Radiation sources from naturally occurring radioactive material (Norm) in black mineral sands for physics education

Radiation sources from naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in black sands were fabricated for use in radiation physics education. Four NORM samples from Ombo, Palawan and Isabel,Leyte were gathered and characterized. Radioactivity content was analyzed using X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Gamma Spectroscopy. Results showed that samples have presence of NORM, namely potassium (K-40), phosphorous (P-32), and thorium (Th-229). The performance of the fabricated sources was evaluated by comparing it to the commercially available standard radioactive check sources. Results showed that the radioactivity levels of the fabricated sources are comparable to the check sources, which could be quite expensive to acquire. The suitability of the fabricated sources as a tool for teaching radiation was determined by performance test shielding material thickness, and can be used to demonstrate physics concepts such Lambert's law of linear attenuation, radiation detection, and statistics of radioactive decay among others. (author)