Radioactivity and hydrochemical properties of certain thermal Turkish spa waters

Abstract

The study aims to determine the radioactivity levels of thermal waters which have been used seasonally or permanently in spas for therapeutic intentions. Samples were collected from spas in different regions of Turkey. Some radionuclides (40K, 232Th, 226Ra, 137Cs), gross alpha (GA) and gross beta (GB) activities, and physical and some chemical parameters were measured. Gamma radiation measurements for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K radionuclides were performed by using a high purity germanium (HPGe) detector. The results of the gamma spectrometry ranged from 1.385 to 11.025 Bql-1 for 226Ra,