A multi-year study of natural radionuclides Beryllium-7 (Be-7) activity concentrations in surface air in Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands, Pahang

Abstract

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is a multilateral treaty that bans any nuclear explosions, either for military or civil purposes. The treaty is supported by an international network of monitoring stations, which inter-alia include radionuclide monitoring stations. Malaysia is a Member State to the CTBT and hosts a radionuclide monitoring station (Site code: RN42) in Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands, Pahang. The continuous daily measurement at RN42 has created an invaluable resource for understanding variations in natural background radioactivity, including natural radionuclide, Beryllium-7 (Be-7). This study aims at assessing seasonal variations of Be-7 in surface air in Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands, Pahang and determining its correlation with local meteorological parameters using statistical analysis. The results have been found that Be-7 activity concentration at the RN42 showed a seasonal variation and strong inverse correlation with precipitation data. The findings from this study could serve as basis for further studies on local and regional radiological impact assessment as well as for exploring the potential application of Be-7 as atmospheric tracer for civil and scientific purposes.