CONCENTRATION OF RADIOACTIVE ELEMENTS (U, Th) IN COMPONENTS OF NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

The research resulted from the necessity of constant radio-ecological monitoring of the territory of Pavlodar region being under the influence of natural and technological factors. The tense radioecological situation in the region is due to the presence of uranium mining areas, rocks with increased radioactivity (granites, granosienites), geological exploration, groundwater and underground with a high content of radionuclides, and polygon activities. The purpose of the work is to assess the content of radioactive elements in natural environments (water, salt deposits, the aboveground part of wormwood, leaves of poplar, children’s hair) of Pavlodar region of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Objects: components of natural environment – drinking waters (groundwaters and surface waters), salt deposits (limestone), the aboveground part of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), leaves of black poplar (Populus nigra), children’s hair. The main methods of the research of chemical content of environments studied are the instrumental neutron activation analysis and inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Content of uranium and thorium in five components of environments of Pavlodar region were studied. Halos of higher concentration of radioelements are of natural and technological genesis. The uranium content in drinking waters is mainly typical for the central and northern parts of the region. The concentration of the studied radioelements in salt deposits of drinking waters is typical for the northern part of the region. On the territory of the Lebyazh, May and Bayanaul areas, there are an increased content of uranium in the leaves of the black poplar. Human hair is characterized by a predominant uranium content in the southern and eastern parts of the region. Higher content of thorium in all components of natural environments, except for leaves of black poplar, is indicated in the northern part of the region, which results from the geological component. Thorium-uranium ratio varies from 0,0003 to 2,3.