title: Assessment of radionuclides in the soil of residential areas of the Chittagong metropolitan city, Bangladesh and evaluation of associated radiological risk.
abstract: Soil samples from the three residential hubs of Chittagong city, Bangladesh were analyzed using gamma spectrometry to estimate radiation hazard due to natural radioactive sources and anthropogenic nuclide (137)Cs. The activity concentration of (226)Ra was found to be in the range 11-25 Bq.kg(-1), (232)Th in the range 38-59 Bq.kg(-1) and (40)K in the range 246-414 Bq.kg(-1). These results were used to calculate the radiological hazard parameters including Excess of Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR). The estimated outdoor gamma exposure rates were 40.6-63.8 nGy.h(-1). The radiation hazard index (radium equivalent activity) ranged from 90-140 Bq.kg(-1). The average value of the ELCR was found to be 0.21 × 10(-3), which is lower than the world average. Sporadic fallout of (137)Cs was observed with an average value of 2.0 Bq.kg(-1).
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Chittagong, Chittagong-4331, Bangladesh rnizam_83@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Quazi Muhammad
authors.initials: QM
authors.lastname: Rashed-Nizam
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Chittagong, Chittagong-4331, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Md Mashiur
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.affiliation: Radioactivity Testing and Monitoring Laboratory, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Masud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamal
authors.affiliation: Radioactivity Testing and Monitoring Laboratory, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Bangladesh Southern University, 739/A, Mehedibag Road, Chittagong, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Mantazul Islam
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
mesh_terms: D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D002947:Cities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D011868:Radioisotopes; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive
keywords: BEGe detector; Excess of Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR); gamma ray spectrometry; radiological hazard parameters; radionuclides