¹³⁷Cs in Soils from İstanbul (Turkey) Sampled 35 Years After Chernobyl

Abstract

The artificial ¹³⁷Cs radionuclide dispersed into the atmosphere as a consequence of the Chernobyl accident. As a result of the explosion, radioactive pollution occurred in the Black Sea and Thrace region. In the present study, to assess the risks associated with the exposure due to Chernobyl fallout, artificial ¹³⁷Cs radionuclide was analyzed in collected surface soil samples from the Anatolian region of Istanbul, in Thrace Region of Turkey by a gamma-ray spectrometer equipped with HPGe. The artificial ¹³⁷Cs radionuclide activity concentrations range from <0.07 to 9.95 ± 0.19 Bq kg⁻¹ d.w. in soil samples. To estimate the radiological hazard resulting from fallout ¹³⁷Cs were calculated. The annual effective dose rate ranges from 0.003 to 0.37 μSv y⁻¹. Statistical analyses were carried out to understand the distribution of ¹³⁷Cs activity concentration.

Keywords:

• ¹³⁷Cs
• outdoor gamma dose
• Chernobyl
• artificial radioactivity
• statistical analysis

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Rector of Kirklareli University for his support. Use of facilities at the Central Research Laboratory of Kırklareli University for HPGe detector is acknowledged.

Disclosure Statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.