Natural radioactivity measurements in the city of Ptolemais (Northern Greece)

• Published in: Journal of environmental radioactivity Vol. 99; no. 7; pp. 1011 - 1017
• Main Authors: Psichoudaki, M., Papaefthymiou, H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Atmospheric pollution; Biological and medical sciences; Biological effects of radiation; Cities; Dose rate; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geography; Greece; Indoor pollution and occupational exposure; Indoor radon; Natural radioactivity; Pollution; Pollution sources. Measurement results; Pollution, environment geology; Radiation Monitoring - methods; Radiocontamination; Radon - analysis; Soil; Soil and sediments pollution; Soil Pollutants, Radioactive - analysis; Tissues, organs and organisms biophysics; Greece; Europe; Greece; Soil; Natural radioactivity; Dose rate; Indoor radon; Human; Natural origin pollution; Radioactive pollution; Potassium 40; Radioactive contamination; Urban area; Radioisotope; Housing; Soil pollution; Radium 226; Thorium 232; Radioactivity measurement; Radon 222; Geogenic factor; Indoor pollution; Uranium 238; Dosimetry; Daughter product; Gamma spectrometry
• ISSN: 0265-931X; 1879-1700
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2007.12.001

Specific activities of the natural radionuclides 238U, 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were measured by means of γ-ray spectrometry in surface soil samples collected from the city of Ptolemais, which is located near lignite-fired power plants. The mean activity values for 238U, 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were found to be 42 ± 11, 27 ± 6, 36 ± 5 and 496 ± 56 Bq kg −1, respectively. These values fall within the range of typical world and Greek values for soil. The indoor radon concentration levels, which were also measured in 66 dwellings by means of SSNTD, ranged from 12 to 129 Bq m −3, with an average value of 36 ± 2 Bq m −3. This value is close to world and Greek average values for indoor radon concentrations. The total effective dose due to outdoor external irradiation of terrestrial origin and to indoor internal irradiation from the short-lived decay products of 222Rn was estimated to be 1.2 mSv y −1 for adults, which is lower than the global effective dose due to natural sources of 2.4 mSv y −1.