Radioactivity Levels in Some Plant Samples in the North Western of West - Bank , Palestine and Evaluation of the Radiation Hazard

Abstract

The activity concentrations of naturally occurring radioactive materials such as 226Ra, 238U, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs were measured for 44 plant samples collected from different locations in the northwestern region of the West Bank, Palestine, using high-resolution gamma ray spectroscopy. The activity concentrations of radionuclides in the investigated plant samples ranged from 7.5 to 157.6 Bq kg21 for 226Ra, 7.5 to 66.1 Bq kg21 for 238U, 1.8 to 48.5 Bq kg21 for 232Th, 14.3 to 1622 Bq kg21 for 40K and <0.1 to 4.7 Bq kg21 for 137Cs. The average values of these activities were 48.3, 26.5, 10.1, 288.0 and 2.2 Bq kg21, for 226Ra, 238U, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs, respectively. The study presents the total gamma radiation dose rate assessed from natural radionuclides,137Cs and cosmic radiation, the dose rate of each radionuclide and the effective dose for all the samples. The radiological health implication to the population that may result from these doses is found to be low, except in few cases. The measurements have been taken as representing a baseline database of values of these radionuclides in the plants in the area.