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Radionuclide concentrations in sand samples from riverbanks of Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir

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Abstract

This paper presents the results of a radiological risk assessment arising from the presence of naturally occurring radionuclides in sand samples from three riverbanks in Muzaffarabad. The mean values obtained for 232Th, 226Ra, and 40K were found to be 44.58 ± 3.34, 48.25 ± 1.77, and 239.92 ± 22.73 Bq kg−1, respectively. To assess the uniformity of exposure, the radium equivalent activity (Raeq) was calculated and was found to be 130.47 ± 8.29 Bq kg−1. The current reported value for Raeq is lower than the maximum permissible value, that is, 370 Bq kg−1, and equivalent to a gamma dose of 1.5 mSv y−1. To investigate the possible contribution to health risks of alpha particle exposure, the radon exhalation rate (RER) from the sand samples was determined. The mean RER for all the samples was found to be 335 mBq m−2 h−1. About 43% of the samples were found to have an indoor excess lifetime cancer risk value slightly higher than recommended safety limit of 1, as proposed by the ICRP. A normalized parameter, the equivalent multiplicative factor, was defined and used to compare the current results with the findings of studies performed in other countries. Our findings are relevant to both human health and future environmental radiation monitoring.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the Director General, Pakistan Institute Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH), for allowing us to use their laboratories and the staff for their assistance and technical support. Mr. A. R. Khan is thankful to the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan for their awarding of a PhD Indigenous Scholarship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Muzaffarbad, Azad Kashmir, 13100, Pakistan

    Abdul Razzaq Khan, Muhammad Rafique, Muhammad Ejaiz Khan & Mulaika Yasin

  2. Health Physics Division, Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (PINSTECH), Nilore, Islamabad, 45650, Pakistan

    Abdul Jabbar

  3. Department of Medical Physics, Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Saeed Ur Rahman

  4. Physics Division, Directorate of Science, PINSTECH, P.O. Nilore, Islamabad, 45650, Pakistan

    Muhammad Ikram Shahzad

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  1. Abdul Razzaq Khan
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Khan, A.R., Rafique, M., Jabbar, A. et al. Radionuclide concentrations in sand samples from riverbanks of Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir. NUCL SCI TECH 29, 93 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41365-018-0442-9

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