Activity concentration and distribution of 40K in the soil profile of the Rostov agglomeration

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment 2023-10, Vol.195 (10), p.1147-1147, Article 1147
• Main Authors: Tagiverdiev, S. S., Kozyrev, D. A., Gorbov, S. N., Buraeva, E. A., Bezuglova, O. S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agglomeration; Analogs; Anthropogenic factors; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Composition; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Management; Environmental monitoring; Fluorescence; Isotopes; Mathematical analysis; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Potassium; Potassium oxides; Radioactivity; Radioisotopes; Soil; Soil formation; Soil profiles; Soil properties; Soils; Spectrometry; Stable isotopes; X-ray fluorescence
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11769-7

The activity concentration of 40 K in soils of Rostov agglomeration was studied. Natural and anthropogenically modified soils of Rostov agglomeration were studied: Haplic Chernozems, Haplic Chernozems (Technic), Urbic Technosols. Activity concentration 40 K in soils was measured by gamma-spectrometric method of radionuclide analysis. The total mass fraction of K 2 O was determined by X-ray fluorescence method on a Spectroscan MAKS-GV instrument. Knowing the total mass fraction of K 2 O, we calculated its potential radioactivity based on the fact that one gram of natural potassium has an activity concentration of 28.5 Bq. Comparison of the two methods allows estimating the involvement of 40 K in biogenic cycles. No significant differences between the actual and calculated activity concentration of 40 K in the soil-forming rock were revealed, while in horizons A and B the calculated activity is significantly higher. At the same time, there are no reliable differences between native and their buried analogs. The direct influence of the granulometric composition on the activity concentration of 40 K was not established, but in the urban horizons with lightened granulometric composition the average activity of 40 K is the lowest by reliably significant values when comparing this index with native, buried horizons and the group of heavy urban horizons. This implies that 40 K is more actively involved in biogenic cycles than its stable isotopes. The burial under urban deposits is accompanied by a weak change in the activity concentration of 40 K in the profile, while the difference between genetic horizons is leveled out.