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Updated: May 10, 2026

Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films
Published on: November 9, 2015
Measuring naturally occurring uranium in soil and minerals by analysing the 352 keV gamma-ray peak of 214Pb using a
1Faculty of Military Science, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. jab@ma2.sun.ac.za
Abstract:
This article investigates the prospect of utilising the 351.9 keV gamma-ray of (214)Pb when determining the concentration of uranium. Soil samples were collected from various locations around South Africa and laboratory gamma ray spectra for each were obtained by means of a NaI(Tl)-detector (7.62×7.62 cm(2)). The potassium, uranium and thorium concentrations where extracted by analysing gamma ray peaks that are associated with these radionuclides. Two separate uranium concentrations were extracted; one by means of the (214)Pb decay and the other one by means of the (214)Bi decay. These uranium concentrations were compared in terms of accuracies and detection limits.
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