IAC2012, Shah Alam

INDOOR AND OUTDOOR RADON-222 CONCENTRATION AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA[1]

Ahmad Saat¹, Zaini Hamzah²

¹INTEC Education College

Universiti Teknologi MARA

Kampus  Seksyen 17

40200 SHAH ALAM.

²Faculty of Applied Sciences

Universiti Teknologi MARA

40450 SHAH ALAM.

e-mail: ahmad183@salam.uitm.edu.my

ABSTRACT

Radon is the only radionuclide that naturally in gaseous form at room temperature. Being a gas it has greater mobility, and able to pass through small openings and blended together with atmospheric air. The main sources of radon are uranium and thorium that decay through chains that contained radon. Radon decays by alpha particle emission into a number of progenies before reaching stability. These progenies also decay by high energy alpha particles emissions. Radon when inhaled is considered as carcinogenic, and has been blamed as the second most important causes of lung cancer, after smoking. In Malaysia study and information on radon are considered as something “new” to the public. The present study determines the indoor and outdoor radon-222 concentration at various representative locations in Peninsular Malaysia, by using continuous radon monitor as well as CR-39 solid state nuclear track detector (SSNTD). The locations include major cities, towns, tin mining areas, National Park, residential complex, university campus and new township. Results of the study showed that the indoor concentrations at the majority of locations are below the USEPA Action Limit of 148 Becquerel per cubic meter. However in some locations like former tin mining areas the limit is surpassed. The outdoor radon-222 concentration depends very much on the geological formations of the area. Some studied locations were found to have outdoor concentration of higher than the world’s outdoor average of 14.8 Becquerel per cubic meter. Mitigation steps are recommended for houses having concentration higher than the Action Limit.

Keywords: radon measurements, SSNTD, radon mitigation

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[1] Presented at INTEC Academic Conference 2012 (IAC2012), 19 Dec., Shah Alam

RAFF2011 Yasmin

Depth Profile of ¹³⁷Cs Fallout in Soil in Cameron Highlands

                                                                                                                                                  

Zaini Hamzah¹, Che Yasmin Amirudin¹* and Ahmad Saat²

¹Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

²International Education College, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40200 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

ABSTRACT 137Cs is one of the important man-made radionuclide introduced into the environment through nuclear weapons testing and nuclear accidents. In Cameron Highlands meaningful activity concentration of 137Cs radionuclide has been measured. The present study embarked on the determination of 137Cs activity concentration in soils of the sloping area. This would enable the distribution profile in the soil be investigated. Soil profile samples were collected by using scrapper plate in the sloping area which covers top, centre and bottom of the hills and a core in the forest for comparison purpose. The scrapper is 40 cm long and able to obtain slice of 2 cm interval of soil with diameter of 15.2 cm. Soil samples were oven dried, ground, sieved, homogenize and seal properly into a plastic container. The 137Cs activity concentration was measured by using low background coaxial hyper pure germanium detector gamma spectrometer based on 137Cs 661.66 KeV gamma ray. Results showed there were trend of low activity on the top of the hill and subsequently increases downhill.  In all location, two trends of profiles were observed starting from the depth of  0 cm to 18 cm and 18 cm to 30 cm which indicating the presence of two sources of 137Cs. The 137Cs activity concentrations range detected at top location was from 0.05 Bq/kg to 1.53 Bq/kg, centre was 0.22 Bq/kg to 2.11 Bq/kg, bottom was from 0.00 Bq/kg to 2.03 Bg/kg and forest was 0.00 Bq/kg to 0.96 Bq/kg.  The basic parameters of the soil such as pH (top; 3.72, centre; 4.26, bottom; 4.02), density (top; 1.45 g/m3, centre; 1.41 g/m3 , bottom; 1.59 g/m3 ) and organic matter content (top; 17.08 %, centre; 16.75 %, bottom; 20.32 %) also being tested. These results show that the relative activity concentration of 137Cs at the top is lowest, while at the bottom is highest, representing the presence of downward transport. However, identical pattern of profiles were observed at the three points of the slopes.  | Depth Profile | 137Cs method | Gamma Spectrometer | Cameron Highlands |                                                                                                                                                                 ® 2010 Ibnu Sina Institute. All rights reserved.

Tahukah Anda (7)?

Terdapat lebih 40 buah telaga air panas di Semenanjung Malaysia. Hanya satu terdapat di Terengganu, Air Panas La.

Sampling for Spring water

                                        Km 9, Bentung

                                        Sungai Jin, Hulu Kuantan

Radiation Assessment at Gunung Ledang, Malaysia

IN-SITU NUCLEAR RADIATION DOSE ASSESSMENT AROUND TAMAN HUTAN LEGENDA RESORT AND ALONG TRAILS OF GUNUNG LEDANG, JOHOR

Ahmad Saat^1,2, Zaini Hamzah², Ab Khalek Wood²

¹Institute of Science

²Faculty of Applied Sciences

Universiti Teknologi MARA

40450 Shah Alam.

Abstract

Being a State Nature Park, areas within the Gunung Ledang precinct can be considered as undisturbed. No such data on nuclear radiation of the area was documented previously, hence this study was carried out as preliminary effort to gather base line data to assess external radiation dose. Areas around Taman Hutan Legenda Resort and along adventure trails (Laluan Batu Kapal and Trail Lagenda) are commonly visited by tourists, hence it is of anthropogenical importance for such study to be carried out. Radiation dose was measured in-situ at selected points by using portable radiation surveymeter. Around the low-lying resort area measurement points were determined based on loose gridding procedures, while along the higher altitudes trails measurements were at 0.5 km interval. At each points radiation dose was measured at the ground surface and at 1.0 m from the surface. Results showed that around the resort the radiation dose ranged from 0.269 to 0.442 mSv/h on the surface, and from 0.211 to 0.409 mSv/h at 1.0 m from surface. The corresponding dose along the trails ranged from 0.160 to 0.317 mSv/h and 0.147 to 0.270 mSv/h respectively. The study found that relatively the radiation dose around the resort area is higher than along the trails. However, on average these doses were comparable to that at Taman Negara, Pahang (0.126 – 0.332 mSv/h) which was studied earlier.

Keywords: Radiation dose, undisturbed area.

SKAM24Huda

RADIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF SOIL, SEDIMENT AND WATER SAMPLES IN KUALA KENIAM AREA, TAMAN NEGARA PAHANG, MALAYSIA

Ahmad Saat¹, Nurulhuda Kassim^2*, Zaini Hamzah²

International Education College (INTEC), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Section 17 Campus, 40200, Shah Alam, Malaysia¹

Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450, Shah Alam, Malaysia²

*Corresponding author:  nurulhuda.kassim@gmail.com 

Abstract

Taman Negara has been an important site for tourist and researchers. Under the Taman Negara (Pahang) Enactment, 1938, the objectives of Taman Negara are for research, recreational activities, and aesthetic quality. Being an undisturbed area, no radiological study has been carried out. The present study explores the radiological effect of natural radionuclides namely, ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra and ⁴⁰K, by determining the respective activity concentrations in soil, sediment and water at thirty three locations at Kuala Keniam area in Taman Negara Pahang. In situ measurements of surface dose at the respective locations were also carried out. The gamma activities were determined using high resolution gamma-ray spectrometer while the surface doses were determined using portable radiation survey meter. The mean activity concentrations for ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra and ⁴⁰K in soil are 51.19 Bq/kg, 66.57 Bq/kg and 336.97 Bq/kg respectively while the average surface doses are 0.183 µSv/hr on the ground and 0.143 µSv/hr at one meter above the ground. The mean activity concentrations for ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra and ⁴⁰K in sediment are 30.49 Bq/kg, 37.84 Bq/kg and 168.72 Bq/kg, respectively. The mean activity concentrations for ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra and ⁴⁰K in water are 1.13 Bq/kg, 0.89 Bq/kg and 7.47 Bq/kg, respectively while the average surface doses for both sediment and water are 0.05 µSv/hr on the ground and 0.05 µSv/hr at one meter above the ground. The radiation hazard index values are mostly below 1 which shows the minimal radiological effect in this area.

Keywords - natural radionuclides, surface dose, external hazard index, Taman Negara

Abstrak

Taman Negara telah menjadi destinasi yang penting kepada pelancong dan penyelidik. Di bawah enakmen Taman Negara (Pahang), 1938, objektif  utama Taman Negara adalah untuk penyelidikan, rekreasi dan pemeliharaan khazanah hutan. Sebagai tempat yang tidak diteroka, tiada kajian radiologikal yang pernah dibuat. Kajian ini mengolah kesan radiasi untuk radionuklid semulajadi  iaitu,  ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra dan ⁴⁰K, dengan menentukan aktiviti kepekatan di dalam tanah, lumpur dan air di tiga puluh tiga kawasan di Kuala Keniam Taman Negara, Pahang. Pengukuran in-situ juga dijalankan  untuk dos permukaan di lokasi yang dipilih. Aktiviti kepekatan ditentukan menggunakan sistem spektrometri gama beresolusi tinggi manakala dos permukaan ditentukan menggunakan pengukur radiasi mudah alih. Purata aktiviti kepekatan untuk ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra dan ⁴⁰K  di dalam tanah ialah 51.19 Bq/kg, 66.57 Bq/kg and 336.97 Bq/kg manakala purata dos permukaan ialah 0.183 µSv/j di atas tanah dan 0.143 µSv/j 1 meter di atas permukaan tanah. Purata aktiviti kepekatan untuk ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra dan ⁴⁰K  di dalam lumpur ialah 30.49 Bq/kg, 37.84 Bq/kg dan 168.72 Bq/kg. Purata aktiviti kepekatan untuk ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra dan ⁴⁰K  di dalam air ialah 1.13 Bq/kg, 0.89 Bq/kg and 7.47 Bq/kg, manakala purata dos permukaan untuk kedua-dua lumpur dan air ialah 0.05 µSv/j di atas permukaan dan 0.05 µSv/j satu meter dari permukaan air. Nilai Indeks Hazad Radiasi kebanyakannya kurang daripada 1 menunjukkan kesan radiologikal yang rendah di kawasan ini.

Katakunci: radionuklid semulajadi, dos permukaan, index radiasi berbahaya, Taman Negara