Assessment of the Activity concentrations of the naturally occurring radionuclides from the samples collected from the different (CUFL & JFL) Urea Fertilizer Company Limited

Geophysics

Abstract

The activity concentrations of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K have been determined for product (urea) samples collected from the Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited (CUFL) and Jamuna Fertilizer Company Limited. The different kinds of samples were analyzed by using a calibrated high purity germanium (HPGe) detector of relative efficiency of 38%. For solid samples, the mean activity concentrations of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K have been found 78.67±2.87, 59.74±2.27, and 463.71±9.16 Bq/Kg, respectively. The mean activity concentrations of product samples for the corresponding radionuclide were 73.12±2.83, 74.59±2.32, and 391.58±9.38 Bq/Kg, respectively. The artificial radionuclide ¹³⁷Cs has not been detected in any of the samples. The obtained results of this study show that for some samples the values are lower and for the remaining are higher than the World average values. The mean representative index value is less than unity which confirms that the area is safe for the factory workers and the public nearby.