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

Abstract

The artificial Cs-137 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 Cs-137 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 Cs-137 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 Cs-137 were calculated. The annual effective dose rate ranges from 0.003 to 0.37 mu Sv y(-1). Statistical analyses were carried out to understand the distribution of Cs-137 activity concentration.