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Correlation between radon release, radioactivity and mineralogy: a case study of Estonian black sands

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Abstract

The growing attention to naturally occurring radionuclides in building materials has a significant societal impact. This impact is apparent in recent research studies and the latest European Council directives, where reference levels for indoor radon concentrations and gamma radiation levels are reported. This paper studies black sand samples from the Estonian coast, mainly from Kihnu island. The results are discussed from various aspects to determine if utilization of these sands as a building material component is viable. For this reason, this paper focuses on the mineralogical and radiological characterization of these samples with special attention to radon emanation and exhalation. Furthermore, a detailed correlation study of mineralogical components against emanation and exhalation factors and the levels of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K was performed. It is found that the sand samples are composed of very high heavy mineral content as compared to the rest of Estonia; the black sands studied here include a heavy fraction dominated by garnets and a light fraction characterized by quartz and feldspars. The analysis also indicates that the higher 232Th and 226Ra content in the samples is correlated with an increase in zircon, ore minerals and garnets; on the other hand, the 40K content is connected to amphiboles. A strong correlation was also found between the 226Ra activity concentration and the measured massic exhalation rates.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by STSM Grants from the COST Action TU1301, and the authors would like to acknowledge networking support by the COST Action TU1301 (“NORM for Building Materials”, www.norm4building.org). Results incorporated in this paper have received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No 701932. The authors gratefully thank Mr. Kalev Järvelill for his help with field sampling procedures.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Ravila 14a, 50411, Tartu, Estonia

    Alan H. Tkaczyk

  2. Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, Ostwaldi 1, 50411, Tartu, Estonia

    Rein Koch, Cagatay Ipbüker & Anne Serv

  3. School of Natural Sciences and Health, Tallinn University, Narva Road 25, 10120, Tallinn, Estonia

    Johanna-Iisebel Järvelill

  4. School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s University Belfast, 39-123 Stranmillis Rd, Belfast, BT9 5AG, UK

    Zoltán Sas

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  1. Alan H. Tkaczyk
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Correspondence to Alan H. Tkaczyk.

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Tkaczyk, A.H., Koch, R., Ipbüker, C. et al. Correlation between radon release, radioactivity and mineralogy: a case study of Estonian black sands. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 326, 75–86 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-020-07290-7

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