Investigation of radiological effects in surface soil samples taken from the surroundings of Konya Beyşehir Lake

Abstract

This study aims to measure radioactivity levels in soil samples extracted from the surroundings of Konya Beyşehir Lake in Turkey and to determine radiological risk parameters based on this data. Gamma-ray spectrometry was used to detect activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, ⁴⁰K, and ¹³⁷Cs in soil samples. The average measured activity concentrations of these radionuclides detected in soil samples were 32 Bq/kg for ²²⁶Ra, 47 Bq/kg for ²³²Th, 350 Bq/kg for ⁴⁰K, and 6.5 Bq/kg for ¹³⁷Cs. By utilizing these activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K obtained from the measurements, the absorbed gamma dose rate (D), the annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE), the radium-equivalent activity (Ra_eq), and the excess lifetime cancer risk (LCR) were assessed. According to the calculation of the radiation hazard index in this research, it was understood that calculated radiological parameters for this region were within acceptable limits suggested by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR).