Correlation between Soil Gas Radon Concentrations and Terrestrial Radioactivity (U-238 and Th-232) in Afyonkarahisar

Year 2019, NSP2018 Special Issue, 188 - 194, 28.03.2019

Hüseyin Ali Yalım , Ayla Gümüş , Rıdvan Ünal

Abstract

Humans
are exposed both to natural radiation from the radioactive elements that have
existed in the earth's crust since the formation of the earth and to artificial
radiation from medical applications and sparrows after nuclear tests. The most
important part in natural radiation affecting human beings is radon derived
from terrestrial radioactive elements of Uranium and Thorium. Terrestrial
radiation level is strictly related to the contents of Thorium (²³²Th),
Uranium (²³⁸U) and Potassium (⁴⁰K) in rocks which is the
origin of the soil in an area, and to the geological composition of the area.

The
determination of natural background radiation levels is of great importance for
all living things. In order to determine whether the living zone is healthy in
terms of natural radiation, the concentrations of the radionuclides in the
surrounding environment and the effects of radiation on all the living things
must be known. In this study, it was aimed to determine the terrestrial
background radiation level on the soil surface, and to evaluate the correlation
between the Uranium and Thorium concentrations and the soil gas radon activity
values in Afyonkarahisar city center.

 

Keywords

Terrestrial radioactivity, Uranium, Thorium, Radon, Soil, Afyonkarahisar

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