The investigation of radionuclide distributions in soil samples collected from Bursa, Turkey

Abstract

The distributions of Ra-226, Th-232, K-40 and Cs-137 activity concentrations were determined using a high-purity germanium detector in uncultivated surface soil samples collected from Bursa. The range of Ra-226, Th-232, K-40 and Cs-137 activity concentrations varied from 101 to 613 Bq kg(1) (mean value 253 Bq kg(1)), from 121 to 502 Bq kg(1) (mean value 263 Bq kg(1)), from 2575 to 101011 Bq kg(1) (mean value 43544 Bq kg(1)) and from 1.010.07 to 48.970.54 Bq kg(1) (mean value 8.522.59 Bq kg(1)), respectively. In addition, the mean outdoor absorbed dose rates in air, annual effective dose equivalent, radium equivalent activity and external hazard index were found to be 45 nGy h(1), 56 Sv y(1), 96 Bq kg(1) and 0.26, respectively. The gross beta activity concentrations were determined using a Tennelec LB 1000-PW detector. The range of gross beta activity concentrations varied from 469 to 1199113 Bq kg(1) with a mean value of 54119 Bq kg(1).