Speaker
Description
This study focuses on radiometric measurements, which will be conducted at phosphate mines in South Africa, including sites of a former phosphate mine known for its fossil-rich Varswater Formation, phosphate processing areas, and tailing and waste areas. Phosphate rocks are significant to industry but naturally contain radionuclide isotopes such as uranium (²³⁸U), thorium (²³²Th), and potassium (⁴⁰K), which mining activities may redistribute. A drone-based survey will be performed using a DJI Matrice M300 RTK equipped with a 3×3 NaI(Tl) scintillation detector coupled to an AMPTEK TB-5 digital base to assess their distribution. The system uses a Raspberry Pi 4 for data processing and a Garmin 18X GPS for precise geolocation. Calibration will be performed using a radium source, with spectral peaks aligned to the known decay energies of uranium and thorium daughters, ensuring deviations of less than one channel after a quadratic fit. Full-spectrum analysis identifying distinct gamma peaks corresponding to ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K will confirm the presence of naturally occurring radionuclides in the phosphate deposits. The results will show the expected high concentrations of uranium associated with marine phosphate sediments, as well as concentrations of thorium and potassium. The findings will provide insights into the radiological characteristics of the sites and the environmental implications of historical phosphate mining. Keywords: Radiometric survey, Phosphate mining, NaI(Tl) scintillation detector, Uranium (²³⁸U), Thorium (²³²Th), Potassium (⁴⁰K), Gamma spectroscopy, Drone-based measurements, Environmental radioactivity
| Apply for student award at which level: | MSc |
|---|---|
| Consent on use of personal information: Abstract Submission | Yes, I ACCEPT |