Activity concentrations of natural radionuclides in hay and grass from certain areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

The amounts of natural radionuclides in the hay and grass from the city areas of Livno, Kakanj and Hadžići,  and the mountain Vlašić, were investigated in the research paper. Activity concentration of natural radionuclides 238U, 232Th, 226Ra and 40K were calculated by gamma spectrometry with high resolution HPGe detector and additional equipment. Amounts of natural radionuclides (Bq kg-1 fresh weight) in the hay samples were ranging from 0.1–2.6 for 238U, 0.01–0.6 for 232Th, 0.2–3.8 for 226Ra, and 275–817 for 40K. The following ranges of activity levels (Bq kg-1 fresh weight) of 238U, 232Th 226Ra and 40K were recorded in the grass samples: 0.06–0.70, 0.01–0.1, 0.11–1.1, 101–170, respectively. Obtained results did not point out at significantly elevated amounts of natural radionuclides in the samples of roughage feed. Recorded activity concentration of natural radionuclides in the samples of roughage feed indicated the acceptable amounts of natural radioactivity in the diet of ruminants in the observed areas.