Radiometric analysis of potassium, radium and uranium levels in Brazil nuts

Abstract

The paper describes an alternative approach for the determination of uranium, radium-226 and potassium levels in Brazil nuts. Potassium analysis was performed by a NaI detector using 1-gram of nut’s ashes, radium analysis was carried out by radon emanation measurements after EDTA-mediated ash dissolution, and uranium levels were determined by alpha spectroscopy after acidic dissolution and liquid extraction of the element. A total of eight different brazil nut samples obtained from local markets has been investigated and their potassium (150–290 Bq/kg), radium-226 (40–70 Bq/kg) and uranium (< 9 Bq/kg) levels have been compared to literature values, indicating the applicability of the proposed methods.