Radiation Science and Technology

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Natural Radio Activity Levels in Water and Soil at Kemessie Hot Spring, North-Eastern Ethiopia

Received: 27 May 2016    Accepted: 23 June 2016    Published: 22 August 2016
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Abstract

Natural Radioactivity levels in soil and water supplies remain of interest because of the radiation-induced public health hazards. A large part of the Ethiopian population relies on springs for their drinking water. The present work investigated radioactivity level in soil and water of 12 samples collected from different locations of Kemessie. Concentrations of radionuclides in soils and water samples were determined by gamma-ray spectrometer using a NaI (Tl) detector. The mean activity level of the natural radionuclides 238U, 232Th and 40K are 248.71±20.8, 60.1±3 and 576.46 ± 39.86 Bqkg-1 respectively from soil at Kemessie. The mean activity level of the same radionuclides from water samples are 2.30±0.05, 1.70±0.53 and 17.70±1.53 BqL-1. Also radium equivalent activity, total dose rates, internal and external hazard indices of the soil and water samples under consideration were calculated. The results showed that the average radium equivalent activity, total absorbed dose rate, internal and external hazard indices from soil samples at Kemessie are higher than recommended values. However for water samples all the hazard indices are within safety limits. The paper recommends further studies to estimate internal and external doses from other suspected radiological sources to the population in the region. Such studies can further be extended to many hot springs in this country.

DOI 10.11648/j.rst.20160201.11
Published in Radiation Science and Technology (Volume 2, Issue 1, September 2016)
Page(s) 1-5
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Natural Radioactivity, Absorbed Dose, Annual Effective Dose, Water, Soil

References
[1] UNSCEAR (2000). Report to General Assembly. Annex B: Exposure from Natural Radiation Sources. Report to General Assembly. with Scientific Annexes. Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation. United Nations Sales Publications No. E. 00. Ix. 3 Volume I.
[2] Samer M. Abdallaha, Rima R. Habibb, Rida Y. Nuwayhida, Malek Chatilac, Gabriel Katul/(2007). Radon measurements in well and spring water in Lebanon, Radiation Measurements, 42, 298 – 303.
[3] Horvath A, Bohus L. O, Urbani F, Marx G, PiroHth A, Greaves E. D.(2000). Radon concentrations in hot spring waters in northern Venezuela. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 47, 127-133.
[4] Harb S, El-Kamel A. H, Zahran A. M, Abbady A, and Ahmed F. A. (2014). Assessment of Natural Radioactivity in Soil andWater Samples from Aden Governorate South of Yemen Region. International Journal of Recent Research in Physics and Chemical Sciences (IJRRPCS), Vol. 1.
[5] Onoja, R. A. (2010). Total radioactivity count in taps and well water around Zaria area, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Ph. D. thesis, ABU, Zaria. Nigeria.
[6] Shaban Harb, Abd El-Bast Abbady, Abd El-Hadi El-Kamel, Imran Issa Saleh, Abdallah Ibrahim Abd El-Mageed (2012). Natural radioactivity and their radiological effects for different types of rocks from Egypt Radiation Physics and Chemistry 81: 221 – 25.
[7] Diab H. M, Nouh S. A, Hamdy A, El-Fiki S. A. (2008). Evaluation of natural radioactivity in a cultivated area around a fertilizer factory. J. Nucl. Rad. Phys, 3 (1), 53-62.
[8] UNSCEAR (1988). United Nations. Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation, Report to Ionizing Radiation: Sources and Biological Effects. And, Report to The General Assembly, With Scientific Annexes. United Nations Sales Publication E. 94. Ix. 2. United Nations, New York.
[9] Beck H. L, Decompo J, Gologak J. 1972. InSitu Ge (Li) and Nai (Tl) Gamma Ray Spectrometry. Health and Safety Laboratory Aec, New York, Report HASl 285.
[10] UNSCEAR (2008). Report to General Assembly. Annex B: Report to General Assembly with Scientific Annexes. Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation. United Nations Sales Publications No. E. 10. Xi. 3 Volume I. United Nations, New York, p. 1220.
Author Information
  • Department of Physics, College of Natural Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia

  • Department of Physics, College of Natural Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia

  • Department of Physics, College of Natural Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia

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  • APA Style

    A. S. Pradeep, Hailu Geremew, Belay Getachew. (2016). Natural Radio Activity Levels in Water and Soil at Kemessie Hot Spring, North-Eastern Ethiopia. Radiation Science and Technology, 2(1), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.rst.20160201.11

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    ACS Style

    A. S. Pradeep; Hailu Geremew; Belay Getachew. Natural Radio Activity Levels in Water and Soil at Kemessie Hot Spring, North-Eastern Ethiopia. Radiat. Sci. Technol. 2016, 2(1), 1-5. doi: 10.11648/j.rst.20160201.11

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    AMA Style

    A. S. Pradeep, Hailu Geremew, Belay Getachew. Natural Radio Activity Levels in Water and Soil at Kemessie Hot Spring, North-Eastern Ethiopia. Radiat Sci Technol. 2016;2(1):1-5. doi: 10.11648/j.rst.20160201.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.rst.20160201.11,
      author = {A. S. Pradeep and Hailu Geremew and Belay Getachew},
      title = {Natural Radio Activity Levels in Water and Soil at Kemessie Hot Spring, North-Eastern Ethiopia},
      journal = {Radiation Science and Technology},
      volume = {2},
      number = {1},
      pages = {1-5},
      doi = {10.11648/j.rst.20160201.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.rst.20160201.11},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.rst.20160201.11},
      abstract = {Natural Radioactivity levels in soil and water supplies remain of interest because of the radiation-induced public health hazards. A large part of the Ethiopian population relies on springs for their drinking water. The present work investigated radioactivity level in soil and water of 12 samples collected from different locations of Kemessie. Concentrations of radionuclides in soils and water samples were determined by gamma-ray spectrometer using a NaI (Tl) detector. The mean activity level of the natural radionuclides 238U, 232Th and 40K are 248.71±20.8, 60.1±3 and 576.46 ± 39.86 Bqkg-1 respectively from soil at Kemessie. The mean activity level of the same radionuclides from water samples are 2.30±0.05, 1.70±0.53 and 17.70±1.53 BqL-1. Also radium equivalent activity, total dose rates, internal and external hazard indices of the soil and water samples under consideration were calculated. The results showed that the average radium equivalent activity, total absorbed dose rate, internal and external hazard indices from soil samples at Kemessie are higher than recommended values. However for water samples all the hazard indices are within safety limits. The paper recommends further studies to estimate internal and external doses from other suspected radiological sources to the population in the region. Such studies can further be extended to many hot springs in this country.},
     year = {2016}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Natural Radio Activity Levels in Water and Soil at Kemessie Hot Spring, North-Eastern Ethiopia
    AU  - A. S. Pradeep
    AU  - Hailu Geremew
    AU  - Belay Getachew
    Y1  - 2016/08/22
    PY  - 2016
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.rst.20160201.11
    DO  - 10.11648/j.rst.20160201.11
    T2  - Radiation Science and Technology
    JF  - Radiation Science and Technology
    JO  - Radiation Science and Technology
    SP  - 1
    EP  - 5
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2575-5943
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.rst.20160201.11
    AB  - Natural Radioactivity levels in soil and water supplies remain of interest because of the radiation-induced public health hazards. A large part of the Ethiopian population relies on springs for their drinking water. The present work investigated radioactivity level in soil and water of 12 samples collected from different locations of Kemessie. Concentrations of radionuclides in soils and water samples were determined by gamma-ray spectrometer using a NaI (Tl) detector. The mean activity level of the natural radionuclides 238U, 232Th and 40K are 248.71±20.8, 60.1±3 and 576.46 ± 39.86 Bqkg-1 respectively from soil at Kemessie. The mean activity level of the same radionuclides from water samples are 2.30±0.05, 1.70±0.53 and 17.70±1.53 BqL-1. Also radium equivalent activity, total dose rates, internal and external hazard indices of the soil and water samples under consideration were calculated. The results showed that the average radium equivalent activity, total absorbed dose rate, internal and external hazard indices from soil samples at Kemessie are higher than recommended values. However for water samples all the hazard indices are within safety limits. The paper recommends further studies to estimate internal and external doses from other suspected radiological sources to the population in the region. Such studies can further be extended to many hot springs in this country.
    VL  - 2
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

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