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Gamma-Ray Measurements of Naturally Occurring Radionuclides and Resulting Dose Estimation in Soil Samples Collected from District Chakwal, Pakistan |
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PP: 23-31 |
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doi:10.18576/jrna/030103
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Author(s) |
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S. U. Rahman,
S. A. Mehdi,
Qazi Jahanzeb,
M. Rafique,
A. D. K. Tareen,
J. Iqbal,
Talat Iqbal,
A. Jabbar,
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Abstract |
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| Soil samples were collected from four tehsils of district Chakwal, Pakistan with an aim to measure naturally occurring radio-nuclides in this region. Radioactivities of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K are measured using high purity germanium (HPGe) based gamma ray spectrometry system. The measured mean specific activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in the soil samples was 34.27 ± 1.28, 51.59 ± 2.73 Bqkg-1 and 606.42 ± 21.23 Bqkg-1. From the measured activity concentrations of soil samples, radium equivalent activity, external and internal hazard indices, terrestrial absorbed dose, gamma representative Index, annual effective dose, annual gonadal dose equivalent, and estimated life time cancer risk were calculated. Mean radium equivalent activity (Raeq), outdoor radiation hazard index (Hex), indoor radiation hazard index (Hin), absorbed dose rate (D) and gamma representative Index (Iγ) for soil were found to be 155.02 ± 6.66 Bqkg-1 0.42 ± 0.2, 0.51 ± 0.2, 73.35 ± 2.69 nGyh-1and 1.15 ± 0.01 respectively. The calculated annual effective dose, annual gonadal dose, and estimated life time cancer risk for soil samples were 0.13 ± 0.01 mSvy-1,512.78 ± 18.50 mSvy-1, and 0.47 x 10-3 respectively. Frequency distribution and activity concentration of measured radionuclides for all sampling sites are presented. The geo statistical mapping was created to indicate the activity distribution in the studied area. On the basis of measured activity and calculated values of hazards indices, it is concluded that the surveyed area is not a major source of radiation hazards and do not pose any health problem. |
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