Measurements of levels of natural radionuclides in the soil in Zuwaye, and Shashamene area, Ethiopia, using gamma ray spectrometry

The activity concentration of Naturally Occurring Radio-nuclides such as 238U, 232Th and 40K in the collected soil sample from the selected area were measured by using Gamma ray spectroscopy employed by HPGe detector to perform the measurements. The average activity concentration values was found to be 46.93, 110.6, 847.65 and 2.43Bq/Kg for 238U, 232Th,40K and 137Cs respectively. These values were higher than the world average values given by UNSCEAR (2000). The average associated radiological hazard parameters indices Raeq, Hex, Hin, Dout, Din, AEDE and I of natural radio-nuclides were determined to be as follow 248.27, 0.728, 0.86,0.185, 1.035, 1.22 and 1.98 Bq/Kg respectively. Some results such as Dout, Din, AEDE and I were found to be higher than the recommended world average values UNSCEAR (2000) and others were Raeq, Hex and Hin below the standard. Accordingly, the investigated soil sites were not radiation hazard free.