Determination of uranium and thorium concentrations in sediment samples by using solid state nuclear track detectors

Abstract

In this study, uranium and thorium concentrations in the sediment samples collected from the Gulf of Izmit in Marmara Sea were determined using neutron radiography method and alpha-autoradiography method. Mean uranium concentrations calculated for the sediment samples collected from the boreholes S2, S3, S5, S8 and KS-2 were found to be 5.99 μg/g (3.58–8.16 μg/g), 4,59 μg/g (2.54–8.22 μg/g), 4.03 μg/g (2.13–6.9 μg/g), 3.71 μg/g (2.36–4.48 μg/g) and 2.81 μg/g (2.16–4.06 μg/g), respectively. The highest uranium concentration in all borehole samples was obtained from borehole S3 with a value of 8.22 μg/g at a depth of 77.00 m, followed by borehole S2 with a value of 8.16 μg/g at 76.95 m depth. These results also confirms the possibility of thermal sources at boreholes S2 and S3. The mean thorium concentrations in boreholes S3 and S8 were found to be 15.26 μg/g (9.60–17.49 μg/g) and 15.76 μg/g (13.89–17.37 μg/g), respectively. The highest thorium concentration in obtained samples from all boreholes was obtained in borehole S3 with a value of 17.49 μg/g at a depth of 77.00 m.