Abstract
In this study, natural and artificial radionuclide activity concentrations in surface soils of Kucuk Menderes Basin have been measured using gamma spectroscopy. The soil samples were collected from agricultural lands in the Kucuk Menderes Basin in Turkey. The activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs in the soils were found to be range of 12.63 ± 2.28–72.51 ± 11.23, 11.45 ± 2.4–58.12 ± 4.76, 234.8 ± 14.85–1058.52 ± 24 Bq kg−1 dw and 2.31 ± 0.18–7.75 ± 1.14 Bq kg−1, respectively. The natural gamma radioactivity of the terrestrial radionuclides in soil samples and the gamma absorbed dose rate, the annual effective dose equivalent, the radium equivalent activity, the external hazard index, were calculated and compared with the international recommended values.
Highlights
Materials and methodsHumans are exposed to background radiation that stems both from natural and artificial sources (Taskin et al 2009)
Terrestrial gamma rays are essentially due to radionuclides belonging to uranium-238 (238U) and thorium-232 (232Th) series and singly occurring potassium-40 (40K) that are present in the earth’s crust (Murty and Karunakara 2008)
Artificial radionuclides can be present like Caesium-137 (137Cs) is a fission product which
Summary
Humans are exposed to background radiation that stems both from natural and artificial sources (Taskin et al 2009). The two significant natural sources of external radiation to which human are exposed are cosmic rays and terrestrial gamma rays. Terrestrial gamma rays are essentially due to radionuclides belonging to uranium-238 (238U) and thorium-232 (232Th) series and singly occurring potassium-40 (40K) that are present in the earth’s crust (Murty and Karunakara 2008). Artificial radionuclides can be present like Caesium-137 (137Cs) is a fission product which Study area. Kucuk Menderes River Basin, covering about 3,500 km area, extends westwards towards Aegean Region (Fig. 1). Kucuk Menderes basin is a very productive agricultural area, with industrial sites concentrated in the west. Almost all irrigation and industrial water needs in the basin have been supplied using groundwater resources (Pusatli et al 2009)
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