cancer risk for each person living in the area with average lifetime (70 y) were 12.46 mSv and 7.25×10^?4 Sv year, respectively. The results were compared with values given in United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation 2000.     

Radiation dose-dependent risk on individuals due to ingestion of uranium and radon concentration in drinking water samples of four districts of Haryana,India

Uranium gets into drinking water when the minerals containing uranium are dissolved in groundwater. Uranium and radon concentrations have been measured in drinking water samples from different water sources such as hand pumps, tube wells and bore wells at different depths from various locations of four districts (Jind, Rohtak, Panipat and Sonipat) of Haryana, India, using the LED flourimetry technique and RAD7, electronic silicon solid state detector. The uranium (²³⁸U) and radon (²²²Rn) concentrations in water samples have been found to vary from 1.07 to 40.25?µg?L^?1 with an average of 17.91?µg?L^?1 and 16.06?±?0.97 to 57.35?±?1.28?Bq?L^?1 with an average of 32.98?±?2.45?Bq?L^?1, respectively. The observed value of radon concentration in 43 samples exceeded the recommended limits of 11?Bq?L^?1 (USEPA) and all the values are within the European Commission recommended limit of 100?Bq?L^?1. The average value of uranium concentration is observed to be within the safe limit recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) and Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. The annual effective dose has also been measured in all the water samples and is found to be below the prescribed dose limit of 100?µSv?y^?1 recommended by WHO. Risk assessment of uranium in water is also calculated using life time cancer risk, life time average daily dose and hazard quotient. The high uranium concentration observed in certain areas is due to interaction of ground water with the soil formation of this region and the local subsurface geology of the region.     

Negative Ions,Ozone, and Metastable Components in dc Oxygen Glow Discharge

In a dc glow discharge in oxygen, the concentrations of minor components of O₂(a¹Δ_g), O₂(b¹ Σ_g), O₃, O(¹D), as well as nagative ions and electrons have been measured. Balance equations have been derived which describe satisfactorily the stationary concentrations of these components as functions of gas pressure and discharge current. For the first time, the rate constants of important aeronomical reactions (a) O^? + O₂(a¹Δ_g) → O₃ + e, (b) O₂^? + O₂(a¹Δ_g) → 2O₂ + e and (c) e + O₃ → O₂^? +O have been measured as functions of gas temperature T and mean energies of ions E_i and electron E₆: K_a = (2.5 ± 0.5) · 10^?9 · (T/300)^{4 ± 0.4}· (E_i/0.04)^{?2.6 ± 0.4} cm³/s for T = 385?605 K and E_i = 0.10 ? 0.66 eV; K_b = (1.0 ± 0.3) · 10^?10 · (T/300)^{?2 ± 0.5} · (E_i/0.04)^{0.23 ± 0.05} cm³/s for T = 330?605 K and E_i = 0.09 + 1.5 eV; K_c for E_e = 0.8÷5 eV.     

Appraisal of radioactivity and associated radiation hazards in sand samples of four rivers of Punjab province,Pakistan

Natural and anthropogenic radioactivity of sand and water samples collected from the four big rivers of Punjab province, Pakistan, was measured using a high-purity germanium detector coupled with a high resolution multichannel analyser. The average concentration of the naturally occurring radionuclides ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in all the sand samples from the rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Indus was found to be 22±0.6, 36±1 and 287±10 Bq?kg ^?1, respectively, while the concentration of the anthropogenic radionuclide ¹³⁷Cs was found to be below the minimum detectable activity, i.e. ～ 1.2 Bq?kg ^?1. All the sand samples have Ra_eq concentrations lower than the limit of 370 Bq?kg ^?1. Indoor (H _in) and outdoor (H _out) radiation hazard indices were calculated for the samples to assess the radiation hazards arising due to the use of this sand in construction, and were found to be less than unity in the study area. Calculated values of the absorbed dose rate were less than the typical world average value of 59 nGy?h ^?1, and the annual effective dose rate was also less than the typical world value of 70 μSv, except in the Indus river, in which it is slightly higher then the world average. Results show that the measured values are comparable with other global radioactivity measurements. None of the studied riverbeds was considered a radiological hazard, and their sand can be safely used in construction.     

Natural radioactivity measurements in Pahang State,Malaysia

This study was aimed at providing the baseline data of terrestrial gamma dose rates and natural radioactivity to assess the corresponding health risk in the ambient environment of the Pahang State. Terrestrial gamma radiation (TGR) from 640 locations was measured with the mean value found to be 176?±?5 nGy h^?1. Ninety-eight soil samples were analysed using a high-purity germanium detector (HPGe), and the mean concentrations of the radionuclides ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K are 110?±?3, 151?±?5 and 542?±?51 Bq kg^?1, respectively.²²⁶Ra and ²³²Th concentrations were found to be three times the world average, while that of ⁴⁰K is quite higher than the world average value. The acid-intrusive geological formation has the highest mean concentrations for ²²⁶Ra (215?±?6 Bq kg^?1), ²³²Th (384?±?12 Bq kg^?1) and ⁴⁰K (1564?±?153 Bq kg^?1). The radium equivalent activities (Req) and the external hazard index (Hex) for the various soil types were also calculated. Some of the soil types were found to have values exceeding the internationally recommended levels of 370 Bq kg^?1 and the unity value, respectively.     

Additivity and non-additivity of dissociation energies in intermolecular interactions. Theoretical studies on (H2)n,n = 2-8, (CO2)n,n = 2-6 and (HF)n,n = 2-8

CCSD(T) and MP2 results using the aug-cc-pV5Z basis set are reported for chain, cyclic and other structures of the clusters (H₂)_n, n?=?2-8, (CO₂)_n, n?=?2-6 and (HF)_n, n?=?2-8. In chain-like structures of (H₂)_n and (CO₂)_n, with the bonding type of the dimer maintained, the dissociation energy D_e of the dimer doubles for the trimer, triples for the tetramer, and so on. Due to these systems being dominated by short-range forces, interactions are essentially restricted to neighbouring monomers. For other types of (H₂)_n and (CO₂)_n structures, the multipliers relative to the dimerisation energy can be much higher. Dissociation energies for the hexamers in S₆ symmetry of both H₂ (379?cm^?1) and CO₂ (4925?cm^?1) are over ten times the respective dimerisation energies. For the chain-like trimer of HF, however, D_e is in excess of double the dimer value. Mainly due to longer-range dipolar forces, the interactions reach beyond the neighbouring monomers. The interaction energy between HF monomers in chains follows an approximate R^?2 (R being the F–F distance) relationship, The calculated dissociation energies of the HF octamer are 15,985?cm^?1 (factor of 10.4) for the chain, and 21,003?cm^?1 (factor of 13.7) for the C_6h cyclic structure.     

The vibrational numbering and improved constants of the A3Π1u state of I2

The A-X system of I₂ has been recorded in absorption, under conditions of medium resolution, over the region 8000 – 13 400 Å. Bandheads in progressions based on v″ = 6 through 18 have been measured and assigned. A new vibrational numbering for the A state is proposed, which leads to more reliable values for the important constants of the A state: T_e = 10 906 ± 3 cm^?1, D_e = 1641 ± 3 cm^?1, ω_e = 92.5 ± 0.5 cm^?1, ω_ex_e = 1.20 ± 0.08 cm^?1, ω_ey_e = ?0.062 ± 0.006 cm^?1.     

Noble gas halides: The B → X and D → X systems of 136Xe35Cl

The B → X (2870–3100 Å) and D → X (2250–2370 Å) band systems of ¹³⁶Xe³⁵Cl are photographed and vibrationally analyzed. A simultaneous least-squares fit of 41 band-heads in the B-X system and 35 in D-X yields, in part, the following constants (in cm^?1): T_eB = 32 405.8, T_eD = 42 347.9, ω_eB = 194.75, ω_eD = 204.34, ω_eX = 26.22. The ground state dissociation energy ($\text{D}$″_e) is estimated to be 281 ± 10 cm^?1. Potential curves are derived for all three states through Franck-Condon calculations. From these curves the D-state internuclear distance is 0.09 ± .02 Å smaller than the B-state distance.     

The determination of concentrations of radioisotopes in some granite samples in Turkey and their radiation hazards

The primordial radionuclides activity concentrations (²²⁶Ra, ⁴⁰K and ²³²Th) are measured in some granite samples in this study. The collected granite materials are analyzed with NaI(Tl) gamma-ray spectrometry. The specific activity of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K values are in range 2.60?±?0.10 to 178.9?±?0.6?Bq?kg^?1, 1.46?±?0.10 to 162.50?±?0.75?Bq?kg^?1 and 19.8?±?0.3 to 579.7?±?2.8?Bq?kg^?1 respectively. The radium’s equivalent activity, annual effective dose, absorbed dose rate, hazard index, radioactivity level index, activity utilization’s index and exposure rate are calculated for determination of radiological risk. The concentration of ²²⁶Ra (in the 71.4% of samples), ²³²Th (in the 71.4% of samples) and ⁴⁰K (in the 14.3% of samples) in the granite samples are higher than average radioactivity concentrations of this radio-isotopes defined by ICRP (35.0, 30.0 and 400.0?Bq?kg^?1, respectively).     

Activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs radionuclides in Turkish medicinal herbs,their ingestion doses and cancer risks

Twenty-two medicinal herb samples, each representing a distinct species, were collected from Turkish markets and measured by the gamma spectrometric method. The activity concentration of ²²⁶Ra in medicinal herbs was found in the range of minimum detectable activity (MDA) and 15.1?±?2.2?Bqkg^?1. The activity concentration of ²³²Th ranged from MDA values to 3.5?±?0.8?Bqkg^?1. The activity concentration of ⁴⁰K varied between 50.0?±?16.8 and 1311.5?±?57.3?Bqkg^?1. All ¹³⁷Cs activity concentrations of medicinal herbs were found to have lower than MDA values. The bone surface dose, lower large intestine and colon doses were found to be 182.9, 18.8 and 18.7?µSvy^?1, respectively. The highest committed effective dose originated from the annual ingestion of 1?kg medicinal herb was calculated notably low as 9.0?µSv. The cancer risk of ingestion of medicinal herbs was found to be small enough to be neglected. The selected Turkish medicinal herbs are considered safe for human consumption.     

Natural radioactivity levels and associated health hazards from the terrestrial ecosystem in Rosetta branch of the River Nile,Egypt

Twenty soil and 25 sediment samples were collected from the banks and bottom of the River Nile in the surroundings of biggest cities located close to it. Natural radioactivity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K have been evaluated for all samples by means of γ spectrometric analysis. The radioactivity levels of soil and sediment samples fall within the internationally recommended values. Nevertheless, high natural background radiation zones are detected in the Kafr El-Zayat region due to the presence of a fertilizer factory, and in the Rosetta region due to the presence of black sand deposits. The absorbed dose rate, the γ index and excess life time cancer risk are calculated. High values for some of the radiation health parameters are detected in the Kafr El-Zayat and Rosetta regions representing a serious problem to public health because the soil and sediment are used as constructing material for buildings. Furthermore, the isotope analysis of uranium for representative collected sediment samples via α spectrometry showed average specific activities of 18.7?±?3.6, 0.087?±?0.0038 and 18.6?±?3.8 Bq kg^–1 for ²³⁴U, ²³⁵U and ²³⁸U, respectively. In general, these values confirm the balance in the isotopic abundance of U isotopes.     

On the dependence of equivalent dose on temperature of OSL measurements for sediment quartz grains and its implication in dating practice

The dependence of the equivalent dose (D_e) on the temperature used at stimulation when the standard OSL dating protocol (SAR) is applied has been investigated for sediment quartz samples. A considerable change in this value appears in the temperature region from 80 to 140 °C that is known for high complexity in OSL processes in quartz. Our observations suggest that the variation in the obtained results at least partly is caused by the laboratory procedure used when the natural OSL signal is measured. Directions for further investigations concerning this undesirable effect are indicated.     

Transfer of radioactivity from soil to vegetation in Rechna Doab,Pakistan

In Rechna Doab, samples of the most common vegetation, perennial grass Desmostachya bipinnata (dab), were collected along with soil samples from 29 sites. Natural radioactivity of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th/²²⁸Ac and ⁴⁰K was measured by using high purity germanium-based gamma ray spectrometer. Activity concentration levels of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th/²²⁸Ac and ⁴⁰K in soil were found to be 46.8±6.2 (36.0–57.6), 61.4±5.9 (48.2–73.2) and 644.8±73.9 (537.7–868.4) Bq kg^?1 (dry mass), respectively, and those in vegetation were 2.74±1.70 (1.00–6.39), 2.24±0.59 (1.56–2.61) and 172.72±113.37 (53.14–469.24) Bq kg^?1 (dry mass), respectively. The measured values of the activity concentration in vegetation are comparable with some other international data. Calculated soil to vegetation transfer factors of ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ac and ⁴⁰K were 0.06±0.03 (0.02–0.14), 0.04±0.01 (0.03–0.04) and 0.26±0.16 (0.09–0.69). The mean outdoor absorbed dose rate in air for the area under study was determined as 8.22 nGy h^?1 and the mean indoor absorbed dose rate in air was 11.52 nGy h^?1. The total annual effective dose to the general public from the vegetation was found to be (0.02–0.16) mSv, which is below the recommended limit value of 1 mSv y^?1 for the general public. The dab vegetation under study was found to be radiologically safe for the population and environment.     

Experimental determination of the potential energy curves of the I(3/2u) and I(3/2g) states of Kr+ 2

The I(3/2u) and I(3/2g) states of Kr⁺ ₂ have been investigated by pulsed-field-ionization zero-kinetic-energy (PFI-ZEKE) photoelectron spectroscopy following (2 + 1′) resonance-enhanced multiphoton excitation via the 0⁺ _g Rydberg state located below the Kr?([4p]⁵5p[1/2]₀) + Kr(¹S₀) dissociation limit of Kr₂. From the positions of a large number of vibrational bands in the spectra of the ⁸⁴Kr₂ and ⁸⁴Kr-⁸⁶Kr isotopomers, the adiabatic ionization potentials (IP(I(3/2u)) = 112672.4 ± 0.8cm^?1, IP(I(3/2g)) = 111 395.0 ± 1.4cm^?1), the dissociation energies (D ⁺ ₀(I(3/2u)) = 368.8 ± 2.0cm^?1, D ⁺ ₀(I(3/2g)) = 1646.2 ± 2.3cm^?1) and vibrational constants for both ionic states have been determined. Potential energy curves have been extracted which perfectly reproduce all experimental observations and are accurate over a wide range of energies and internuclear distances. The equilibrium internuclear distances (R ⁺ _e(I(3/2u)) = 4.11 ± 0.04 Å, R ⁺ _e(I(3/2g)) = 3.35 ± 0.10 Å) have been derived by comparing the intensity distribution in the PFI-ZEKE photoelectron spectra to calculated Franck-Condon factors. The dissociation energy of the I(3/2g) state and the equilibrium internuclear distance of the I(3/2u) state differ markedly from previously reported values.     

Measurement of astrophysical S factors and electron screening potentials for d(d, n)3He reaction In ZrD2, TiD2, D2O, and CD2 targets in the ultralow energy region using plasma accelerators

The paper is devoted to study electron screening effect influence on the rate of d(d, n)³He reaction in the ultralow deuteron collision energy range in the deuterated polyethylene (CD₂), frozen heavy water (D₂O) and deuterated metals (ZrD₂ and TiD₂). The ZrD₂ and TiD₂ targets were fabricated via magnetron sputtering of titanium and zirconium in gas (deuterium) environment. The experiments have been carried out using high-current plasma pulsed accelerator with forming of inverse Z pinch (HCEIRAS, Russia) and pulsed Hall plasma accelerator (NPI at TPU, Russia). The detection of neutrons with energy of 2.5MeV from dd reaction was done with plastic scintillation spectrometers. As a result of the experiments the energy dependences of astrophysical S factor for the dd reaction in the deuteron collision energy range of 2?C7 keV and the values of the electron screening potential U _e of interacting deuterons have been measured for the indicated above target: U _e (CD₂) ? 40 eV; U _e (D₂O) ? 26 eV; U _e (ZrD₂) = 157 ± 43 eV; U _e (TiD₂) = 125±34 eV. The value of astrophysical S factor, corresponding to the deuteron collision energy equal to zero, in the experiments with D₂O target is found: S _b (0) = 58.6 ± 3.6 keV b. The paper compares our results with other available published experimental and calculated data.     

Single-crystal elasticity of the rhodochrosite at high pressure by Brillouin scattering spectroscopy

ABSTRACT

The sound velocity properties of single-crystal rhodochrosite (MnCO₃) were determined up to 9.7?GPa at ambient temperature by Brillouin scattering spectroscopy. Six elastic constants were calculated by a genetic algorithm method using the Christoffel's equations at each pressure. The elastic constants increased linearly as a function of pressure and its pressure derivatives ?Cij/?P for C₁₁, C₃₃, C₄₄, C₁₂, C₁₃, C₁₄ were 5.86 (±0.36), 3.82 (±0.44), 2.06 (±0.39), 5.07 (±0.27), 5.34 (±0.44), 1.52 (±0.24), respectively. Based on the derived elastic constants of rhodochrosite, the aggregate adiabatic bulk and shear moduli (K_s and G) were calculated using the Voigt-Reuss-Hill averages and the linear fitting coefficients (?K_s/?P)_T and (?G/?P)_T were 5.05(±0.26) and 0.73(±0.05), respectively. The aggregate V_p of rhodochrosite increased clearly as a function of pressure and its pressure derivative ?V_p/?P was 7.99(±0.53)?×?10^?2?km/(s?GPa), while the aggregate V_s increased slowly and ?V_s/?P was only 1.19(±0.12)?×?10^?2?km/(s?GPa). The anisotropy factor for As of rhodochrosite increased from ～40% at 0.8?GPa to ～48% at 9.7?GPa, while A_p decreased from ～19% to ～16% at the corresponding pressure.     

The keto-enol equilibrium in substituted acetaldehydes: focal-point analysis and ab initio limit

High-level ab initio electronic structure calculations up to the CCSD(T) theory level, including extrapolations to the complete basis set (CBS) limit, resulted in high precision energetics of the tautomeric equilibrium in 2-substituted acetaldehydes (XH₂C-CHO). The CCSD(T)/CBS relative energies of the tautomers were estimated using CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ, MP3/aug-cc-pVQZ, and MP2/aug-cc-pV5Z calculations with MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ geometries. The relative enol (XHC?=?CHOH) stabilities (ΔE _{e,CCSD(T)/CBS}) were found to be 5.98?±?0.17, ?1.67?±?0.82, 7.64?±?0.21, 8.39?±?0.31, 2.82?±?0.52, 10.27?±?0.39, 9.12?±?0.18, 5.47?±?0.53, 7.50?±?0.43, 10.12?±?0.51, 8.49?±?0.33, and 6.19?±?0.18?kcal?mol^?1 for X?=?BeH, BH₂, CH₃, Cl, CN, F, H, NC, NH₂, OCH₃, OH, and SH, respectively. Inconsistencies between the results of complex/composite energy computations methods Gn/CBS (G2, G3, CBS-4M, and CBS-QB3) and high-level ab initio methods (CCSD(T)/CBS and MP2/CBS) were found. DFT/aug-cc-pVTZ results with B3LYP, PBE0 (PBE1PBE), TPSS, and BMK density functionals were close to the CCSD(T)/CBS levels (MAD?=?1.04?kcal?mol^?1).     

First‐principles X‐ray absorption dose calculation for time‐dependent mass and optical density

A dose integral of time‐dependent X‐ray absorption under conditions of variable photon energy and changing sample mass is derived from first principles starting with the Beer–Lambert (BL) absorption model. For a given photon energy the BL dose integral D(e, t) reduces to the product of an effective time integral T(t) and a dose rate R(e). Two approximations of the time‐dependent optical density, i.e. exponential A(t) = c + aexp(?bt) for first‐order kinetics and hyperbolic A(t) = c + a/(b + t) for second‐order kinetics, were considered for BL dose evaluation. For both models three methods of evaluating the effective time integral are considered: analytical integration, approximation by a function, and calculation of the asymptotic behaviour at large times. Data for poly(methyl methacrylate) and perfluorosulfonic acid polymers measured by scanning transmission soft X‐ray microscopy were used to test the BL dose calculation. It was found that a previous method to calculate time‐dependent dose underestimates the dose in mass loss situations, depending on the applied exposure time. All these methods here show that the BL dose is proportional to the exposure time D(e, t) ? K(e)t.     

Measurements of the absolute branching fractions for D→K̄πe+νe, D→K̄*e+νe and determination of Γ(D+→K̄*0e+νe)/Γ(D+→K̄0e+νe)

Using the data of about 33 pb^-1 collected at and around 3.773 GeV with the BES-II detector at the BEPC collider, we have studied the exclusive semileptonic decays D⁺→K^-π⁺e⁺ν_e, D⁰→K̄⁰π^-e⁺ν_e, D⁺→K̄^*0e⁺ν_e and D⁰→K^*-e⁺ν_e. The absolute branching fractions for the decays are measured to be BF(D⁺→K^-π⁺e⁺ν_e)=(3.50±0.75±0.27)%, BF(D⁰→K̄⁰π^-e⁺ν_e)=(2.61±1.04±0.28)%, BF(D⁺→K̄^*0e⁺ν_e)=(5.06±1.21±0.40)% and BF(D⁰→K^*-e⁺ν_e)=(2.87±1.48±0.39)%. The ratio of the vector to pseudoscalar semileptonic decay rates Γ(D⁺→K̄^*0e⁺ν_e)/Γ(D⁺→K̄⁰e⁺ν_e) is determined to be 0.57±0.17±0.02.