Statistical biases may be introduced by imprecisely quantifying background radiation reference levels. It is, therefore, imperative to devise a simple, adaptable approach for precisely describing the reference background levels of naturally occurring radionuclides (NOR) in mining sites. As a substitute statistical method, we suggest using Bayesian modeling in this work to examine the spatial distribution of NOR. For naturally occurring gamma-induced radionuclides like 232Th, 40K, and 238U, statistical parameters are inferred using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. After obtaining an accurate subsample using bootstrapping, we exclude any possible outliers that fall outside of the Highest Density Interval (HDI). We use MCMC to build a Bayesian model with the resampled data and make predictions about the posterior distribution of radionuclides produced by gamma irradiation. This method offers a strong and dependable way to describe NOR reference background values, which is important for managing and evaluating radiation risks in mining contexts.
References
[1]
International Atomic Energy Agency (2015) Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency. Vienna: IAEA. (IAEA Safety Standards Series No. GSR Part 7).
[2]
Al-Jundi, J., Al-Bataina, B.A., Abu-Rukah, Y. and Shehadeh, H.M. (2003) Natural Radioactivity Concentrations in Soil Samples along the Amman Aqaba Highway, Jordan. Radiation Measurements, 36, 555-560. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1350-4487(03)00202-6
[3]
Mehra, R., et al. (2007) Assessment of Natural Radioactivity in Some Building Materials in Northern India. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 94, 151-156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2007.01.002
[4]
Turhan, Ş. (2008) Assessment of the Natural Radioactivity and Radiological Hazards in Turkish Cement and Its Raw Materials. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 99, 404-414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2007.11.001
[5]
Taskin, H., Karavus, M., Ay, P., Topuzoglu, A., Hidiroglu, S. and Karahan, G. (2009) Radionuclide Concentrations in Soil and Lifetime Cancer Risk Due to Gamma Radioactivity in Kirklareli, Türkiye. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 100, 49-53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2008.10.012
[6]
Tzortzis, M. and Tsertos, H. (2004) Determination of Thorium, Uranium and Potassium Elemental Concentrations in Surface Soils in Cyprus. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 77, 325-338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2004.03.014
[7]
Beretka, J. and Mathew, P.J. (1985) Natural Radioactivity of Australian Building Materials, Industrial Wastes and By-Products. Health Physics, 48, 87-95. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-198501000-00007
[8]
Khandaker, M.U., et al. (2013) Assessment of Radiation and Heavy Metals Risk Due to the Use of Building Materials in Penang, Malaysia. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 80, 78-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2013.06.002
[9]
Kumar, A., et al. (2014) Radiological Hazards of Naturally Occurring Radionuclides in the Soils from the East Coast of Tamil Nadu, India. Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 161, 472-478.
[10]
Al-Kofahi, M.M., et al. (1992) Natural Radioactivity and Radon Exhalation Rates of Cement Used in Jordan. Radiation Measurements, 21, 267-270.
[11]
Righi, S. and Bruzzi, L. (2006) Natural Radioactivity and Radon Exhalation in Building Materials Used in Italian Dwellings. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 88, 158-170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2006.01.009
[12]
Otwoma, D., et al. (2013) Radiological Survey and Assessment of Associated Activity Concentrations in Soil Samples from Bomet County, Kenya. Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences, 6, 48-55.
[13]
Stoulos, S., Manolopoulou, M. and Papastefanou, C. (2003) Assessment of Natural Radiation Exposure and Radon Exhalation from Building Materials in Greece. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 69, 225-240. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0265-931x(03)00081-x
[14]
Hizem, N., Ben Fredj, A. and Ghedira, L. (2005) Determination of Natural Radioactivity in Building Materials Used in Tunisian Dwellings by Gamma Ray Spectrometry. Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 114, 533-537. https://doi.org/10.1093/rpd/nch489
[15]
El-Taher, A. (2012) Assessment of Natural Radioactivity Levels and Radiation Hazards for Building Materials in Qassim Area, Saudi Arabia. Egyptian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 6, 97-105.
[16]
Gelman, A., et al. (2013) Bayesian Data Analysis. 3rd Edition, CRC Press.
[17]
Wickham, H. and Grolemund, G. (2016) R for Data Science: Import, Tidy, Transform, Visualize, and Model Data. O’Reilly Media.
[18]
Carpenter, B., Gelman, A., Hoffman, M.D., Lee, D., Goodrich, B., Betancourt, M., et al. (2017) Stan: A Probabilistic Programming Language. Journal of Statistical Software, 76, 1-32. https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v076.i01
[19]
Rouder, J.N., Speckman, P.L., Sun, D., Morey, R.D. and Iverson, G. (2009) Bayesian T Tests for Accepting and Rejecting the Null Hypothesis. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 16, 225-237. https://doi.org/10.3758/pbr.16.2.225
[20]
Bürkner, P. (2017) Brms: An R Package for Bayesian Multilevel Models Using Stan. Journal of Statistical Software, 80, 1-28. https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v080.i01