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Evaluation of radiological risks due to natural radioactivity around Lynas Advanced Material Plant environment, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia

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Abstract

Understanding the public awareness concerning the Lynas Advanced Material Plant (LAMP), an Australian rare earths processing plant located in Malaysia, a radiological study in soil and water samples collected at random surrounding the LAMP environment was undertaken using HPGe gamma-ray spectrometry. The mean soil activities for 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K were found to be 6.56 ± 0.20, 10.62 ± 0.42, and 41.02 ± 0.67 Bq/kg, respectively, while for water samples were 0.33 ± 0.05, 0.18 ± 0.04, and 4.72 ± 0.29 Bq/l, respectively. The studied areas show typical local level of radioactivity from natural background radiation. The mean gamma absorbed dose rate in soils at 1 m above the ground was found to be 11.16 nGy/h. Assuming a 20 % outdoor occupancy factor, the corresponding annual effective dose showed a mean value of 0.014 mSv year−1, significantly lower than the worldwide average value of 0.07 mSv year−1 for the annual outdoor effective dose as reported by UNSCEAR (2000). Some other representative radiation indices such as activity utilization index (AUI), H ex, H in, excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR), and annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE) were derived and also compared with the world average values. Statistical analysis performed on the obtained data showed a strong positive correlation between the radiological variables and 226Ra and 232Th.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia

    Matthew Tikpangi Kolo, Siti Aishah Binti Abdul Aziz, Mayeen Uddin Khandaker, Khandoker Asaduzzaman & Yusoff Mohd Amin

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  1. Matthew Tikpangi Kolo
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  2. Siti Aishah Binti Abdul Aziz
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  3. Mayeen Uddin Khandaker
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  4. Khandoker Asaduzzaman
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  5. Yusoff Mohd Amin
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Correspondence to Mayeen Uddin Khandaker.

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Responsible editor: Stuart Simpson

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Kolo, M.T., Aziz, S.A.B.A., Khandaker, M.U. et al. Evaluation of radiological risks due to natural radioactivity around Lynas Advanced Material Plant environment, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 13127–13136 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4577-5

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