Radioactivity concentrations in soil and dose assessment for Samsun City Centre, Turkey

Abstract

In this study, natural gamma radioactivity levels were determined in the soil samples of the Samsun city centre by using the gamma ray spectrometry method. The analysis carried out with the high-purity germanium gamma spectrometry system has shown that average activity concentrations of U-238, Th-232, K-40 and Cs-137 were 192, 224, 52123 and 151 Bq kg(1), respectively. From the gamma analysis of soil samples, the average value of the absorbed gamma dose rates in air and the average value of the external annual effective dose rates were calculated as 454 nGy h(1) and 555 Sv y(1), respectively. The external hazard index has also been calculated and it has been found that the radiation hazard in Samsun is insignificant.