Distributions of environmental radionuclides in a marine core from the eastern continental shelf of Hainan Island, South China Sea and risk assessment

Several long half-life natural and anthropogenic radionuclides, including ¹³⁷Cs, ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K, in a 45 cm-long sediment core collected from the east continental shelf of Hainan Island, South China Sea, have been analyzed. The results showed that mean activity of ¹³⁷Cs, ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K were 2.03 ± 1.2, 20.4 ± 1.8, 45.7 ± 3.0, and 520.0 ± 20.0 Bq/kg, respectively. Radium equivalent activity and External hazard index imply a low radiation, and the study area could serve as a background reference value for environmental radionuclides in east continental shelf of Hainan Island, South China Sea. (author)