Determinación de I-131 Y K-40 en frutas cultivadas en la sierra ecuatoriana

Abstract

The concentration of the specific activity of I-131 and K-40 was determined in ten fruits and crop soils from the Ecuadorian Andean Highlands by means of gamma spectrometry in the present research. The samples had a five-phase process: collecting, peeling, drying, crushing and screening. The analysis was carried out in the Nuclear Techniques Laboratory from ESPOCH using the ADANI Rug 91-2 spectrometer, with an acquisition time of 4 hours, and with three repetitions per sample. The results of the I-131 measurements showed the values of the average concentration of the specific activity of the fruits, the values are in a range of 0.06 and 0.21 (Bq/Kg). This element was not observed in the tree tomato, strawberry and blackberry. The results of the average concentration of the specific activity of K-40 in fruits are in a range of 305-487 (Bq/Kg), the highest average was evident in peach (486.86 Bq/Kg) and lowest value in the pear (305.13 Bq/Kg). The absorption capacity of I-131 of fruit’s plants grown in the soils from Ecuadorian Adean highlands, is variable, the limon and the pear showed absorption percentages greater than 50%, apple, fig and peach showed percentages of absorption greater than 30%, the taxo and the tuna showed absorption percentages greater than 15%, while the tree tomato, strawberry and blackberry do not absorb this radionuclide. To the K-40, lemon showed an absorption power greater than 99%, apple, peach, pear and strawberry presented absorption percentages greater than 80%, blackberry, fig, tree tomato and tuna showed absorption percentages greater than 50%, while the taxo presented an absorption power greater than 40%. It is recommended to develop new research related to the presence of I-131 and K-40 in other foods, such as vegetables, meats, milk, among others.