Research Article

The Technological Enhancement of Normally Occurring Radioactive Materials in Red Mud due to the Production of Alumina

Table 2

The technological enhancement in the specific activity (bq/kg) of the progenies of the primordial radionuclides series in red mud due to the production of alumina in Jamaica.

Progenies and K-40 (primordial series)Alumina (Bq/kg)Red mud (Bq/kg)Technological enhancement factor (TEF) in red mud
Bq/kgBq/kg

K-401130.9 ± 27.679.200 ± 3.3360.07
Th-234316.21 ± 8.01345.54 ± 10.241.09
Pa-234Below MDA341.10 ± 6.90Positive and undetermined
Ra-226218.04 ± 8.73341.10 ± 6.901.56
Pb-21448.060 ± 1.503293.43 ± 13.296.10
Bi-214111.49 ± 3.38292.73 ± 13.502.62
Pa-234Below MDA156.92 ± 6.62Positive and undetermined
Ac-228Below MDA326.84 ± 5.46Positive and undetermined
Pb-212Below MDA353.16 ± 5.14Positive and undetermined
Bi-212Below MDA363.04 ± 19.15Positive and undetermined
Tl-2081298.5 ± 29.0289.07 ± 5.670.22
U-23510.075 ± 0.40516.153 ± 1.0061.60