We establish baseline measurements for radioactivity concentration in the soil samples collected from the Qatarian peninsula. The work focused on the naturally occurring and technically enhanced levels of radiation associated with 235,8U and 232Th natural decay chains and the long-lived naturally occurring radionuclide 40K in 129 soil samples collected across the landscape of the State of Qatar. Three radiological distribution maps showing the activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were constructed. Two soil samples were found to be elevated to the favour of 226Ra concentration and significantly above the average and global values. Notably, these samples were collected from an area within an oil field (NW Dukhan). The mean values of activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K for the full cohort of samples were found to be 17.2±1.6, 6.38±0.26 and 169±5Bq/kg, respectively. These values lie within the expected range relative to the world average values in soil samples of 30, 35 and 400Bq/kg, respectively.

With interest in establishing baseline concentrations of 137Cs in soil from the Qatarian peninsula, we focus on determination of the activity concentrations in 129 soil samples collected across the State of Qatar prior to the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident. As such, the data provides the basis of a reference map for the detection of releases of this fission product. The activity concentrations were measured via high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry using a hyper-pure germanium detector enclosed in a copper-lined passive lead shield that was situated in a low-background environment. The activity concentrations ranged from 0.21 to 15.41Bq/kg, with a median value of 1Bq/kg, the greatest activity concentration being observed in a sample obtained from northern Qatar. Although it cannot be confirmed, it is expected that this contamination is mainly due to releases from the Chernobyl accident of 26 April 1986, there being a lack of data from Qatar before the accident. The values are typically within but are sometimes lower than the range indicated by data from other countries in the region. The lower values than those of others is suggested to be due to variation in soil characteristics as well as metrological factors at the time of deposition.

The activity concentrations of (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K in riverbank soil along the Chao Phraya river basin was determined through gamma-ray spectrometry measurements made using a hyper-pure germanium detector in a low background configuration. The ranges of activity concentrations of (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K were found to be 13.9 ↔ 76.8, 12.9 ↔ 142.9 and 178.4 ↔ 810.7 Bq kg(-1), respectively. The anthropogenic radionuclide, (137)Cs, was not observed in statistically significant amounts above the background level in the current study. The absorbed gamma dose rate in air at 1 m above the ground surface, the outdoor annual effective dose equivalent, the values of the radium equivalent activity and the external hazard index associated with all the soil samples in the present work were evaluated. The results indicate that the radiation hazard from primordial radionuclides in all soil samples from the area studied in this current work is not significant.

The activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K in riverbank soil along the Chao Phraya river basin was determined through gamma-ray spectrometry measurements made using a hyper-pure germanium detector in a low background configuration. The ranges of activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K were found to be 13.9 ↔ 76.8, 12.9 ↔ 142.9 and 178.4 ↔ 810.7 Bq kg−1, respectively. The anthropogenic radionuclide, 137Cs, was not observed in statistically significant amounts above the background level in the current study. The absorbed gamma dose rate in air at 1 m above the ground surface, the outdoor annual effective dose equivalent, the values of the radium equivalent activity and the external hazard index associated with all the soil samples in the present work were evaluated. The results indicate that the radiation hazard from primordial radionuclides in all soil samples from the area studied in this current work is not significant.

Following the 2004 ‘Boxing day’ tsunami, a determination has been made of the activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in beach sand samples which have been collected from various locations along the Andaman coast of the Thai peninsula. Use has been made of a HPGe detector-based, low-background gamma-ray counting system. The natural radioactivity levels of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K measured from these samples was found to lie in the range 1.6–52.5, 0.3–73.9and 2.8–1111.9Bq/kg respectively for the west coast and 3.5–83.1, 4.5–42.0, and 9.6–1376Bq/kg respectively for the east coast. The radioactivity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K along the Andaman coast are comparable to that of the east coast, which was not exposed to the tsunami. The corresponding annual effective dose varies from 1.6–105.9μSv/y with a mean value of 59.1±0.3μSv/y, significantly lower than the worldwide average as reported by United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) (2000).

This study is aimed at the determination of the activity concentrations of naturally occuring and technically enhanced levels of radiation in soil samples collected across the landscape of Qatar. Representative soil samples from various locations across the Qatarian peninsula have been collected and analyzed in order to establish activity concentrations associated with the 235,8U and 232Th natural decay chains and also the long-lived naturally occurring radionuclide 40K. The activity concentrations have been measured using a hyper-pure germanium detector. Details of the sample preparation and the gamma-ray spectroscopic analysis techniques are presented, together with the preliminary values of the activity concentrations associated with the naturally occuring radionuclide chains for six soil samples collected from the Qatarian peninsula. Sample 228, which has been collected from an inshore oil-field area, was observed to have the highest observed value of 226Ra concentration among the six samples. The weighted mean values of the activity concentrations of the radionuclides 238U, 232Th and 40K in one particular sample (sample 228) were, respectively, found to be 213.9±1.4, 4.55±0.11 and 111.4±3.6Bq/kg, which compare with the worldwide weighted mean values in soil samples, 33, 45 and 420Bq/kg, respectively. The deduced activity concentration of 238U in sample 228 in the current work was found to be significantly higher than the worldwide average value and was also significantly higher than the values determined for the five other initial samples discussed here. The mean values of the activity concentration of the 232Th series, 40K and 137Cs in Bq/kg from the six investigated soil samples were found to be 9.4±1.3, 204±22 and 5.8±5.6, respectively, with the quoted uncertainty referring to the standard deviation among these measurements.

This study is aimed at the determination of the activity concentrations of naturally occuring and technologically enhanced levels of radiation in 34 representative soil samples that have been collected from an inshore oil field area which was found to have, in a previous study, the highest observed value of 226Ra concentration among 129 soil samples. The activity concentrations of 238U and 226Ra have been inferred from gamma-ray transitions associated with their decay progenies and measured using a hyper-pure germanium detector. Details of the sample preparation and the gamma-ray spectroscopic analysis techniques are presented, together with the values of the activity concentrations associated with the naturally occuring radionuclide chains for all the samples collected from NW Dukhan. Discrete-line, gamma-ray energy transitions from spectral lines ranging in energy from ∼100 keV up to 2.6 MeV have been associated with characteristic decays of the various decay products within the 235.8U and 232Th radioactive decay chains. These data have been analyzed, under the assumption of secular equilibrium for the U and Th decay chains. Details of the sample preparation and the gamma-ray spectroscopic analysis techniques are presented. The weighted mean value of the activity concentrations of 226Ra in one of the samples was found to be around a factor of 2 higher than the values obtained in the previous study and approximately a factor of 10 higher than the accepted worldwide average value of 35 Bq/kg. The weighted mean values of the activity concentrations of 232Th and 40K were also deduced and found to be within the worldwide average values of 30 and 400 Bq/kg, respectively. Our previous study reported a value of 201.9±1.5Stat.±13Syst. Bq/kg for 226Ra in one sample and further investigation in the current work determined a measured value for 226Ra of 342.00±1.9Stat.±25Syst. Bq/kg in a sample taken from the same locality. This is significantly higher than all the other investigated soil samples in the current and previous works. Notably, the Th levels in the same sample are within the worldwide average expectations, implying that the increased 226Ra concentration arises from TENORM processes.

Levels of naturally occurring radioactivity in surface soils along the Chao Phraya river have been investigated. The activity concentrations of radionuclides in the 238U and 232Th decay chains and from 40K were determined through gamma-ray spectrometry measurements made using a hyperpure germanium detector in a low background configuration. Activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K were found to be 55.3±1.2↔65.2±1.4, 60.7±1.2↔69.1±1.3 and 393±13↔478±16Bq/kg, respectively. Concerning radiological risk, the absorbed gamma dose rate in air from those soils was estimated to lie in the range 81.6±1.9↔90.4±2.1nGy/h; the outdoor annual effective dose equivalent was calculated to be 100.1±2.3↔110.8±2.5μSv/yr. These results are compared with radioactivity measurements with world mean values.

A hyper-pure germanium detector-based gamma-ray spectroscopy low background counting system was used to determine the levels of natural radioactivity from beach sand samples along the Andaman coast of Thailand following the 2004 tsunami. The activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were found to lie in the range of 2.7±0.1↔23.5±0.4, 3.0±0.1↔34.6±0.6, 10.7±0.9↔654.3±21.6Bqkg−1 respectively. The total gamma absorbed dose rate in air at 1m above the ground surface ranges from 3.5±0.1 to 52.8±0.9nGyh−1 with an average value of 31±1nGyh−1 corresponding to annual effective dose of 0.038mSv. The latter was found to be significantly lower than the world average value of 0.07mSvy−1 for outdoor annual effective dose, as reported by UNSCEAR(2000) but consistent with values for sand found by others. The results from this study will be used to establish a radiological baseline map in Thailand and used as reference information to assess any alterations in the radioactivity background level due to the changes in the topography of the location, other developments around the area or any artficial influences on the environment.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of natural radioactivity in river sediments and riverbank surface soils collected along the Chao Phraya River and its tributaries in Thailand. The activity concentrations of radionuclides in 238U and 232Th decay chains as well as 40K in all samples have been determined by means of a gamma-ray spectrometry system using a hyper-pure germanium detector in a low background configuration. The ranges of specific activity for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were found to be 15.2–67.0, 16.8–73.3 and 204.6–656.5Bqkg−1, respectively. Additionally, evaluations have been made of the absorbed gamma dose rate in air and the annual effective dose equivalent from outdoor terrestrial gamma radiation in order to assess any excess radiological risk from agricultural usage of fertilizers. In this study, the absorbed dose rate was observed to vary from 30.5 to 102.6nGyh−1 and the outdoor annual effective dose equivalent to range from 37.4 to 125.8μSvyr−1.