Vol. 8, 2023
Aerosol Radioactivity
CHARACTERIZATION OF AIRBORNE RADIOACTIVITY IN URBAN KUWAIT: ACTIVITY CONCENTRATION OF SELECTED RADIONUCLIDES
Anfal Ismaeel, Abdulaziz Aba, Abdullah Al-Dabbous, Mariam Malak, Aishah Al-Boloushi, Hanadi Al-Shammari, Omar Al-Boloushi
Pages: 84-87
DOI: 10.37392/RapProc.2023.17
Abstract | References | Full Text (PDF)
High-volume air samples (approximately 1800 m3) were collected
from three residential areas in Kuwait with different surrounding
activities (Al-Jahra, Rumaithiya, and Ahmadi) using high-volume air
samplers connected to a three-stage cascade impactor. Sampling duration was
three days, and the samples were collected weekly over a period of one
year. Low background gamma spectrometry and chemical separation methods
were used to determine the concentrations of 7Be,40K,
210Pb, and 210Po in three particle sizes: 0.41 to 0.73
μm, 0.73 to 2.4 μm, and 2.4 to 10.2 μm. Results indicated that most of the
activity was concentrated on the fine particle size fractions, except for
40K, which suggests the influence of local dust sources. The
activity concentration values of 210Pb, 7Be, and
40K were consistent across all cities, while the 210Po
activity concentration was lower in the Al-Jahra area. Also, the ratios of
210Po/210Pb activity concentrations differ across
locations; they were higher in the Ahmadi and Rumaithiya areas compared to Al-Jahra.
-
C. Papastefanou, “Radioactive aerosols,” in
Radioactivity in the Environment, vol. 12, 1st ed., Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier, 2008, ch. 2, pp. 11 –
58.
Retrieved from: https://library.lol/main/757BA853D79F113AD227B363D06B2DA3
Retrieved on: Apr. 15, 2023 -
Compendium of dose coefficients based on ICRP publication 60, vol.
41, ICRP Publication no. 119, ICRP, Ottawa, Canada, 2012, pp. 1 – 130.
Retrieved from: https://www.icrp.org/publication.asp?id=ICRP%20Publication%20119
Retrieved on: Apr. 15, 2023 -
B. Jancsek-Turóczi, A. Hoffer, I. Nyírő-Kósa,
A. Gelencsér, “Sampling and characterization of resuspended and respirable
road dust,” J. Aerosol Sci., vol. 65, pp. 69 – 76, Nov. 2013.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaerosci.2013.07.006 -
A. Aba, A. M. Al-Dousari, A. Ismaeel, “Depositional characteristics of
7Be and 210Pb in Kuwaiti dust,”
J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., vol. 307, no. 1, pp. 15 – 23, Jan.
2016.
DOI: 10.1007/s10967-015-4129-y -
J. C. Chow et al., “Descriptive analysis of PM2. 5and PM
10
at regionally representative locations during SJVAQS/AUSPEX,”
Atmos. Environ., vol. 30, no. 12,
pp. 2079 – 2112, Jun. 1996.
DOI: 10.1016/1352-2310(95)00402-5 -
A. Ismaeel et al., “Activity size distributions of radioactive airborne
particles in an arid environment: a case study of Kuwait,” Environ.
Sci. Pollut. Res., vol. 27, no. 26, pp. 33032 – 33041, Sep. 2020.
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-09367-y
PMid: 32529611 -
M. A. Alolayan, K. W. Brown, J. S. Evans,
W. S. Bouhamra, P. Koutrakis, “Source apportionment of fine particles in
Kuwait City,”Sci. Total Environ., vol. 448, pp. 14 – 25, Mar. 2013.
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.11.090
PMid: 23270730 -
J. M. AL-Awadhi, A. A. Al-Shuaibi, “Dust fallout in Kuwait City: deposition
and characterization,” Sci. Total Environ., vol. 461-462, pp. 139
– 148, Sep. 2013.
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.03.052
PMid: 23722090 -
A. AL-Hemoud et al., “Exposure levels of air pollution (PM2.5) and
associated health risk in Kuwait,” Environ. Res., vol.
179, pt. A, 108730, Dec. 2019.
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108730
PMid: 31550597 -
M. Behbehani, F. P. Carvalho, S. Uddin, N. Habibi, “Enhanced polonium
concentrations in aerosols from the gulf oil producing region and the role
of microorganisms,” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, vol.
18, no. 24, 13309, Dec. 2021.
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182413309
PMid: 34948917
PMCid: PMC8705287 -
A. Ismaeel, A. Aba, A. Al-Boloushi, H. Al-Shammari,
O. Al-Boloushi, “Radiological risk assessment of particulate matters in
urban areas in Kuwait,” Arab. J. Geosci., vol. 14, 2176, Oct.
2021.
DOI: 10.1007/s12517-021-08483-4 -
A. Al-Boloushi, A. Ismaeel, A. Aba, H. Al-Shammari,
O. Alboloushi, “Atmospheric concentrations of 210Po and
210
Pb in Urban Area in Kuwait,” Arab. J. Geosci., vol. 14, 1995, Sep.
2021.
DOI: 10.1007/s12517-021-08371-x -
A. Aba et al., “Atmospheric residence times and excess of unsupported 210Po
in aerosol samples from the Kuwait bay-northern gulf,” Chemosphere, vol. 261, 127690,
Dec. 2020.
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127690
PMid: 32736243 -
H. Vanmarcke, “UNSCEAR 2000: Sources of ionizing radiation,”
Annales de L`association Belge de Radioprotection, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 41 – 65, 2002.
Retrieved from: https://bvsabr.be/js/tinymce/plugins/moxiemanager/data/files/annals/Vol%2027-2.PDF
Retrieved on: Apr. 15, 2023