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Redistributions of NORMs in and around a gas-field (Shabazpur, Bangladesh): radiological risks assessment

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Abstract

To study the potential redistributions of NORMs from gas-wells to ambient-environment in and around gas-field and to evaluate affiliated radiological-risks, a suite of systematically collected samples were measured by HPGe-detector. Radioactivity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K in gas-well samples are 60 ± 13, 94 ± 14, 2200 ± 400 Bq kg−1 whereas in environmental samples they are 40 ± 9, 73 ± 11, 873 ± 180 Bq kg−1, respectively. Surface-soil possesses higher NORMs compared to the corresponding subsurface-soil which demonstrated technogenic incorporation of NORMs. Distribution of NORMs in ambient environment are controlled by several natural and anthropogenic factors. Evaluation of radiological indices suggests considerable risks and invoke routine monitoring of radiation in and around gas-fields.

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Acknowledgements

We are gratefully acknowledging the Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Ltd. (BAPEX) for kindly providing the core samples. We are also expressing our sincere gratitude to the technical personel who were associated with this work. Dr. Md. Bazlar Rashid and Dr. Md. Ahosan Habib from the Geological Survey of Bangladesh are gratefully acknowledged for their kind helps on map preparation and affiliated discussions.

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  1. Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh

    Mahbuba Begum & S. M. Mostafa Al Mamun

  2. Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), Savar, Dhaka, 1349, Bangladesh

    Mahbuba Begum, Rahat Khan & Syed Mohammod Hossain

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  1. Mahbuba Begum
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Begum, M., Khan, R., Hossain, S.M. et al. Redistributions of NORMs in and around a gas-field (Shabazpur, Bangladesh): radiological risks assessment. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 331, 317–330 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-021-08107-x

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