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High-level natural radionuclides from the Mandena deposit, South Madagascar

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Abstract

The 238U, 226Ra and 232Th contents of six samples from the Mandena black sand placer deposit were determined by gamma-ray spectrometry and varied from 2280 to 4600 Bq/kg, 1530 to 2900 Bq/kg and 11,600 to 25,400 Bq/kg, respectively. The activity concentration of 232Th is significantly higher than 238U and there is no equilibrium between 238U and 226Ra. Due to the gamma interferences at the line 1461 keV and very high 228Ac activity, the 40K was calculated through potassium analyzed using ICP-AES and varied from 1 to 19 Bq/kg. The calculated gamma absorbed dose rate ranged from 7700 to 16,700 nGy/h.

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Acknowledgements

The work was partly supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (Grant Nos. 11.11.140.645 and 11.11.220.01). The authors would like to express their thankfulness to Drs Beata Ostachowicz and Jakub Nowak for their useful discussions. Many thanks to the colleague from Madagascar, Ms. Lantoarindriaka for providing samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Mining and Geology (UMG), Hanoi, Vietnam

    Duong Van Hao

  2. Faculty of Geology and Geophysics and Environmental Protection, AGH University of Science and Technology, Kraków, Poland

    Chau Nguyen Dinh

  3. Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, AGH University of Science and Technology, Krakow, Poland

    Paweł Jodłowski

  4. Institute of Radiochemistry and Radioecology, University of Pannonia, Veszprem, Hungary

    Tibor Kovacs

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  1. Duong Van Hao
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  2. Chau Nguyen Dinh
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  4. Tibor Kovacs
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Correspondence to Duong Van Hao.

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Van Hao, D., Nguyen Dinh, C., Jodłowski, P. et al. High-level natural radionuclides from the Mandena deposit, South Madagascar. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 319, 1331–1338 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-018-6378-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-018-6378-z

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