Muhamat Omar

Assessment of natural radioactivity levels in rocks and their relationships with the geological structure of Johor state, Malaysia

The distribution of natural radionuclides ((238)U, (232)Th and (40)K) and their radiological hazard effect in rocks collected from the state of Johor, Malaysia were determined by gamma spectroscopy using a high-purity germanium detector. The highest values of (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K activity concentrations (67±6, 85±7 and 722±18 Bg kg(-1), respectively) were observed in the granite rock. The lowest concentrations of (238)U and (232)Th (2±0.1 Bq kg(-1) for (238)U and 2±0.1 Bq kg(-1) for (232)Th) were observed in gabbro rock. The lowest concentration of (40)K (45±2 Bq kg(-1)) was detected in sandstone. The radium equivalent activity concentrations for all rock samples investigated were lower than the internationally accepted value of 370 Bq kg(-1). The highest value of radium equivalent in the present study (239±17 Bq kg(-1)) was recorded in the area of granite belonging to an acid intrusive rock geological structure. The absorbed dose rate was found to range from 4 to 112 nGy h(-1). The effective dose ranged from 5 to 138 μSv h(-1). The internal and external hazard index values were given in results lower than unity. The purpose of this study is to provide information related to radioactivity background levels and the effects of radiation on residents in the study area under investigation. Moreover, the relationships between the radioactivity levels in the rocks within the geological structure of the studied area are discussed.

Instrumental Characterization Of Coir PITH By XRD, FTIR and SEM After Radium Adsorption From Aqueous Solution Under The Presence Of Humic Acids

Adsorption interactions of radium (Ra) ions onto coir pith (CP) under the presence of humic acid (HA) in the aqueous solution were investigated using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) techniques. XRD, IR and SEM characterization of the CP has revealed differences in the native CP and Ra ions loaded CP under the presence of HA in the aqueous solution. The X‐Ray patterns showed that crystalline structure of the loaded CP exhibited a decrease in crystalline structure at around 49°–51° compared with unloaded CP. Characterization by IR revealed that participation of some surface functional groups during the Ra adsorption. SEM images for the morphological studies showed that there were slightly changes of the CP surfaces after the adsorption process.