Determination of primordial radionuclide concentrations in UAE groundwater using high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry

Abstract

Groundwater is the most valuable resource in arid regions, such as UAE. Estimations of natural radionuclide concentrations are important to evaluate the potential risks to the public. In this study, the activity concentrations (ACs) of naturally occurring radioactive materials in groundwater from wells across UAE were determined using gamma spectroscopy. Forty groundwater samples were collected from different sites across UAE and measured using gamma-ray spectrometry technique. The samples were collected from agricultural areas, which represents a small area of the UAE. The AC of ²²⁶Ra ranged from 2.61 $\times \,10^{ - 1}$ to 4.14 $\times \,10^{ - 1}$ Bq/L, with a mean value of 3.37 $\times \,10^{ - 1}$ ± 0.063 Bq/L. For ²³²Th, the AC ranged from 1.55 $\times \,10^{ - 1}$ to 2.93 $\times \,10^{ - 1}$ Bq/L, with a mean value of 2.24 $\times \,10^{ - 1}$ ± 0.056 Bq/L. The mean ACs for ²²⁶Ra and ²³²Th were lower than the recommended limit of 1 Bq/L by the World Health Organization (WHO). The AC of ⁴⁰K ranged from 3.24 to 6.8 Bq/L, with a mean value of 5.0 ± 0.122 Bq/L. Similarly, the mean AC for ⁴⁰K was lower than the WHO-recommended limit of 10 Bq/L. The absorbed dose rates of 5.0 $\times \,10^{ - 1}$ nGy/h and annual effective dose rates of 6.2 $\times \,10^{ - 1}$ µSv/year were found to be lower than the WHO-specified average limit. The internal and external hazard indexes were below the UNSCEAR-recommended threshold, indicating no significant health risks to the public.