SURFACE RADIATION DOSE AND RADIONUCLIDE MEASUREMENT

SURFACE RADIATION DOSE AND RADIONUCLIDE MEASUREMENT IN EX-TIN MINING AREA, KG GAJAH, PERAK

1Zaini Hamzah, 2Ahmad Saat, 1Noor Hayati Mashuri and 1Seh Datul Redzuan

1 Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam
2 Institute of Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam


Abstract

The amount of natural radionuclide present in environment, especially soils, sediment and water in the abundance tin mining area are varies depending on the amount of heavy minerals left over in that particular place. If the place used to be the processing area for tin ores, the left over known as ‘amang’ contains heavy minerals. This study was carried out in UiTM Training Center, Kg Gajah, within Kinta Valley Perak which used to be the active tin mine area in the past. Surface doses were measured using Ludlum dose rate meter, at the surface and 1 meter above the surface. The radionuclides content were measured by collecting soil samples, dried, ground, sieved using 250 µm sieve, packed in a container and counted after 4 weeks using gamma spectrometer with HPGe detector. The level of surface dose varies from one location to another, but there is a critical area which has a significantly high surface dose approaching 30 µSv/hr. The mean activity concentrations in the critical area for 40K, 226Ra and 228Ra are 2521±298 Bq/kg, 3798±419 Bq/kg and 12896±1533 Bq/kg respectively. The hazard index for the critical area seems to be extremely high and is not safe for people to be there.

Keywords: surface radiation dose, tin mine, heavy minerals, natural radionuclide.