Iranian Journal of Medical Physics

Iranian Journal of Medical Physics

Measurement of Radioactivity Levels and Health Risks in the Surrounding Soil of Shazand Refinery Complex in Arak, Iran, Using Gamma-Ray Spectrometry Method

Document Type : Original Paper

Authors
Monire Mohebian 1
Reza Pourimani 2
1 Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Arak University,
2 Department of Nuclear Physics, Faculty of Science Arak University, Arak 38156 Iran
10.22038/ijmp.2018.33519.1412
Abstract
ntroduction: The purpose of this study was to measure the radioactivity in the agricultural soil of south-east of Shazand Refinery Complex to determine both reliable baseline data on the radiation level and the radiation dose exposure to the farmers and inhabitants of the studied area.
Material and Methods: This study was conducted on 21 soil samples collected from two different lands. Sampling spots in each land were selected for the assessment of specific activities of radionuclides of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K, and137Cs by using high purity germanium detector setup. Standards of International Atomic Energy Agency references material gamma ray uranium, reference gamma-ray thorium, and reference gamma-ray potassium were used for quality control and determining efficiency calibration. All samples were examined for radium equivalent, absorbed gamma dose rate, internal hazard index, external radiation hazard, annual gonadal dose equivalent, indoor and outdoor annual effective dose equivalent, and excess lifetime cancer risk. 
Results: The specific activities of radionuclides 226Ra, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs varied from13.12 to 33.03, 11.3 to 35.86, 257.82 to 605.5, and 1.28 to 13.36 Bq/kg, respectively. Moreover, the results of this study were compared with those reported from other countries and worldwide average.
Conclusion: Although all samples were polluted by the 137Cs fission product, the measured values were within the global reported safety limits. Therefore, there is no risk for farmers and inhabitants in this region. 
Keywords
Natural Radioactivity
Radionuclides Dosage Radiation Health Risk
Subjects

  1. References

     

    1. Allaamer AS. Assessment human expires to natural sources of radiation in soil of Riyadh Saudi Turkish Journal of Engineering and Environmental Sciences. 2008; 32(4): 229-34.
    2. UNSCEAR . Sources and effects of ionizing radiation. Retrieved from United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. Report to the General Assembly with scientific annexes. 2000.
    3. Kabir KA, Islam SMA, Rahman MM. Distribution of radionuclides in surface soil and bottom sediment in the district of Jessore, Bangladesh and evaluation of radiation hazard. Journal of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences. 2009; 33(1): 117-30
    4. Smith KP, Blunt DL, Arnish JJ. Potential radiological doses associated with the disposal of petroleum industry NORM via landspreading, prepared for U.S. Department of Energy, National Petroleum Technology Office, Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Argonne National Laboratory. Argonne, Illinois . 1998.
    5. International Atomic Energy Agency. Collection and preparation of bottom sediment samples for analysis of radionuclides and trace elements. IAEA-TECDOC-1360. IAEA,VIENNA.2003.
    6. Mohammad KH, Syed MH, Meaze AKMMH. Assessment of Radiological Contamination of Soils Due to Shipbreaking Using HPGe Digital Gamma-Ray Spectrometry System. Journal of Environmental Protection. 2010; 1: 10-4. DOI: 10.4236/jep.2010.11002.
    7. Aziz A. Methods of Low-Level Counting and Spectrometry Symposium. Berlin. 1981; 221.
    8. El-Taher A, Uosif M. The assessment of the radiation hazard indices due to uranium and thorium in some Egyptian environmental matrices. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics. 2006;39:4516-21. DOI: 10.1088/0022-3727/39/20/032.
    9. Hakan C. A Preliminary Indoor Gamma-ray Measurements in Some of the Buildings at Karadeniz Technical University (Trabzon, Turkey) Campus area. Eastern Anatolian Journal of Science. 2015; 1(1): 10-9.
    10.  United Nations scientific committee on effects of atomic radiation. exposure from natural radiation source .UNSCEAR Report. New York, United Nation Publication. 1988.
    11. UNSCEAR . Sources effects and risks of ionizing radiation, Report to the General Assembly, With Annexes. United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, New York, United Nations. 1993.
    12. International Commission on Radiological Protection. Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection, Publication 60. 1990; 21:1 – 3.
    13. United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. Sources and effects of ionizing radiation report to general assembly with scientific Annexes. New York, United Nation Publication. 2008.
    14. Chakrabarty A, Tripathi R M, Puranik VD. Occurrences of NORMS and 137Cs in soils of the Singhbhum region of Eastern India and associated Radiation Hazard. Radioprotection. 2009; 44( 1): 55-68. DOI: 10.1051/radiopro/2008051.
    15. Dragovića S, Onjia A. Classification of soil samples according to geographic origin using gammaray spectrometry and principal component analysis. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity. 2006; 89:150-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2006.05.002.
    16. Aslani MA, Aytas S, Akyil S , Yaprak G , Yener G , Eral M.  Activity concentration of caesium-137 in agricultural soils. Turkey Journal of Environmental radioactivity. 2003; 65:131-45. DOI:10.1016/S0265-931X(02)00092-9.
    17. Pourimani R, Mortazavi SM. Radiological Assessment of the Artificial and Natural radionuclide concentration of wheat and barley samples in Karbala, Iraq. Iranian Journal of Medical Physics. 2018; 15(2): 126-31. DOI: 10.22038/IJMP.2017.24190.1238.
    18. LaBrecque JJ, Rosales PA, Carias O. The preliminary results of the measurements of environmental levels of 40K and 137Cs in Venezuela. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment. 1992 ; 312: 217-22. DOI: 10.1016/0168-9002(92)90157-Y.
    19. Poreba G, Bluszcz A, Snieszko Z. Concentration and vertical distribution of 137Cs in agricultural and undisturbed soils from Chechlo and Czarnocin areas. Geochronometria. 2003; 22: 67-72.
    20. Pourimani R, Davoodmaghami. Radiological Hazard Resulting from Natural Radioactivity of Soil in East of Shazand Power Plant. Iranian Journal of Medical Physics. 2018;15(3):192-9. DOI: 10.22038/IJMP.2018.26655.1272.
    21. Mia F, Roy S, Touhiduzzaman N, Alan B. Distribution of radionuclides in soil samples in and around Dhaka city. journal of Applied Radiation and Isotopes. 1998;49(2):133-7. DOI: 10.1016/S0969-8043(97)00232-7.
    22. Selvasekarapandian S, Manikandan N , Sivkumar R , Meenakshinundaram V, Raghunath V. Natural radiation distribution of soils at Kotagiri Taluk of the Nilgiris biosphere in India. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry. 2002 ; 252(2): 429-35. DOI: 10.1023/A:101575131.
    23. Ingersoll JG. A survey of radionuclide contents and radon emanation rates in building materials used in the U. S. Health Physics. 1983;45( 2): 362-8.
    24. Papastefanou C, Stoulos S, Manolopoulou M, Ioannidou A, Charalambous S. Indoor radon concentrations in Greek apartment dwellings. Health‌ Physics.‌ 1994;66(3):270–3. DOI: 10.1097/00004032-199403000-00006.
    25. Chen CJ, Weng PS, Chu TC. Evaluation of natural radiation in houses built with black schist. Journal of Health Physics. 1983; 64(1); 74–8.
    26. Shohag M. Measurement of the natural and artificial radioactivity in soil of Mymensingh district of Bangladesh. M S Thesis, University of Chittagong, Bangladesh. 2007.
    27. Abbas H, Masoumeh FZ. The Effect of Soil Radioactivity in Pollution. Journal of Community Health Research. 2013; 2(4):286-92.

     

     

Iranian Journal of Medical Physics
Volume 16, Issue 3 - Serial Number 3
May and June 2019
Pages 210-216

  • Receive Date 25 July 2018
  • Revise Date 09 September 2018
  • Accept Date 11 September 2018