title: Measurements of environmental terrestrial gamma radiation average dose rate in three mountainous locations in the western region of Saudi Arabia.
abstract: This paper describes measurements of external gamma radiation average dose rate from terrestrial gamma rays 1 m above the ground in three different mountainous locations in the western region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. These locations are, At-Taif city, Al-Hada village and Ash-Shafa village. CaSO(4):Dy (TLD-900) thermoluminescence dosemeters were used for the detection of terrestrial gamma radiation at 40 different places in the three locations. The values of terrestrial gamma radiation average dose rate measured ranged between 14 and 279 nG h(-1) for the time interval from June 2001 to June 2002. The measured average dose rate varied with the season of the year. The gamma radiation average dose rates were 468, 541 and 781 microGy y(-1) for At-Taif city, Al-Hada village and Ash-Shafa village, respectively. The corresponding average effective dose rates for the three locations were 94, 108 and 156 microSv y(-1), respectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, P.O. Box 10130, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia. alghorabie@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Fayez H H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Al-Ghorabie
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000531:Altitude; D001822:Body Burden; D002980:Climate; D005720:Gamma Rays; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011874:Radiometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012062:Relative Biological Effectiveness; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive