Radionuclide concentrations in agricultural soil and lifetime cancer risk due to gamma radioactivity in district Swabi, KPK, Pakistan
This study focuses on measuring the levels of naturally occurring radioactivity in the soil of Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, as well as the associated health hazard. Thirty (30) soil samples were collected from various locations and analyzed for 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K radioactivity levels usin...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Nuclear Engineering and Technology |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1738573323004345 |
| _version_ | 1797355305822060544 |
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| author | Umair Azeem Hannan Younis Niamat ullah Khurram Mehboob Muhammad Ajaz Mushtaq Ali Abdullah Hidayat Wazir Muhammad |
| author_facet | Umair Azeem Hannan Younis Niamat ullah Khurram Mehboob Muhammad Ajaz Mushtaq Ali Abdullah Hidayat Wazir Muhammad |
| author_sort | Umair Azeem |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study focuses on measuring the levels of naturally occurring radioactivity in the soil of Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, as well as the associated health hazard. Thirty (30) soil samples were collected from various locations and analyzed for 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K radioactivity levels using a High Purity Germanium detector (HPGe) gamma-ray spectrometer with a photo-peak efficiency of approximately 52.3%. The average values obtained for these radionuclides are 35.6 ± 5.7 Bqkg−1, 47 ± 12.5 Bqkg−1, and 877 ± 153 Bqkg−1, respectively. The level of 232Th is slightly higher and 40K is 2.2 times higher than the internationally recommended limit of 30 Bqkg−1 and 400 Bqkg−1, respectively. Various parameters were calculated based on the results obtained, including Radium Equivalent (Raeq), External Hazard (Hex), Absorbed Dose Rate (D), Annual Gonadal Equivalent Dose (AGDE), Annual Effective Dose Rate, and Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR), which are 170.3 ± 24 Bqkg−1, 0.46 ± 0.06 Bqkg−1, 81.4 ± 2.04 nGy h−1, 582 ± 78.08 μSvy−1, 99.8 ± 13.5 μSv Gy−1, and 0.349 ± 0.04, respectively. These values are below the limits recommended by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) in 2002. This study highlights the potential radiation threats associated with natural radioactivity levels in the soil of Swabi and provides valuable information for public health and safety. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:09:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a1f2284a38f4426b95d25a5f9d9137be |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1738-5733 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:09:14Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nuclear Engineering and Technology |
| spelling | doaj.art-a1f2284a38f4426b95d25a5f9d9137be2024-01-15T04:20:50ZengElsevierNuclear Engineering and Technology1738-57332024-01-01561207215Radionuclide concentrations in agricultural soil and lifetime cancer risk due to gamma radioactivity in district Swabi, KPK, PakistanUmair Azeem0Hannan Younis1Niamat ullah2Khurram Mehboob3Muhammad Ajaz4Mushtaq Ali5Abdullah Hidayat6Wazir Muhammad7Department of Physics, COMSATS University Islamabad, 45550, PakistanDepartment of Physics, COMSATS University Islamabad, 45550, Pakistan; Corresponding author.Department of Physics, COMSATS University Islamabad, 45550, PakistanDepartment of Nuclear Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Abdulaziz University, P. O. Box 80204, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Physics, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, 23200, PakistanDepartment of Physics, Division of Science and Technology, University of Education, Lahore, 54770, PakistanDepartment of Physics, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, USADepartment of Physics, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, USA; Corresponding author.This study focuses on measuring the levels of naturally occurring radioactivity in the soil of Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, as well as the associated health hazard. Thirty (30) soil samples were collected from various locations and analyzed for 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K radioactivity levels using a High Purity Germanium detector (HPGe) gamma-ray spectrometer with a photo-peak efficiency of approximately 52.3%. The average values obtained for these radionuclides are 35.6 ± 5.7 Bqkg−1, 47 ± 12.5 Bqkg−1, and 877 ± 153 Bqkg−1, respectively. The level of 232Th is slightly higher and 40K is 2.2 times higher than the internationally recommended limit of 30 Bqkg−1 and 400 Bqkg−1, respectively. Various parameters were calculated based on the results obtained, including Radium Equivalent (Raeq), External Hazard (Hex), Absorbed Dose Rate (D), Annual Gonadal Equivalent Dose (AGDE), Annual Effective Dose Rate, and Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR), which are 170.3 ± 24 Bqkg−1, 0.46 ± 0.06 Bqkg−1, 81.4 ± 2.04 nGy h−1, 582 ± 78.08 μSvy−1, 99.8 ± 13.5 μSv Gy−1, and 0.349 ± 0.04, respectively. These values are below the limits recommended by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) in 2002. This study highlights the potential radiation threats associated with natural radioactivity levels in the soil of Swabi and provides valuable information for public health and safety.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1738573323004345Natural radioactivitySoilGamma spectroscopyActivity concentrationRadiological hazards |
| spellingShingle | Umair Azeem Hannan Younis Niamat ullah Khurram Mehboob Muhammad Ajaz Mushtaq Ali Abdullah Hidayat Wazir Muhammad Radionuclide concentrations in agricultural soil and lifetime cancer risk due to gamma radioactivity in district Swabi, KPK, Pakistan Nuclear Engineering and Technology Natural radioactivity Soil Gamma spectroscopy Activity concentration Radiological hazards |
| title | Radionuclide concentrations in agricultural soil and lifetime cancer risk due to gamma radioactivity in district Swabi, KPK, Pakistan |
| title_full | Radionuclide concentrations in agricultural soil and lifetime cancer risk due to gamma radioactivity in district Swabi, KPK, Pakistan |
| title_fullStr | Radionuclide concentrations in agricultural soil and lifetime cancer risk due to gamma radioactivity in district Swabi, KPK, Pakistan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Radionuclide concentrations in agricultural soil and lifetime cancer risk due to gamma radioactivity in district Swabi, KPK, Pakistan |
| title_short | Radionuclide concentrations in agricultural soil and lifetime cancer risk due to gamma radioactivity in district Swabi, KPK, Pakistan |
| title_sort | radionuclide concentrations in agricultural soil and lifetime cancer risk due to gamma radioactivity in district swabi kpk pakistan |
| topic | Natural radioactivity Soil Gamma spectroscopy Activity concentration Radiological hazards |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1738573323004345 |
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