210Pb Concentrations Research Articles

Natural radionuclides in bottom sediments of the saline lakes. What factors determine their concentration?

Concentrations of 226Ra, 40K, 210Pb, 234Th, 238U, 232Th, and 210Po were determined in bottom sediments of 11 Crimean saline lakes. From lake to lake, concentration of all radioisotopes and their total amount varied. The greatest variability was noted for 226Ra (CV = 1.268), and the smallest for total sum of radionuclides (CV = 0.336). In all lakes, the concentration of studied radionuclides did not exceed the maximum concentrations found in bottom sediments of water bodies in different regions excepting Lake Sasyk-Sivash where 226Ra concentration was slightly higher than previously found the upper limit. There are the inter-lake differences and temporal changes in radionuclide concentrations in the bottom sediments. Salinity is not main determinant of radioisotope concentrations in the lake bottom sediments, but may modify their concentrations in some ranges. The behavior of 210Pb and 210Po under anoxic conditions differs from observed in oxic. Authors conclude that there is no any single factor itself controlling concentrations of radionuclides in the upper layer of bottom sediments in the saline lakes; there is multicausal determination. Only coupling of many factors (physical, chemical, and geochemical properties of radioisotopes, and geological, climatic, and biological) determines radionuclide distribution patterns.

Hydrochemical behaviour of long-lived natural radionuclides in Spanish groundwaters

This research was focused on the analyses of the hydrochemical behaviour of long-lived natural radionuclides (210Po, 210Pb, 234,238U, 230,232Th, 226,228Ra) in groundwaters from Spanish aquifers with different geological characteristics and the evaluation of the dose by ingestion of these waters. The study was performed by the gross alpha-beta, alpha spectrometry and physicochemical analysis of a set of bottled drinking waters. Radionuclide activities in the investigated aquifers were highly variable. High concentration of 210Pb is associated with granitic bedrock and reducing conditions. On the other hand, the highest 238,234U concentrations were found in carbonate aquifers. Activities of 226Ra are largely controlled by ion exchange reactions due to the presence of relatively high concentration of chloride. Several waters exceeded the parametric value for gross alpha mainly due to 234U, 226Ra and/or 210Pb concentrations. Moreover, the content of 226Ra and 210Pb in the water contributed mainly to the indicative dose.

Refinement of waste phosphogypsum from Prahovo, Serbia: characterization and assessment of application in civil engineering

AbstractTwo samples collected from the phosphogypsum deposits of the chemical products industry Elixir Prahovo (Serbia) were subjected to a recrystallization experiment performed over several repeated cycles. In these tests, phosphogypsum was separated into recrystallized (purified) gypsum, insoluble residue and supernatant. Both raw phosphogypsum and recrystallized gypsum were examined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectrometry. The activity concentrations of 238U, 235U, 226Ra, 210Pb, 232Th and 40K were investigated using γ-ray spectrometry. Based on the activity concentration results, a number of radiometric parameters were calculated for the original and recrystallized phosphogypsum (i.e. radium equivalent activity, γ indices for construction materials, α index and external and internal hazard indices). Raw phosphogypsum samples showed greater mean activity concentration levels of 238U and 226Ra than the international recommended limits, while the recrystallized gypsum demonstrated notably lower activity concentrations for these two isotopes. The activity concentration of 226Ra in recrystallized gypsum is ~6 times lower than in raw phosphogypsum. Therefore, recrystallized gypsum does not present a radiation hazard when used as a building material, while raw phosphogypsum meets the requirements only for road construction materials.

PICOLON dark matter search ˜ Development of highly redio-pure NaI(Tl) scintilltor ˜

The PICOLON project is developing a high purity NaI(Tl) crystal by optimizing the purification methods. The reduction method for 40K was established and we got sufficiently pure NaI(Tl) crystal for 40K. On the other hand, the concentration of 210Pb is still higher than our goal. The investigation is now in progress to fix the origin of the contamination.The construction of the second phase detector system of PICOLON detector will be started in 2020 spring. The total mass of the second phase is about 54 kg. The background level by the test measurement using a single module is reported.

Distribution patterns of 210Po, 210Pb and the particle export in the Taiwan Strait during the winter

210Po and 210Pb are increasingly used to constrain particle dynamics in the open oceans, however they are less used in coastal waters. Here, distributions and partitions of 210Po and 210Pb were examined in the Taiwan Strait, as well as their application to quantify particle sinking. Activity concentrations of dissolved 210Po and 210Pb (<0.6 μm) ranged from 1.21 to 7.63 dpm/(100 L) and from 1.07 to 6.33 dpm/(100 L), respectively. Activity concentrations of particulate 210Po and 210Pb varied from 1.96 to 36.74 dpm/(100 L) and from 3.11 to 38.06 dpm/(100 L). Overall, particulate 210Po and 210Pb accounted for the majority of the bulk 210Po and 210Pb. 210Po either in dissolved or particulate phases showed similar spatial patterns to 210Pb, indicating similar mechanisms for controlling the distributions of 210Po and 210Pb in the Taiwan Strait. The different fractionation coefficients indicated that particles in the Zhemin Coastal Current (ZCC) inclined to absorb 210Po prior to 210Pb while they showed an opposite effect in the Taiwan Warm Current (TWC). Based on the disequilibria between 210Po and 210Pb, the sinking fluxes of total particulate matter (TPM) were estimated to range from–0.22 to 3.84 g/(m2·d), showing an overall comparable spatial distribution to previous reported sediment accumulation rates. However, our sinking fluxes were lower than the sedimentation rates, indicating a sediment resuspension in winter and horizontal transport of particulate matter from the Taiwan Strait to the East China Sea.

Temporal variation of 210Pb concentration in the urban aerosols of Shanghai, China

This study monitored 210Pb levels of the atmospheric aerosol in Shanghai from January 2016 to February 2017. 210Pb levels were found to be low in non-haze weather events (1.46 ± 0.76 mBq/m3, n = 8) and high in moderate pollution weather events (2.34 ± 1.43 mBq/m3, n = 12). Similar to those of other East Asian regions, monthly averaged 210Pb concentration showed a U-shaped distribution pattern, indicating that the East Asian monsoon has an impact on atmospheric 210Pb. Particulate matters (PM) had a significant positive correlation with 210Pb, indicating that there might occur an intensified 210Pb scavenging processes. The linear correlation analysis revealed a clear link between 210Pb and some gaseous pollutants, strong positive correlation between CO and 210Pb (210Pb/CO, R = 0.63, P < 0.01), and weak correlation between 210Pb and O3 (R = − 0.35), NO2 (R = 0.42), and SO2 (R = 0.34). This phenomenon demonstrated that in haze weather, not only the general air pollutants concentrations have increased, but also the 210Pb concentration. Radiation dosimetry of daily inhalation of 210Pb through exposure to outdoor air is estimated to be relatively minor; children intake remains higher.

Radionuclide distributions in Olympic Dam copper concentrates: The significance of minor hosts, incorporation mechanisms, and the role of mineral surfaces

Some iron oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) deposits contain variable amounts of uranium. Developing mineral deportment models for the radiogenic isotopes resulting from decay of 238U presents a singular technical challenge, as concentrations of 226Ra, 210Pb, and 210Po fall far below the detection limits achievable for most in situ analytical methodologies. The nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (nanoSIMS) platform combines low detection limits with sub-micron resolution, revealing previously unseen spatial distribution patterns of radionuclides (RNs) in (and on) particles of copper sulphide concentrates. Many potential host minerals for these radionuclides can be readily predicted based on chemical behaviour, periodic table trends, and published studies documenting likely host minerals. Using nanoSIMS data for ores and metallurgical products from the Olympic Dam IOCG deposit and associated processing facilities, we present compelling evidence for the ability of certain minerals within the copper concentrates to host daughter radionuclides derived from uranium decay. Many of these minerals had not traditionally been considered or previously documented as such. These include high-abundance minerals hosting low concentrations of radionuclides, and several relatively low abundance minerals exhibiting remarkable radionuclide enrichment. Rutile, fluorapatite, fluorite, hematite, zircon, covellite, and molybdenite are all proven to be minor hosts of at least some members of the 238U decay chain, and are, collectively, important for establishing the overall RN budget. Surface effects are found to play a significant role, with elevated levels of 226Ra and 210Pb found on most available surfaces, irrespective of mineral, in acid-leached concentrate. Some rRNs, particularly 226Ra and 210Pb liberated from uranium minerals during sulphuric acid leaching, can become extensively redistributed throughout the concentrate, creating newly-formed RN hosts. This new mineralogical deportment information can be used in developing new flowsheets to enhance radionuclide removal without a corresponding loss of Cu. NanoSIMS has proven invaluable for elucidating the mineral-scale deportment of ultra-trace radionuclides throughout the processing circuit at Olympic Dam.

Modeling of 210Pb and 210Po radionuclide emissions from local power plants in central Poland.

Due to the more volatile nature of 210Po in relation to 210Pb, an imbalance of activity concentrations in high temperature combustion processes can be observed, especially in fine particulates (diameter < 0.1, 0.2 and 0.5 μm). In the atmosphere and in the soil around coal-fired power plants, 210Pb and 210Po concentrations are a combination of activities from natural and anthropogenic sources. In this study only portions of 210Po and 210Pb radionuclides resulting from energy production activities were analyzed. Due to the high mobility of fine particles, a surface area of 172 km × 140 km in central Poland was chosen for simulation. For validation of the modeling approach, three grid versions were applied: 1 km, 2 km and 4 km. Simulated results confirmed experimental-computational values of an excess of both radionuclides in the atmosphere in 2017 in the city of Lodz. Different aerosol fractions, seasons and various grids in the selected area were subjected to 36 individual simulations. The 210Po activity concentrations measured in winter and summer 2017 were 42.5 and 8.99 μBq m-3, respectively. Simulated and measured values of artificial 210Po and 210Pb activities are well correlated.

Temporal Variations of 7Be and 210Pb Activity Concentrations in the Atmosphere and Aerosol Deposition Velocity in Shenzhen, South China

Naturally occurring beryllium-7 (7Be) and lead-210 (210Pb) serve as powerful tracers in atmospheric studies. In this study, 7Be and 210Pb were simultaneously measured in atmospheric aerosols and deposition samples for an entire year (from January to December 2017) in Shenzhen, South China. The activity concentrations of the airborne 7Be and 210Pb ranged from 0.33 to 9.42 mBq m–3 (averaging 3.23 mBq m–3) and from 0.59 to 4.72 mBq m–3 (averaging 1.58 mBq m–3), respectively, and were observed to be high during the winter but low during the summer. Moreover, the relatively high 210Pb concentration was probably due to the elevated level of radon in this region’s soil. The deposition fluxes of the 7Be and 210Pb were found to range from 0.25 to 3.04 Bq m–2 day–1 (averaging 1.57 Bq m–2 day–1) and from 0.34 to 1.31 Bq m–2 day–1 (averaging 0.73 Bq m–2 day–1), respectively. The temporal trends of these fluxes were largely influenced by rainfall and the origin and pathway of air masses, as well as by atmospheric circulation. Based on their concentrations in the aerosols and their deposition fluxes, the average deposition velocities of 7Be and 210Pb were calculated to be 0.83 and 0.62 cm s–1, respectively. The deposition velocities of both radionuclides correlated well with the amount of rainfall, indicating that precipitation plays a crucial role in removing 7Be and 210Pb from the air. The activity size distributions of these nuclides combined with the characteristic meteorological conditions in this region resulted in high deposition velocities during summer and low ones during winter.

Radioactivity of the gas pipeline network in Poland

The paper presents the study of the radioactivity connected with the transport of natural gas by the gas pipeline network in the selected points in Poland. In the scope of the study the measurements of activity concentration of radon (222Rn) in the gas samples, radiolead (210Pb) in spent filter cartridges and dust samples (black powder) collected from the gas pipeline network were performed. The results show that the 222Rn activity concentration in natural gas varies from the detection limit of the applied method (30 Bq/m3) to around 1400 Bq/m3. The 210Pb activity concentration in black powder samples and spent filter cartridges varies from 500 to 17000 Bq/kg and from 200 to 2900 Bq/kg respectively. The black powder with highest 210Pb concentration should be classified as low-radioactive waste according to nuclear regulations.

Temporal variation of atmospheric 7Be and 210Pb concentrations and their activity size distributions at Astana, Kazakhstan in Central Asia

Atmospheric concentrations of 7Be and 210Pb obtained by a high-volume air sampler with a cascade impactor were measured from September 2016 to November 2017 in Astana, Kazakhstan. The levels and seasonal variations of atmospheric 7Be and 210Pb concentrations were investigated together with their activity size distributions. Typical seasonal variability was observed with higher concentrations of 7Be occurring in the warm summer and that of 210Pb towards the cold winter. These trends may be attributed to the increased vertical mixing within the troposphere during the warm summer season and the frequent inversion conditions of the surface layers during the cold winter season.

Analysis of 7Be and 210Pb concentration and 7Be/210Pb activity ratio in ground level air in Palermo (Italy)

ABSTRACTA series of measurements of particulate samples collected on paper filters in Palermo (Italy) during 1995–2005 has been performed to detect Pb air activity concentration and, along with previous similar data on Be, to evaluate their activity ratio. Average values for the daily activity concentrations of Be and Pb are found to be 4.7 and 0.6 mBq m, respectively, 9.8 being the average activity ratio. Data confirm a seasonal behavior for both radionuclides. A correlation between Be and Pb air activity concentrations seems to exist, despite their different origins. The time behaviors of both Be and Pb air concentrations and Be/Pb activity ratio have been compared with some meteorological parameter time series. The analysis of the data shows a weak correlation with rainfall, while no correlation can be established with other parameters. Monthly and weekly average values have been reconstructed taking into account missing data, in order to carry out homogeneous comparisons with available data from other geographical areas. Data series correlations and the frequency analysis show the importance of atmospheric transport processes and the influence of meteorological and climatic parameters (in particular rainfall) in determining the concentrations in air of both radionuclides.

P.472 Cognition and language in Parkinson´s disease

In topsoils, the activity concentrations of natural radionuclides (hereafter NRs) increase due to the addition of NRs from fertilizers, irrigation water, and air dust pollution. On the other hand, various physical-chemical and environmental processes such as radioactive decay, volatilization, leaching, erosion, and plant uptake were responsible for the decrease of the activity concentrations of NRs in the topsoils. In this study, behaviours of 40K, 210Pb, 226Ra, 238U, and 232Th in topsoils were modelled by the CEMC soil model and the HYDRUS-1D model. An exponential equation was proposed for estimating the accumulation rates of these radionuclides in the topsoils. Long-term accumulation of radionuclides was assessed for water spinach (Ipomoea Aquatica Forssk.) soil (hereafter VES) and rice (Oryza sativa L.) soil (hereafter RIS). We found that the current agricultural practices caused the increase of 40K activity concentration in the water spinach soil, and 40K, 210Pb, 226Ra, and 232Th activity concentrations in the rice soil. The accumulation rates of radionuclides were in the order 238U < 232Th < 226Ra < 210Pb < 40K. 25 years of cultivation with water spinach can increase/decrease + (165 ± 6) Bq of 40K, – (8.2 ± 0.7) Bq of 210Pb, – (4.3 ± 0.2) Bq of 226Ra, – (7 0.3 ± 0.3) Bq of 238U, and – (1.8 ± 0.1) Bq of 232Th in 1 kg soil. For rice cultivation, these values are + (1004 ± 39), + (3.3 ± 0.2), + (3.0 ± 0.2), – (5.1 ± 0.3), (2.2 ± 0.1) Bq kg−1 for 40K, 210Pb, 226Ra, 238U, and 232Th, respectively.

Organic matter contents and degradation in a highly trawled area during fresh particle inputs (Gulf of Castellammare, southwestern Mediterranean)

Abstract. Bottom trawling in the deep sea is one of the main drivers of sediment resuspension, eroding the seafloor and altering the content and composition of sedimentary organic matter (OM). The physical and biogeochemical impacts of bottom trawling were studied on the continental slope of the Gulf of Castellammare, Sicily (southwestern Mediterranean), through the analysis of two triplicate sediment cores collected at trawled and untrawled sites (∼550 m water depth) during the summer of 2016. Geochemical and sedimentological parameters (excess 210Pb, excess 234Th, 137Cs, dry bulk density, and grain size), elemental (organic carbon and nitrogen) and biochemical composition of sedimentary OM (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids), as well as its freshness (phytopigments) and degradation rates were determined in both coring locations. The untrawled site had a sedimentation rate of 0.15 cm yr−1 and presented a 6 cm thick surface mixed layer that contained siltier sediment with low excess 210Pb concentrations, possibly resulting from the resuspension, posterior advection, and eventual deposition of coarser and older sediment from adjacent trawling grounds. In contrast, the trawled site was eroded and presented compacted century-old sediment highly depleted in OM components, which were between 20 % and 60 % lower than those in the untrawled site. However, the upper 2 cm of the trawled site consisted of recently accumulated sediments enriched in excess 234Th, excess 210Pb, and phytopigments, while OM contents were similar to those from the untrawled core. This fresh sediment supported protein turnover rates of 0.025 d−1, which doubled those quantified in surface sediments of the untrawled site. The enhancement of remineralization rates in surface sediment of the trawled site was associated with the arrival of fresh particles on a chronically trawled deep-sea region that is generally deprived of OM. We conclude that the detrimental effects of bottom trawling can be temporarily and partially abated by the arrival of fresh and nutritionally rich OM, which stimulate the response of benthic communities. However, these ephemeral deposits are likely to be swiftly eroded due to the high trawling frequency over fishing grounds, highlighting the importance of establishing science-based management strategies to mitigate the impacts of bottom trawling.

Activity concentrations of 137Cs, 40K, and 210Pb radionuclides in selected medicinal herbs from Central Serbia and their effective dose due to ingestion

Specific activity of 137Cs, 40K, and 210Pb radionuclides in fifteen selected medicinal herbs from three locations in Central Serbia (two mountains, Kopaonik and Zlatar, and a valley, Sokobanja) was measured using two semiconductor HPGe spectrometer systems. The obtained values are in intervals (<0.3 ÷ 9.7) Bq/kg, (<0.2 ÷ 24.7) Bq/kg, and (<0.2 ÷ 5.7) Bq/kg for 137Cs; in intervals (125 ÷ 1100) Bq/kg, (104 ÷ 872) Bq/kg, and (103 ÷ 954) Bq/kg for 40K, and in intervals (3.6 ÷ 49.0) Bq/kg, (3.9 ÷ 57.9) Bq/kg, and (2.8 ÷ 103) Bq/kg for 210Pb, for herbs from Kopaonik, Sokobanja and Zlatar, respectively. The highest activity measured in individual herbs was: 24.7 Bq/kg for 137Cs (Sokobanja valley), 1100 Bq/kg for 40K (Mt. Kopaonik) and 103 Bq/kg for 210Pb (Mt. Zlatar). The corresponding individual annual effective doses due to ingestion calculated from the measured activity concentrations, of the radionuclides are: in intervals (<1.7 ÷ 82.9) nSv, (<1.4 ÷ 211) nSv, and (<1.1 ÷ 48.7) nSv for 137Cs; in intervals (0.76 ÷ 4.5) μSv, (0.64 ÷ 4.4) μSv, and (0.63 ÷ 4.9) μSv for 40K, and in intervals (1.1 ÷ 18.2) μSv, (1.3 ÷ 21.6) μSv, (0.9 ÷ 38.3) μSv for 210Pb, respectively. The specific activity concentration values of 137Cs and 40K obtained for the investigated herbs are similar to the literature data, while no information was found in literature about specific activity concentration of 210Pb. The all values obtained for individual annual effective dose due to ingestion are less than 100 μSv, which means that the daily use of 200 mL of herbal infusion during a year made from the investigated herbs does not represent a radiological risk for health. However, a high individual annual effective dose of ingestion of 210Pb obtained for some herbs indicate that their consumption in larger amounts 2–3 cups of infusion daily over a year could make the dose to exceed the recommended level, and points to necessity for extensive investigation of 210Pb activity concentration worldwide.

Precise 210Pb determination with high-efficiency gamma spectrometry for dating of marine sedimentary cores

In order to establish the chronology of deep-sea sediments from high-resolution 210Pb-dating, the determination of 210Pb and 226Ra activity concentrations needs to be improved. Gamma spectrometry allows determining simultaneously both radionuclides. However, spectrum background is still an issue to obtain high sensitivity. Four deep-sea sediment cores were dated using Mazinger, a gamma spectrometer with high-efficiency and very low-background, and the Constant Rate and Supply model was applied to obtain recent ages.

Multimodal-TERESA, a 210Pb-based radiometric dating model for recent sediments under largely varying rates of supply

Abstract Lead-210 from natural atmospheric fallout is widely used in multidisciplinary studies for dating recent sediments. In anthropogenically-impacted and/or high energy systems the 210Pb flux onto the sediments may show non-random temporal variability, leading to the failure of classical dating models. The problem of how identifying and dating such cases remained unsolved, and it is the goal of the present work. Empirical evidences from varved sediments prove that initial activity concentrations of excess 210Pb (210Pbexc) and sediment accumulation rates (SARs) show large and independent temporal variability. M-TERESA model describes such variability by using multimodal frequency distributions and decodes the chronology from the 210Pbexc versus mass depth profile. The new model can solve scenarios with largely varying rates of supply, which fall beyond the limits of the piecewise versions of the classical models. Its use is demonstrated with some complex 210Pbexc profiles from varved sediments and synthetic cores for which an alternative and complete reconstruction of palaeofluxes and SARs is possible. The paper is supported by a wide set of supplementary material, including numerical codes for applying TERESA. The proposed methods are also useful for improving the reliability of routinely applications of the 210Pb-based radiometric dating of recent sediments.

The level of 210Pb extraction efficiency in Polish herbal teas and the possible effective dose to consumers

The article presents the results of a study on the level of 210Pb efficiency extraction in Polish herbal teas as a possible additional source of this radioactive isotope in the human diet. The twelve most popular herbal teas available in Poland and their infusions in filtered and tap water were analyzed as well as 210Pb activity concentrations and effective doses (radiation) were calculated. The highest activity concentration of 210Pb in dried plants was determined in cistus – 35.5 Bq kg−1 dry wt, while the lowest was in milk thistle – 3.25 Bq kg−1 dry wt what gives respectively for cistus 46.1 ± 0.7 and 6.50 ± 0.29 mBq for milk thistle per one tea bag. The extraction efficiencies in the filtered water oscillated from 5.1 ± 0.5 for milk thistle to 27.3 ± 0.8% for cistus, while for the tap water they ranged from 7.3 ± 0.6% for lime to 33.3 ± 2.2% for white mulberry. Based on the study, it was found that the analyzed herbal tea consumption would give a small portion of the annual effective dose of 210Pb received in Poland – the annual effective radiation dose of 210Pb taken with herbal tea infusions (one glass daily) was calculated from 0.08 ± 0.01 to 3.17 ± 0.08 µSv.

Spatial variability in Polonium-210 and Lead-210 activity concentration in New Zealand shellfish and dose assessment

The activity concentrations of Polonium-210 (210Po) and Lead-210 (210Pb) were determined in shellfish (Perna canaliculus and Paphies subtriangulata) sampled bimonthly from March 2018 to February 2019 from 14 sites around New Zealand. Activity concentrations of 210Po ranged from 4.7 ± 1.1 to 324 ± 17 Bq. kg−1 with a mean value of 57 ± 72 Bq. kg−1 (wet weight). The activity concentrations of 210Pb were lower than those for 210Po (0.1 ± 0.4 and 1.9 ± 0.4 Bq. kg−1, with a mean value of 0.7 ± 0.4 Bq. kg−1, wet weight). The calculated 210Po/210Pb activity concentration ratios were higher than unity in all samples indicating that radionuclides are not in equilibrium in shellfish and most of the 210Po was unsupported by its grandparent 210Pb. No significant difference was noted in 210Po activity concentration between different seasons, species or shellfish condition index. Significant spatial variability in 210Po activity concentration was observed with elevated 210Po activity concentration in two sampling sites: Ninety Mile Beach (mean 257 ± 47 Bq. kg−1) and Maunganui Bluff (mean 127 ± 22 Bq. kg−1). Elevated 210Po is hypothesised to be related to an increase of 210Po accumulation through diet. Individuals who consume large quantities of shellfish (10 g per day or more) from areas affected by elevated 210Po activity concentration may be exposed to an annual committed effective dose from 210Po in shellfish in excess of 1 mSv.

Characterization and radiological impacts assessment of scale TENORM waste produced from oil and natural gas production in Egypt.

This study aims to identify the analytical and radiological characterization of scale TENORM waste produced from oil and natural gas productions in the western desert in Egypt and evaluates their radiological impacts. The mean activity concentration of 238U, 226Ra, 210Pb, 228Ra, 224Ra, and 40K measured in scale TENORM samples is 660 ± 63, 1979 ± 435, 1399 ± 211, 645 ± 104, 794 ± 116, and 556 ± 86 Bq/kg, respectively. Radiological hazard parameters (Raeq, Hex, Hin, etc.) were estimated form the scale TENORM waste sample. All the calculated hazard parameters were found greater than the permissible and recommended safe levels. So the exposure to radiations released from the accumulation of the petroleum scale TENORM waste may cause health risks to the operators and who inhale radioactive radon gases and/or ingest contaminants by radiotoxic nuclides of U, Th, Ra, and Pb. Also, the risks may be extended to the near and/or the general environment.