Measurement of radionuclides and absorbed dose rates in soil samples of Peshawar, Pakistan, using gamma ray spectrometry

2012 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 295-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hasan M. Khan ◽  
Muhammad Ismail ◽  
Muhammad Abid Zia ◽  
Khalid Khan
Author(s):  
P.M. Gyuk ◽  
J.O. Anaegbu ◽  
H.O. Aboh ◽  
R. Daniel ◽  
A. Aruwa ◽  
...  

The background radiation of the areas was collected at random for each point using a rados survey meter. The detectors (two rados survey meter were used) were placed 1 meter above the ground with the operator positioned a few meters away. Three (3) readings were taking from each detector in other to reduce error or reach accuracy in obtaining the background readings from each randomly selected point where soil samples were later collected. In the current study, the concentration levels of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs) of 40K, 232Th, and 238U in the surface soil samples of selected areas in kigo road new extension Kaduna north, Kaduna in Nigeria were studied. The collected soil samples were analyzed by means of gamma-ray spectrometry. The mean activity concentrations of the natural occurring radionuclides of  226Ra, 232Th and 40K in the soil samples were estimated to be 62, 78.35, 227.17 Bq/kg respectively for kigo road new extension respectively. Radium equivalent activity, absorbed dose rate, annual effective dose equivalent were also calculated for assessment of radiological risk. External hazard value (Hex) is between 0.3163 and 0.9557 and Internal hazard value is between 0.4462 and 1.1618. The worldwide average activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in soil samples from various studies around the world have values of 37, 30 and 400 Bq/kg respectively [UNSCEAR, 2000]. The values compared well with published data from UNSCEAR shows Ra-226, Th-232 from the location are well above the standards while K-40 below the risk value.


1981 ◽  
Vol 18 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 987-999 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.L. McLaughlin ◽  
J.C. Humphreys ◽  
H. Levine ◽  
A. Miller ◽  
B.B. Radak ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 449-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ljiljana Jankovic-Mandic ◽  
Ranko Dragovic ◽  
Milan Djordjevic ◽  
Maja Djolic ◽  
Antonije Onjia ◽  
...  

Among radionuclides in the soil deposited after Chernobyl accident, 137Cs poses considerable environmental and radiological problems because of its relatively long half-life (30.17 y), its abundance in the fallout, high mobility and similarity to potassium as the major plant nutrient. In this study the samples of undisturbed surface soil (n=250) were taken from 70 regions in Belgrade, during 2006-2010. The specific activities of 137Cs were measured by gamma-ray spectrometry. Based on obtained results external effective dose rates were calculated according to the internationally accepted activity to dose rate conversion equations. The specific activities of 137Cs were geographically mapped. The presence of 137Cs has been detected in all soil samples, with high variability of its specific activity, ranging from 3 Bq kg-1 to 87 Bq kg-1. The mean specific activity of 137Cs was 23 Bq kg-1 and the corresponding absorbed dose was 1.5 nSv h-1. The observed range reflects the inhomogeneity of the deposition process following the Chernobyl accident. It could also be attributed to topographic differences and spatial differences in physicochemical and biological soil properties, soil type and vegetation cover. The results of the present study could be valuable database for future estimations of the impact of radioactive pollution.


2021 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-22
Author(s):  
Marko Šoštarić ◽  
Branko Petrinec ◽  
Mak Avdić ◽  
Ljerka Petroci ◽  
Milica Kovačić ◽  
...  

Abstract We took samples of uncultivated soil from the surface layer (0–10 cm) at 138 sites from all over Croatia and measured their radionuclide activity concentrations with high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. This second part of our report brings the results on 40K and 137Cs to complement those on the 232Th and 238U decay chains addressed in the first part. Together they give the most complete picture of radioactivity of Croatian soil so far. Activity concentrations of 40K were the highest in the Pannonian region, and there was an opposite trend for 137Cs. We found that the concentrations of 137Cs tended to increase with altitude, annual precipitation, and vegetation density. The concentration ratio of 137Cs and K in soil, which indicates the potential for 137Cs entering food chains via uptake by plants, was the lowest in agriculturally important areas in the east of the Pannonian region. In addition, we used the obtained results on activity concentrations to calculate the related absorbed dose rate as a measure of external exposure to ionising radiation from soil. The sum of the absorbed dose rates for naturally occurring radionuclides and 137Cs showed that external exposure was generally the highest in the Dinaric region and Istrian Peninsula.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Omowumi Ademila ◽  
Raphael Ugo

Quarry activities increase the radiation dose received by humans by distributing the radionuclides associated with the natural resources to the soil surfaces. This study assessed the level of natural radiations in soils around two quarry sites to a maximum depth of 2.0 m and up to 500 m away from the sites. Activity concentration of 232Th, 238U and 40K in twenty soil samples collected from the quarries in Ondo State were measured by means of high resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. Average value of 232Th, 238U and 40K measured were 0.0027±0.0003 Bq/kg and 0.0036±0.00036 Bq/kg, 0.028±0.0012 Bq/kg and 0.026±0.0012 Bq/kg and 47.45±0.0313 Bq/kg and 69.42±0.0313 Bq/kg respectively. The estimated absorbed dose rates in all the soils investigated ranged from 0.38 nGy/hr to 15.67 nGy/hr and the annual mean effective dose equivalent varied from 2.13 to 10.28 µSv/yr. The results revealed that the activity concentrations and radiological hazard indices when compared with their corresponding world permissible values are less than the recommended safe levels. This indicates that quarry activities in the areas have not enhanced the background radiation level of the areas. Regular exposure of the quarry workers and the people around the study areas pose no health hazards in the near future. 


2005 ◽  
Vol 48 (spe2) ◽  
pp. 221-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Araújo dos Santos Júnior ◽  
Jorge João Ricardo Ferreira Cardoso ◽  
Cleomacio Miguel da Silva ◽  
Suêldo Vita Silveira ◽  
Romilton dos Santos Amaral

Potassium-40 was determined in soil in an area with 40,000 m² situated in the western State of Pernambuco, Brazil. For radiometric measurements, the gamma spectrometry method with a high purity germanium (HPGe) detector was used. Sampling of 78 soil samples has been performed at intervals of 25 m. The specific activities of 40K were calculated based on the photopeak of 1.46 MeV. Values from 541 to 3,572 Bq kg-1 were obtained (mean of 1,827 Bq kg-1). These values allowed the determination of the elemental concentrations as well as the absorbed dose rates in air, 1 m above the ground. The values varied from 1.7 to 11.5% (mean of 6%) and from 23.4 to 154.3 nGy h-1 (mean of 79 nGy h-1), respectively.


2020 ◽  
Vol 188 (3) ◽  
pp. 316-321
Author(s):  
Fei Tuo ◽  
Xuan Peng ◽  
Qiang Zhou ◽  
Jing Zhang

Abstract Radioactivity of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K were measured in a total of 92 samples, including eight commonly used types of building materials that were obtained from local manufacturers and suppliers in Beijing. Concentrations were determined using high-purity germanium gamma-ray spectrometry. The 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K activity concentrations in all samples varied from 10.1 to 661, 3.3 to 555 and 3.2 to 2945 Bq per kg with an average of 127.8, 114.8, and 701.5 Bq per kg, respectively. The potential radiological hazards were estimated by calculating the absorbed dose rate (D), radium equivalent activity (Raeq), external hazard (Hex), and internal hazard (Hin) indices. The investigated building materials were classified into different types according to the radioactivity levels. Results from this research will provide a reference for the acquisition, sales, and use of building materials. Attention should be paid to the use of coal cinder brick, ceramic, and granite in the construction of dwellings.


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