Population doses from terrestrial gamma exposure in Serbia

Abstract

Background: Terrestrial radiation emitted from naturally occurring radionuclides, such as 40K and radionuclides from the 238U and 232Th series and their decay products represent the main external source of irradiation to the human body. The purpose of this study was to provide a preliminary assessment of the doses from terrestrial exposure of population in Serbia and to estimate a potential radiation hazard for population inhabiting investigated areas. Methods: The gamma dose rates, external hazard indexes, and annual effective doses due to terrestrial naturally occurring radionuclides (238U, 232Th and 40K) were calculated based on their activities in soil samples in Serbia as determined by gamma-ray spectrometry. Results: The total absorbed gamma dose rate due to these radionuclides varied from 16.9 to 125 nGy h-1, with a mean of 62.8 nGy h-1. Assuming a 20% occupancy factor, the corresponding annual effective dose varied from 2.07 to 15.4×10-5 Sv with the mean value of 7.7×10-5 Sv, i.e. annual effective dose was in range of the world wide average values. Conclusion: According to the values of external hazard index obtained in this study (mean Hex = 0.35), the radiation hazard was insignificant for the population living in investigated areas

Distribution of natural radionuclides in surface soils in the vicinity of abandoned uranium mines in Serbia

“…5). The total external gamma dose rate in the area affected by uranium mining activities (91.3 nGy h −1 ) was also higher than total gamma dose rate for Serbia of 62.8 nGy h −1 reported by Dragović et al (2007).…”

Assessment of radiation exposure around abandoned uranium mining area of Stara planina Mt., Serbia

“…Mean val ues for both po ten tially af fected and af fected ar eas are higher. The re ported val ues of & D for Ser bian re gions with out min ing and mill ing ac tiv i ties fell in the in ter val from 16.9 nGy/h to 125 nGy/h [28,29]. All of the cal cu lated & D in the study ar eas are in that range, ex cept val ues for sam ple points A3 (164 ± 7 nGy/h), A9 (214 ± 9 nGy/h), and A13 (206 ± 16 nGy/h).…”

Population doses from terrestrial exposure in the vicinity of abandoned uranium mines in Serbia

“…The average total gamma dose rate in this area was almost two times higher than worldwide average. The average total gamma dose rate in the affected area was higher than the average value of 62.8 nGy h À1 for Serbia (Dragović et al, 2007) and 66.8 nGy h À1 for Serbia and Montenegro (Dragović et al, 2006b).…”