COMPARISON OF THE RADIO-ISOTOPIC COMPOSITION BETWEEN HOT SPRING WATER OF HAMMAM DEBAGH AND ITS ASSOCIATED DEPOSITS.

A radiological analysis of hot spring water of Hammam Debagh (also called Hammam Meskhoutine) and its associated deposits was realized. Hammam Debagh is considered to be the second hottest springs in the world with a temperature of 98°C and this lead to the creation of travertine. This later was formed because of limestone deposited by mineral springs in a rapid sedimentation of calcium, magnesium bicarbonates, and sulphides. The analysis showed that two-thirds of radioactivity was left by spring water in their deposits. The presence of uranium in the spring deposits was due to the property of the uranyl ion to form stable complexes with carbonates and precipitates. The radiation hazards indexes were estimated and compared with those given in literature.

Uranium content and dose assessment for phosphate fertiliser and soil samples: comparison of uranium concentration between virgin soil and fertilised soil.

Specific activity of (235)U and (238)U in soil and fertiliser samples from Guellal region in Setif (Algeria) was determined by gamma-ray spectrometry. The selected phosphate fertilisers samples were collected from two types of fertilisers NPK (N, nitrogen; P, phosphorus; K, potassium) and NPKs (sulphate-based NPK). These last ones are used to fertilise the studied area as well as a radioactivity comparison between the soils before and after fertilisation. NPK and NPKs fertilisers have presented higher concentrations of the radionuclide (238)U, up to 1125 and 1545 Bq kg(-1), respectively. For soils before and after fertilisation, the concentrations of (238)U were, respectively, 252.8 and 316.2 Bq kg(-1). The average value and range of measured concentration of (235)U for soils before fertilisation was 12.16 ± 1.4 Bq kg(-1) and for the fertilised soils was 15.16 ± 1.8 Bq kg(-1), whereas the corresponding values for NPK and NPKs fertilisers were, respectively, 49.38 ± 5.7 and 50.61 ± 5.2 Bq kg(-1).

The radioactivity measurements in soils and fertilizers using gamma spectrometry technique.

Because of their mineral content, soils are naturally radioactive and one of the sources of radioactivity other than those of natural origin is mainly due to the extensive use of fertilizers. The main aim of this paper is to evaluate the fluxes of natural radionuclides in local production of phosphate fertilizers to determine the content of radioactivity in several commercial fertilizers produced in Algeria and to estimate their radiological impact in a cultivated soil even for the long-term exposure due to their application. For these purposes, virgin and fertilized soils were collected from outlying Setif region in Algeria and from phosphate fertilizers used in this area. Gamma spectrometry was exploited to determine activity concentration due to naturally occurring (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K in five types of samples (two different sorts of fertilizers, virgin and fertilized soils and well water used for irrigation) taken from Setif's areas. The results show that these radionuclides were present in an average concentration of 134.7 ± 24.1, 131.8 ± 16.7, 11644 ± 550 Bq/kg for the first fertilizer NPK and 190.3 ± 30, 117.2 ± 10.3, 5312 ± 249 Bq/kg for the second fertilizer (NPKs). For the virgin and the fertilized soils, the corresponding values were respectively 47.01 ± 7.3, 33 ± 7, 329.4 ± 19.7 Bq/kg and 53.2 ± 10.6, 50.0 ± 7, 311.4 ± 18.7 Bq/kg. For well water, the values were 1.93 and 0.12 Bq/kg; however the third value was below the Minimum Detectable Activity (MDA). The radium equivalent activity (Raeq) and the representative level index I(γr) for all samples were also calculated. The data were discussed and compared with those given in the literature.