Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Measurement of natural radioactivity in soil from Peshawar basin of Pakistan

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Natural radioactivity in the environment may change with time due to human activities, chemical and biological changes. From the view of radiation risk to population, the knowledge of natural radioactivity levels and the measurement of collective radiation dose received by the population is very vital. Radiological constraints on soil of thickly populated Peshawar basin in northern Pakistan were assessed through radiometric assay. Soil samples collected from different locations of four districts of this basin were analysed using an HPGe gamma spectrometer. Activity concentrations of 40K, 226Ra and 232Th in these samples was 648 ± 121 (421–996), 45 ± 7 (32–60) and 59 ± 7 (46–72) Bq kg−1, respectively that followed lognormal distribution. The average concentrations of primordial radionuclides were found to be higher than that reported for the worldwide soil. Radium equivalent activity and gamma index derived from these activity concentrations were lesser than their respective limits. The average absorbed dose rate and the annual effective dose for both indoor and outdoor cases were found to be higher than the values given in the UNSCEAR 2000 report. The results of the present study were compared with those for other locations of Pakistan along with that for the world. The radiological impact of the measured data was evaluated using hazard assessment models. A thoughtful discussion of the above mentioned evaluation is also given.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. ISO (International Organization for Standardization) (2003) Measurement of radioactivity in the environment–Soil—Part 1, General guide and definitions

  2. UNSCEAR (United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation), Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation (1988) Report to the General Assembly, UNSCEAR, New York

  3. Dragovic S, Onjia A (2007) Appl Radiat Isot 65:218–224

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Tzortzis M, Tsertos H (2004) J Environ Radioact 77:325–338

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. UNSCEAR (United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation), Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation (2000) Report to the General Assembly, UNSCEAR, New York

  6. Akram M, Khattak NU, Qureshi AA, Iqbal A, Shafique M, Tufail M, Qureshi IE (2004) Health Phys 86(3):296–302

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Akram M, Khattak NU, Ullah I, Tufail M (2008) Radiat Meas 43:S527–S531

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Ngachin M, Garavaglia M, Giovani C, Kwato Njock MG, Nourreddine A (2008) J Environ Radioact 99:1056–1060

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Psichoudaki M, Papaefthymiou H (2008) J Environ Radioact 99:1011–1017

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Dabayneh KM, Mashal LA, Hasan FI (2008) Radiat Prot Dosim 131(2):265–271

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Navas A, Soto J, Lo′ pez-Martı′ nez J (2005) Appl Radiat Isot 62:809–816

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Huy NQ, Luyen TV (2006) Radiat Prot Dosim 118(3):331–336

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Celik N, Cevik U, Celik A, Koz B (2009) J Hazard Mater 162(1):146–153

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Qureshi AA, Khattak NU, Sardar M, Tufail M, Akram M, Iqbal T, Khan HA (2001) Radiat Meas 34:355–359

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Jabbar T, Khan K, Subhani MS, Akhter P (2009) J Radioanl Nucl Chem 279(2):377–384

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Khan HM, Ismail M, Khan K, Akhter P (2011) Chin Phys Lett 28(1):019301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Khan K, Jabbar A, Akhter P, Tufail M, Khan HM (2010) Chin Phys Lett 27(3):039301–039304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Khan HM, Ismail M, Khan K, Akhter P (2011) Water Air Soil Pollut 219(1–4):129–142

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Khan K, Khalid MR, Jabbar A, Akhter P (2012) Isot Environ Health Stud 48(2):286–294

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Khan HM, Ismail M, Zia MA, Khan K (2012) Isot Environ Health Stud 48(2):295–301

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Burbank DW, Tahirkheli RAK (1985) Bull Geol Soc Am 96(4):539–552

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Yeats RS, Hussain A (1987) Geol Soc Am Bull 99:161–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Pogue KR, Wardlaw BR, Harris AG, Hussain A (1992) Geol Soc Am Bull 104:915–927

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Burbank DW (1983) Earth Planet Sci Lett 64:77–92

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Burbank DW, Johnson GD (1982) Nature 298(5873):432–436

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Asghar M, Tufail M, Sabiha-Javied, Abid A, Waqas M (2008) Pak J Radiol Prot 28:387–399

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Sonkawade RG, Kant K, Muralithar S, Kumar R, Ramola RC (2008) Atmos Environ 42:2254–2259

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Akhtar N, Tufail M (2007) Radiat Prot Dosim 123:103–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Cember H Introduction to Health Physics (1997), 3rd edn. McGraw Hill, Health Professions Division, New York. ISBN-13 976-0-07-105461-4

  30. Tufail M, Akhtar N, Waqas M (2006) Radiat Meas 41:443–451

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Tufail M, Akhtar N, Waqas M (2006) Health Phys 90:361–370

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Beretka J, Matthew PJ (1985) Health Phys 48(1):87–95

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Krieger R (1981) Betonwerk Fertigtiel Techn 47:468

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Radiation Protection 112-Radiological protection principles concerning the natural radioactivity of building materials (1999), Directorate-General Environment Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection, European Commission

  35. Righi S, Bruzzi L (2006) J Environ Radioact 88:158–170

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Mirza NM, Ali B, Mirza SM, Tufail M, Ahmad N (1991) Radiat Prot Dosim 38:307–311

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. ICRP (1991, 1990) Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. ICRP Publication 60. Ann ICRP 21 (1–3)

    Google Scholar 

  38. Matiullah, Ahad A, ur-Rehman S, Faheem M (2004) Radiat Prot Dosim 112(3):443–447

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Hussain A (1994) J Radioanal Nucl Chem 188(4):255–265

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Kannan V, Rajan MP, Iyengar MAR, Ramesh R (2002) Appl Radiat Isot 57:109–119

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Tahir SNA, Jamil K, Zaidi JH, Arif M, Ahmed N, Ahmad SA (2005) Radiat Prot Dosim 113(4):421–427

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Tufail M, Ahmad N, Khan HA, Zafar MS (1991) Radiat Prot Dosim 37(3):19–200

    Google Scholar 

  43. Akhtar N, Tufail M, Ashraf M, Iqbal MM (2005) Radiat Meas 39:11–14

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Malik GM, Asghar M, Tufail M, Akhter P, Khan K, Orfi SD (2002) The Nucl 39:71–73

    Google Scholar 

  45. Khan EU, Tufail M, Ahmad N, Malik QN, Amjad M, Zulqarnain SMQ (1995) Turkish J Nucl Sci 22:37–47

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Hamid BN, Chowdhury MI, Alam MN, Islam MN (2002) Radiat Prot Dosim 98(2):227–230

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Miah FK, Roy S, Touhiduzzaman M, Alam B (1998) Appl Radiat Isot 49(1–2):133–137

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Yang Y, Wu X, Jiang Z, Wang W, Lu J, Lin J, Wang LW, Hsia Y (2005) Appl Radiat Isot 63:255–259

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Parsad NG, Nagaiah N, Ashok GV, Karunakara N (2008) Health Phys 94(3):264–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. Abusini M, Al-ayasreh K, Al-Jundi J (2008) Radiat Prot Dosim 128(2):213–216

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

All the authors, especially M. Asghar and Sabiha-Javied, would like to express their gratitude to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan and appreciate its financial support through “Indigenous Scholarship Scheme for Ph.D. studies in Science and Technology”.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nilore, Islamabad, 45650, Pakistan

    M. Asghar & Sabiha Javied

  2. Physics Division, PINSTECH, Nilore, Islamabad, 45650, Pakistan

    M. Akram & S. A. Mujahid

  3. Health Physics Division, PINSTECH, Nilore, Islamabad, 45650, Pakistan

    K. Khan

  4. Riphah International University, Rawalpini, Pakistan

    M. Tufail

Authors
  1. M. Tufail
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. Asghar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Akram
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Sabiha Javied
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. K. Khan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. S. A. Mujahid
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Akram.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tufail, M., Asghar, M., Akram, M. et al. Measurement of natural radioactivity in soil from Peshawar basin of Pakistan. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 298, 1085–1096 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-013-2619-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-013-2619-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation