Uranium Series Disequilibrium and Precision Measurement of Radionuclides Activity in Sediment Sample Using Low Background Gamma Spectrometry

Abstract

Low background gamma spectrometry was used to measure the radionuclides activity of 238U, 232Th, and 235U series as well as 40K and 137Cs in a sediment sample. The goal of the study was to measure the 238U (63.3 keV peak of 234Th; 1001 keV peak of 234mPa) and 235U (143.76 keV, 163.33 keV, and 205.31 keV peaks) activity by low background gamma spectrometry in sediment sample. 235U activity in environmental samples is difficult to accurately measure by gamma spectrometry due to its low abundance in nature and low gamma line intensities at 143.76 keV, 163.33 keV, and 205.31 keV. We have shown that by using low background gamma spectrometry, it is possible to accurately measure the 235U activity in sediment samples. The 235U activity was measured without using the major peak of 185.7 keV (Iγ = 57.2%) which requires interference correction from 186.21 keV of 226Ra. 226Ra activity was determined by measuring 222Rn daughters (214Pb and 214Bi). The precision and accuracy of the gamma activity measurement in the sediment sample were verified by using the HPGe detectors with Certified Reference Material (CRM) Irish Sea Sediment (IAEA-385). The results obtained for the 63.33 keV energy line of 234Th are compared with the 1001 keV energy line of 234mPa. The values of 238U and 235U activities, as well as 40K, 137Cs, and 226Ra, agreed with the certificate values of CRM. The results show that the 238U is in equilibrium with its daughters (234Th, 234mPa, and 210Pb). 232Th is also in equilibrium with its daughters (228Ra, 212Pb, 212Bi and 208Tl). 235U/238U activity ratio of 0.046 ± 0.007 in the sediment is constant in nature but fluctuates due to geological processes. A value of 0.055 ± 0.008 was found in our sediment sample.