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Article

Assessment of Radon and Naturally Occurring Radionuclides in the Vredefort Meteorite Crater in South Africa

by
Rikus Le Roux
* and
Jacques Bezuidenhout
Faculty of Military Science, Stellenbosch University, Saldanha 7395, South Africa
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Atmosphere 2023, 14(12), 1826; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14121826
Submission received: 6 November 2023 / Revised: 27 November 2023 / Accepted: 12 December 2023 / Published: 15 December 2023
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Radon Concentration Monitoring and Measurements)

Abstract

The concentric impact rings of the Vredefort Crater contain rocks with elevated uranium concentrations resulting from the geological signature of a meteoric impact. The decay of this uranium was estimated to lead to elevated indoor radon concentrations in the Crater, but such a study has never been carried out. This study explores the relationship between the natural radionuclides found in the geology of the Vredefort Crater and indoor radon concentrations. This was achieved through soil sampling and radionuclide surveys conducted on three impact rings, supplemented by indoor radon measurements in dwellings found in the area. In situ measurements revealed that one impact ring had higher-than-average uranium concentrations at 50 Bq/kg. Surprisingly, the measured indoor radon levels were lower than expected (113 Bq/m3). These measurements were taken during the COVID-19 pandemic and colder months, conditions that would typically result in elevated indoor radon levels. Soil samples indicated uranium activity of 30 Bq/kg, comparable to the world average of 35 Bq/kg. However, defunct mine tunnels in the area exhibited elevated radon concentrations, averaging 364 Bq/m3. The disparity between expected and measured indoor radon levels was attributed to the composition of surficial deposits, bedrock, and architectural features of the dwellings preventing radon accumulation.
Keywords: naturally occurring radionuclides; uranium; radon; meteorite impact; geology; South Africa naturally occurring radionuclides; uranium; radon; meteorite impact; geology; South Africa

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with a minor correction in the Abstract and Figure 4. This change does not affect the scientific content of the article.

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MDPI and ACS Style

Le Roux, R.; Bezuidenhout, J. Assessment of Radon and Naturally Occurring Radionuclides in the Vredefort Meteorite Crater in South Africa. Atmosphere 2023, 14, 1826. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14121826

AMA Style

Le Roux R, Bezuidenhout J. Assessment of Radon and Naturally Occurring Radionuclides in the Vredefort Meteorite Crater in South Africa. Atmosphere. 2023; 14(12):1826. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14121826

Chicago/Turabian Style

Le Roux, Rikus, and Jacques Bezuidenhout. 2023. "Assessment of Radon and Naturally Occurring Radionuclides in the Vredefort Meteorite Crater in South Africa" Atmosphere 14, no. 12: 1826. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14121826

APA Style

Le Roux, R., & Bezuidenhout, J. (2023). Assessment of Radon and Naturally Occurring Radionuclides in the Vredefort Meteorite Crater in South Africa. Atmosphere, 14(12), 1826. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14121826

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