ISESEE 2011, Melaka, Malaysia

Assessment of Outdoor Radiation Hazard of Natural Radionuclides in Tourism Beach Areas

Ahmad Saat^#1, Zaini Hamzah^*2, Hamimah Jamaluddin^*, Husna Mardhiah Muda^*

^#International Education College (INTEC), Universiti Teknologi MARA,

Section 17 Campus, 40200 Shah Alam, Malaysia.

¹ahmad183@salam.uitm.edu.my

^#Institute of Science,

^*Faculty of Applied Sciences,

Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Malaysia

^{2drzainihamzah@yahoo.com}

Abstract— Tourism beaches are main attractions visited by members of the public for leisure and holidays. Knowledge of radiation hazard would enable the radiation risk estimation to be made, and suggest mitigation steps if needed. Surface radiation dose, activity concentration of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K, and radiation hazard index in 18 beaches at eastern, south western and southern coast of Peninsular Malaysia were determined. In-situ surface radiation dose measurements were done using portable radiation survey meter, while gamma-ray activities of sand samples were measured by using gamma-ray spectrometry method. The surface dose rates were found to range between 0.04 to 0.12 mSv hr^-1. Mean activity concentration of ²³⁸U varies between 7.33 to 51.04 Bqkg^-1, ²³²Th between 5.86 and 58.39 Bqkg^-1 while ⁴⁰K between 32.70 and 1292.9 Bqkg^-1 respectively. The corresponding annual effective dose from these natural radiations ranged between 0.014 and 0.301 mSv/y. This average is way below the average worldwide exposure of 2.4 mSv/y. The external radiation hazard index calculated for the eighteen samples ranged between 0.05 and 0.51. No correlation was observed between in-situ dose measurement with the annual effective dose as well as radiation hazard index.

Keywords— Gamma-rays, annual effective dose, hazard index.

Solid State Nuclearr Track Detector - CR39

Damage caused by radiation emitted from radioactive materials (especially high energy alphas and neutrons) can be used as detector for the emission. The picture shows the tracks caused by alphas from Radon gas emission (Rn-222) on SSNTD CR39. The surface density of the tracks is directly proportional to the activity of the radiation.

Gunung Ledang Scientific Xpedition, 9-14 Nov 2011

The xpedition was officially launched by the Johore State EXCO in charged of Tourism. Our Senior group members were involved in the preliminary study on radiation surface dose of the area. Soil and mosses samples were also collected for further analysis.

The photos in this posting show some of the amazing locations in the Gunung Ledang National Park.
The top photo shows view at the top of the legendary Gunung Ledang, and followed by two photos of natural architecture found inthe area.

In the jungle of Kuala Keniam, Pahang

Taking a short break, on the way to study area in the 40K years old undisturbed jungle of Kuala Keniam, in the Kuala Tahan National Park, Pahang, Malaysia.

Kuala Keniam, Pahang ... an undisturbed study area

Twisted tree trunk is one of the natural structure found right in the middle of the path in the virgin jungle of Kuala Keniam. The jungle path is the only route to the study area about 4.2 km into the jungle. Young and budding researchers seen here are in a very light and happy mood.

Radon emanation and SOx, NOx studies are some of the research projects on-going in the area.

Tahukah Anda (5)?

Tenaga yang kita gunakan setiap masa boleh diusul sumbernya daripada matahari. Matahari menghasilkan tenaganya melalui proses pencantuman (fusion) nukleus. Jadi matahari merupakan sebah loji penjana tenaga nuklear. Dan, segala tenaga yang digunakan setiap masa adalah berpunca dari tenaga nuklear. Tidakkah ini boleh menjadi petunjuk bagi membuka minda orang yang mahu berfikir ......???

Tahukah anda (4)?

Tubuh kita secara tabii (natural) adalah radioaktif. Bukan keran kita terdedah kepada bahan=bahan radioaktif. Badan kita mengandungi antaranya karban dan kalium. Unsur-unsur ini memiliki isotop=-isotop yang radioaktif seperti karban-14 dan kalium-40.

Tahukah anda (3)?

Bahan bakar nuklear (nuclear fuel) dalam bentuk rod. Sebatang rod bahan bakar nuklear sebesar sebatang pensel boleh membekalkan tenaga untuk seluruh Bansaraya Shah Alam selama satu tahun.

Tahukah anda (2)?

Bahan-bahan radioaktif memancarkan pancaran radioaktif alfa, beta dan gamma. Pancaran ini membawa tenaga. Walau bagaimanapun tenaga nuklear yang dihasilkan di dalam loji nuklear bukanlah daripada pancaran radioaktif berkenaan. Ia terhasil daripada proses pembelahan (fission) nukleus bahan bakar nuklear (nuclear fuel), iaitu nukleus isotop uranium yang diperkayakan. Pembelahan nukleus di dalam loji nuklear adalah dalam keadaan terkawal. Oleh itu loji tenaga nuklear tidak akan meletup seperti sebuah bom nuklear.

Tahukah anda (1)?

Di dalam udara yang kita sedut semasa pernafasan mengandungi gas radioaktif, radon. Kajian menunjukkan kandungan radon lebih banyak di dalam bangunan yang tertutup tanpa pengudaraan (ventilasi) berbanding di luar bangunan. Walau bagaimanapun risiko kesihatan yang terbabit dengan gas radon adalah jauh lebih rendah berbanding menghisap rokok (terutamanya perokok sekunder - menghidu asap perokok lain).

Tin mining lake - our outdoor laboratory

Inter-connecting former tin mining lakes at central Peninsular Malaysia -now become our open outdoor laboratory and extended training "center"for environmental study involving, radionuclides and heavy metals pollution and linkages, water quality, sediments chronology, flora and fauna uptakes, radon exposure, rare earths recovery from "amang" ........

All levels of students, BSc, MSc and PhD, involved in the various research topics related to the study area.

This breathtaking scenery is one of the lakes studied by our research group --- ESCaN - Environmental Study using Conventional and Nuclear methods, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.

Sampling point - top of the hill at CH

On the high hills of CH in Malaysia, the man-made radionuclide Cs-137 is still detectable at a few Bq/kg level. Cs-137 detected originated from the fall-out due to the nuclear testings in the 60's as well as the Chernobyl accident in 1986. This detected Cs-137 is now being explored by our research group, to be used as marker for soil erosion study at high hill areas.

Sampling Area - Tin mining lake

Young mambers of our research group

Sampling point - top of the hill

American J. of Engineering and Applied Sciences 4 (3): 355-362, 2011

Optimization of Energy Dispersive X-Ray FluorescenceSpectrometer to Analyze Heavy Metals in Moss Samples

1Mohd Zahari Abdullah, 3Ahmad Saat and 2Zaini Hamzah
1Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Sciences,
University Technology MARA, Kampus Pahang 24600, Malaysia
2Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Sciences,
University Technology MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Malaysia
3Institute of Science, University Technology MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Malaysia

Abstract: Problem statement: Mosses have been widely used as bioindicator especially to study the levels of trace metals pollutants in the surrounding ambient air because of their high efficiency to accumulate heavy metals contamination. There has been increasing demand to get a suitable analytical tools to determine the chemical contents of moss samples in this type of media. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aims to get one of the best analytical methods for the analysis of moss samples. Approach: Despite the various spectroscopic techniques that normally used to analyzed heavy metals in moss, each of these techniques has its advantages and disadvantages which been summarized elsewhere. We try not to use any chemical to decompose the samples where the samples were analyzed directly in its solid form by Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluoresence Spectrometer, EDXRF technique. The EDXRF technique optimized for its main analytical parameters. Calibration procedure was made based on the in-house standard samples. The reliability of the optimized analytical procedure was established by analyzing two certified reference materials, Pine Needle, NIST 1575 and Lichen, IAEA-336. Results: The results showed that the metals could be analyzed with percent recoveries range within 84-102% for Pine Needle and 92-125% for Lichen. The possible factors influencing the percent recoveries of the elements were discussed in details. Conclusion: On overall, it is strongly suggest that the applied EDXRF method is adequate enough to analysis the heavy metal contents in moss samples even at very small concentration with high accuracy and precisely.

Key words: Heavy metals, contamination factor, terrestrial moss, petroleum industry

Journal of Nuclear and Related Technology Vol. 7, No. 1, June, 2010

SOME REMARKS ON DIURNAL RADON CONCENTRATION AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA

1Ahmad Saat, 2Zaini Hamzah, 2Zaharidah Abu Bakar, 2Zuraidah A Munir, 2Siti Mariam Sumari, 2Misbah Hassan
1Institute of Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA,40450 Shah Alam, Malaysia.
.2Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA,40450 Shah Alam, Malaysia.
E-mail address of main author:ahmad183@salam.uitm.edu.my

ABSTRACT

A study was carried out to determine short term diurnal radon concentration at five locations in Malaysia. Two locations (KG & AP) are former tin mining areas that has been converted to housing area and training centre respectively, one a relatively new city (SA), that was formerly a rubber and oil palm plantation area, one older cities (KB) and one housing complex by the sea (LP). The study was carried out in 2005, 2006 and 2007 using a diffused-junction photodiode sensor continuous radon monitor. The monitor is recognized by the USEPA. In each location, measurements were carried out on at least ten sites. Former tin mining areas of KG and AP shows up to seven times higher indoor average than the average in the other three locations. However the indoor average in all locations is still below the action level of 4 pCiL-1. For outdoor, the former tin mining areas average concentration was higher than the global average of 0.4 pCiL-1. For the twenty four hours temporal variation the trend indicated that former tin mining areas concentration are always higher, and at time up to six fold higher. The hourly variation of all locations follows an identical trend of high concentration during early to late morning and drop in the afternoon till evening. The outdoor twenty four hour temporal average of former tin mining areas is consistently higher than the outdoor global average of 0.4 pCiL-1. The strong correlation between indoor and outdoor concentration at AP, indicates that indoor radon might originates from outdoor environment. The study was also extended to estimate the effective dose (mSvyr-1) of Rn-222 to the public.

Journal of Nuclear and Related Technologies, Vol. 7, No. 2, December 2010

MEASUREMENT OF 226RA IN RIVER WATER USING LIQUID
SCINTILLATION COUNTING TECHNIQUE

Zaini Hamzah1, Siti Afiqah Abdul Rahman1, Ahmad Saat2, Siti Shahrina Agos1 and
Zaharudin Ahmad3
1Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam
2International Education Center, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40200 Shah Alam
3Radiochemistry and Environmental Laboratory, Malaysian Nuclear Agency, 43000 Bangi,
Selangor
Email: siti_afiqah@ymail.com

ABSTRACT

The presence of 226Ra in water is a great concern in human life since it can cause health risk to
a certain extent. In the state of Kelantan, being known of its granitic area, there is a lack
measurement of 226Ra content in river water, since water is the major source of water supply.

According to the INTERIM National Water Quality Standards for Malaysia (INWQS), 226Ra

activity concentration in water cannot exceed 0.1 Bq/L. For this reasons, this research was
planned to carry out a systematic measurement of water along Sungai Kelantan. Liquid
Scintillation Counting was used for measurement of 226Ra in water samples from Sungai
Kelantan mainly in district of Kuala Krai. In this paper, the results obtained is about 26 water
samples, filtered and unfiltered, collected along Sungai Lebir, Sungai Sok and Bukit Sabah.
Thus, the assessment activity concentration of 226Ra in river water was obtained as well as
annual effective dose for consumption of drinking water.

The Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences, Vol 15 No 1 (2011): 101 - 105

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF YAG:Ce PREPARED BY SOLID STATE REACTION METHOD

(Sintesis dan Pencirian YAG:Ce Disediakan Melalui Kaedah Tindak Balas Keadaan Pepejal)

Ahmad Saat1*, Hazimah Harun2, Zaini Hamzah2
1Institute of Science,
2Faculty of Applied Sciences,
Universiti Teknologi MARA,
40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.
*Corresponding author: ahmad183@salam.uitm.edu.my

Abstract

Yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) powder doped with Cerium (Ce) was successfully synthesized by solid-state reaction method. In our work, we investigated YAG and YAG:Ce phase formation by X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique and the result showed that YAG and YAG:Ce were crystallized at 1000°C for 6 h. In all samples, small peak of Ce2O3 appeared at 2θ = 28.572° and 47.51°. The intensity of these peaks increased with increasing doping concentration of dopant. Field emission scanning electronic microscope (FESEM) images showed that the resultant YAG:Ce powders were basically spherical. Particle size, estimated by XRD using Scherrer’s equation, was found to be 53 - 82 nm while by FESEM image the average sizes of the grains were in the range 45 – 50 nm. All the samples have pure YAG phase and the TAG intensity decreases on increasing the doping concentration.

Keywords: YAG:Ce, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electronic microscope

Soil sampling layer by layer

This sampler is caller scrapper, able to collect soil samples, layer by layer, preferably at 2 cm interval. Designed base on reference, but fabricated by our research group.

Breathtaking study area in Cameron Highlands