Excess lifetime cancer risk due to natural radioactivity in Gümüşhane Province, NE Turkey

Abstract

In this study, 162 in situ measurements of 238U, 232Th, and 40K radionuclide concentrations dataset taken by the gamma-ray spectrometer in Gümüşhane, Turkey are presented. The gamma ray measurements were performed by a 512-channel, three-window gamma-ray spectrometry equipment made by GF Instruments. We first observed the radionuclides of the 238U, 232Th, and 40K values in Gümüşhane. We then calculated the hazard indices of gamma radiation such as annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE), internal and external hazard index (Hin, Hex), and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) based on the radionuclide abundances of 238U, 232Th, and 40K for the first time. In Gümüşhane, the average activity concentrations of radionuclides 238U, 232Th, and 40K were measured as 58.7 ± 34.3 Bq kg-1, 62.7 ± 37.2 Bq kg-1, and 1026.8 ± 486.0 Bq kg-1, respectively. The average outdoor annual effective dose equivalent and ELCR values were 132.2 ± 63.2 mSv yr-1 and 0.40 ± 0.19 × 10-3, respectively. Numerical results indicate that the radiological parameters (AEDE and ELCR) obtained for Gümüşhane Province were greater than the world’s mean values.