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Determination of uranium isotopes in environmental samples

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Abstract

The determination of isotopes of uranium by alpha spectrometry in different environmental components (sediments, soil, water, plants and phosphogypsum) is presented and discussed in this paper. The alpha spectrometry is a very convenient and good technique for activity concentration of natural uranium isotopes (234U, 235U, 238U) in environmental samples and provides the most accurate determination of isotopic activity ratios between 234U and 238U. The analysis were provided information about possible sources of high concentrations of uranium in the examined sites determined by anthropogenic sources. The calculation of values 234U/238U in all analyzed samples was applied to identifying natural or anthropogenic uranium origin. Activity concentration of uranium isotopes in analyzed environmental samples shows that measurement of uranium levels is of great importance for environmental and safety assessment especially in contaminated areas (phosphogypsum waste heap).

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank the Polish Ministry of Higher Education and Sciences for the financial support of this work under Grant DS/8120-4-0176-1.

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  1. Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, ul. Sobieskiego 18/19, 80-952, Gdańsk, Poland

    A. Boryło

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  1. A. Boryło
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Correspondence to A. Boryło.

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Boryło, A. Determination of uranium isotopes in environmental samples. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 295, 621–631 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-012-1900-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-012-1900-1

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