Journal of Science, Technology and Environment Informatics |
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Research article:
Presence of uranium and thorium in zircon assemblages separated from beach sands of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
Md. Mashrur Zaman (1), Mohammad Rajib (1*), Mohammad Zafrul Kabir (1), Farah Deeba (1), Syed Masud Rana (2), Syed Mohammod Hossain (3), Sk. Abdul Latif (3) and Md. Golam Rasul (1)
1Nuclear Minerals Unit, AERE, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Savar, PO Box-3787, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
2Nuclear Power and Energy Division, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
3Reactor and Neutron Physics Division, AERE, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Savar, PO Box-3787, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
J. Sci. Technol. Environ. Inform. | Volume 03, Issue 01, pp. 161-169 | Date of Publication: 29 February 2016.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18801/jstei.030116.18.
Presence of uranium and thorium in zircon assemblages separated from beach sands of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
Md. Mashrur Zaman (1), Mohammad Rajib (1*), Mohammad Zafrul Kabir (1), Farah Deeba (1), Syed Masud Rana (2), Syed Mohammod Hossain (3), Sk. Abdul Latif (3) and Md. Golam Rasul (1)
1Nuclear Minerals Unit, AERE, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Savar, PO Box-3787, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
2Nuclear Power and Energy Division, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
3Reactor and Neutron Physics Division, AERE, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Savar, PO Box-3787, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
J. Sci. Technol. Environ. Inform. | Volume 03, Issue 01, pp. 161-169 | Date of Publication: 29 February 2016.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18801/jstei.030116.18.
| presence_of_uranium_and_thorium_in_zircon_assemblages_separated_from_beach_sands_of_cox’s_bazar_bangladesh.pdf |
Title: Presence of uranium and thorium in zircon assemblages separated from beach sands of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
Abstract: Beach sands harbor appreciable amount of radioactive elements such as zircon which contains some important and radioactive elements (e.g. uranium, thorium). Very limited quantitative information is available of such elements in the sand of the beaches of Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh. The present study presents application of Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) to quantify uranium and thorium elemental concentration in zircon assemblages from beach placers of Cox’s Bazar. Zircon was separated from beach sands in a mineral processing pilot plant. The separated zircon assemblages were examined by a polarizing petrographic microscope and X-ray diffraction techniques and found that it contained more than 75% pure zircon. Thereafter, uranium and thorium concentrations in zircon were measured by NAA and revealed that zircon contained 94-141 ppm uranium and 127-506 ppm thorium. Therefore, this noticeable amount of uranium and thorium in zircon should be taken in consideration during any mining attempt of the placer minerals present in Cox's Bazar beaches.
Key words: Radioactive minerals, Beach placers, Separation flow chart, XRD and Neutron activation analysis
Abstract: Beach sands harbor appreciable amount of radioactive elements such as zircon which contains some important and radioactive elements (e.g. uranium, thorium). Very limited quantitative information is available of such elements in the sand of the beaches of Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh. The present study presents application of Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) to quantify uranium and thorium elemental concentration in zircon assemblages from beach placers of Cox’s Bazar. Zircon was separated from beach sands in a mineral processing pilot plant. The separated zircon assemblages were examined by a polarizing petrographic microscope and X-ray diffraction techniques and found that it contained more than 75% pure zircon. Thereafter, uranium and thorium concentrations in zircon were measured by NAA and revealed that zircon contained 94-141 ppm uranium and 127-506 ppm thorium. Therefore, this noticeable amount of uranium and thorium in zircon should be taken in consideration during any mining attempt of the placer minerals present in Cox's Bazar beaches.
Key words: Radioactive minerals, Beach placers, Separation flow chart, XRD and Neutron activation analysis
APA (American Psychological Association)
Zaman, M. M., Rajib, M., Kabir, M. Z., Deeba, F., Rana, S. M., Hossain, S. M., Latif, Sk. A. & Rasul, M. G. (2016). Presence of uranium and thorium in zircon assemblages separated from beach sands of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Journal of Science, Technology and Environment Informatics, 03(01), 161-169.
MLA (Modern Language Association)
Zaman, M. M., Rajib, M., Kabir, M. Z., Deeba, F., Rana, S. M., Hossain, S. M., Latif, Sk. A. & Rasul, M. G. “Presence of uranium and thorium in zircon assemblages separated from beach sands of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.” Journal of Science, Technology and Environment Informatics, 03.01 (2016): 161-169.
Chicago/Turabian
Zaman, M. M., Rajib, M., Kabir, M. Z., Deeba, F., Rana, S. M., Hossain, S. M., Latif, Sk. A. & Rasul, M. G. “Presence of uranium and thorium in zircon assemblages separated from beach sands of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.” Journal of Science, Technology and Environment Informatics, 03, no. 01 (2016): 161-169.
Zaman, M. M., Rajib, M., Kabir, M. Z., Deeba, F., Rana, S. M., Hossain, S. M., Latif, Sk. A. & Rasul, M. G. (2016). Presence of uranium and thorium in zircon assemblages separated from beach sands of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Journal of Science, Technology and Environment Informatics, 03(01), 161-169.
MLA (Modern Language Association)
Zaman, M. M., Rajib, M., Kabir, M. Z., Deeba, F., Rana, S. M., Hossain, S. M., Latif, Sk. A. & Rasul, M. G. “Presence of uranium and thorium in zircon assemblages separated from beach sands of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.” Journal of Science, Technology and Environment Informatics, 03.01 (2016): 161-169.
Chicago/Turabian
Zaman, M. M., Rajib, M., Kabir, M. Z., Deeba, F., Rana, S. M., Hossain, S. M., Latif, Sk. A. & Rasul, M. G. “Presence of uranium and thorium in zircon assemblages separated from beach sands of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.” Journal of Science, Technology and Environment Informatics, 03, no. 01 (2016): 161-169.
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