RADIOACTIVITY DETECTION IN AIR AND RAINWATER SAMPLES IN THE CITY OF VLORA, ALBANIA

Measurements of low level radioactivity of atmospheric particulate material and rainwater samples were performed from April 2011 to January 2012 in the city of Vlora, by collecting and analyzing them every two weeks. Samples were analyzed for gross alpha and beta activities. Atmospheric particulate material is sampled near ground level by air samplers, while the samples of rainwater are collected by polythene bottles placed at the station located on the roof of university main building about 20 m above the ground level. Measurements of gross alpha and beta radioactivity samples were performed on a MPC 9604 (Nuclear Physics Center at Tirana) and Canberra 2400 (Nuclear laboratory at University of Yoanina) Gross Alpha/Beta detector (gas proportional detector) with efficiency of 20% in measuring alpha particles and 40% in measuring beta particles. Radioactivity measurements of gamma radioisotopes were performed on a high resolution γ-spectrometry system with a Canberra BE3825 HPGE detector of 70% relative efficiency at the Yoanina Laboratory.