Radioactivity measurement and dose assessment from surface soils around the Çatalagzi coal-fired power plant, Turkey

This paper presents a study on radioactivity measurements in surface soils around the Çatalagzi coal-fired power plant (ÇCFPP/ ÇATES) near the city of Zonguldak on the west of the Black Sea cost of Turkey. Soil samples were collected from 25 locations around the ÇCFPP and the activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in the samples were determined using a gamma ray spectrometric system with an HPGe detector. The mean activity concentrations in soil samples were found as 47, 50 and 440 Bq kg -1 for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K respectively. In order to evaluate the radiological hazard of the natural radioactivity, the radium equivalent activity (Ra eq), the absorbed dose rate (D) and the annual effect dose rate (AED) were calculated and compared with the internationally approved values. Our findings were also compared with the similar studies done in Turkey and other countries in the world. © by PSP