CONCENTRATIONS OF NATURAL RADIONUCLIDES IN SOILS OF EASTERN HERZEGOVINA

Abstract

INTRODUCTION and OBJECTIVES: Soil is one of the most important natural resources. Measurement of natural radioactivity in soil is very important to determine the amount of change of the natural background activity with time as a result of any radioactivity release. Gacko field is a karst field and is virtually the only oasis of arable land in the region studied. Nevertheless, nothing significant has been done in this area over the past decade to protect land resources from damage and permanent destruction. Coal mine and thermal power plant in Gacko field is a very important industrial facility. MATERIAL and METHOD: The content of radionuclides of the soil was examined at Gacko area, slag, ash and mullock dumps in the thermal power plant Gacko and soils of dumps in the process of recultivation. Soil samples were collected in 2010/2019 at more locations in eastern part of the Republic of Srpska. After removing the stones and vegetation, all soil samples for Gamma Spectrometric measurements dried up to 105 0C, sieved, placed in the plastic 500 mL Marinelli beakers and left for four weeks to reach radioactive equilibrium. RESULTS and CONCLUSIONS: The results of gamma emitters spectrometry indicate that the concentrations of natural radionuclides are of the same order of magnitude, as in power plants in other countries. The results point to the necessity of regular monitoring of radioactivity in eastern Herzegovina in order to assess the impact of the technologically increased natural radioactivity.At the same time, the obtained results represent the initial basedata based on which could be predicted level radioactivity since such studies have so far not been carried out in the Republic of Srpska.