Natural radioactive environment of urban soils in Shihezi, China

Abstract

Radionuclides, such as 238U, 232Th and 40K, can be found in urban soil. To evaluate the natural radioactivity in the environment, soil samples were collected form Shihezi city and radioisotope concentrations were determined by X-ray fluorescence. The dose rate of urban soil (mGy per year, mGy/a) was calculated. The results indicate that the U, Th and K concentrations of the urban soils were, respectively, 1.2–3.2 mg/kg, 6.4–12.3 mg/kg and 2.05%–2.24%, with the mean values of 2.47 mg/kg, 10.47 mg/kg and 2.16 %. Dose rates of urban soils were 10.04–19.55 mGy/a with the mean value of 16.31 mGy/a. This dose rate is the perfect and maximum value of natural radiation in soil and different with the air absorbed dose rate from terrestrial γ-rays. The mean value of air absorbed dose rate was about 57.42 nGy/h. The annual effective dose rate in air was about 0.07 mSv/a and the average value of Raeq in urban soil was 120.37 Bq/kg. The relative contribution of α particle to the dose rate is higher than that derived from β- and γ-rays in the urban soils.