Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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Radiometric examination of fertilizers and assessment of their health hazards, commonly used in Pakistan

  • Hannan Younis (Department of Physics, COMSATS University Islamabad) ;
  • Sumbilah Shafique (Department of Physics, COMSATS University Islamabad) ;
  • Zahida Ehsan (The Landau-Feynman Laboratory for Theoretical Physics, CUI, Lahore Campus) ;
  • Aleena Ishfaq (Department of Physics, COMSATS University Islamabad) ;
  • Khurram Mehboob (K. A. CARE Energy Research and Innovation Center, Department of Nuclear Engineering, King Abdul Aziz University) ;
  • Muhammad Ajaz (Department of Physics, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan) ;
  • Abdullah Hidayat (Department of Physics, Florida Atlantic University) ;
  • Wazir Muhammad (Department of Physics, Florida Atlantic University)
  • Received : 2022.10.29
  • Accepted : 2023.03.17
  • Published : 2023.07.25
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Abstract

The radioactivity concentrations of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) i.e., 226Ra, 232Th, and 4K in various chemical fertilizers being used in the agricultural soil of Pakistan were determined utilizing gamma spectrometry by employing a High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector. The radioactivity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 4K extended from 2.58 ± 0.8-265.7 ± 8.8 Bq kg-1, 1.53 ± 0.14-76.6 ± 1.07 Bq kg-1 and 36.5 ± 1.34-15606.7 ± 30.2 Bq kg-1 respectively. The radiological hazard parameters such as internal and external indices and annual effective dose rates were calculated, while excessive lifetime cancer risk factors for the indoor and outdoor areas were found in the range from 0.3×10-3 to 10.723×10-3 and 0.03×10-3 to 2.7948×10-3 of most fertilizers, however, some values were slightly higher than the UNSCEAR (The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation) recommended values for potash-containing fertilizers such as MOP (Muriate of Potash).

Keywords

Acknowledgement

The authors acknowledge the support provided by King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KA CARE) under K.A. CARE King Abdulaziz University Collaboration Program. This research work was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research (DSR), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, under grant number (IFPIP:18-135-1443). Therefore, the authors gratefully acknowledge technical and financial support provided by the ministry of education and king Abdulaziz university, DSR, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

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