Assessment of natural radioactivity concentrations and gamma dose rate levels in Kayseri, Turkey

Abstract

This study assesses the level of background radiation for Kayseri province of Turkey. Natural radionuclide activity concentrations in soil samples were determined using high-resolution gamma spectroscopy. Outdoor gamma dose measurements in air at 1 m above ground level were determined using a portable gamma scintillation detector. The obtained results of uranium and thorium series as well as potassium ((40)K) are discussed. The present data were compared with the data obtained from different areas in Turkey. From the measured gamma-ray spectra, the average activity concentrations were determined for (238)U (range from 3.91 to 794.25 Bq kg(-1)), (232)Th (range from 0.68 to 245.55 Bq kg(-1)) and (40)K (range from 23.68 to 2718.71 Bq kg(-1)). The average activity concentrations of (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K were found to be 35.51, 37.27 and 429.66 Bq kg(-1), respectively, and 11.53 Bq kg(-1) for the fission product (137)Cs. The highest values of (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K concentrations (794.25 Bq kg(-1), 245.55 Bq kg(-1), 2718.71 Bq kg(-1), respectively) were observed in abnormal samples at Hayriye village. The average outdoor gamma dose rate in air at 1 m above the ground was determined as 114.43 nGy h(-1). Using the data obtained in this study, the average annual effective dose for a person living in Kayseri was found to be about 140.34 µSv.

Radionuclide determination and radioactivity evaluation of surface soil samples collected along the Erçek Lake basin in eastern Anatolia, Turkey

“…Therefore, the activity concentrations of the natural and artificial radionuclides in soil samples were measured in many studies executed worldwide (UNSCEAR, 2010). Recently, there has been great concern about radiological risks with the external exposure due to the radioactivity in environmental samples in Turkey (Belivermis et al, 2008;Celik et al, 2009;Damla et al, 2010;Kılıç et al, 2008;Kucukomeroglu et al, 2009;Merdanoglu and Altinsoy, 2006;Otansev et al, 2012;Tufan and Bostancı, 2012;Uğur et al, 2012). The purpose of the study is twofold: first to ascertain the background radiation level of Erçek Lake basin measuring the activity concentration of the 238 U, 232 Th, 40 K and 137 Cs in soil samples collected from Erçek Lake basin, about 170 km away from the Metsamor nuclear power plant in Armenia; and second to evaluate the radiological risks associated to these radionuclides by estimating the outdoor gamma-absorbed dose rate (D out ) and the external annual effective dose (E ext ).…”

Terrestrial gamma radiation dose measurement and health hazard along river Alaknanda and Ganges in India

“…Therefore, it is important to measure the dose rates at different geological areas (Martin & Harbinson, 1972). In the past years, several radiation surveys were carried out in many countries to measure outdoor terrestrial g radiation doses (Brígido, Caballero, Montalv an Estrada, Queipo García, S anchez, 1999;Gabdo, Ramli, Sanusi, Saleh, & Garba, 2014;Kapdan, Taskin, Kam, & Osmanlio glu, 2012;Morishima et al, 2000;Mustapha et al, 2013;Nizam, Ginnah, Rahman, Kamal, & Chowdhury, 2013;Otansev, Karahan, Kam, Barut, & Taskin, 2012;Pashazadeh, Aghajani, Nabipour, & Assadi, 2014;Saleh et al, 2013;Shahbazi-Gahrouei, 2003). Many rivers in India and other countries have been studied such as river Pannoiyar (Ramasamy, Suresh, Meenakshisundaram, & Gajendran, 2009), Palar (Ramasamy, Murugesan, & Mullainathan, 2006),Cauvery (Murugesan, Mullainathan, Ramasamy, & Meenakshisundaram, 2011;Ramasamy, Murugesan, & Mullainathan, 2004), Kali, Sharavathi, Netravathi (Narayana, Rajashekara, & Siddappa, 2007) and Godavari (Reddy, Reddy, Reddy, & Reddy, 2014) in India and Chao Phraya river in Thailand (Santawamaitre et al, 2011), Ribble Estuary in England (Punt, Tyler, Saleh, Bradley, & Copplestone, 2011) Ogun river in Nigeria (Jibiri & Okeyode, 2012) and river Pearl in China (Song, Chen, Tang, Zhang, & Xie, 2012).…”

Gamma Dose Values of Stratigraphic Units Surfaced in Behramkale (Çanakkale) - Zeyti̇nli̇ (Edremi̇t-Balikesi̇r) Section of Kaz Mountains

“…Dose Intensity (mSv h -1 ) Several studies have been conducted in the previous years regarding the determination of gamma dose and effective dose rates (16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22).…”