Estimation of Natural and Anthropogenic Exposures to Gamma Ray from a High Agricultural Area in Jordan "Bani-Kananah District"

Abstract

The activity concentrations of some artificial and natural radionuclides in some soil samples from high agricultural area, in North West Jordan “Bani-Kananah District”, were measured by using gamma ray spectrometry. The activity concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs (Cesium), ⁴⁰K (Potassium), ²³⁸U (Uranium) and ²³²Th (Thorium) were measured in 38 soil samples were collected from agricultural area. The radiation hazard indices of soil samples were also calculated. The results showed that the average values of either radionuclides activity concentrations or radiation hazard indices of all soil samples under study were in the internationally allowable and lower range. From the accumulated spectra, the activity concentrations were determined in (Bq/kg) to be on the average of 22.7 ± 15.2 for ²³²Th, 20.4 ± 9.8 for ²³⁸U, 160 ± 76 for ⁴⁰K, and 4.6 ± 5.0 for ¹³⁷Cs. The mean value of the radium equivalent activity index (Ra_eq) was found to be 65.0 ± 27.8 Bq/kg, while, the average value of the total absorbed dose (D) was 30.5 ± 13.1 nGy/h. In addition, the average value of the annual effective dose was 37.4 ± 16.0 µSv/y. The calculated values of external and internal radiation hazard indices (H_ex and H_in) were lower than unity. Results therefore emphasize that the radionuclide activity found in the surveyed area is nominal and does not pose any potential health hazard to the general public. This work can be added to other works on Jordan environment in order to establish a baseline data for levels of radioactivity.

Keywords: Gamma ray spectrometry, Radionuclides, Hazard Indices, Soil.

PACS number: 29.30.Kv