Assessment of radiological hazard indices caused by 238U, 232Th, 226Ra and 40K radionuclides of heavy minerals on Taiwanese beach sands, stream sediments, and surrounding rocks: implications for radiometric fingerprinting of the environmental impact

This study assessed the radiological hazard indices caused by radionuclides in heavy minerals hosted in Taiwanese beaches, streams, and rocks. Apatite, zircon, monazite, xenotime, rutile, sphene, and epidote are counted as radioactive minerals that respond to radiological hazard indices. These indices are lower than the international permitted values that do not endanger human health. Rocks with uranium migrated out (− Um) are considered radioactive mineral sources with negative migration rates ranging between − 2.18 and − 91.52%, with an average of − 46.85%, and are redistributed into beaches and stream sediments, with positive migration rates ranging between 3.76 and 79.55%, with an average of 41.66%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]