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Assessment of radioactive pollution around a fertilizerfactory complex in the North-Eastern part of Bangladesh

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 September 2013

S Ghose ,
M. Akhter ,
S.M. Azharul Islam ,
M. Shahabuddin  and
M. Mazibur Rahman
S Ghose*
Affiliation:
Nuclear Safety & Radiation Control Division, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, 4 Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Ramna, Dhaka, Bangladesh
M. Akhter
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh
S.M. Azharul Islam
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh
M. Shahabuddin
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh
M. Mazibur Rahman
Affiliation:
International Affairs Division, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Dhaka, Bangladesh
*
* e-mail: ghosesatyajit@yahoo.com
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Abstract

The activity concentrations of soil, water and fertilizersamples were determined by using high-resolution gamma spectrometry(HPGe detector: 40% relative efficiency) with a PC-based MCA system.The samples were collected from the area of a urea fertilizer factory,lagoon and Shitalakhya river in Narsingdi, Bangladesh. The activityconcentrations of 226Ra ranged from 3.16 ± 0.32 to 10.28 ± 0.55Bq.kg-1, 1.22 ± 0.41 to 7.36 ± 0.42 Bq.L-1 and 3.55 ± 0.33 to 90.65± 3.17 Bq.kg-1 for soil, water and fertilizer samples, respectively.The 232Th activity concentrations ranged from 4.89 ± 0.45 to 15.82± 0.45 Bq.kg-1, 1.21 ± 0.06 to 8.59 ± 0.37 Bq. L-1 and 4.76 ± 0.25to 26.38 ± 1.40 Bq.kg-1 for soil, water and fertilizer samples, respectively.The 40K activity concentrations ranged from 24.96 ± 0.23 to 60.49± 0.56 Bq.kg-1, 7.48 ± 0.53 to 35.48 ± 0.24 Bq.L-1 and 3.55 ± 0.05to 3051.71 ± 19.53 Bq.kg-1 for these samples, respectively. Theradium equivalent activity, the hazard indices, the gamma activityconcentration index, the indoor absorbed dose rate and the correspondingannual effective dose were estimated for the potential radiological hazardof the collected samples. The calculated values of the representativelevel index values (Igr) for all samples of the study area are lowerthan unity except the MOP sample. The activity ratios were alsomeasured. These values are compared with reported values for othercountries of the world. The results of the comparison studies showthat the radioactivity concentrations and other radioactive indicesof the samples of the study area are below the internationally acceptedmaximum permissible values. Therefore, this region is safe fromany radiation hazard and no significant radiological threat was observedto the population of the study area.

Keywords

fertilizergamma spectrometryradiumthorium and potassium
Type
Research Article
Information
Radioprotection , Volume 48 , Issue 4 , October 2013 , pp. 575 - 591
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, 2013

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