Landsberger S, Sharp A, Wang S, Pontikes Y, Tkaczyk A H
Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Program, University of Texas, Pickle Research Campus, R-9000, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Program, University of Texas, Pickle Research Campus, R-9000, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
J Environ Radioact. 2017 Jul;173:97-101. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.12.008. Epub 2016 Dec 31.
This study employs thermal and epithermal neutron activation analysis (NAA) to quantitatively and specifically determine absorption dose rates to various body parts from uranium, thorium and potassium. Specifically, a case study of bauxite residue (red mud) from an industrial facility was used to demonstrate the feasibility of the NAA approach for radiological safety assessment, using small sample sizes to ascertain the activities of U, U, Th and K. This proof-of-concept was shown to produce reliable results and a similar approach could be used for quantitative assessment of other samples with possible radiological significance. U and Th were determined by epithermal and thermal neutron activation analysis, respectively. U was determined based on the known isotopic ratio of U/U. K was also determined using epithermal neutron activation analysis to measure total potassium content and then subtracting its isotopic contribution. Furthermore, the work demonstrates the application of Monte Carlo Neutral-Particle (MCNP) simulations to estimate the radiation dose from large quantities of red mud, to assure the safety of humans and the surrounding environment. Phantoms were employed to observe the dose distribution throughout the human body demonstrating radiation effects on each individual organ.
本研究采用热中子和超热中子活化分析（NAA）来定量且特异性地测定铀、钍和钾对身体各部位的吸收剂量率。具体而言，以某工业设施的铝土矿残渣（赤泥）为例，通过使用小样本量来确定U、U、Th和K的活度，证明了NAA方法用于放射安全评估的可行性。这一概念验证显示能产生可靠结果，类似方法可用于对其他可能具有放射学意义的样本进行定量评估。U和Th分别通过超热中子和热中子活化分析来测定。U基于已知的U/U同位素比率来确定。K也通过超热中子活化分析来测定，先测量总钾含量，然后减去其同位素贡献。此外，该工作展示了应用蒙特卡罗中性粒子（MCNP）模拟来估计大量赤泥的辐射剂量，以确保人类和周围环境的安全。使用人体模型来观察全身的剂量分布，展示对各个器官的辐射效应。
