Gross alpha and gross beta activity in leaves (Fig, Apricot and Wine)

Abstract

This paper presents the results for gross alpha and gross beta activity in leaves samples: Fig (Ficus carica), Vine (Vitis vinifera L.), and Apricot (Prunus armeniaca). Samples were collected in Iraq (Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan region), and in the Serbia (Belgrade), in the summer 2018. The analysis was done in dried and milled samples as well as in the annealed samples, using gas flow proportional counter. Determination of gross alpha and gross beta activity presents rapid method, essential for the analysis of radioactivity in environmental samples. The gross alpha activity is defines as the total activity of alpha emitters, and originates from the decay chains of 238U and 232Th, which quantity depends on the geological and geographical formation of natural radionuclides. The main contributor to the gross beta activity is natural long-lived isotope 40K, as well as 210Pb, 228Ra. The gross beta measurements also include a contribution from anthropogenic radionuclides 137Cs and 90Sr. Radionuclides that emitting low-energy beta radiation (3 H and gaseous or volatile radionuclide such as iodine) cannot be detected by gross beta activity measurements.