title: Natural radioactivity measurements in Pahang State, Malaysia.
abstract: This study was aimed at providing the baseline data of terrestrial gamma dose rates and natural radioactivity to assess the corresponding health risk in the ambient environment of the Pahang State. Terrestrial gamma radiation (TGR) from 640 locations was measured with the mean value found to be 176 ± 5 nGy h(-1). Ninety-eight soil samples were analysed using a high-purity germanium detector (HPGe), and the mean concentrations of the radionuclides (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K are 110 ± 3, 151 ± 5 and 542 ± 51 Bq kg(-1), respectively.(226)Ra and (232)Th concentrations were found to be three times the world average, while that of (40)K is quite higher than the world average value. The acid-intrusive geological formation has the highest mean concentrations for (226)Ra (215 ± 6 Bq kg(-1)), (232)Th (384 ± 12 Bq kg(-1)) and (40)K (1564 ± 153 Bq kg(-1)). The radium equivalent activities (Req) and the external hazard index (Hex) for the various soil types were also calculated. Some of the soil types were found to have values exceeding the internationally recommended levels of 370 Bq kg(-1) and the unity value, respectively.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Physics, Faculty of Science , Universiti Teknologi Malaysia , Johor , Malaysia.|b Department of Physics, School of Sciences , Federal College of Education , Yola , Nigeria.
authors.forename: Hamman Tukur
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Gabdo
authors.affiliation: a Department of Physics, Faculty of Science , Universiti Teknologi Malaysia , Johor , Malaysia.
authors.forename: Ahmad Termizi
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Ramli
authors.affiliation: c Nuclear Engineering Programme , Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering UTM , Johor , Malaysia.|d National Atomic Energy Commission (NATEC) , Sanaa , Yemen.
authors.forename: Muneer Aziz
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Saleh
authors.affiliation: a Department of Physics, Faculty of Science , Universiti Teknologi Malaysia , Johor , Malaysia.
authors.forename: Nuraddeen Nasiru
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Garba
authors.affiliation: a Department of Physics, Faculty of Science , Universiti Teknologi Malaysia , Johor , Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mohamad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanusi
mesh_terms: D001417:Background Radiation; D005720:Gamma Rays; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D008296:Malaysia; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive
keywords: Pahang State; annual effective dose; external hazard index; health risk; natural radioactivity; radium equivalent activities; soil