title: Evaluation of natural radioactivity content in high-volume surface water samples along the northern coast of Oman Sea using portable high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry.
abstract: Portable high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry was carried out to determine the natural radioactivity levels in high volume surface water samples of the northern coast of Oman Sea, covering the coastal strip from Hormoz strait to Goatr seaport, for the first time. The water samples from 36 coastal and near shore locations were collected for analysis. Analyses on the samples collected were carried out to determine (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K contents. The concentration of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K in surface water samples ranged between 2.19 and 2.82 Bq/L, 1.66-2.17 Bq/L and 132.6-148.87 Bq/L, respectively. The activity profile of radionuclides shows low activity across the study area. The study also examined some radiation hazard indices. The external hazard index was found to be less than 1, indicating a low dose. The results of measurements will serve as background reference level for Oman Sea coastlines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Isfahan, Isfahan 81746-73441, Islamic Republic of Iran. Electronic address: m_r_zare@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Zare
authors.affiliation: Chemical Process Research Group, Institute of Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Isfahan, Isfahan 81746-73441, Islamic Republic of Iran; Graduate Faculty of Environment, Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran. Electronic address: m.kamali@eng.ui.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Mahdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamali
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Application, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: Zohre
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Omidi
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Isfahan, Isfahan 81746-73441, Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: Mahdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khorambagheri
authors.affiliation: Persian Gulf and Oman Sea Ecological Research Institute, P.O. Box 79145-1597, Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan, Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Seddigh
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Mortazavi
authors.affiliation: Persian Gulf and Oman Sea Ecological Research Institute, P.O. Box 79145-1597, Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan, Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ebrahimi
authors.affiliation: Persian Gulf and Oman Sea Ecological Research Institute, P.O. Box 79145-1597, Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan, Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: Gholamali
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Akbarzadeh
mesh_terms: D001417:Background Radiation; D007492:Iran; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive
keywords: (226)Ra; (232)Th; (40)K; Oman Sea; Portable HPGe; Surface water