Determination of thorium, uranium, and potassium elemental concentrations in surface soils in Cyprus

Abstract

A comprehensive study was conducted to determine thorium, uranium and potassium elemental concentrations in surface soils throughout the accessible area of Cyprus using high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. A total of 115 soil samples was collected from all over the bedrock surface of the island based on the different lithological units of the study area. The soil samples were sieved through a fine mesh, sealed in 1000-mL plastic Marinelli beakers, and measured in the laboratory in terms of their gamma radioactivity for a counting time of 18 hours each. From the measured gamma-ray spectra, elemental concentrations were determined for thorium (range from 2.5x10^-3 to 9.8 micro g g-1), uranium (from 8.1x10^-4 to 3.2 micro g g-1) and potassium (from 1.3x10^-4 to 1.9 %). The Arithmetic mean values (A.M. +- S.D.) calculated are (1.2 +- 1.7) micro g g-1, (0.6 +- 0.7) micro g g-1, and (0.4 +- 0.3) %, for thorium, uranium and potassium, respectively, which are by a factor of three to six lower than the world average values of 7.4 micro g g-1 (Th), 2.8 micro g g-1 (U) and 1.3 % (K) derived from all data available worldwide. The best-fitting relation between the concentrations of Th and K versus U, and also of K versus Th, is essentially of linear type with a correlation coefficient of 0.93, 0.84, and 0.90, respectively. The Th/U, K/U, and K/Th ratios (slopes) calculated are equal to 2.0, 2.8x10^3,and 1.4x10^3, respectively.