The Investigation of Radionuclide Concentrations in Soil and Lifetime Cancer Risk Due to Gamma Radioactivity in Zonguldak, Turkey

Koray A., Akkaya G., Kahraman A., Kaynak G., Baldik R.

ACTA PHYSICA POLONICA A, vol.132, no.3, pp.1122-1125, 2017 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 132 Issue: 3
  • Publication Date: 2017
  • Doi Number: 10.12693/aphyspola.132.1122
  • Journal Name: ACTA PHYSICA POLONICA A
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.1122-1125
  • Bursa Uludag University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

The distributions of Ra-226, Th-232, K-40 and Cs-137 activity concentrations were determined using a high-purity germanium detector in uncultivated surface soil samples collected from Zonguldak. The range of Ra-226, Th-232, K-40 and 137Cs activity concentrations varied from 10.5 +/- 2.0 to 98.0 +/- 4.3 Bq kg(-1) (mean value 28.8 +/- 4 Bq kg(-1)), from 12.9 +/- 3.4 to 53.2 +/- 5.1 Bq kg(-1) (mean value 29.6 +/- 3 Bq kg(-1)), from 190 +/- 22 to 808 +/- 43 Bq kg(-1) (mean value 395 +/- 31 Bq kg(-1)) and from < 0.5 to 47.1 +/- kg(-1) (mean value 12.5 +/- 2 Bq kg(-1)), respectively. In addition, the mean outdoor absorbed dose rates in air (terrestrial, terrestrial+cosmic), annual effective dose equivalent, radium equivalent activity and external hazard index were found to be 48 nGy h(-1) (terrestrial), 56 nGy h(-1) (terrestrial+cosmic), 58 mu Sv y(-1), 101 Bq kg(-1) and 0.27, respectively. The evaluated excess lifetime cancer risks (ELCRs) varied from 0.13 x 10(-3) to 0.36 x 10(-3) with a mean value of 0.20 x 10(-3).