Title: Pb-210 irradiation dose estimation for inhabitants living in high natural background areas on Pernambuco/Brazil

Authors: C.E.O. Costa Júnior; E.B. Silva; A. Amaral; C.M. Silva; J.A. Santos Júnior

Addresses: Departamento de Energia Nuclear, Grupo de Estudos em Radioproteção e Radioecologia (GERAR), Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Professor Luiz Freire, 1000, Recife - Pernambuco, CEP-50740-540, Brazil ' Departamento de Energia Nuclear, Grupo de Estudos em Radioproteção e Radioecologia (GERAR), Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Professor Luiz Freire, 1000, Recife - Pernambuco, CEP-50740-540, Brazil ' Departamento de Energia Nuclear, Grupo de Estudos em Radioproteção e Radioecologia (GERAR), Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Professor Luiz Freire, 1000, Recife - Pernambuco, CEP-50740-540, Brazil ' Departamento de Matemática, Universidade de Pernambuco - Campus Petrolina, Vila Eduardo, s/n 56328-586 Petrolina, PE, Brazil ' Departamento de Energia Nuclear, Grupo de Estudos em Radioecologia (RAE), Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Professor Luiz Freire, 1000, Recife - Pernambuco, CEP-50740-540, Brazil

Abstract: This work was designed to: (a) determine ²¹⁰Pb concentration in human urine samples of inhabitants of two regions with high natural radiation in the state of Pernambuco - Brazil; (b) estimate radiation dose in bones as a result of this radionuclide incorporation. For this, urine samples of healthy and non-smoker subjects were studied. Pb-210 was separated by ion-exchange resin technique followed by beta counting, which were conducted in a Canberra Tennelec S5E detector. Concentrations of ²¹⁰Pb in the urine samples of inhabitants from one region varied from 65 to 267 mBq.l⁻¹, while the other ranged from 62 to 440 mBq.l⁻¹. The maximum annual dose estimated in bones for individuals from the first region was about 0.81 nSv and about 1.33 nSv for inhabitants of the second one. In this report, the methodology employed, the results and the radiation-induced health effects are presented as well as discussed.

Keywords: ion-exchange resin; radioecology; radionuclides; human urine; irradiation dose estimation; high radiation; natural radiation; Brazil; lead; radioisotopes; human bones; human health.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLR.2013.054164

International Journal of Low Radiation, 2013 Vol.9 No.1, pp.12 - 22

Received: 27 Feb 2012
Accepted: 01 Apr 2012
Published online: 13 Sep 2014 *

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