Evaluation of Radioelements and Heavy Metals using LIBS, XRF and Spectrometry Gamma Techniques in Quarry Dust

Abstract

Due tothepotentialhealthandenvironmentalrisksposedbydustgeneratedfromquarry activities, astudywasconductedtodeterminethelevelsofnaturalradioactivity,thepresence of radioactivenuclides,andheavyelementsinrocksamplesfromseveralquarries,including sandstone,basalt,marble,anddolomite.Agamma-raydetectoroftypeNaI(Tl)wasusedto measure radioactivity,whileXRFandLIBStechniqueswereemployedforelementalanalysis. The resultsshowedthatradioactivitylevelsvarydependingonrocktype,withwhitemarble showingthehighestactivityat47 ± 3 Bq/kgforUranium-238and122 ± 4 Bq/kgforPotassium- 40, whilesandstoneandbasaltrecordedlowervalues.TheannualdosefrominhaledRn-222 rangedfrom1nSv/yinsandstoneto40nSv/yinwhitemarble,allsignificantlylowerthanthe internationallyrecommendedsafetylimitof1mSv/y(1,000,000nSv/y). XRF analysisrevealedthatdolomitecontainedhighlevelsofCalcium(Ca),Iron(Fe),and Manganese(Mn),whilewhitemarblewasrichincalciumandsilicon,andsandstoneshowed high concentrationsofSilicon(Si)andiron.LIBSwasalsousedtodetecttraceelementsand the finechemicalcompositionofthesamples. Elements suchasFe,Si,Ca,Pb,Cu,andAlwereidentified.Theresultsshowedaclear variationinelementalcompositionbetweenrocktypes,withhigherironcontentingreenmarble, high siliconinsandstone,andhighcalciuminwhitemarbleanddolomite. These findingshighlighttheimportanceofperiodicmonitoringofdust,radioactivema- terials,andheavyelementsinquarrysitestoensurethelong-termsafetyofworkersandthe surroundingenvironment.