title: Assessment of health hazard due to natural radioactivity in Kluang District, Johor, Malaysia.
abstract: The radiation survey of the ambient environment was conducted using two gamma detectors, and the measurement results were used in the computation of the mean external radiation dose rate, mean-weighted dose rate and annual effective dose, which are 144 nGy h(-1), 0.891 mSv y(-1) and 178 μSv, respectively. A high-purity germanium detector was used to determine the activity concentrations of (232)Th, (226)Ra and (40)K in soil samples. The results of the gamma spectrometry of the soil samples show radioactivity concentration ranges from 19±1 to 405±13 Bq kg(-1) with a mean value of 137±5 Bq kg(-1) for (232)Th, from 21±2 to 268±9 Bq kg(-1)with a mean value of 78±3 Bq kg(-1) for (226)Ra and from 23±9 to 1268±58 Bq kg(-1) with a mean value of 207±13 Bq kg(-1) for (40)K. Radium equivalent activity (Raeq) and external hazard index (Hex) were 290 Bq kg(-1) and 0.784, respectively, which were safe for the population. The mean lifetime dose and lifetime cancer risk for each person living in the area with average lifetime (70 y) were 12.46 mSv and 7.25×10(-4) Sv year, respectively. The results were compared with values given in United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation 2000.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Physics, Faculty of Science , Universiti Teknologi Malaysia , Johore Bahru, Johore , Malaysia.
authors.forename: Muneer
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aziz Saleh
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Termizi Ramli
authors.forename: Yasser
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Alajerami
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Damoom
authors.forename: Abubakar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sadiq Aliyu
mesh_terms: D001417:Background Radiation; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia; D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D011634:Public Health; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011883:Radium; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma; D013910:Thorium / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D013910:Thorium; D011883:Radium