Natural Radioactivity Levels in Lake Sediment Samples

Abstract

The radioactivity concentrations of nuclides 238U, 232Th and 40K in lake sediments collected from 15 different stations at Altinkaya dam lake and 12 different stations at Derbent dam lake in Turkey were measured using high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. The measurement was done using a coaxial HPGe detector system coupled to the Ortec-Dspect jr digital MCA system. The average measured activity concentrations of the nuclides 238U, 232Th and 40K were found to be 19.5, 27.7 and 460 Bq kg-1 in Altinkaya dam, whereas the activity concentrations were 18.8, 25.5 and 365 Bq kg21 in Derbent dam, respectively. The measured activity concentrations in the present study have been compared with similar measurements from different locations in the world. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.