title: Natural radioactivity levels of geothermal waters and their influence on soil and agricultural activities.
abstract: All over the world geothermal sources are used for different purposes. The contents of these waters are important to understand positive/negative effects on human life. In this study, natural radioactivity concentrations of geothermal waters were investigated to evaluate the effect on soils and agricultural activities. Geothermal water samples were collected from the Seferihisar Geothermal Region, and the radon and radium concentrations of these waters were analysed using a collector chamber method. Also soil samples, which are irrigated with geothermal waters, were collected from the surroundings of geothermal areas, and natural radioactivity concentrations of collected samples (U, Th and K) were determined using an NaI(Tl) detector system. The activity concentrations of radon and radium were found to be 0.6-6.0 and 0.1-1.0 Bq l(-1), respectively. Generally, the obtained results are not higher compared with the geothermal waters of the world. The activity concentrations in soils were found to be in the range of 3.3-120.3 Bq kg(-1) for (226)Ra (eU), 0.3-108.5 Bq kg(-1) for (232)Th (eTh), 116.0-850.0 Bq kg(-1) for (40)K (% K).
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Sciences, Ege University, Bornova-İzmir 35100, Turkey.
authors.forename: Müslim
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murat Saç
authors.forename: Sercan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aydemir
authors.forename: Mutlu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Içhedef
authors.forename: Mehmet N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Kumru
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bolca
authors.forename: Fulsen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ozen
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D005843:Geography; D005844:Geology; D045482:Hot Springs; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D011851:Radioactivity; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D011883:Radium / Q000032:analysis; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis; D012623:Seawater / Q000032:analysis; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D013910:Thorium / Q000032:analysis; D014421:Turkey; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis; D014873:Water Pollutants
chemical_list: D011868:Radioisotopes; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014873:Water Pollutants; D014867:Water; D013910:Thorium; D011886:Radon; D011883:Radium