title: Determination of (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K activity concentrations in riverbank soil along the Chao Phraya river basin in Thailand.
abstract: The activity concentrations of (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K in riverbank soil along the Chao Phraya river basin was determined through gamma-ray spectrometry measurements made using a hyper-pure germanium detector in a low background configuration. The ranges of activity concentrations of (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K were found to be 13.9 ↔ 76.8, 12.9 ↔ 142.9 and 178.4 ↔ 810.7 Bq kg(-1), respectively. The anthropogenic radionuclide, (137)Cs, was not observed in statistically significant amounts above the background level in the current study. The absorbed gamma dose rate in air at 1 m above the ground surface, the outdoor annual effective dose equivalent, the values of the radium equivalent activity and the external hazard index associated with all the soil samples in the present work were evaluated. The results indicate that the radiation hazard from primordial radionuclides in all soil samples from the area studied in this current work is not significant.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Physics, Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Santawamaitre
authors.affiliation: Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Physics, Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Malain
authors.affiliation: Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Physics, Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK.
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Al-Sulaiti
authors.affiliation: Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Physics, Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Health Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.affiliation: Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Physics, Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK; National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 0LW, UK. Electronic address: p.regan@surrey.ac.uk.
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Regan
mesh_terms: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D001417:Background Radiation / Q000009:adverse effects; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma; D013785:Thailand; D013910:Thorium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014501:Uranium; D013910:Thorium
keywords: Gamma-ray spectrometry; NORM; Naturally occurring radioactive materials