Radioactivity in soil from Mojkovac, Montenegro, and assessment of radiological and cancer risk

• Published in: Nuclear Technology & Radiation Protection Vol. 27; no. 1; pp. 57 - 63
• Main Authors: Antovic, Nevenka, Boskovic, Danilo, Svrkota, Nikola, Antovic, Ivanka
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: VINCA Institute of Nuclear Sciences 01.03.2012
• Subjects: cancer risk; radiological hazard; soil-radioactivity; Montenegro
• ISSN: 1451-3994; 1452-8185
• DOI: 10.2298/NTRP1201057A

Soil samples from Mojkovac, Montenegro, were analyzed by standard gamma-spectrometry for radioactivity due to 226Ra, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs. Average activity concentrations have been found to be 28.6, 43.1, 620.8, and 55 Bq/kg, respectively. In order to evaluate the radiation hazard, radium equivalent activity, absorbed dose rate, annual effective dose, external and internal hazard indexes, and the annual gonadal dose equivalent were determined and found to be at an average of 133.79 Bq/kg, 65.18 nGy/h, 79.93 mSv/y, 0.37, 0.45, and 0.46 mSv/y, respectively. With life expectancy taken to be 70 years, a mean lifetime outdoor gamma radiation was calculated as 5.6 mSv, yielding a lifetime cancer risk of 2.8?10-4. Uzorci zemljista iz Mojkovca - Crna Gora, analizirani su standardnom gama-spektrometrijom i odredjene su aktivnosti 226Ra, 232Th, 40K i 137Cs. Srednje koncentracije aktivnosti bile su 28,6, 43,1, 620,8 i 55 Bq/kg, respektivno. Da bi se procenio rizik od zracenja analizirani su radijum ekvivalentna aktivnost, jacina apsorbovane doze, godisnja efektivna doza, indeks radijacionog rizika (usled spoljasnjeg i unutrasnjeg izlaganja) i godisnja gonadalna doza, sa srednjim vrednostima - 133,79 Bq/kg, 65,18 nGy/h, 79,93 mSv/y, 0,37, 0,45 i 0,46 mSv/y, respektivno. Za vreme zivota od 70 godina, srednja celozivotna doza gama zracenja iznosi 5,6 mSv, a sa ovim povezani rizik od kancera je 2,8?10-4.