The activity concentrations of 40K, 226Ra, 232Th, 238U and 7Be in moss from spas in eastern Serbia in the period 2000-2012

Abstract

In this work we present the activity concentrations of natural radionuclides 40K, 226Ra, 232Th, 238U and 7Be in mosses. One hundred and sixty-seven moss samples were collected between 2001 and 2012 from the territory of the Sokobanja, Banja Jošanica and Gamzigradska Banja spas. They were classified into 23 species. The activity concentrations (Bq/kg) in moss from Sokobanja spa were: 40K 25-427; 226Ra 0.3-36; 232Th 1.0-37; 238U 0.4-28 and 7Be 29-210; from Banja Jošanica spa they were: 40K 90-242; 226Ra 2.4-11.7; 232Th 2.0-12.7; 238U 1.6-11.3 and 7Be 142-212; Gamzigradska Banja spa: 40K 95-351; 226Ra 8.0-21; 232Th 5.1-19; 238U 6.7-18 and 7Be 20-144. The activity concentrations of dominant natural radionuclides (potassium, radium, thorium and uranium) in the moss samples were within the usual ranges for the territory of Serbia. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III 43009]

Keywords

• mosses
• radionuclides
• eastern Serbia
• radioactivity