Abstract
The study was conducted for the investigation of amount of radioactivity in the barren and cultivated soil of Bio saline Research Station in Pakka Anna, established by Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB) in 1990, 34 km. away from the city of Faisalabad, in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The studies were done on an area of about 100 hectares of two types of virgin and fertilized saline soils. The technique of gamma ray spectrometry was applied using HPGe (high purity germanium) gamma ray detector and a PC based MCA. Activity concentration levels due to 40K, 137Cs, 226Ra and 232Th were measured in 250 saline soil samples collected at a spacing of about 4 hectares at the depth level of 0–25 cm. with a step of 5 cm. depth. Activity concentrations ranges of the concerned radionuclides for both of the soils were as follows: 40K, for virgin and cultivated saline soil was 500–610.2 and Bq/kg 560.2–635.6 respectively; 137Cs, 3.57–3.63 and 1.98–5.15 Bq/kg 238U, 26.3–31.6 and 30.3–38.7 Bq/kg, and 232Th, 50.6–55.3 and 50.6–64.0 Bq/kg respectively. The absorbed dose rate in air lies in the region 63–73 nGyh-1 and 68–83 nGyh-1 for virgin and fertilized soils respectively. This indicates that this region lies in the area of higher radiation background, while comparing with the worlds’ average. The slightly higher value of dose in the fertilized farm may be due to the use of fertilizers for cultivation. Before the radiometric measurements, chemical analysis for concentration of Na, Ca and Mg was also carried out along with the measurement of electrical conductivity and pH of the soil samples.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Bhatti, T. M., Phosphate fertilizers a potential source for Uranium recovery as by product. A technical report no Paec/NIBGE-2/1994. National institute for biotechnology and genetic engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad, 1994
Brady, N. C., the nature and properties of soils,10th Ed., Macmillan Publisher London, 243–246, 1990
Hussain, A., Determination of uranium and thorium concentration in rock samples. J. of radio analytical and Nuclear physics, 188(4): 255–265, 1994
IAEA, Measurement of radionuclides in food and environment. Technical reports series, (295), 1989
Akhtar, N., M. Ashraf Chaudhry, M. Tifail, M. Mohsin Iqbal and S. D. Orfi, Radiometric and chemical analysis of saline soil samples of Pacca Anna, Faisalabad, J. of Research, 14(1): 49–59, 2003
Radhakrishna, A.P., H. M. Somashekarappa, Y. Narayana, K. Sidappa, A new natural background radiation area on the southwest cost of India. Health Physics 65: 390–395, 1993
Selvasekarapandia, S., R. Sivakumar, N.M. Manikendan, V. Meenakshisundaram and V. Gajendran, Natural radionuclides distribution in soils of Gudalore India. Applied radiation and isotopes 52(2): 299–306, 2000
Skorovarov, J. I., L. I. Rusin, A. V. Lomonsov, H. Chaforian, A. Hashemi and H. Novaseqhi,. Development of uranium extraction technology from phosphoric acid solutions with extract. Proceeding of international conference on uranium extraction from soil, 217: 106–113, 1996
Tufail, M., M. Iqbal and S. M. Mirza, Radiation doses due to natural radioactivity in Pakistan marble; Radioprotection, 34: 355–359, 2000
Tufail, M., S. Almakky, M. S. Zafar, and H. A. Khan, Natural radioactivity in the ceramics used in dwellings as construction material, Scien. Total Environ, 127: 243–253, 1992
Tzortzis, M., H. Tsertos, S. Christofides, G. Christodoulides, Gamma ray measurements of naturally occurring radioactive samples from Cyprus characteristic geological rocks. Radiation Measurements 37: 221–229, 2003
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Akhtar, N., Tufail, M. & Ashraf, M. Natural environmental radioactivity and estimation of radiation exposure from saline soils. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 1, 279–285 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03325843
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03325843