title: Natural radioactivity of riverbank sediments of the Maritza and Tundja Rivers in Turkey.
abstract: This article represents the first results of the natural radionuclides in the Maritza and Tundja river sediments, in the vicinity of Edirne city, Turkey. The aim of the article is to describe the natural radioactivity concentrations as a baseline for further studies and to obtain the distribution patterns of radioactivity in trans-boundary river sediments of the Maritza and Tundja, which are shared by Turkey, Bulgaria and Greece. Sediment samples were collected during the period of August 2007-April 2010. The riverbank sediment samples were analyzed firstly for their pH, organic matter content and soil texture. The gross alpha/beta and (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K activity concentrations were then investigated in the collected sediment samples. The mean and standard error of mean values of gross alpha and gross beta activity concentrations were found as 91 ± 11, 410 ± 69 Bq/kg and 86 ± 11, 583 ± 109 Bq/kg for the Maritza and Tundja river sediments, respectively. Moreover, the mean and standard error of mean values of (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K activity concentrations were determined as 219 ± 68, 128 ± 55, 298 ± 13 and as 186 ± 98, 121 ± 68, 222 ± 30 Bq/kg for the Maritza and Tundja River, respectively. Absorbed dose rates (D) and annual effective dose equivalent s  have been calculated for each sampling point. The average value of adsorbed dose rate and effective dose equivalent were found as 191 and 169 nGy/h; 2 and 2 mSv/y for the Maritza and the Tundja river sediments, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Ege University, Institute of Nuclear Sciences, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey. suleaytas@gmail.com
authors.forename: Sule
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aytas
authors.forename: Sabriye
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yusan
authors.forename: Mahmoud A A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Aslani
authors.forename: Turgay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Karali
authors.forename: D Alkim
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Turkozu
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gok
authors.forename: Sema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erenturk
authors.forename: Melis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gokce
authors.forename: K Firat
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Oguz
mesh_terms: D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D045483:Rivers; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D013910:Thorium / Q000032:analysis; D014421:Turkey; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014501:Uranium; D013910:Thorium