Environmental radioactivity assessment for Bayburt, Turkey

This study assesses the results of environmental radioactivity measurements for Bayburt Province in the Eastern Black Sea area of Turkey. Using.-ray spectrometry, activity concentrations of the natural radionuclides Ra-226, Th-232 and K-40 and a fission product Cs-137 were investigated in soil samples. The activity concentrations of Ra-226, Th-232 and K-40 in various building materials such as sand, cement and marble and in drinking waters were determined. The activity concentrations vary from 16 to 54 Bq kg(-1) for Ra-226, from 10 to 21 Bq kg(-1) for Th-232 and from 113 to 542 Bq kg(-1) for K-40 in building materials. The mean specific activity concentrations of Ra-226, Th-232 and K-40 in drinking waters were 93, 30 and 504 mBq 1(-1), respectively. The concentrations of gross alpha and beta radioactivity in drinking water samples collected from four different sampling stations have been determined. The results show that the gross a and beta activities are lower than the screening levels given by the World Health Organization (WHO), which are a maximum contaminant level of 0.5 Bq l(-1) and 1.0 Bq l(-1) gross alpha and beta radioactivity, respectively, in drinking water. Indoor radon measurements were made in 44 dwellings in Bayburt by using Cr-39 detectors. Radon concentrations in dwellings in Bayburt varied from 17 to 125 Bq m(-3) and the average value was 56 Bq m(-3). The results obtained in this study indicate that the region has a background radiation level that is within the typical natural range and shows no significant departures from other parts of the country.