Assessment of health risk associated with natural gamma dose rate levels and isodose mapping of Jordan

ABSTRACT

As a pioneering study in Jordan, an extensive measurement for external gamma dose rate (GDR) was conducted. A portable gamma radiation detector was used to perform these measurements at 1?m above the soil surface. A geographical positioning system Garmin was used to record a total of 823 measured points. The GDRs’ measurement ranged from 35 to 470?nGy?h^?1 giving a mean value of 90?nGy?h^?1, which was found to be one and half times higher than the world average of 59?nGy?h^?1. The lowest mean GDR 72?nGy?h^?1 was found in the Albalqa governate, while the highest mean GDR 131?nGy?h^?1 was found to be for the Alkarak governate. The mean annual effective dose was found to be 0.551?mSv, which is higher than the world average value of 0.48?mSv. This is a pivotal study evaluating the risks associated with GDR levels in Jordan that were the relative excess lifetime cancer risk, the mean collective effective dose, the mean weighted GDR and the mean lifetime dose that are 2.24?×?10^?3, 5538manSv?y^?1, 0.531?mSv and 39?mSv, respectively. The cosmic rays mean GDR was determined to be 20?nGy?h^?1. This study focuses on constructing GDRs’ baseline data in Jordan, which will be used to determine the possible change in the natural radiation due to other human activities in the future. ArcGIS software was employed to generate an isodose map to characterise exposure rates caused by GDR in Jordan.     

Activity concentrations of 226Ra, 228Ra, 222Rn and their health impact in the groundwater of Jordan

The activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra and ²²²Rn were measured in 87 groundwater samples to estimate the activity concentrations of these radionuclides and health impact due to intake of these radionuclides in groundwater of Jordan. The mean activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra and ²²²Rn in groundwater were found to be 0.293?±?0.005 Bq L^?1, 0.508?±?0.009 Bq L^?1 and 58.829?±?8.824 Bq L^?1, respectively. They give a mean annual effective dose of 0.481 mSv with mean lifetime risk of 24.599?×?10^?4, exceeding the admissible limit of 10^?4. Most of the received annual effective dose (59.15% of the total) is attributed to ²²⁸Ra.

     

Statistical relationship between activity concentrations of radionuclides 226Ra, 232Th, 40K,and 137Cs and geological formations in surface soil of Jordan

An extensive study was conducted to determine the activity concentrations of natural and artificial radionuclides ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, ⁴⁰K, and ¹³⁷Cs in soil samples of each governate of Jordan. A total of 370 samples have been measured using a high-purity germanium detector. The activity concentration for ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, ⁴⁰K, and ¹³⁷Cs has mean values of 42?±?3, 23?±?3, 309?±?21, and 3.7?±?0.9 Bq kg^–1, respectively. The highest mean activity concentration for ²²⁶Ra was found to be 138?±?4 Bq kg^–1 in the Alkarak governate. In the Ajloun and Jarash governates, the highest mean activity concentration was 35?±?3 Bq kg^–1 for ²³²Th, and 14.2?±?1.9 Bq kg^–1 for ¹³⁷Cs, respectively. Geological influence on the activity concentrations was investigated using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and independent samples. The ANOVA results indicate that there are strong significant differences between the activity concentrations of ²³²Th, ⁴⁰K, and ¹³⁷Cs based on geological formations the radionuclides occur. The main contribution to gamma dose rate was due to ²²⁶Ra activity concentration. Radium equivalent and external hazard index are associated with a mean value of 98 Bq kg^–1, and 0.266, respectively.