Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Diatomaceous earth: radiological characterization and risk assessment

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Diatomaceous earth is a natural material used in the food and beverage industry for filtration. In this paper, the radioactivity analyses and radiological risk estimation for 73 DE samples were conducted. The activity concentration of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K was found to be in the range (5–164) Bq kg−1, (2–120) Bq kg−1, (19–1480) Bq kg−1, respectively. Absorbed gamma doses were in the range (8–172) nGy h−1. The total annual effective dose for workers was found to be in the range (0.011–0.217) mSv. Results indicate there is no particular radiation risk for workers and the public.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Osmanlioglu AE (2007) Natural diatomite process for removal of radioactivity from liquid waste. Appl Radiat Isot 65:17–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2006.08.012

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Farmer CN, Kathren RL, Christensen C (2008) Radioactivity in fossils at the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monuments. J Environ Radioact 99:1355–2359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2008.02.004

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Dlugosz-Lisiecka M, Tyborowski D, Krystek M (2021) Radioactive fossils: the uranium anomaly and its paleobiological implication. Chemosphere 285:131444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131444

  4. Cook GT, MacKenzie AB (2014) Radioactive isotope analyses of skeletal minerals in forensic science: a review of uses and potential uses. Int J Legal Med 128:685–698. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-014-0970-8

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Reka AA, Pavlovski B, Fazlija E et al (2021) Diatomaceous earth: characterization, thermal modification, and application. Open Chem 19:451–461. https://doi.org/10.1515/chem-2020-0049

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Akhoundi M, Bruel C, Izri A (2019) Harmful effects of bed bug-killing method of diatomaceous earth on human health. J Insect Sci 19(5):13; 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/iez095

  7. Janićijević J, Krajišnik D, Čalija B et al (2014) Inorganically modified diatomite as a potential prolonged-release drug carrier. Mater Sci Eng C 42:412–420. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2014.05.052

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Fu W, Wichuk K, Brynjόlfsson S (2015) Developing diatoms for value-added products: challenges and opportunities. N Biotechnol 32(6):548–551. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbt.2015.03.016

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Lutyński M, Sakiewicz P, Lutyńska S (2019) Characterization of diatomaceous earth and Halloysite resources of Poland. Minerals 9:670. https://doi.org/10.3390/min9110670

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Paules D, Hamida S, Lasheras RJ et al (2018) Characterization of natural and treated diatomite by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). Microchem J 137:1–7

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Reka AA, Anovski T, Bogoevski S, Pavlovski B, Boškovski B (2014) Physical-chemical and mineralogical-petrographic examinations of diatomite from deposit near village of Rožden. Republic Macedonia Geol Maced 28(2):121–126

    Google Scholar 

  12. Spasovski O, Šijakova-Ivanova T, Doneva B, Spasovski D (2016) New findings for diatomite (diatomaceous earth) between the villages of Manastir and Bešište (Mariovo). Geol Maced 30(2):167–171

    Google Scholar 

  13. Mannetje A’t, Steenland K, Attfield M et al (2002) Exposure-response analysis and risk assessment for silica and silicosis mortality in a pooled analysis of six cohorts. Occup Environ Med 59:723–728

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Korunić Z (2016) Overview of undesirable effects of using diatomaceous earths for direct mixing with grains. Pest Phytomed (Belgrade), 31(1–2):9–18. https://doi.org/10.2298/PIF1602009K

  15. Kuzmanović P, Knežević RJ, Mrđa D et al (2022) Radioactivity of fertilizers used in Serbia and dose assessments for workers in the industry. J Radioanal Nucl Chem. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-022-08646-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Kuzmanović P, Todorović N, Forkapić S et al (2020) Radiological characterization of phosphogypsum produced in Serbia. Radiat Phys Chem 166:108463. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2019.108463

  17. Kuzmanović P, Todorović N, Mrđa D et al (2019) Radiation exposure to zircon minerals in Serbian ceramic industries. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 322:949–960. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06743-y

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. UNSCEAR (2000) Sources and effects of ionizing radiation. Report to the General Assembly, with Scientific Annexes. United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, United Nations, New York.

  19. UNSCEAR (2008) Sources and effects of ionizing radiation United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, United Nations, New York.

  20. Seixas NS, Heyer NJ, Welp EAE, Checkoway H (1997) Quantification of historical dust exposures in the diatomaceous earth industry. Ann occup Hyg 41(5):591–604

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Chronic Toxicity (2005) Summary silica (Crystalline, Respirable). Available at https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/air/document/silicacrelfinal.pdf

  22. ICRP (K. Eckerman, J. Harrison, H-G. Menzel, C.H. Clement) (2012) Annals of the ICRP, ICRP Publication 119, Compendium of Dose Coefficients based on ICRP 60 Publication, Volume 41.

  23. EURATOM (2014) Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom of 5 Dec. 2013 Laying down basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation, and repealing directives 89/618/Euratom, 90/641/Euratom, 96/29/Euratom, 97/43/ Euratom and 2003/122/Euratom. L13, vol 57. ISSN: 1977–0677. https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/CELEX-32013L0059-EN-TXT.pdf

  24. Official Gazette RS 86/11 and 50/18 (2018) Rulebook on Limits of Exposure to Ionizing Radiation and Measurements for Assessment of the Exposure Levels (in Serbian)

  25. Van TT, Bat LT, Nhan DD et al (2019) Estimation of radionuclide concentrations and average annual committed effective dose due to ingestion for the population in the Red River Delta. Vietnam Environ Manage 63:444–454. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-018-1007-8

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Savitri PP, Murty TS, Sudhakar J et al (2020) Ingestion dose due to 226Ra, 228Ra, and 40K in the plant origin food materials grown around BARC. Visakhapatnam Radiat Prot Environ 43(3):140–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Giri S, Jha VN, Singh G, Tripathi RM (2013) Estimation of annual effective dose due to ingestion of natural radionuclides in foodstuffs and water at a proposed uranium mining site in India. Int J Radiat Biol 89(12):1071–1078. https://doi.org/10.3109/09553002.2013.817707

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Jayasinghe C, Molligoda V, Attanayaka T, Waduge V (2019) Estimation of annual effective dose due to ingestion of radioactive elements in Sri Lankan common meal plans. Environ Geochem Health 41:1123–1129. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-018-0200-2

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Official Gazette RS 36/2018 (2018) Pravilnik o granicama sadržaja radionuklida u vodi za piće, životnim namirnicama, stočnoj hrani, lekovima, predmetima opšte upotrebe, građevinskom materijalu i drugoj robi koja se stavlja u promet (in Serbian).

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia, Grant No. 451-03-47/2023-01/200125.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Sciences, Department of Physics, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovica 4, Novi Sad, Serbia

    Jovana Knezevic Radic, Jan Hansman, Dusan Mrdja, Sofija Forkapic, Kristina Bikit, Predrag Kuzmanovic & Danijel Velimirovic

  2. Academy of Applied Studies Šabac, Hajduk Veljkova 10, Sabac, Serbia

    Predrag Kuzmanovic

Authors
  1. Jovana Knezevic Radic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jan Hansman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Dusan Mrdja
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Sofija Forkapic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Kristina Bikit
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Predrag Kuzmanovic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Danijel Velimirovic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

JKR: Conceptualization, Software, Validation, Investigation, Formal analysis, Writing—original draft. JH: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation. DM: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Validation. SF: Supervision, Writing—review & editing. KB: Conceptualization, Writing—review & editing. PKc: Investigation, Writing—review & editing. Danijel Velimirovic: Investigation, Validation, Writing—review & editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jan Hansman.

Ethics declarations

Conflict on interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Radic, J.K., Hansman, J., Mrdja, D. et al. Diatomaceous earth: radiological characterization and risk assessment. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 332, 3227–3234 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-023-09018-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-023-09018-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation