title: The measurement of gamma-emitting radionuclides in beach sand cores of coastal regions of Ramsar, Iran using HPGe detectors.
abstract: Radionuclides which present in different beach sands are sources of external exposure that contribute to the total radiation exposure of human. (226)Ra, (235)U, (232)Th, (40)K and (137)Cs analysis has been carried out in sand samples collected at six depth levels, from eight locations of the northern coast of Iran, Ramsar, using high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy. The average Specific activities of natural radionuclides viz., (226)Ra, (235)U, (232)Th, (40)K and (137)Cs, in the 0-36 cm depth sand were found as: 19.2±0.04, 2.67±0.17, 17.9±0.06, 337.5±0.61 and 3.35±0.12 Bq kg(-1), respectively. The effects of organic matter content and pH value of sand samples on the natural radionuclide levels were also investigated. Finally, the measured radionuclide concentrations in the Ramsar beach were compared with the world average values, as reported by UNSCEAR (2000). None of the studied beaches were considered as a radiological risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, Central Tehran Azad University, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran. Electronic address: marziyeh.t_nph@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Marziyeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tari
authors.forename: Sayyed Ali
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Moussavi Zarandi
authors.forename: Kheirollah
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Zare
mesh_terms: D001493:Bathing Beaches; D005720:Gamma Rays; D007492:Iran; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011868:Radioisotopes; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive; D012822:Silicon Dioxide
keywords: Coastal sands; Gamma-ray spectrometry; Natural radionuclides; Radiological risk; Ramsar; Specific activities