Radiation properties for red soil in Qassim province, Saudi Arabia

Publication date: Available online 6 January 2016 Source:Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences Author(s): S.A. Alashrah It is important to measure the radionuclide concentrations in red soil to determine the health effect and to protect the environment. The red soil regions located in Qassim province, Saudi Arabia were determined. Thirty red soil samples were collected from three regions (Al Bi'ithah, Dremeha and Al Bukaireyah). Gamma-ray spectrometry using NaI (Tl) detector was used to measure the radionuclides of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K. The average (range) of activity concentration of 226Ra was 10.0 (9.3–11.6) Bq/kg, 7.3 (6.6–8.4) Bq/kg and 19.4 (15.9–22.7) Bq/kg in Al Bi'ithah, Dremeha and Al Bukaireyah, respectively. For 232Th, the average values of radioactivity concentration were 11.8 (7.6–13.0), 6.3 (5.1–7.3) and 19.1 (17.8–20.7) in Al Bi'ithah, Dremeha and Al Bukaireyah, respectively. In addition, the average radionuclide concentration of 40K was 74.5 (71.2–78.3), 67.3 (57.6–77.4) and 94.3 (59.6–101.6) in Al Bi'ithah, Dremeha and Al Bukaireyah, respectively. Next, the comparison between radionuclide concentrations in this study and other published papers in the world was done. In addition, radiation hazard parameters were estimated. The maximum values of the radium equivalent and absorbed dose rate were 63.6 Bq/kg and 30.0 nGy/h, respectively. These values are lower than the international limit (370 Bq/kg and 65 nGy/h). Furt...
Source: Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences - Category: Physics Source Type: research