Distribution of natural radionuclides in soil samples of Quid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
- 1. Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad (Pakistan). Dept. of Chemistry
- 2. Pakistan Inst. of Nuclear Science and Technology, Islamabad (Pakistan). Health Physics Div.
Description
The concentration of natural gamma-emitting radionuclides of the uranium and thorium series as well as /sup 40/K and a fission product /sup 137/Cs have been determined by gamma-ray spectroscopy in soil samples collected from various locations of Quid-I-Azam University (QAU) campus, Islamabad and it peripheries. For detection, analysis and data acquisition a high purity germanium detector (HPGe) coupled with a multichannel analyzer was used. The mean specific activity, in Bq kg-1 dry mass of soil samples, due to /sup 226/Ra, /sup 232/Th, /sup 40/K and /sup 137/Cs is 45.5 5.9, 55.2 0.9, 355.7 23.8 and 7.1 .9 respectively. The average value of Radium equivalent activity was found to be 151.9 Bq kg/sup -1/. The external and internal hazard indices were below unity. The average value of absorbed dose rate was 65 nGyh-1. The results show that the soil of QAU do not pose any significant environmental or radiological health problem. (author)
Additional details
Publishing Information
- Journal Title
- Nucleus (Islamabad)
- Journal Volume
- 39
- Journal Issue
- 1-2
- Journal Page Range
- p. 55-62
- ISSN
- 0029-5698
INIS
- Country of Publication
- Pakistan
- Country of Input or Organization
- Pakistan
- INIS RN
- 34051654
- Subject category
- S54: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES;
- Descriptors DEI
- CESIUM 137; DOSE RATES; GAMMA RADIATION; GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY; HEALTH HAZARDS; NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY; PAKISTAN; POTASSIUM 40; RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS; RADIUM 216; SOILS; THORIUM 232; URANIUM
- Descriptors DEC
- ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ACTINIDES; ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; ASIA; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CESIUM ISOTOPES; DEVELOPING COUNTRIES; ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION; ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES; ELEMENTS; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; HAZARDS; HEAVY NUCLEI; INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI; IONIZING RADIATIONS; ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES; ISOTOPES; KINETICS; LIGHT NUCLEI; METALS; NANOSECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; ODD-ODD NUCLEI; POTASSIUM ISOTOPES; RADIATIONS; RADIOACTIVITY; RADIOISOTOPES; RADIUM ISOTOPES; SPECTROSCOPY; SPONTANEOUS FISSION RADIOISOTOPES; THORIUM ISOTOPES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES