Characterization of Sedimentary Minerals from Kolubara Mining Basin, Serbia, with the Determination of Natural Radioactivity

Authors

  • Aleksandra Šaponjić Institute of Nuclear Science Vinča, Institute of National Significance for the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade
  • Stanislav Gyoshev Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
  • Zvezdana Baščarević Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, University of Belgrade
  • Ljiljana Janković Mandić Institute of Nuclear Science Vinča, Institute of National Significance for the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade
  • Gorica Ljubenov Faculty of Civil Construction Management of the Union - Nikola Tesla, University of Belgrade
  • Maja Kokunešoski Institute of Nuclear Science Vinča, Institute of National Significance for the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade

Abstract

Diatomite (diatomaceous earth) and clay minerals deposits from the mining basin Kolubara, Serbia, are natural materials with high economic potential in many fields. As received and treated materials, diatomite and clay were characterized using X-ray diffraction, mercury intrusion porosimetry, particle size distribution, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Activity concentrations for natural radionuclides 40 K, 226Ra and 232Th and anthropogenic radionuclide 137Cs in diatomite and clay were determined by gamma spectrometry with HPGe detector. For diatomite and clay, the mean activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40 K were found to be 9, 26 and 173 Bq kg-1 and 19, 26 and 470 Bq kg-1, respectively. In the present study was to show that these materials are environmentally safe for further use in many fields.

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Published

2022-02-16

Issue

Vol. 54 No. 1 (2022)

Section

Articles