Measurement of enhanced radium isotopes in oil production wastes in Turkey.

Gamma dose rates of oil production equipment and wastes were measured externally by survey meter. They were found to be between 0.2 µSv h(-1) and 25.7 µSv h(-1). Activity concentrations of radium isotopes in crude oil, scale, sludge, contaminated soil and water samples were determined by gamma spectrometric method. Activity concentrations of (224)Ra, (226)Ra and (228)Ra in samples varied from MDA to 132,000 Bq kg(-1). Radium isotopes enriched up to 14,667 times in scale samples. The highest value of (226)Ra was found to be 35,122 ± 1,983 Bq kg(-1) for sludge samples. Activity concentrations of a considerable number of samples were found to be higher than the exemption level recommended by IAEA. Measurement results revealed that oil production wastes caused soil contamination up to 70,483 Bq kg(-1). They may pose a radiological risk for workers and members of the public.

Unintentional irradiation of conceptus by diagnostic imaging examinations in Turkey.

Exposure of the fetus to medical radiation sources during the diagnostic procedures without intention is one of the most significant concerns in the medical community. In this study, 45 conventional X-ray and computed tomography (CT) examinations of the women who were unaware of their pregnancy were investigated. Effective doses and fetal doses were calculated for each application by using PCXMC and ImPACT CT scan software. The exposure of abdominal CT and abdominal conventional X-ray examinations was found to be over the literature for both the range and the average values. Average effective dose for abdominal CT examinations was calculated to be ∼3.1 times higher than that in the literature. For abdominal CT and conventional X-ray examinations, the mean fetal doses were found to be ∼3.5 times and ∼5.4 times higher than those in the literature, respectively.

Activity concentrations of 224Ra, 226Ra, 228Ra and 40K radionuclides in refinery products and the additional radiation dose originated from oil residues in Turkey.

A total of 56 crude oil, refinery product, waste water, sludge and scale samples collected from three refineries were measured by gamma-ray spectrometry. Except for nine samples, all refinery product samples were found to have activity concentrations below the minimum detectable activity (MDA) values. The maximum (224)Ra, (226)Ra, (228)Ra and (40)K activity concentrations in crude oil and refinery product samples were measured as 11.7 ± 4.5, 14.9 ± 3.5, 11.6 ± 4.5, 248.5 ± 18.5 Bq kg(-1), respectively. The maximum (224)Ra, (226)Ra, (228)Ra and (40)K activity concentrations in scale, sludge and water samples were measured as 343.7 ± 11.8, 809.2 ± 29.0, 302.5 ± 21.6, 623.0 ± 80.9 Bq kg(-1), respectively. Radium equivalent activities of the residue samples were calculated up to 1241.8 ± 42.4 Bq kg(-1). The maximum activity concentration index and the alpha index were found to be 4.2 and 4.0, respectively. The annual effective doses of residue samples were calculated below the permitted dose rate for the public, i.e. 1 mSv y(-1).

Experimental determination of the dose deposition profile of a 90Sr beta source.

Three different methods for characterising the dose deposition profile of a (90)Sr/(90)Y radioactive source are described: GAFChromic film dosimetry, Thermoluminescence (TL) and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL). For the film measurements, GAFChromic film samples were stacked at different depths between polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foils. For TL, the thickness of a TLD-500 dosemeter was gradually reduced by polishing and the TL from chips of different thickness was used in conjunction with a mathematical model based on the exponential attenuation of dose inside the crystal to determine the decay constant for the dose-depth profile. Finally, an OSL reader with confocal stimulation / detection capabilities was used to map the two-dimensional dose distribution in TLD-500 dosemeters as a function of depth. The shapes of the dose deposition profiles obtained from all the investigated methods are in good agreement.

Enhancements in luminescence measurement techniques.

New developments in the Risø TL/OSL system includes a software controlled heater fitted underneath the beta source to enable irradiation of samples at an elevated temperature. This allows investigations of competition effects from thermally shallow traps and centres. Significant additional software developments include the facility to vary linearly the stimulation power during stimulation (linearly modulated OSL). The elevated temperature irradiator facility has been further expanded to allow the measurement of radioluminescence (RL) during beta irradiation. This additional facility allows the measurement of TL, OSL and RL in the same software controlled automatic sequence. This paper provides a description of the capabilities of the new combined automatic TL/OSL/RL reader, and illustrates the application of the elevated temperature irradiator facility, and the RL unit. The new measurement facilities have provided preliminary information about possible trap competition during storage, and changes in recombination processes.