A study of environmental radioactivity measurements for Cankiri, Turkey

Enis Kapdan, Halim Taskin, Erol Kam*, A. Erdal Osmanlioǧlu, Gursel Karahan, Ahmet Bozkurt

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study is the first to assess the level of background radiation for the Cankiri province of Turkey. Indoor air radon concentrations were determined using Columbia Resin-39 nuclear track detectors and the average 222Rn activity was found to be 44 Bq m -3 (equivalent to an annual effective dose of 1.1 mSv). Measurements of gamma doses in outdoor air were performed using a portable plastic scintillation detector and the average gamma absorbed dose rate was found to be 8 μR h. -1 (corresponding to an annual effective dose of 87.7 μSv). Radionuclide activity concentrations in soil samples were measured through gamma-ray spectrometry and the average activities were determined as 17.7, 22.3, 357 and 4.1 Bq kg. -1 for the radionuclides 238U, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs, respectively. The average annual effective dose from the natural radioactivity sources ( 238U series, 232Th series and 40K) was calculated to be 44.4 μSv. Radioactivity levels of drinking water samples were carried out using a low-background proportional counter and the average gross alpha and beta activities were obtained as 0.25 and 0.26 Bq l. -1, respectively (equivalent to an annual effective dose of 184 μSv). The average radon concentrations in indoor air and the average radionuclide activities in soil were found to be lower than most Turkish cities while higher levels of outdoor gamma dose rate and water radioactivity were observed. The results of this study showed that the region's background radioactivity level differs considerably from the reported data for Turkish cities.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberncr416
Pages (from-to)398-404
Number of pages7
JournalRadiation Protection Dosimetry
Volume150
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2012
Externally publishedYes

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