A preliminary study of radioactivity level of surface sediments in the coastal area of Lufeng nuclear power plant

Radionuclides in the surface sediments from Lufeng nuclear power plant and its adjacent sea area of the South China Sea were measured using γ spectroscopy method. It was shown that the uranium decay series were in disequilibrium in the surface sediments, where ²¹⁰Pb relative of ²²⁶Ra were excess and ²²⁶Ra relative of ²³⁸U were deficient. Meanwhile, the thorium decay series were close to decay equilibrium. Compared with the radioactive content of sediments in some sea areas of China, the specific activity of ²³⁸U and ²²⁸Th were at medium level. The content of ⁴⁰K, ²²⁶Ra, ²¹⁰Pb, ²²⁸Ra and ¹³⁷Cs were close to sediment of the northeastern South China Sea. In a whole, the radioactivity level of sediments from Lufeng nuclear power plant and its adjacent sea area had no significant difference with historical data and was in the normal background range.