2
|
Xhixha G, Baldoncini M, Callegari I, Colonna T, Hasani F, Mantovani F, Shala F, Strati V, Xhixha Kaçeli M. A century of oil and gas exploration in Albania: assessment of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORMs). Chemosphere 2015; 139:30-39. [PMID: 26037957 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Revised: 04/24/2015] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORMs) that are potentially generated from oil and gas extractions in Albania have been disposed of without regulations for many decades, and therefore, an extensive survey in one of the most productive regions (Vlora-Elbasan) was performed. A total of 52 gamma ray spectrometry measurements of soil, oil-sand, sludge, produced water and crude oil samples were performed. We discovered that relatively low activity concentrations of (226)Ra, (228)Ra, (228)Th and (40)K, with concentrations of 23±2Bq/kg, 23±2Bq/kg, 24±3Bq/kg and 549±12Bq/kg, respectively, came from the oil-sands produced by the hydrocarbon extraction of the molasses formations. The mineralogical characterizations and the (228)Ra/(40)K and (226)Ra/(40)K ratios of these Neogene deposits confirmed the predictions of the geological and geodynamic models of a dismantling of the Mesozoic source rocks. The average activity concentrations (±standard deviations) of the radium isotopes ((226)Ra and (228)Ra) and of the (228)Th and (40)K radionuclides in soil samples were 20±5Bq/kg, 25±10Bq/kg, 25±9Bq/kg and 326±83Bq/kg, respectively. Based on the measurements in this study, the future radiological assessments of other fields in the region should be strategically planned to focus on the oil-sands from the molasses sediments. Disequilibrium in the (228)Ra decay segment was not observed in the soil, sludge or oil-sand samples within the standard uncertainties. After a detailed radiological characterization of the four primary oil fields, we concluded that the outdoor absorbed dose rate never exceeded the worldwide population weighted average absorbed dose rate in outdoor air from terrestrial gamma radiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- G Xhixha
- Legnaro National Laboratory, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Via dell'Università, 2, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy.
| | - M Baldoncini
- Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Saragat, 1, 44100 Ferrara, Italy
| | - I Callegari
- Legnaro National Laboratory, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Via dell'Università, 2, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - T Colonna
- Center for GeoTechnologies, University of Siena, Via Vetri Vecchi, 34, 52027 San Giovanni Valdarno, Arezzo, Italy
| | - F Hasani
- Kosovo Agency for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (KARPNS), Office of the Prime Minister, Ish-Gërmia, 10000 Prishtinë, Kosovo
| | - F Mantovani
- Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Saragat, 1, 44100 Ferrara, Italy
| | - F Shala
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Pristina "Hasan Prishtina", BreguiDiellit, 10000 Pristina, Kosovo
| | - V Strati
- Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Saragat, 1, 44100 Ferrara, Italy
| | - M Xhixha Kaçeli
- Legnaro National Laboratory, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Via dell'Università, 2, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Miramonti L, Bellini G, Benziger J, Bick D, Bonfini G, Bravo D, Buizza Avanzini M, Caccianiga B, Cadonati L, Calaprice F, Carraro C, Cavalcante P, Chavarria A, Chubakov V, D'Angelo D, Davini S, Derbin A, Etenko A, Fomenko K, Franco D, Galbiati C, Gazzana S, Ghiano C, Giammarchi M, Göger-Neff M, Goretti A, Grandi L, Guardincerri E, Hardy S, Ianni A, Ianni A, Kobychev V, Korablev D, Korga G, Koshio Y, Kryn D, Laubenstein M, Lewke T, Lissia M, Litvinovich E, Loer B, Lombardi F, Lombardi P, Ludhova L, Machulin I, Manecki S, Maneschg W, Mantovani F, Manuzio G, Meindl Q, Meroni E, Misiaszek M, Montanari D, Mosteiro P, Muratova V, Nisi S, Oberauer L, Obolensky M, Ortica F, Otis K, Pallavicini M, Papp L, Perasso L, Perasso S, Pocar A, Ranucci G, Razeto A, Re A, Romani A, Rossi N, Sabelnikov A, Saldanha R, Salvo C, Schönert S, Simgen H, Skorokhvatov M, Smirnov O, Sotnikov A, Sukhotin S, Suvorov Y, Tartaglia R, Testera G, Vignaud D, Vogelaar RB, von Feilitzsch F, Winter J, Wojcik M, Wright A, Wurm M, Xhixha G, Xu J, Zaimidoroga O, Zavatarelli S, Zuzel G. Lifetimes of (214)Po and (212)Po measured with Counting Test Facility at Gran Sasso National Laboratory. J Environ Radioact 2014; 138:444-446. [PMID: 24725806 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2014.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2013] [Revised: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 02/27/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The decays of (214)Po into (210)Pb and of (212)Po into (208)Pb tagged by the previous decays from (214)Bi and (212)Bi have been studied inserting quartz vials inside the Counting Test Facility (CTF) at the underground laboratory in Gran Sasso (LNGS). We find that the mean lifetime of (214)Po is (236.00 ± 0.42(stat) ± 0.15(syst)) μs and that of (212)Po is (425.1 ± 0.9(stat) ± 1.2(syst)) ns. Our results are compatible with previous measurements, have a much better signal to background ratio, and reduce the overall uncertainties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L Miramonti
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi e INFN, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - G Bellini
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi e INFN, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - J Benziger
- Chemical Engineering Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - D Bick
- Institut für Experimentalphysik, Universität Hamburg, Germany
| | - G Bonfini
- INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi 67010, Italy
| | - D Bravo
- Physics Department, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - M Buizza Avanzini
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi e INFN, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - B Caccianiga
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi e INFN, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - L Cadonati
- Physics Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - F Calaprice
- Physics Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - C Carraro
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università e INFN, Genova 16146, Italy
| | - P Cavalcante
- INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi 67010, Italy
| | - A Chavarria
- Physics Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - V Chubakov
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Ferrara and INFN Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy
| | - D D'Angelo
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi e INFN, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - S Davini
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università e INFN, Genova 16146, Italy
| | - A Derbin
- St. Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, Gatchina 188350, Russia
| | - A Etenko
- NRC Kurchatov Institute, Moscow 123182, Russia
| | - K Fomenko
- INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi 67010, Italy; Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980, Russia
| | - D Franco
- Laboratoire AstroParticule et Cosmologie, 75231 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - C Galbiati
- Physics Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - S Gazzana
- INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi 67010, Italy
| | - C Ghiano
- INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi 67010, Italy
| | - M Giammarchi
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi e INFN, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - M Göger-Neff
- Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Garching 85747, Germany
| | - A Goretti
- Physics Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - L Grandi
- Physics Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - E Guardincerri
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università e INFN, Genova 16146, Italy
| | - S Hardy
- Physics Department, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Aldo Ianni
- INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi 67010, Italy
| | - Andrea Ianni
- Physics Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - V Kobychev
- Kiev Institute for Nuclear Research, Kiev 06380, Ukraine
| | - D Korablev
- Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980, Russia
| | - G Korga
- INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi 67010, Italy
| | - Y Koshio
- INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi 67010, Italy
| | - D Kryn
- Laboratoire AstroParticule et Cosmologie, 75231 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - M Laubenstein
- INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi 67010, Italy
| | - T Lewke
- Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Garching 85747, Germany
| | - M Lissia
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Cagliari, I-09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | | | - B Loer
- Physics Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - F Lombardi
- INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi 67010, Italy
| | - P Lombardi
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi e INFN, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - L Ludhova
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi e INFN, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - I Machulin
- NRC Kurchatov Institute, Moscow 123182, Russia
| | - S Manecki
- Physics Department, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - W Maneschg
- Max-Plank-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg 69029, Germany
| | - F Mantovani
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Ferrara and INFN Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy.
| | - G Manuzio
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università e INFN, Genova 16146, Italy
| | - Q Meindl
- Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Garching 85747, Germany
| | - E Meroni
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi e INFN, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - M Misiaszek
- M. Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Jagellonian University, Krakow, 30059, Poland
| | - D Montanari
- INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi 67010, Italy; Physics Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - P Mosteiro
- Physics Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - V Muratova
- St. Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, Gatchina 188350, Russia
| | - S Nisi
- INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi 67010, Italy
| | - L Oberauer
- Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Garching 85747, Germany
| | - M Obolensky
- Laboratoire AstroParticule et Cosmologie, 75231 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - F Ortica
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università e INFN, Perugia 06123, Italy
| | - K Otis
- Physics Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - M Pallavicini
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università e INFN, Genova 16146, Italy
| | - L Papp
- INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi 67010, Italy; Physics Department, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - L Perasso
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi e INFN, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - S Perasso
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università e INFN, Genova 16146, Italy
| | - A Pocar
- Physics Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - G Ranucci
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi e INFN, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - A Razeto
- INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi 67010, Italy
| | - A Re
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi e INFN, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - A Romani
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università e INFN, Perugia 06123, Italy
| | - N Rossi
- INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi 67010, Italy
| | | | - R Saldanha
- Physics Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - C Salvo
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università e INFN, Genova 16146, Italy
| | - S Schönert
- Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Garching 85747, Germany; Max-Plank-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg 69029, Germany
| | - H Simgen
- Max-Plank-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg 69029, Germany
| | | | - O Smirnov
- Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980, Russia
| | - A Sotnikov
- Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980, Russia
| | - S Sukhotin
- NRC Kurchatov Institute, Moscow 123182, Russia
| | - Y Suvorov
- INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi 67010, Italy; NRC Kurchatov Institute, Moscow 123182, Russia
| | - R Tartaglia
- INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi 67010, Italy
| | - G Testera
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università e INFN, Genova 16146, Italy
| | - D Vignaud
- Laboratoire AstroParticule et Cosmologie, 75231 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - R B Vogelaar
- Physics Department, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - F von Feilitzsch
- Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Garching 85747, Germany
| | - J Winter
- Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Garching 85747, Germany
| | - M Wojcik
- M. Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Jagellonian University, Krakow, 30059, Poland
| | - A Wright
- Physics Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - M Wurm
- Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Garching 85747, Germany
| | - G Xhixha
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Ferrara and INFN Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy
| | - J Xu
- Physics Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - O Zaimidoroga
- Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980, Russia
| | - S Zavatarelli
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università e INFN, Genova 16146, Italy
| | - G Zuzel
- Max-Plank-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg 69029, Germany; M. Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Jagellonian University, Krakow, 30059, Poland
| |
Collapse
|