Natural radionuclides in mangrove soils from the State of Pernambuco, Brazil

Mangroves are essential for protecting coastal environments and biodiversity; however few studies encompass the distribution of radionuclides in soils from these ecosystems. By applying high resolution gamma-ray spectrometry, natural radionuclides were quantified in soils from the Chico Science Mangrove and Rio Formoso Mangrove (RFM), areas subjected to different human impacts. The activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra and ²²⁸Ra were quite similar for the mangroves despite the differences found for ⁴⁰K. Moreover, no correlation with the environmental impacts on the mangroves was observed, although RFM soil was ⁴⁰K-enriched compared to deep sediments from other estuaries in the world. (author)