Correlation between soil gas radon concentrations and terrestrial radioactivity (U-238 and Th-232) in Afyonkarahisar

Abstract

Humans are exposed both to natural radiation from the radioactive elements that have existed in the earth's crust since the formation of the earth and to artificial radiation from medical applications and sparrows after nuclear tests. The most important part in natural radiation affecting human beings is radon derived from terrestrial radioactive elements of Uranium and Thorium. Terrestrial radiation level is strictly related to the contents of Thorium (232Th), Uranium (238U) and Potassium (40K) in rocks which is the origin of the soil in an area, and to the geological composition of the area. The determination of natural background radiation levels is of great importance for all living things. In order to determine whether the living zone is healthy in terms of natural radiation, the concentrations of the radionuclides in the surrounding environment and the effects of radiation on all the living things must be known. In this study, it was aimed to determine the terrestrial background radiation level on the soil surface, and to evaluate the correlation between the Uranium and Thorium concentrations and the soil gas radon activity values in Afyonkarahisar city center.