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Mar 7, 2024Keywords:
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Modeling the Geospatial Distribution and Spatial Variability of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials on Farmlands
Seth Kofi Brimpong Dwamena
Jonathan Arthur Quaye-Ballard
Anthony Arko-Adjei
Naa Lamkai Quaye-Ballard
Janet Afia Boadu
Harriet Atsufui Ahorsu
Isaac Yidana
Abstract
The surge in anthropogenic activities following industrialization compromises the nature of the environment, specifically through alterations of the activities of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORMs). This research focused on modeling the spatial distribution of NORMs in farmlands. The soil was sampled from the study area and the selected NORMs 238U, 232Th, and 40K were determined. The Kriging method of interpolation (ordinary Kriging) was also employed to model the activity of the radionuclides at the unsampled sites in the study area in the estimation of the unsampled points. The radiological analysis of the samples revealed the activity concentration of 3.49±1.07, 1.32±0.68 and 6.43±4.18 Bq/kg for the target radionuclides, 238U, 232Th, and 40K, respectively, concentrations which were identified to be lower, compared to the average world limits 35, 30 and 400 Bq/kg for these radionuclide species. Using the kriging technique, the predicted map produced activity concentrations of the radionuclides which slightly deviated from the measured values, as well as showing a strong concentration gradient of the radionuclides across the study area, with high radioactivity occurring at the upper section of the area. The distribution map for 238U showed high activity of the radionuclide from the northern to the central part of the study area while the southern section had relatively lower concentrations. Similarly, the spatial distribution for the activity of 232Th and 40K was varied, with higher concentration in the northern part of the study area, also, the greatest activity for 232Th was shown in the central part of the study. As it relates to the measuring and monitoring of radioactivity in the environment, the study improved both theoretical and practical understanding of quality assurance. This will ensure that measurement findings can be compared in the future and that methods and processes are standardized at local levels.
