Environmental nuclear studies of natural and man-made radioactivity at Hebron region in Palestine

الملخص EN

The activity concentrations of naturally occurring and man-made radioactive materials in soil samples collected from 20 locations at different depths from the northern as well as the southern parts of Hebron province were measured using gamma-ray spectroscopy.

The average of the measured concentrations for 238U series, 232Th series, 40K isotope, and 137Cs isotope in the northern region are found to be 32.9, 22.9, 225.9 and 5.5 Bq / kg, respectively; while in the southern region, the average of the measured concentration levels are 65.6, 71.3, 447.1 and 7.5 Bq/kg, respectively.

On one hand, the average of the concentration levels for all inspected nuclides in the northern area is generally found to be lower than the assigned international radioactivity concentration levels.

On the other hand, the concentration levels for most nuclides in the southern area are found to be higher than the assigned international concentration levels.

The investigated zone areas may be classified as high to moderate natural concentration levels.

The absorbed dose rates (Dr), the radium equivalent activity (Raeq), the external hazard index (Hex), and the gamma level index (I?) for the soil samples are also investigated.

The obtained results may be considered to be as reference values that can be used and as baseline data for drawing a radiological map of the regions under consideration the presence of 137C in the soil samples is mainly attributed to fall-out of the usage of technological nuclear aspects and artificial nuclear processes.