scholarly journals Assessment of Natural Radioactivity and Radiation Hazard in Soil Samples of Rajbari District of Bangladesh

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Khatun ◽  
AHM Saadat ◽  
MM Ahasan ◽  
S Akter

Rajbari district of Bangladesh, have been studied and possible health effect were estimated. The experiment has been done by using gamma ray spectrometry system consisting of a HPGe detector coupled with MCA and associate electronics. The average natural radioactivities of 238U, 232Th and 40K have been measured as 29.03±5.67 Bq/kg, 50.91±10.17 Bq/kg and 535.32±89.19 Bq/kg respectively. To estimate health effect due to the activity of those radionuclides, the radium equivalent activity (Raeq), external hazard index (Hex), absorbed dose rate (D) and effective dose have been calculated and compared to the world average values. The results are also compared with the literature values reported for other regions of the world and found that the soil of the study area are not hazards by the radiation and does not pose any harmful effect to the environment. The outcome of this study may provide valuable information about radiation hazard and also may take part in the monitoring of environmental radioactivity. Jahangirnagar University Environmental Bulletin, Vol.2, 1-8, 2013 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jueb.v2i0.16324

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 190-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sukai Zhuang ◽  
Xinwei Lu ◽  
Jiantao Li ◽  
Qian Li

The radiation hazards of five kinds of different solid metallic tailings collected from Shangluo, China were determined on the basis of natural radioactivity measurements using low background multichannel gamma ray spectrometry. The activity concentration of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in the tailings ranged from 5.1 to 204.3, 3.8 to 28.5, and 289.6 to 762.3 Bq/kg, respectively. The radium equivalent activities and the external hazard indexes of all studied metallic tailings were below the internationally accepted value of 370 Bq/kg and unity, respectively. The internal hazard index of vanadium tailings exceeded unity, while the internal hazard indexes of other analyzed metallic tailings were less than unity. The indoor air absorbed dose rate values for all studied metallic tailings except lead-zinc tailings and gold tailings were higher than the world population-weighted average of 84 nGy/h and the annual effective dose values of all metallic tailings except for vanadium tailings were lower than 1 mSv. The study showed that vanadium tailings present a radiation hazard and their usage as building materials should be restricted.


2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 324-333
Author(s):  
M Abu Shayeb ◽  
A Majid ◽  
S Zobidi

The concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K are measured in the material collected from two locations. The collected materials are analyzed using gamma-ray spectrometry. The activity concentration of the naturally occurring radionuclides 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K in building material varies from 12.6 to 121.4, 13.6 to 142, and 69.5 to 620.6 Bq kg−1, respectively. The radium equivalent activity, absorbed dose rate, annual effective dose, and hazard index are also calculated.


2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Branislava Mitrovic ◽  
Dragana Todorovic ◽  
Jelena Ajtic ◽  
Borjana Vranjes

This review paper discusses the content of natural (40K, 238U, 226Ra, and 232Th) and artificial (137Cs) radionuclides in the soil of the mountains of Maljen, Tara and Kopaonik in the Republic of Serbia over 2002-2015. In addition, the paper gives radiation hazard parameters, i.e., radium equivalent activity, absorbed dose rate, annual effective dose equivalent, external hazard index, annual gonadal dose equivalent, and excess lifetime cancer risk outdoors that we calculated from the obtained content of the natural radionuclides in the soil samples. We compared the parameters to previously published results for different parts of the country and looked into the radioecological status of the investigated areas.


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.


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.


2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
MA Samad ◽  
MI Ali ◽  
D Paul ◽  
SMA Islam

The activity concentration of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K was determined in solid and liquid samples collected from the TSP Fertilizer Factory, Chittagong, Bangladesh. A total of 18 samples of seven different kinds (including liquid and solid wastes) were collected and analyzed by gamma ray spectrometry technique using a high purity germanium (HPGe) detector of 40% relative efficiency. The analysis of the liquid waste samples showed that the average activity concentrations of 226Ra and 232Th were 6.26 ± 0.63 and 10.01 ± 1.39 Bq/L, respectively and no 40K was detected in any of the liquid samples. In the solid waste samples the average value of activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were 187.49 ± 4.88, 70.06 ± 11.76 and 655.94 ± 110.24 Bq/kg, respectively. Considering the stored wastes as a part of the ambient environment of the factory, radium equivalent activity, radiation hazard index and external annual effective dose to the worker and public due to these wastes were also calculated and compared with world average values. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbas.v36i1.10923 Journal of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, Vol. 36, No. 1, 79-88, 2012


2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Angjeleska ◽  
Elizabeta Dimitrieska-Stojkovic ◽  
Zehra Hajrulai-Musliu ◽  
Radmila Črčeva-Nikolovska ◽  
Boško Boškovski

The aim of this study was to determine the activity concentrations of naturally occurring radioisotopes 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in 14 soil samples collected in the Skopje city surrounding, and to calculate the corresponding absorbed gamma dose rates. The radionuclides were measured applying a high purity Ge detector gamma-ray spectrometer with relative efficiency of 30 % at 1.33 MeV. The activity concentrations found in 14 soil samples varied in the range 24.1-41.9 Bq kg-1for 226Ra, 38.5-52.2 Bq kg-1 for 232Th, and 502-707 Bq kg-1 for40K. The mean radium equivalent (Raeq), for the area under investigation, was 143±16 Bq kg-1, while the outdoor radiation hazard index (Hex) was 0.39. The total absorbed dose rate due to three primordial radionuclides investigated lay in the range 55.3 - 79.0 nGy h-1 with mean value of 68.1±7.7 nGy h-1, yielding a total annual effective dose of (83.5±9.5) µSv y-1. The assessed radiological factors were lower than the recommended values, indicating low radiological health risk for the population living and working in the investigated area. The activity concentrations of radionuclides in soil samples were compared to the international values reported by United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation and previous studies on geographically close areas and some worldwide regions. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Wasim ◽  
Sardar Ali Shah ◽  
Arfan Tariq ◽  
Manzoor Ali

Abstract Distribution of natural and anthropogenic radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th, 137Cs and 40K) was determined in 32 samples from Ghizer, an Eastern Hindukush district at an altitude of 2286 m in Pakistan using high resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. Mineralogical analysis by X-ray diffractometry identified quartz, calcite, albite and anorthite as major phases whereas actinolite, chlorite serpentine and kaolinite as minor phases. The activity concentrations for 226Ra, 232Th, 137Cs and 40K varied from 25.2 ± 1.7 to 145.3 ± 10.1 Bq kg−1, 24.9 ± 1.1 to 197 ± 9 Bq kg−1, 2.03 ± 0.21 to 16.7 ± 1.1 and 252 ± 6 to 1433 ± 35 Bq kg−1, respectively. The samples yielded average radium equivalent activity as 178.4 ± 23.3 Bq kg−1. The majority of the samples revealed external hazard index and representative level index less than one. The average air absorbed dose rate was 91.2 ± 13.6 nGy h−1 corresponding to the annual effective dose rate 111.8 ± 17.4 μSv y−1. These values were higher than the world averages for air absorbed dose rate and outdoor annual effective dose rate. Principal component analysis was applied to obtain distribution pattern within the samples and among the radionuclides.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghazwa Alzubaidi ◽  
Fauziah B. S. Hamid ◽  
I. Abdul Rahman

The activity concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides226Ra,232Th, and40K were determined in 30 agricultural and virgin soil samples randomly collected from Kedah, north of Malaysia, at a fertile soil depth of 0–30 cm. Gamma-ray spectrometry was applied using high-purity germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray detector and a PC-based MCA. The mean radioactivity concentrations of226Ra,232Th, and40K were found to be 102.08 ± 3.96, 133.96 ± 2.92, and 325.87 ± 9.83 Bq kg−1, respectively, in agricultural soils and 65.24 ± 2.00, 83.39 ± 2.27, and 136.98 ± 9.76 Bq kg−1, respectively, in virgin soils. The radioactivity concentrations in agricultural soils are higher than those in virgin soils and compared with those reported in other countries. The mean values of radium equivalent activity (Raeq), absorbed dose ratesD(nGy h−1), annual effective dose equivalent, and external hazard index (Hex) are 458.785 Bq kg−1, 141.62 nGy h−1, and 0.169 mSv y−1, respectively, in agricultural soils and 214.293 Bq kg−1, 87.47 nGy h−1, and 0.106 mSv y−1, respectively, in virgin soils, with averageHexof 0.525. Results were discussed and compared with those reported in similar studies and with internationally recommended values.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (30) ◽  
pp. 172-179
Author(s):  
Nada Farhan Kadhim

The specific activities of the natural radionuclides U-238 and Th-232 and K-40 in 14 soil samples collected from different sites fromAL-Mustansiriyah university at two depths (topsoil "surface" and20cm depth) were be investigated using gamma ray spectrometer3"x3" NaI(Tl) scintillation detector.The analysis of the energy spectra of the soil samples show thatthese samples have specific activities ranging with (16.08-51.11)Bq/kg for U-238, (14.79-52.29) Bq/kg for Th-232 and (191.08-377.64) Bq/kg for K-40, with an average values of 29.37, 34.14 and289.62 Bq/kg for U-238, Th-232, k-40 respectively. The radiationhazard parameters of the natural radionuclides; radium equivalentactivity (Raeq), gamma absorbed dose rate (Dγ), annual effective doserate (Eγ), internal and external hazard index (Hin, Hex) have also beencalculated. The maximum value of specific activities and hazardparameters was found in the sample of the soil gathered from theLiterature college center. All the calculated specific activates valueswere be in the ranges of worldwide averages, and below than theglobal permissible limits, this would indicate that the soils of theUniversity is safety for both students and staff.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document