ICP-MS Measurement of Trace and Rare Earth Elements in Beach Placer-Deposit Soils of Odisha, East Coast of India, to Estimate Natural Enhancement of Elements in the Environment

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has been used to measure the concentration of trace and rare earth elements (REEs) in soils. Geochemical certified reference materials such as JLk-1, JB-1, and JB-3 were used for the validation of the analytical method. The measured values were in good agreement with the certified values for all the elements and were within 10% analytical error. Beach placer deposits of soils mainly from Odisha, on the east coast of India, have been selected to study selected trace and rare earth elements (REEs), to estimate enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) in the natural environment. Enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) results showed that Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, Y, Zr, Cd and U were significantly enriched, and Th was extremely enriched. The total content of REEs (ƩREEs) ranged from 101.3 to 12,911.3 µg g−1, with an average 2431.1 µg g−1 which was higher than the average crustal value of ΣREEs. A high concentration of Th and light REEs were strongly correlated, which confirmed soil enrichment with monazite minerals. High ratios of light REEs (LREEs)/heavy REEs (HREEs) with a strong negative Eu anomaly revealed a felsic origin. The comparison of the chondrite normalized REE patterns of soil with hinterland rocks such as granite, charnockite, khondalite and migmatite suggested that enhancement of trace and REEs are of natural origin

Distribution of radionuclides and associated radiological risk assessment of soils from Niška Banja, Serbia

The activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were determined in 43 soil samples collected from 0 to 10 cm and 10 to 50 cm depths of Niška Banja region, Serbia, using a low background gamma spectroscopy with 3″ × 3″ NaI(Tl) scintillation detector. The mean absorbed dose rate of 0–10 cm and 10–50 cm depth soil were 66.1 and 60.4 nGy/h, respectively which was close to UNSCEAR worldwide value. The radium equivalent and annual effective dose effect were lower than the permissible level. Therefore, there is no significant radiological risk from the soil to residents living in this region. © 2023, Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary