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Radioactive impact of a bauxite beneficiation plant in the Itea Gulf (Gulf of Corinth, Greece)

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Abstract

Activity concentration measurements of natural radionuclides performed by γ-ray spectrometry and ICP-MS in sediment samples from the Gulf of Itea and in surface soil samples collected from the surrounding area of a bauxite beneficiation plant, showed that (1) the breaker zone of the Itea Gulf, in the vicinity of the bauxite beneficiation plant, is contaminated with 238U, 232Th and 226Ra, (2) the activities in sediment samples from the rest of the Gulf were at the background level, and (3) enhanced activities of the 238U, 232Th and 226Ra were found in a number of soil samples due to bauxite dust deposition from the nearby beneficiation plant. The application of the optimized BCR sequential extraction procedure on the surface sediment samples showed that the U and Th were strongly bound to the sediments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Physical, Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, Patras, 265 00, Greece

    Th. Karagiannidi & H. Papaefthymiou

  2. Laboratory of Marine Geology and Physical Oceanography, Department of Geology, University of Patras, Patras, 265 00, Greece

    G. Papatheodorou

Authors
  1. Th. Karagiannidi
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  2. H. Papaefthymiou
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  3. G. Papatheodorou
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Correspondence to H. Papaefthymiou.

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Karagiannidi, T., Papaefthymiou, H. & Papatheodorou, G. Radioactive impact of a bauxite beneficiation plant in the Itea Gulf (Gulf of Corinth, Greece). J Radioanal Nucl Chem 279, 923–934 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-008-7412-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-008-7412-3

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