Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, cilt.197, sa.8, 2025 (SCI-Expanded)
In this paper, the natural radioactivity levels and related radiological hazards in rock and soil samples from the Çine submassif, including all lithological units in Central-Western Anatolia, Turkey, were investigated. To achieve this, 15 rock samples and 15 surface soil samples were collected from 15 stations representing the geological structures of the Çine submassif. Rock samples are dominated by high-grade metamorphic rocks derived from granitic and litharenitic/subarkosic sandstones. The activity concentrations of natural radionuclides 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K, designated CRa, CTh, and CK, in the collected rock and soil samples were measured using a high-purity germanium detector system. The mean CRa, CT, and CK values for the rock samples were found to be 33.67 ± 3.47 Bq kg−1, 47.00 ± 3.47 Bq kg−1, and 871.20 ± 56.08 Bq kg−1, respectively. The respective mean values for the soil samples were found to be 40.00 ± 3.54 Bq kg−1, 51.40 ± 3.94 Bq kg−1, and 833.93 ± 50.94 Bq kg−1, respectively. The mean value of CRa for rock samples was within the worldwide permissible limits of 35 Bq kg−1. However, both the mean value of CRa in soil samples and the mean values of CTh and CK in both rock and soil samples were above the globally accepted values reported by UNSCEAR. Twelve radiological health hazard indices, namely indoor and outdoor absorbed dose rates (ADRin and ADRout), indoor and outdoor annual effective dose rates (AEDRin and AEDRout), indoor and outdoor excess lifetime cancer risks (ELCRin and ELCRout), annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE), radium equivalent activity (Raeq), external and internal hazard indices (Hex and Hin), and gamma and alpha indices (Iγand Iα), were calculated for both soil and rock samples and then compared with worldwide averages. The mean values of all ADRin, ADRout, AEDRin, AEDRout, ELCRin, ELCRout, and AGDE indices for both rock and soil samples are above the UNSCEAR acceptable limits. However, the mean Raeq values for rock and soil samples were 167.96 and 177.71 Bq kg−1, respectively, and thus below the UNSCEAR limit of 370 Bq kg−1. In addition, the average values of the Hex, Hin, Iγ and Iα indices were found to be less than one, indicating that they are below acceptable limits and therefore pose no risk to the people living in the investigated region. The radiological health hazard indices determined in this study can be contributed to the database of natural radioactivity levels in the Çine submassif, defining Western Anatolia, Turkey, providing information on the distribution of CRa, CTh, and CK as well as radiation doses to individuals in contact with the study area.