Map of radionuclide distribution and assessment of absorbed dose and nuclear contamination on the Miankala Peninsula in the north of Iran

Subject Areas : Radio active

Reza Pourimani ¹ , Seyed Mohsen Mortazavi Shahroudi ² , Roshanak Ghorbani ³

1 - Associate professor in nuclear physics, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Arak University, Arak, Iran. *(Corresponding Author)
2 - Ph.D. in nuclear physics, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Arak University, Arak, Iran
3 - MSc in nuclear physics, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Arak University, Arak, Iran.

Received: 2022-09-12 Accepted : 2022-11-23 Published : 2023-01-21

Keywords: Miankaleh Peninsula, HPGe detector, Petrochemical Industry, environmental radiation, Specific activity,

Abstract :

Background and objective: The study, to assess the level of environmental radiation and to obtain the impact of the development of industry, including petrochemicals, on the formation of nuclear pollution, the specific activity of radionuclides, and the amount of absorbed dose were measured in the Miankaleh peninsula in the north of Iran, south-east of the Caspian Sea. Material and Methodology: 43 samples were collected from the north and south coasts of the Miankala peninsula, including 13 bottles of water and 30 bags of sediments, and the specific activities of radionuclides in the samples were determined using a high-purity germanium detector. The distribution map of radioactive elements was made using GIS software. Findings: The average specific activity of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs in sediment samples were 18.17±1.62, 16.21±1.36, 266.28±9.45, and 2.61±0.27 Bqkg-1, respectively, and the average specific activity of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in water samples was 0.78±0.12, 5.39±0.75 and 17.89±1.79 Bqkg-1, respectively. The average absorbed dose rate in air was calculated as 28.73±1.91 nGyh-1. Discussion and Conclusion: The specific activity of natural radionuclides was calculated to be lower than the global average. The amount of dose absorbed in this area is within the permissible limit. The average radioactive concentration in the water samples of the southern shores of the Miankala peninsula is higher than its northern shores, which are adjacent to the Caspian Sea. However, the concentration of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K in the northern coastal sediments is higher than that of the southern coasts. The concentration of 137Cs is higher on the southern coast of the Miankala peninsula, which located in a dry area, due to the lack of water flow.

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