Multivariate Statistics, Mineralogy, and Radiological Hazards Assessment Due to the Natural Radioactivity Content in Pyroclastic Products from Mt. Etna, Sicily, Southern Italy

Bibliographic Data

ID15475695
AuthorsF Caridi (0000-0002-3562-6244, University of Messina, corresponding author), Sebastiano Ettore Spoto (0000-0002-2427-9400, University of Messina), Antonio Francesco Mottese (0000-0002-6072-2537, University of Messina), Giuseppe Paladini (0000-0001-7446-0817, University of Messina, corresponding author), Vincenzo Crupi (0000-0003-3545-6289, University of Messina), Alberto Belvedere (0000-0002-9923-2316, Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell'ambiente ligure), Santina Marguccio (Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell'ambiente ligure), Maurizio D’Agostino (0000-0003-3128-6198, Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell'ambiente ligure), Giuliana Faggio (0000-0002-2512-8372, University of Reggio Calabria, corresponding author), Rossella Grillo (0000-0001-7081-0541, University of Reggio Calabria), Giacomo Messina (0000-0002-8091-9724, University of Reggio Calabria), Francesco Barreca (0000-0001-5057-2435, University of Messina), Valentina Venuti (0000-0003-2907-9165, University of Messina, corresponding author), Domenico Majolino (0000-0002-2934-2587, University of Messina)
Year2022
Volume19
Issue17
Pages11040-11040
Publication date2022-09-03
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
PublisherMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph191711040
PMID36078754
OpenAlexW4294741303
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited54

In this article, an investigation of the natural radioactivity content of pyroclastic products from Mt. Etna, eastern Sicily, Southern Italy, was carried out. In particular, the assessment of the average activity concentration of the investigated radionuclides, related to the mineralogical phase composition of the analyzed samples, and the radiological health risk for the population, was performed. High Purity Germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray spectrometry was employed in order to quantify the average specific activity of 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K natural radioisotopes. The absorbed gamma dose rate (D), the radium equivalent activity (Ra eq ), the hazard indices (H in and H ex ), the annual effective dose equivalent outdoor (AEDE out ), and the excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) were also estimated in order to assess any possible radiological hazard for the population. In our case, they were found to be lower than the maximum recommended values for the population members, thus reasonably excluding radiological hazard effects. Moreover, the identification of the source of the aforementioned naturally occurring radionuclides was attempted by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Micro-Raman Scattering (MRS), thereby recognizing the main radioisotope-bearing minerals present in the investigated pyroclastic products. Finally, Pearson correlation, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) were performed by processing observed radioactivity and radiological parameters in order to determine their correlation with the sampling locations

Dosimetry · Effective dose (radiation) · Environmental health · Equivalent dose · Geochemistry · Mineralogy · Natural radioactivity · Nuclear medicine · Nuclear physics · Physics · Population · Pyroclastic rock · Radiochemistry · Radiological weapon · Radionuclide · Radium · Volcano · Chemistry · Environmental Science · Graphite, nuclear technology, radiation studies · Medicine · Radiation Shielding Materials Analysis · Radioactivity and Radon Measurements · Environmental Chemistry · Geology

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