Determination of thorium, uranium and potassium elemental concentrations in surface soils in Cyprus

A comprehensive study was conducted to determine thorium, uranium and potassium elemental concentrations in surface soils throughout the accessible area of Cyprus using high-resolution γ-ray spectrometry. A total of 115 soil samples was collected from all over the bedrock surface of the island based on the different lithological units of the study area. The soil samples were air-dried, sieved through a fine mesh, sealed in 1000-ml plastic Marinelli beakers, and measured in the laboratory in terms of their gamma radioactivity for a counting time of 18 h each. From the measured γ-ray spectra, elemental concentrations were determined for thorium (range from 2.5×10−3 to 9.8 μg g−1), uranium (from 8.1×10−4 to 3.2 μg g−1) and potassium (from 1.3×10−4 to 1.9%). The arithmetic mean values (A.M.±S.D.) calculated from all samples are: (1.2±1.7) μg g−1, (0.6±0.7) μg g−1 and (0.4±0.3)%, for thorium, uranium and potassium, respectively, which are by a factor of three–six lower than the world average values of 7.4 μg g−1 (Th), 2.8 μg g−1 (U) and 1.3% (K) derived from all data available worldwide. The best-fitting relation between the concentrations of Th and K versus U and also of K versus Th, is essentially of linear type with a correlation coefficient of 0.93, 0.84 and 0.90, respectively. The Th/U, K/U and K/Th ratios (slopes) extracted are equal to 2.0, 2.8×103 and 1.4×103, respectively.