Radioactivity levels in three regions of Costa Rica
Creators
- 1. Laboratorio de Fisica Nuclear, Universidad de Costa Rica (Costa Rica)
Description
The establishment of the first radioactivity levels of natural radiation was carried out during the period 1991 to 1994 in three different regions of Costa Rica. The radionuclides studied belong to different soil types related to each selected region. Utilizing low level counting techniques the specific activity of the natural radioactive chains 238U daughters, 232Th and the element 40K were measured for a total of 120 samples during this period. The amount of 137Cs, a fall out radionuclide, was also studied. The average national values in Bq.kg-1 measured for 238U were 11.66 for 214Bi, 34.42 for 226Ra and 10.73 for 232Pb, for 232Th daughters were 4.08 for 208Tl, 9.65 for 212Bi and 7.62 for 228Ac. The specific activity value for 40K was 95.14 Bq.kg-1 and for 137Cs was 2.38 Bq.kg-1. It is found that Costa Rica is not highly natural radioactive country and that the values for 137Cs are well below international reported values
Availability note (English)
Available from Biblioteca Luis Demetrio Tinoco, Universidad de Costa RicaAbstract (Spanish)
Se han establecido y valorado los niveles de radioactividad natural en tres regiones del territorio nacional de Costa Rica, durante el periodo de 1991-1994. Los radionucleidos son evaluados en muestras de diferente tipo de suelos que son caracteristicos de cada region seleccionada. Se utilizo la tecnica de conteo de bajo nivel para medir la radioactividad especifica en las cadenas naturales de 238U, 232Th y en el 40K, en 120 muestras durante el periodo indicado. Se cuantifico la actividad del radionucleido artificial 137Cs, proveniente de la lluvia radioactiva. Los valores nacionales promedio en Bq.kg-1 encontrados para los hijos del 238U, son 11.66 para 214Bi, 34.42 para 226Ra y 10.73 para 232Pb. Para las hijas del 232Th son, respectivamente, 4.08 para 208Tl, 9.65 para 212Bi y 7.62 para 228Ac. Para el radionucleido 40K es 95.14 Bq.kg-1 y para el radionucleido artificial 137Cs es 2.38 Bq.kg-1. Los valores encontrados indican que Costa Rica es un pais que presenta bajos niveles de radiacion natural y del 137Cs. Estos valores son inferiores a la media de los valores reportados a escala mundialAdditional details
Additional titles
- Original title (Spanish)
- Niveles de radioactividad en tres regiones de Costa Rica
Publishing Information
- Journal Title
- Ciencia y tecnologia
- Journal Volume
- 19
- Journal Issue
- 1/2
- Journal Page Range
- p. 79-95
- ISSN
- 0378-052X
INIS
- Country of Publication
- Costa Rica
- Country of Input or Organization
- Costa Rica
- INIS RN
- 31025686
- Subject category
- S46: INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY;
- Descriptors DEI
- CESIUM 137; COSTA RICA; COUNTING TECHNIQUES; ELECTROMAGNETIC TESTING; NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY; RADIATION MONITORING; RADIOACTIVITY; RADIOISOTOPES; THORIUM 232; URANIUM 238
- Descriptors DEC
- ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CENTRAL AMERICA; CESIUM ISOTOPES; DEVELOPING COUNTRIES; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; HEAVY NUCLEI; INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI; ISOTOPES; LATIN AMERICA; MATERIALS TESTING; MONITORING; NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; RADIOACTIVITY; RADIOISOTOPES; SPONTANEOUS FISSION RADIOISOTOPES; TESTING; THORIUM ISOTOPES; URANIUM ISOTOPES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
Optional Information
- Notes
- 12 refs., 10 tabs., 2 figs.