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<p>This study was designed to conduct a comprehensive investigation of natural radioactivity levels, radiological hazard to human health, and crystalline quality in river sediments from the Gulf of Patti (Sicily, Southern Italy), which was selected as a representative case study. A total of forty sediment samples were collected from eight coastal locations, with five samples obtained at each site. The sampling sites were chosen to adequately represent the study area, as they correspond to the mouths of the eight principal rivers discharging into the Gulf of Patti. Radionuclide activity concentrations were measured by gamma-ray spectrometry with a High-Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector. <sup>226</sup>Ra (11.8–21.9&#xa0;Bq&#xa0;kg<sup>−1</sup>) and <sup>232</sup>Th (18.3–33.1&#xa0;Bq&#xa0;kg<sup>−1</sup>) levels were generally below global averages, while <sup>40</sup>K (439–873&#xa0;Bq&#xa0;kg<sup>−1</sup>) exceeded the worldwide mean. Several hazard indices, including the absorbed dose rate (<i>D</i>), annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE), radium equivalent activity (Ra<sub>eq</sub>), radioactivity representative level index (I<sub>α</sub>), and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR), were calculated to evaluate potential radiological health implications. They all remain below internationally recommended reference limits, indicating no significant radiological health hazard. Furthermore, multivariate statistical methods were employed to explore possible relationships among radionuclide concentrations, radiological indices, and crystalline quality. The latter was assessed through the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the quartz (101) diffraction peak, determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and used as an indicator of crystal lattice defects. Specifically, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) revealed strong correlations and well-defined clustering patterns, while successfully identifying the site ID3 as a statistical outlier. Moreover, while the positive correlation between quartz FWHM and radioactivity was not statistically significant (<i>p</i> &gt; 0.05), a noticeable positive trend was observed, suggesting that crystalline disorder could mineralogically influence radionuclide incorporation. This integrated approach enabled a clear differentiation of sediment samples by both radiometric and microstructural features.</p>

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Integrated assessment of natural radioactivity, radiological health hazard, and crystalline quality in river sediments from Sicily, Southern Italy

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月1日

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  • Francesco Caridi,
  • Antonio Francesco Mottese,
  • Giuseppe Paladini,
  • Lorenzo Pistorino,
  • Francesco Gregorio,
  • Giuliana Faggio,
  • Giacomo Messina,
  • Domenico Majolino,
  • Valentina Venuti

摘要

This study was designed to conduct a comprehensive investigation of natural radioactivity levels, radiological hazard to human health, and crystalline quality in river sediments from the Gulf of Patti (Sicily, Southern Italy), which was selected as a representative case study. A total of forty sediment samples were collected from eight coastal locations, with five samples obtained at each site. The sampling sites were chosen to adequately represent the study area, as they correspond to the mouths of the eight principal rivers discharging into the Gulf of Patti. Radionuclide activity concentrations were measured by gamma-ray spectrometry with a High-Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector. 226Ra (11.8–21.9 Bq kg−1) and 232Th (18.3–33.1 Bq kg−1) levels were generally below global averages, while 40K (439–873 Bq kg−1) exceeded the worldwide mean. Several hazard indices, including the absorbed dose rate (D), annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE), radium equivalent activity (Raeq), radioactivity representative level index (Iα), and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR), were calculated to evaluate potential radiological health implications. They all remain below internationally recommended reference limits, indicating no significant radiological health hazard. Furthermore, multivariate statistical methods were employed to explore possible relationships among radionuclide concentrations, radiological indices, and crystalline quality. The latter was assessed through the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the quartz (101) diffraction peak, determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and used as an indicator of crystal lattice defects. Specifically, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) revealed strong correlations and well-defined clustering patterns, while successfully identifying the site ID3 as a statistical outlier. Moreover, while the positive correlation between quartz FWHM and radioactivity was not statistically significant (p > 0.05), a noticeable positive trend was observed, suggesting that crystalline disorder could mineralogically influence radionuclide incorporation. This integrated approach enabled a clear differentiation of sediment samples by both radiometric and microstructural features.