Abstract

MANJON, G. Radionuclides in the environment in the south of Spain, anthropogenic enhancements due to industry. Rev. mex. fis. [online]. 2007, vol.53, suppl.3, pp.97-101. ISSN 0035-001X.

Levels of natural radionuclides in the environment are affected by human activities in the South of Spain. Industry wastes, such as phosphogypsum, have been released to an estuary since sixties until 1997. Nowadays the wastes management is careful with environment protection, which can be clearly observed today in the radionuclides pattern. Different sources of radionuclides (industry wastes, tidal action and mining) can be distinguished in the estuary. Uranium isotopes, ²²⁶Ra, ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po were determined in water and sediment samples for this study. An iron recycling factory is working close to Seville (South of Spain). A ¹³⁷Cs source was accidentally burnt in a furnace of this factory in 2001. The environmental impact of this accident was immediately determined. Monitoring procedure and results are shown in this contribution. Radionuclides measurement involves difficult techniques. In this communication a procedure to determine the activity concentration of ²¹⁰Pb by liquid scintillation counting is presented. Two quality tests, using gamma- and alpha-spectrometry were applied to the ²¹⁰Pb results.

Keywords : Radioactivity; environment; phosphogypsum; norm.

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