Assessment of environmental radioactivity in soil samples from Bartın Province, Turkey

The radioactivity levels in the soil samples from Bartın Province, Turkey were determined using a HPGe detector, and the hazard parameters were calculated. The mean concentration values were measured as 6 ± 2; 7 ± 3; 136 ± 15; 2 ± 1 and 8 ± 3 Bq kg −1 , for 238 U, 232 Th, 40 K, 137 Cs and 226 Ra, respectively. The average radium equivalent, absorbed gamma dose rate, annual effective dose equivalent, external hazard index and excess lifetime cancer risk were calculated as 26.74 Bq kg −1 , 12 ± 3 nGy h −1 , 15 ± 3 µSv y −1 , 0.1 ± 0.02 and 0.053 ± 0.011, respectively. Amasra district exhibited the highest radiological hazard parameters which is attributed to the mining activities. All measured and calculated values were found to remain under the limit values.