ANALYSIS OF NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY LEVELS IN SOIL SAMPLES AND DOSE ASSESSMENT FOR DIGOR DISTRICT, KARS, TURKEY

Abstract

The distribution of natural radioactivity in soils collected from uncultivated areas in Digor districts of Kars was investigated by using NaI(Tl) gamma-ray spectrometry. The concentration of the natural radio nuclides ²²⁶Ra ²³²Th,⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs in the 55 soil samples from the studied areas range from 21.6±7.0 to 55.7±8.2 Bqkg^-1, 45.0±14.7 to 94.7±15.3  Bqkg^-1, 474.5±0.0 to 666.5±9.2 Bqkg^-1 and BDL to 13.3±1.5 Bqkg^-1, respectively. The determined mean values of activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K were used to calculate the radiation hazard indices in soil samples. In the studied area, the radium equivalent activity (Ra_eq) varied from 131.3 to 195.1 Bqkg^-1 with the mean value of 171.5 Bqkg^-1 and  the open air absorbed gamma dose rate (ADR) varied from 61.7 to 88.0 nGyh^-1 with the mean value of 79.0 nGyh^-1. The annual effective air dose rate (AED) due to the presence of radionuclides ranged between 75.7 and 107.9 µSv with the average value of 96.8 µSv. The mean value of risk for cancer formation (LCR) during an average human lifetime was determined to be 0.34x10^-3. The results presented in this study, Turkey has been compared with the average values of similar studies conducted in different regions of the world. The results of the study may constitute a reference for future assessments.

Keywords

• Soil
• natural radioactivity concentration
• gamma ray spectrometry
• .dose assessment.

References

1. Abu Samreh, M. M., K. M. Thabayneh, F. W. Khrais 2014. Measurement of activity concentration levels of radionuclides in soil samples collected from Bethlehem Province, West Bank, Palestine, Turkish J Eng Env Sci, 38: 113-125.
2. Alzubaidi, G., Fauziah B. S. Hamid and I. Abdul Rahman 2016. Assessment of Natural Radioactivity Levels and Radiation Hazards in Agricultural and Virgin Soil in the State of Kedah, North of Malaysia The Scientific World Journal, 1-9.
3. Beretka, J. and P.J Mathew 1985. Natural radioactivity of Australian building materials, industrial wastes and by-products. Health Phys., 48, 87–95.
4. Bilgici Cengiz, G, A. Çağlar 2017. Evaluation of Natural Radioactivity Levels and Radiological Hazards in Soil Samples of Sarıkamış Province, Kars, Turkey. Radiation Science and Technology, 3(6), 68-73.
5. Cengiz, G. B., S. Reşitoğlu 2014. Determination of natural radioactivity levels in Kars City center, Turkey. Journal of Nuclear Sciences, 1, 32-37.
6. Chandrasekaran A., R. Ravisankar, G. Senthilkumar, K. Thillaivelavan, B. Dhinakaran, P. Vijayagopal, S.N. Bramha, B. Venkatraman 2014. Spatial distribution and lifetime cancer risk due to gamma radioactivity in Yelagiri Hills, Tamilnadu, India Egyptian journal of basic and applied sciences 1 38-48.
7. Daryoush Shahbazi-Gahrouei. 2003 Natural Background Radiation Dosimetry in the Highest Altitude Region of Iran, Journal of Radiation Research, 44, 285-287.
8. Durusoy A., M. Yildirim 2017 Determination of radioactivity concentrations in soil samples and dose assessment for Rize Province, Turkey, Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences, 10, 348-352.

9. EC, 1999. European Commission. Radiation Protection Unit, radiological protection principles concerning the natural radioactivity of building materials. Radiat. Prot., 112.
10. Kapdan, E., Varinlioglu, A. and Karahan, G 2011. Radioactivity Levels and Health Risks due to Radionuclides in the Soil of Yalova, Northwestern Turkey Int. J. Environ. Res., 5(4):837-846.
11. Karataslı M., S. Turhan, A. Varinlioglu, Z. Yegingil 2016. Natural and fallout radioactivity levels and radiation hazard evaluation in soil samples. Environ Earth Sci, 75:424.
12. Markkanen, M., 1995. Radiation Dose Assessments for Materials with Elevated Natural Radioactivity. Report STUK-B-STO 32. Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority -STUK.
13. Oyeyemi K D, M R Usikalu, A P Aizebeokhai, J A Achuka and O Jonathan 2017. Measurements of radioactivity levels in part of Ota Southwestern Nigeria: Implications for radiological hazards indices and excess lifetime cancer-risks IOP Conf. Series: Journal of Physics: Conf. Series 852, 1-8.
14. Rafique M, S Ur Rahman, M Basharat, W Aziz, I Ahmad, K A Lone, K Ahmad, Matiullah 2014. Evaluation of excess life time cancer risk from gamma dose rates in Jhelum valley. Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences, 7 29-35.
15. Mehra R., Singh S., Singh K., Sonkawade R 2007. 226Ra, 232Th and 40K analysis in soil samples from some areas of Malwa region, Punjab, India using gamma ray spectrometry. Environ Monit Assess 134, 333-342
16. TAEK 2010, Türkiye’deki Çevresel Radyoaktivitenin İzlenmesi 2009, Technique Report, Ankara 9-14.
17. Taskin H., M. Karavus, P. Ay, A. Topuzoglu, S. Hidiroglu, G. Karahan 2009. Radionuclide concentrations in soil and lifetime cancer risk due to gamma radioactivity in Kirklareli, Turkey. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 100, 49-53.
18. Turhan Ş., E. Gören, F. A. Uğur, M. Karataşlı, Z. Yeğingil 2018. Study of the radioactivity in environmental soil samples from Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey, Radiochim. Acta, 106(2), 161-168.
19. Tzortzis, M., H. Tsertos, S. Christofides, G. Christodoulides 2003. Gamma-ray measurements of naturally occurring radioactive samples from Cyprus characteristic geological rocks, Radiation Measurements 37, 221-229.
20. UNSCEAR 2000. Sources, Effects and Risks of Ionizing Radiation Report of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation to the General Assembly. United Nations, New York.