A study of background radioactivity level for Canakkale, Turkey

Abstract

This study assesses the level of background radiation for Canakkale province of northwestern Turkey. Radon concentrations in indoor air were determined using CR-39 nuclear track detectors and (222)Rn activity was found to be 167 Bq m( - 3) (equivalent to an annual effective dose of 4.2 mSv). Measurements of outdoor gamma radiation (of terrestrial and cosmic origin) in air were performed using plastic scintillators, and the average absorbed gamma dose rate was found to be 66.4 nGy h( - 1) (corresponding to an annual effective dose of 81.4 muSv). The radionuclide activity concentrations in soil samples collected from the study area were measured through gamma-ray spectrometry, and the average activities were determined as 94.55, 110.4, and 1,273 Bq kg( - 1) for the natural radionuclides (238)U, (232)Th, and (40)K, respectively, and 19.39 Bq kg( - 1) for the fission product (137)Cs. The natural radioactivity sources resulted in an annual effective dose of 184 muSv. The radioactivity levels of drinking water samples were measured as 0.0599 Bq l( - 1) for gross-alpha activity and 0.0841 Bq l( - 1) for gross-beta activity using a low-background counting technique (equivalent to an annual effective dose of 12.25 muSv). The results of this study show that the activity levels of radon in air, radionuclides in soil, and alpha activities in drinking water are higher compared to the data available for other Turkish cities and the world averages. On the other hand, the outdoor gamma dose rates in air and beta activities in drinking water are within natural limits.

Exposure Analysis at the territory of Nevşehir (Cappadocia) due to additive gamma-rays in air, TURKEY

“…Over the past two decades, a few results about radioactivity levels have been published in some papers related to gamma dose rates in the air for Turkish provinces (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14). There is no study specifically for the Nevşehir region in the literature.…”

Cancer Risk Determination for IDA villages by using Annual Gamma Doses in Air, around Edremit&Ayvacık Districts; Balıkesir&Çanakkale, TURKEY

“…Over the past two decades, there are a lot of papers due to radioactivity levels have been published for absorbed dose in air for Turkish provinces [7], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [15], [17]. By the way there is not observed study for special IDA villages in literature.…”

Distribution of terrestrial and anthropogenic radionuclides in Turkish surface soil samples

“…By this time, different studies were carried out on measuring the activity concentrations of radionuclides ( 238 U, 226 Ra, 232 Th, 40 K and 137 Cs) in soil samples collected from some cities in Turkey (Belivermis et al, 2008;Bozkurt et al, 2007;Celik et al, 2008Celik et al, , 2009Damla et al, 2010;Degerlier et al, 2008;Erees et al, 2006;Kam and Bozkurt, 2007;Kam et al, 2010aKam et al, , 2010bKarahan and Bayulken, 2000;Karakelle et al, 2002;Kılıç et al, 2008;Kucukomeroglu et al, 2009;Merdanoglu and Altinsoy, 2006;Osmanlioglu et al, 2007;Sahin and Cavas, 2008;Topçuoğlu et al, 2003;Varinlioğlu and Köse, 2005). However, systematic data on the environmental radioactivity is not available in Turkey.…”